Kaleidoscorch MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	2
Rarity	Uncommon
Type	Sorcery
Abilities	Converge,Flashback
Released	2021-06-18
Set symbol
Set name	Modern Horizons 2
Set code	MH2
Number	133
Frame	2015
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Andrew Mar

Key Takeaways

Kaleidoscorch’s scaling damage with mana colors can turn it into a powerhouse in multicolored decks.
Its instant speed provides strategic flexibility, enabling reactive or surprise plays during crucial game moments.
Resource demands and discard requirements of Kaleidoscorch may deter some, but its strategic depth is undeniable.

Text of card

Converge — Kaleidoscorch deals X damage to any target, where X is the number of colors of mana spent to cast this spell. Flashback (You may cast this card from your graveyard for its flashback cost. Then exile it.)

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Kaleidoscorch provides flexibility in how you generate card advantage. It scales with the number of colors of mana spent to cast it, potentially escalating your draw power as the game progresses.

Resource Acceleration: While not directly providing resource acceleration, Kaleidoscorch’s versatility can lead to indirect acceleration by removing creatures that impede your board development or by fueling synergies in multicolor decks.

Instant Speed: The instant speed nature of Kaleidoscorch allows for tactical plays. It can be used as a surprise element to thwart an opponent’s strategy or as a last-minute game-changer during a crucial turn.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Kaleidoscorch necessitates the player to toss another card to ignite its potential. This could reduce hand advantage and be particularly inconvenient when the player’s hand is already stretched thin.

Specific Mana Cost: The spell hinges on red mana, specifically two red sources. This demand may restrict its integration, pigeonholing it into monored or two-color red-inclusive decks, potentially excluding it from broader deck archetypes.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a need for four mana to cast, its cost-effect ratio could be debated. Competing cards may present similar or superior effects at a lower mana investment, providing other decks more bang for their buck.

Reasons to Include Kaleidoscorch in Your Collection

Versatility: Kaleidoscorch is a flexible card that can be slotted into various deck archetypes. Its scalability with the number of colors used can adjust to multicolor decks, making it adaptable to players’ evolving game strategies.

Combo Potential: This card shines when it’s timed correctly, enabling explosive plays. Its capacity to deal damage based on the number of colors spent to cast it means it has significant synergies in decks that can produce a rainbow of mana, allowing for powerful combo finishes.

Meta-Relevance: In a game environment that rewards dynamic play and the ability to respond to different threats, Kaleidoscorch can be a pivotal inclusion. Its ability to target creatures or planeswalkers while potentially being a game-ending spell against opponents makes it a card worth having as the meta shifts.

How to beat

Kaleidoscorch is a versatile damage spell that can quickly turn the tides of a Magic: The Gathering match. Its unique Cascade ability allows players to potentially cast multiple spells within a single turn, increasing the chance of dealing massive damage to the opponent or their creatures. When facing Kaleidoscorch, it is essential to have a strategy that disrupts or diminishes its impact.

One effective approach is to use counter spells to block Kaleidoscorch before it can trigger its cascade effect. Cards like Negate or Counterspell can be kept at the ready for when your opponent tries to cast Kaleidoscorch. Additionally, since Kaleidoscorch depends on the number of colors spent to cast it, limiting the opponent’s mana base through land destruction or mana denial can also weaken its effect. Cards like Blood Moon or Stone Rain can be instrumental in this strategy. Being proactive is key; remove your opponent’s creatures that could be potential targets for the increased damage. Sweepers like Shatter the Sky or targeted removal like Fatal Push can help maintain control over the field.

Ultimately, incorporating these tactics can dampen the explosive potential of Kaleidoscorch, keeping the gameplay in your favor and leading you toward victory in your Magic: The Gathering encounters.

Cards like Kaleidoscorch

Kaleidoscorch brings a versatile flare to the red spell lineup in Magic: The Gathering. With its ability to burn opponents or creatures and its innovative converge mechanic, it can be likened to other damage spells. For instance, Lightning Bolt is an MTG staple with a straightforward premise: three damage for one mana. While it’s lauded for efficiency, Kaleidoscorch’s damage potential scales with the diversity of mana spent, potentially surpassing the Bolt’s fixed cap.

An apt comparison is also found in Fiery Impulse. This spell shares the creature-targeting aspect but relies on spell mastery for an additional damage boost, unlike the scalable intensity of Kaleidoscorch. Then there’s Skred, a snow-centric card that draws power from the number of snow lands you control, offering scalability in a different manner. Skred’s limited scope—only impacting creatures—contrasts with Kaleidoscorch’s dual capability to target both creatures and opponents, showcasing its broader tactical utility in a match.

Assessing Kaleidoscorch against contemporaries provides insight into its potential. Its ability to adapt the damage output based on mana color investment gives it a edge in a strategically diverse MTG environment. This flexibility, paired with target versatility, makes Kaleidoscorch a potent option for players crafting a dynamic and responsive game plan.

Cards similar to Kaleidoscorch by color, type and mana cost

Embereth Shieldbreaker // Battle Display - MTG Card versions

Nahiri's Lithoforming - MTG Card versions

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Kaleidoscorch MTG card by a specific set like Modern Horizons 2, 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 Kaleidoscorch and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Kaleidoscorch has restrictions

Format	Legality
Commander	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Modern	Legal
Oathbreaker	Legal
Vintage	Legal
Duel	Legal
Penny	Legal

Rules and information

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

Date	Text
2021-06-18	A spell cast using flashback will always be exiled afterward, whether it resolves, is countered, or leaves the stack in some other way.
2021-06-18	If a spell with a converge ability is copied, no mana was spent to cast the copy, so the number of colors of mana spent to cast the spell will be zero. The number of colors spent to cast the original spell is not copied.
2021-06-18	If there are any alternative or additional costs to cast a spell with a converge ability, the colors of mana spent to pay those costs will count.
2021-06-18	If you cast a spell with converge without spending any mana to cast it (perhaps because an effect allowed you to cast it without paying its mana cost), then the number of colors spent to cast it will be zero.
2021-06-18	The maximum number of colors of mana you can spend to cast a spell is five. Colorless is not a color. Note that the cost of a spell with converge may limit how many colors of mana you can spend.
2021-06-18	To determine the total cost of a spell, start with the mana cost or alternative cost (such as a flashback cost) you're paying, add any cost increases, then apply any cost reductions. The mana value of the spell is determined only by its mana cost, no matter what the total cost to cast the spell was.
2021-06-18	Unless a spell or ability allows you to, you can't choose to pay more mana for a spell with a converge ability just to spend more colors of mana. Likewise, if a spell or ability reduces the amount of mana it costs you to cast a spell with converge, you can't ignore that cost reduction in order to spend more colors of mana.
2021-06-18	You can cast a spell using flashback even if it was somehow put into your graveyard without having been cast.
2021-06-18	You must still follow any timing restrictions and permissions, including those based on the card's type. For instance, you can cast a sorcery using flashback only when you could normally cast a sorcery.
2021-06-18	“Flashback -ost]” means “You may cast this card from your graveyard by paying -ost] rather than paying its mana cost” and “If the flashback cost was paid, exile this card instead of putting it anywhere else any time it would leave the stack.”