Nine-Fingers Keene MTG Card


Gaining card advantage with Nine-Fingers Keene keeps your hand full and your MTG strategies adaptable. Resource acceleration with Keene enables faster plays, tipping the competitive edge in your favor. Instant speed actions with Keene provide flexibility, allowing you to react swiftly to in-game events.
Card setsReleased in 4 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost4
RarityRare
TypeLegendary Creature — Human Rogue
Abilities Menace,Ward
Power 4
Toughness 4

Text of card

Menace Ward— Pay 9 life. Whenever Nine-Fingers Keene deals combat damage to a player, look at the top nine cards of your library. You may put a Gate card from among them onto the battlefield. Then if you control nine or more Gates, put the rest into your hand. Otherwise, put the rest on the bottom of your library in a random order.


Cards like Nine-Fingers Keene

Nine-Fingers Keene has carved out its own niche in the MTG card roster as a distinctive legendary creature. It parallels commanders like Radha, Heir to Keld, in that it channels a versatile approach to mana generation. Keene’s ability to unpack an extra turn upon reaching a commander damage threshold is what genuinely sets it apart, offering a unique tactical advantage. Radha provides mana per attack but lacks the capacity to manipulate turns.

Contrasting Keene with Edric, Spymaster of Trest, another similarity surfaces with the turn-based strategy, although Edric leans on a group card draw tactic rather than an extra turn offering. Edric encourages a different type of board presence, focusing on many creatures as opposed to Keene’s preference for connecting with a singular, decisive strike. This distinction is critical as it directs the deck’s overall strategy and how a player might maneuver through their match.

Understanding the value and use cases of Nine-Fingers Keene within the MTG realm is essential. It stands as a strong option for those desiring the capability to command an additional turn, shaping the game’s tempo in their favor, especially in formats where commander damage is a viable route to victory.

Radha, Heir to Keld - MTG Card versions
Edric, Spymaster of Trest - MTG Card versions
Radha, Heir to Keld - MTG Card versions
Edric, Spymaster of Trest - MTG Card versions

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Rayami, First of the Fallen - MTG Card versions
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Decks using this card

MTG decks using Nine-Fingers Keene. Dig deeper into the strategy of decks, sideboard cards, list ideas and export to play in ARENA or MOL.

#NameFormatArchetypeEvent
Five-color LandsFive-color Lands Legacy99 / The 99th Legacy at Home

Card Pros

Card Advantage: With Nine-Fingers Keene, you can expect to bolster your hand, ensuring that you always have options at your disposal. Its ability to potentially provide card draw can be a game-changer, keeping your strategy flowing and your opponents guessing.

Resource Acceleration: Nine-Fingers Keene not only brings expertise to the battlefield, but it can also significantly impact your mana curve. This card can accelerate your resources, meaning you can deploy more threats or answers ahead of the usual pace, giving you a noticeable edge during play.

Instant Speed: The power of acting at instant speed cannot be overstated with this card. The flexibility it offers allows you to adapt to the evolving game state, react to opponents’ moves, or simply optimize your turn for the best possible outcome without tipping your hand early.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Nine-Fingers Keene comes with the downside of having to discard a card to leverage its full potential. This can be a tough call when your hand is already dwindling, potentially setting back your game plan.

Specific Mana Cost: The mana cost of this card is tied to specific colors that are not always readily available in every deck. If you’re running a multi-color deck, meeting the requirement to cast Nine-Fingers Keene without any delay might be a challenge.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: When it comes to mana efficiency, Nine-Fingers Keene’s abilities may seem a bit steep at four mana, especially when you need to maintain a pace against decks that can execute more cost-effective strategies.


Reasons to Include Nine-Fingers Keene in Your Collection

Versatility: Nine-Fingers Keene offers a unique blend of aggressive potential and mana acceleration. As a commander, Keene can adapt to various playstyles and strategies, making your deck unpredictable and dynamic.

Combo Potential: This rogue leader provides a platform for numerous synergies, particularly in decks using Treasure tokens. Keene’s ability to convert these tokens into permanent mana sources can unlock explosive turns and facilitate game-winning combinations.

Meta-Relevance: In a game where commanders dictate the flow, Nine-Fingers Keene keeps pace with the ever-changing face of the meta. Its ability to ramp while applying pressure ensures its relevance in multiplayer scenarios and balance between offense and advantage.


How to beat

Overcoming Nine-Fingers Keene in your MTG battles requires a strategic approach. As a commander, Keene can amp up a player’s game by generating substantial value through his ability to convert surplus lands into card advantage. Given this capacity to redraw lands from your graveyard, directly addressing Keene becomes a necessity. Efficient removal spells are key — think Path to Exile or Assassin’s Trophy, which take Keene off the board before the graveyard can be utilized, thereby disrupting your opponent’s game plan.

Counterspells also play a pivotal role in keeping Keene at bay. By nullifying his casting, you prevent your adversary from ever gaining the upper hand. Board wipes like Damnation or Wrath of God can reset the board state when dealing with Keene and other creatures, limiting the opportunities for your opponent to dominate through lands and card draw. In essence, consistent answers to Keene’s threat whenever he makes an appearance on the battlefield are your strongest asset in maintaining control of the game dynamic.

Ultimately, staying one step ahead of Nine-Fingers Keene in MTG means being proactive, maintaining pressure, and ensuring you have the right mixture of responses at every stage of the game. It’s not just about reacting, but anticipating and stifling Keene’s influence before it can tip the scales.


BurnMana Recommendations

Delving into the strategic depths of MTG with cards like Nine-Fingers Keene can transform the tide of battle. Recognizing the strengths and navigating the challenges this card presents is key to mastering your matches. As you calibrate your deck, consider the dexterity that Keene adds, allowing for versatile maneuvers and impactful plays at just the right moments. Whether you’re a veteran seeking to refine your deck or a newcomer eager to make a mark, expanding your collection with well-curated cards is paramount. Embrace the journey through MTG’s complex universe; learn more with us and perfect your command of the game.


Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Nine-Fingers Keene MTG card by a specific set like Commander Legends: Battle for Baldur's Gate and Commander Legends: Battle for Baldur's Gate, 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 Nine-Fingers Keene and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Nine-Fingers Keene Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2022-06-10 and 2022-06-10. Illustrated by 2 different artists.

#ReleasedNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12022-06-10Commander Legends: Battle for Baldur's GateCLB 4352015NormalBlackJustine Jones
22022-06-10Commander Legends: Battle for Baldur's GateCLB 2892015NormalBlackNils Hamm
32022-06-10Battle for Baldur's Gate PromosPCLB 289s2015NormalBlackNils Hamm
42022-06-10Commander Legends: Battle for Baldur's GateCLB 5462015NormalBlackNils Hamm

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Nine-Fingers Keene has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
OathbreakerLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal

Rules and information

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

Date Text
2022-06-10 If you do not put a Gate card onto the battlefield this way but already control nine or more Gates, you will put all the cards into your hand.