Mercurial Kite MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	4
Rarity	Common
Type	Creature — Bird
Abilities	Flying
Released	2003-05-26
Set symbol
Set name	Scourge
Set code	SCG
Power	2
Toughness	2
Number	39
Frame	1997
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Richard Sardinha

Key Takeaways

Gaining card advantage, Mercurial Kite lets players draw more, keeping a diverse set of options at hand.
The Kite’s mana acceleration and instant speed abilities provide a significant tempo boost during matches.
Strategic discard and mana casting considerations are necessary when integrating Mercurial Kite into your deck.

Text of card

Flying Whenever Mercurial Kite deals combat damage to a creature, tap that creature. It doesn't untap during its controller's next untap step.

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Crafting your strategy on the fly gets a boost with Mercurial Kite as it grants you the precious ability to draw an extra card. This enhances your hand’s value and keeps your options plentiful during a drawn-out clash.

Resource Acceleration: Speed is of the essence in the game, and this soaring creature does not disappoint. As it takes to the skies, the Kite potentially unlocks additional mana resources, ensuring that your gameplay can rapidly escalate beyond the opponent’s pace, keeping them on their toes.

Instant Speed: Flexibility during combat is key, and Mercurial Kite excels with its capability to act at instant speed. This grants you the upper hand, allowing you to react adaptively to the unfolding game or surprise your adversary when they least expect it.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: For players looking to use Mercurial Kite in their deck, an important consideration is the necessity to discard a card to activate its ability. This effect can put you at a disadvantage, especially when your hand is running low on cards. Choosing which card to discard also requires strategic thinking, as it could negatively impact your game plan.

Specific Mana Cost: Another factor to weigh is the specific mana cost required to cast Mercurial Kite. As it demands both blue and generic mana, it may not be the best fit for multi-colored decks that strive for mana efficiency or those that can’t reliably produce blue mana.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: When evaluating the Mercurial Kite for a place in your deck, its mana cost is a central concern. Its casting cost may be viewed as high relative to the impact it has on the game. There are numerous alternatives available that could provide a similar or greater level of utility for the same or less mana investment.

Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Mercurial Kite offers a dynamic playstyle, apt for decks that need a reliable flying blocker or a proactive evasive threat.

Combo Potential: This card is a stellar partner in strategies looking to maximize spell casting or abilities that trigger with flying creatures.

Meta-Relevance: Given its capability to outmaneuver ground-based defenses, Mercurial Kite excels in a metagame crowded with non-flying creatures.

How to beat

Mercurial Kite offers players a strategic angle with its flying ability and mana-generating effect when flying creatures meet specific conditions. To best the Kite, prioritizing removal spells capable of targeting creatures in the air, such as Windstorm or Plummet, can serve as a straightforward solution. It’s advantageous to interrupt the Kite before the player can meet its condition for gaining extra mana, which would otherwise empower their mana pool and escalate their ability to play powerful spells or creatures rapidly.

Another tactic involves countering the player’s strategy by preventing the conditions the Kite needs. Using cards that limit the ability to declare attackers or using effects that keep the Kite tapped incessantly can efficiently negate its prowess. Ensuring control over the battlefield with consistent creature threats also pressures the opponent, possibly diverting attention and resources away from fueling the Kite’s abilities. In short, quick removal or control strategies can effectively undermine Mercurial Kite’s utility in the game.

Additionally, spells that negate flying capabilities altogether, like Archetype of Imagination or Gravity Well, transform the Kite into a mere sitting duck, easily overrun by terrestrial threats. Hence, a versatile deck equipped to handle various abilities remains the optimal method to outplay an opponent relying on the Mercurial Kite’s unique mechanics.

Cards like Mercurial Kite

Mercurial Kite brings a fresh twist to the aerial attackers in Magic the Gathering. Its similarity to other flying creatures like Spire Owl provides an interesting comparison. Like Spire Owl, Mercurial Kite enables a level of aerial control with its flying ability. However, the Kite stands out with its built-in flexibility, offering the possibility to redirect spells every time you cast one. This is an aspect that simple flyers like Spire Owl do not possess, placing Mercurial Kite in a niche of its own.

Looking at another comparison, we have cards like Willbender, known for its redirection effect through morphing. Although it shares the redirection theme, Mercurial Kite offers this as a repeatable triggered ability without the need to turn it face up, giving it a more consistent presence in the game. Additionally, Willbender requires a one-time two mana investment to morph, unlike Mercurial Kite, which only needs to glide along with your spellcasting.

In summary, while there are many creatures with similar abilities, Mercurial Kite serves as a key player for those looking to maintain air superiority and spell manipulation, making it a versatile candidate in flying creature line-ups.

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Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Mercurial Kite MTG card by a specific set like Scourge, 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 Mercurial Kite and other MTG cards: