Kuro's Taken MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	2
Rarity	Common
Type	Creature — Rat Samurai
Abilities	Bushido
Released	2005-06-03
Set symbol
Set name	Saviors of Kamigawa
Set code	SOK
Power	1
Toughness	1
Number	79
Frame	2003
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Puddnhead

Key Takeaways

Grants card advantage by temporarily seizing an opponent’s creature, disrupting their strategy while enhancing yours.
Instant speed enables surprise tactics and strategic flexibility during critical phases of the game.
Despite its benefits, it requires careful resource management due to its discard and specific mana costs.

Text of card

Bushido 1 (When this blocks or becomes blocked, it gets +1/+1 until end of turn.) : Regenerate Kuro's Taken.

Simple bargains are the most tempting, and oni bargains are the simplest of all: eternal life for eternal service.

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Kuro’s Taken is skilled at tipping the scales in your favor when it comes to hand resources. This card lets you steal an opponent’s creature until the end of turn, essentially granting you an additional, potentially game-changing asset without losing a card from your hand. Such an effect can disrupt your opponent’s plans while bolstering yours, making it a pivotal move during intense matches.

Resource Acceleration: While Kuro’s Taken doesn’t produce mana or tokens outright, the card can indirectly accelerate your resources by enabling you to utilize opponents’ creatures for your cause. This can save your own resources for further plays, allowing a more efficient expenditure of mana and potentially leading to a surplus of available options.

Instant Speed: The ability to act at instant speed gives you significant strategic flexibility. With Kuro’s Taken, you can wait until the last possible moment to decide whether to borrow an opponent’s creature, keeping your adversaries guessing and forcing them to commit to suboptimal plays. This unexpected move can turn the tide of battle instantly, especially when you seize a creature with a crucial ability or when blocking an unexpected attack.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: One significant hurdle with Kuro’s Taken is the necessity to discard a card, presenting a challenge if your hand is running thin. This can strain your plays, especially in the late game when every card in hand counts.

Specific Mana Cost: Kuro’s Taken asks for a precise mana arrangement to cast, which may not seamlessly align with every deck archetype. This limitation necessitates a deck built around its mana needs, potentially restricting deck diversity.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Although it might seem reasonable, the mana investment for Kuro’s Taken can be steep compared to other options in the same mana range. Players need to weigh its impact against other creatures or spells that could offer a more immediate and tangible benefit to the board state.

Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Kuro’s Taken is a card that can play multiple roles in decks that capitalize on creature sacrifice mechanics or utilize spirit tokens. Its flexibility can help smooth out draws and offer strategic options at different stages of the game.

Combo Potential: With the ability to create and sacrifice spirit tokens, Kuro’s Taken fits into combos that revolve around death triggers or benefit from an increased creature count, potentially leading to explosive turns.

Meta-Relevance: As decks that utilize graveyards and enter-the-battlefield effects frequently appear in the current meta, including Kuro’s Taken can give you an edge against such builds, making it a timely and strategic addition to your collection.

How to Beat Kuro’s Taken

Overcoming Kuro’s Taken in your MTG games requires a strategy that neutralizes its menace effectively. This card can be particularly troublesome due to its ability to deflect spells targeting your creatures. A conventional method to handle this is by deploying cards that can remove Kuro’s Taken from the battlefield without targeting it directly. Board wipes such as Wrath of God or Damnation work well, as they eliminate all creatures regardless of any protective abilities they might possess.

Another effective tactic is to utilize abilities or spells that don’t require selections, like those found in Plague Wind or Cyclonic Rift, which can bypass the Taken’s defense. Lastly, considering a strategy that pushes the game to its end before Kuro’s Taken can significantly impact the board is prudent. Aggressive decks or combo strategies that can close out games swiftly might make Kuro’s Taken a non-issue. Keep your removal options versatile and your strategy flexible to ensure Kuro’s Taken doesn’t take over the game.

In essence, although Kuro’s Taken presents a formidable challenge, there are multiple angles and approaches in MTG to outmaneuver it. Whether it’s through all-encompassing board wipes, untargeted removal, or a swift victory, there are ways to prevent Kuro’s Taken from determining the outcome of your matches.

Cards like Kuro's Taken

Kuro’s Taken is an intriguing presence in the realm of combat-oriented creatures within Magic: The Gathering. Its parallels can be drawn to cards like Skinbrand Goblin, both sharing a focus on bolstering their impact in battle scenarios. Skinbrand Goblin allows for a temporary boost with its bloodrush ability, enhancing a creature’s power for key combats. However, Kuro’s Taken offers an alternative approach by permanently boosting its own power, albeit at a life cost every turn.

Another card that echoes Kuro’s Taken strategic essence is Vampire Nighthawk. Albeit different in mana cost and abilities, both creatures are staples for tactical engagements on the battlefield. Vampire Nighthawk delivers immediate value with deathtouch and lifelink, while Kuro’s Taken requires a foundational strategy to increment power over time, a distinction that can pivot the direction of gameplay considerably.

Ultimately, while examining creature potential and combat flexibility, Kuro’s Taken exhibits a distinct niche within MTG’s diverse creature pool. Its ability to perpetually strengthen itself makes it a card worth considering for decks that thrive on sustained board presence and incremental power advantages.

Cards similar to Kuro's Taken by color, type and mana cost

Order of the Ebon Hand - MTG Card versions

Nezumi Graverobber // Nighteyes the Desecrator - MTG Card versions

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Kuro's Taken MTG card by a specific set like Saviors of Kamigawa, 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 Kuro's Taken and other MTG cards: