Ainok Bond-Kin MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 8 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost2
RarityCommon
TypeCreature — Dog Soldier
Abilities Outlast
Power 2
Toughness 1

Key Takeaways

  1. Ainok Bond-Kin ensures lasting board impact and synergizes well with +1/+1 counter strategies, augmenting deck capabilities.
  2. Its mana cost and color specificity may limit its inclusion, requiring careful consideration within deck construction.
  3. Potential to grant first strike makes it a tactical asset in combat, elevating its value in counter-centric decks.

Text of card

Outlast (, : Put a +1/+1 counter on this creature. Outlast only as a sorcery.) Each creature you control with a +1/+1 counter on it has first strike.

"Hold the line, for family and the fallen!"


Card Pros

Card Advantage: The Ainok Bond-Kin MTG card grants you a lasting board presence with its ability to withstand damage due to its 2/1 stats, a form of card advantage considering its two mana cost. It’s also a reliable card to draw in later turns for its outlast ability.

Resource Acceleration: A core part of the Outlast mechanic, the Ainok Bond-Kin promotes resource acceleration in your game. You can put a +1/+1 counter on it for a small fee, enhancing not only its power and toughness but also synergizing with other creatures on the board that recognize counters. This mechanic feeds into creating a stronger board state over time.

Instant Speed: While Ainok Bond-Kin lacks instant speed, its enduring presence on the battlefield allows you to continuously upgrade your resources. In a sense, it provides you a sort of delayed instant speed by being able to strategically plan for and enhance your next turns. This strategic potential gives it quite an edge in combat scenarios, especially as it can grant other creatures with +1/+1 counters first strike.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: While Ainok Bond-Kin comes with interesting abilities, it does require a certain amount of sacrifice. Utilizing this card effectively might require you to discard another from your hand, a noticeable drawback if your resources are already dwindling.

Specific Mana Cost: The use of Ainok Bond-Kin may not be universal due to its mana requirements. The card requires one white mana, which means its utility is restricted to decks compatible with this color. Despite its abilities, this could pose a limitation in some deck builds.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: The cost of casting Ainok Bond-Kin can also be a downside. With two mana, its effects might not seem overly high. However, when considering the upfront cost alongside potential discard requirements, there are other options in the MTG universe that could provide more efficiency or versatility for your mana expenditure.


Reasons to Include Ainok Bond-Kin in Your Collection

Versatility: Ainok Bond-Kin demonstrates its versatility by fitting into various deck types. Particularly, it thrives in decks that benefit from counter-based strategies due to its potential to give creatures with +1/+1 counters first strike.

Combo Potential: The card dramatically enhances strategies that revolve around +1/+1 counters. Used smartly, it can synergize with other counter-increasing abilities or cards, transforming otherwise average creatures into formidable threats.

Meta-Relevance: Given the persistence of counter strategies in the meta-game, Ainok Bond-Kin retains considerable relevance. This card’s presence in your deck may tip the balance during battles against mid-range or control strategies, providing you with an unexpected edge.


How to beat

Ainok Bond-Kin is a powerful card in Magic: The Gathering with its significant attribute of outlast. It grants the player the ability to bolster creatures on the battlefield, enhancing the strength of a deck. Notably, one can compare its function to cards like Longshot Squad, offering a distinctively similar ability with a different creature type.

However, beating this card involves understanding its weaknesses. It requires a keen understanding of counters and how they work, just like cards such as Feat of Resistance. Although it offers protection and puts a +1/+1 counter, its cost and the fact that it’s an instant spell can’t negate the effectiveness of an activated outlast ability from Ainok Bond-Kin.

Moreover, this card faces challenges against negation abilities. For instance, a card like Stubborn Denial can entirely counter the outlast ability if you control a creature with power 4 or greater. Similarly, Temur Charm can counter any spell if the player chooses the correct mode.

Overall, carefully observing the occasion to exploit the limitations of the outlast ability can help to neutralize the effect of Ainok Bond-Kin, highlighting how understanding card mechanics can greatly impact gameplay in MTG.


BurnMana Recommendations

After evaluating Ainok Bond-Kin’s strategic advantages and limitations, the depth of its contribution to an MTG match becomes clear. From forming the backbone of a +1/+1 counter strategy to contributing to a resilient board presence, this card is as multifaceted as it is indispensable for certain deck archetypes. If you’re seeking to strengthen your deck with a card that offers gradual power growth and combat tricks through first strike, Ainok Bond-Kin is worth your consideration. Crucially, understanding how to best leverage its strengths and mitigate its weaknesses can be the edge you need. Ready to optimize your deck and refine your strategy with Ainok Bond-Kin? Dive deeper with us to enhance your MTG experience.


Cards like Ainok Bond-Kin

The Ainok Bond-Kin card in Magic: The Gathering offers a unique mix of benefits and abilities, acting as a close comparative to creatures such as Feat of Resistance. This comparison is based on the aspect of adding +1/+1 counters on a creature which is a feature these two cards mutually offer. Nonetheless, Ainok Bond-Kin carries its own distinct edge with its potent defensive and offensive trait of granting first strike to outmaneuver opponents.

When aligned with the Anafenza, Kin-Tree Spirit, we see the gameplay evolving in an interesting way. Just like the Anafenza, the Ainok Bond-Kin aids in creating robust creatures amplified by +1/+1 counters. But the Ainok Bond-Kin magnifies this advantage by not just strengthening your warriors but also proactively enhancing their battle abilities with first strikes. The added archetype of Warriors in Ainok Bond-Kin’s case also provides a wider synergy in deck building.

In conclusion, the capabilities that Ainok Bond-Kin brings to the battlefield are a powerful ally for any MTG player. It excels not only in bolstering the strength of creatures but also by providing unique strategic advantages, thus setting it apart from similar cards in Magic: The Gathering.

Feat of Resistance - MTG Card versions
Anafenza, Kin-Tree Spirit - MTG Card versions
Feat of Resistance - MTG Card versions
Anafenza, Kin-Tree Spirit - MTG Card versions

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Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Ainok Bond-Kin MTG card by a specific set like Khans of Tarkir and Iconic Masters, there are several reliable options to consider. One of the primary sources is your local game store, where you can often find booster packs, individual cards, and preconstructed decks from current and some past sets. They often offer the added benefit of a community where you can trade with other players.

For a broader inventory, particularly of older sets, online marketplaces like TCGPlayer, Card Kingdom and Card Market offer extensive selections and allow you to search for cards from specific sets. Larger e-commerce platforms like eBay and Amazon also have listings from various sellers, which can be a good place to look for sealed product and rare finds.

Additionally, Magic’s official site often has a store locator and retailer lists for finding Wizards of the Coast licensed products. Remember to check for authenticity and the condition of the cards when purchasing, especially from individual sellers on larger marketplaces.

Below is a list of some store websites where you can buy the Ainok Bond-Kin and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Ainok Bond-Kin Magic the Gathering card was released in 8 different sets between 2014-09-26 and 2023-08-04. Illustrated by Chris Rahn.

#ReleasedNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12014-09-26Khans of TarkirKTK 32015NormalBlackChris Rahn
22017-11-17Iconic MastersIMA 42015NormalBlackChris Rahn
32019-11-07Mystery BoosterMB1 132015NormalBlackChris Rahn
42020-09-26The ListPLST KTK-32015NormalBlackChris Rahn
52021-08-26Jumpstart: Historic HorizonsJ21 362015NormalBlackChris Rahn
62021-09-24Midnight Hunt CommanderMIC 782015NormalBlackChris Rahn
72022-07-08Double Masters 20222X2 52015NormalBlackChris Rahn
82023-08-04Commander MastersCMM 72015NormalBlackChris Rahn

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Ainok Bond-Kin has restrictions

FormatLegality
HistoricbrawlLegal
HistoricLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderLegal
OathbreakerLegal
GladiatorLegal
PioneerLegal
CommanderLegal
ModernLegal
PauperLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
ExplorerLegal
PennyLegal
TimelessLegal

Rules and information

The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Ainok Bond-Kin card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.

Date Text
2014-09-20 Several creatures with outlast also grant an ability to creatures you control with +1/+1 counters on them, including themselves. These counters could come from an outlast ability, but any +1/+1 counter on the creature will count.
2014-09-20 The cost to activate a creature's outlast ability includes the tap symbol (). A creature's outlast ability can't be activated unless that creature has been under your control continuously since the beginning of your turn.

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