Kitesail Corsair MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 4 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost2
RarityCommon
TypeCreature — Human Pirate
Power 2
Toughness 1

Key Takeaways

  1. Tribal synergies with Kitesail Corsair can significantly improve card advantage and field presence in pirate-themed decks.
  2. Its low casting cost and efficient utility support maintaining momentum, allowing players to allocate resources elsewhere.
  3. While not innately instant-speed, Kitesail Corsair can create surprise blocking scenarios when combined with flash enablers.

Text of card

Kitesail Corsair has flying as long as it's attacking.

"Why perch in the crow's nest when I can fly like the crows?"


Card Pros

Card Advantage: While Kitesail Corsair might not directly offer card draw, its interaction with other pirate cards can lead to significant card advantage through tribal synergies and shared mechaniCs, enhancing your hand and battlefield presence.

Resource Acceleration: Kitesail Corsair itself doesn’t accelerate resources in the traditional sense of providing additional mana. However, its low casting cost makes it an efficient play that maintains your momentum, allowing you to save your resources for larger threats or responses later in the game.

Instant Speed: Kitesail Corsair’s benefits at instant speed are indirect. As it’s a creature card, it doesn’t have flash itself but can be leveraged with cards giving it flash. This can surprise opponents with a ‘blocker out of nowhere’ or an abrupt addition to your board state when they least expect it.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: While Kitesail Corsair doesn’t have a discard requirement itself, integrating it with synergy focused on hand manipulation might lead to a situation where you have to discard precious cards to enable certain interactions, limiting its utility in decks not tuned to maximize such strategies.

Specific Mana Cost: Kitesail Corsair comes with a blue mana requirement in its casting cost, potentially restricting its seamless inclusion in multicolored decks or those that don’t favor blue mana resources, making it less versatile for certain strategies.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: For a creature that offers a 2/1 body and conditional flying, the two mana investment might be considered steep, especially since there are numerous alternatives in the MTG universe that could provide more board presence or additional benefits for the same or lower mana value.


Reasons to Include Kitesail Corsair in Your Collection

Versatility: Kitesail Corsair is a flexible fit in a variety of blue-based decks. As a two-mana cost creature with favorable evasion characteristics, it meshes well with aggro strategies and flying themes.

Combo Potential: Its ability to gain flying on your turn can be expertly combined with cards that capitalize on flying creatures. Additionally, it can contribute to decks that focus on temporary buffs or combat tricks, turning it into a surprising aerial threat.

Meta-Relevance: In a meta where low-cost creatures are essential for early board presence, Kitesail Corsair holds its own. It’s particularly adept at slipping past grounded defenses, making it a consistent source of damage and a valuable asset in specific tempo playstyles.


How to beat

Kitesail Corsair is a nimble creature card that can be quite troublesome on the battlefield, especially considering its ability to gain flying until the end of the turn whenever it attacks. Dealing with it requires a keen understanding of its strengths and weaknesses. To begin with, it’s crucial to keep control of the board and maintain creatures or spells that can intercept or deal with flying creatures. Instant speed removal spells that target creatures, regardless of their position, are essential tools to disrupt your opponent’s strategy involving Kitesail Corsair.

Additionally, cards that restrict your opponent’s ability to attack or that punish them for attacking, such as Ghostly Prison or Propaganda, can significantly reduce the impact of this card. Ensnaring creatures in battle or employing reach and flying creatures yourself levels the playing field. It’s also worth noting that Kitesail Corsair’s flying capability is only activated during attacks, leaving it vulnerable to ground blockers on your turn. Strategic planning and a careful selection of spells and creatures to counteract its abilities can effectively neutralize this pesky corsair.


Cards like Kitesail Corsair

Kitesail Corsair makes its mark within the realm of two-mana creature cards in Magic: The Gathering. It mirrors the abilities of other creatures like Storm Fleet Aerialist, which also touts flying but requires the raid mechanic for its activation. The notable contrast is Kitesail Corsair’s direct simplicity, gaining flying as long as it’s attacking, with no stipulations tied to previous actions.

Comparisons can be drawn with Skyship Plunderer, sharing not only the two mana value but also the aerial advantage. Nonetheless, Skyship Plunderer goes a step further, offering a prowess-like ability that can boost your energy counters or +1/+1 counters on other permanents, diversifying strategic possibilities. On the flip side, Tandem Lookout is a creature that forms a bond with another, and provides card advantage when either deals combat damage, which can be a pivotal maneuver in many matches.

Assessing their impacts on gameplay, Kitesail Corsair stands out as a straightforward choice for players seeking an uncomplicated approach to securing an aerial presence. Its consistent ability to fly during attacks makes it an immediate threat without the need for further setup or conditional triggers.

Storm Fleet Aerialist - MTG Card versions
Skyship Plunderer - MTG Card versions
Tandem Lookout - MTG Card versions
Storm Fleet Aerialist - Ixalan (XLN)
Skyship Plunderer - Aether Revolt (AER)
Tandem Lookout - Avacyn Restored (AVR)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Kitesail Corsair MTG card by a specific set like Rivals of Ixalan and Battlebond, 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 Kitesail Corsair and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Kitesail Corsair Magic the Gathering card was released in 4 different sets between 2018-01-19 and 2020-11-20. Illustrated by Greg Opalinski.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12018-01-19Rivals of IxalanRIX 412015normalblackGreg Opalinski
22018-06-08BattlebondBBD 1202015normalblackGreg Opalinski
32020-07-17JumpstartJMP 1552015normalblackGreg Opalinski
42020-11-20Commander LegendsCMR 762015normalblackGreg Opalinski

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Kitesail Corsair 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 Kitesail Corsair card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.

DateText
2020-11-10 Kitesail Corsair has flying immediately after it attacks. This means that combat restrictions on creatures with flying (such as that of Sandwurm Convergence) don't apply, but abilities that trigger on creatures with flying attacking (such as that of Windreader Sphinx) do trigger.

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