Kithkin Shielddare MTG Card
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 2 |
| Rarity | Common |
| Type | Creature — Kithkin Soldier |
| Released | 2008-05-02 |
| Set symbol | |
| Set name | Shadowmoor |
| Set code | SHM |
| Power | 1 |
| Toughness | 1 |
| Number | 10 |
| Frame | 2003 |
| Layout | Normal |
| Border | Black |
| Illustred by | Christopher Moeller |
Key Takeaways
- Card advantage is crucial and Kithkin Shielddare excels by safeguarding creatures without depleting your hand.
- The card’s ability operates at instant speed, offering critical defensive flexibility in response to threats.
- Despite its strengths, the card’s specific mana cost and discard requirement can limit its universal applicability.
Text of card
, : Target blocking creature gets +2/+2 until end of turn.
The nova glyph is a potent symbol. A shield embossed with it can resist the force of even the most determined giant.
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Kithkin Shielddare brings added value to the board by providing a persistent ability to protect key creatures. This ongoing effect maintains your board presence without needing to commit additional cards from your hand, effectively gaining you card advantage as you prevent potential losses of your important creatures in battle.
Resource Acceleration: Although not directly contributing to resource acceleration in terms of mana, Kithkin Shielddare can indirectly facilitate keeping your mana dorks and other utility creatures alive. With its defensive capabilities, you ensure that your resource-generating creatures thrive, thus escalating your mana development over the course of the game.
Instant Speed: While Kithkin Shielddare itself is not an instant, its ability operates at instant speed, offering the adaptability to react to threats at a moment’s notice. This flexibility allows you to smartly manage your resources and tactics, using Shielddare’s ability to surprise opponents and safeguard your creatures during battles or in response to enemy spells.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: The Kithkin Shielddare brings a unique mechanic but with a catch – you have to discard a card to activate its shield ability. In tight gameplay situations, where each card in hand could turn the tables, this discard cost might prove too resource-intensive, leading to a potential disadvantage when you’re running out of cards.
Specific Mana Cost: Unlike cards with flexible mana requirements, Kithkin Shielddare demands a specific mana arrangement to cast. This cost includes white mana, which makes it less versatile, reserved more for mono-white or two-color decks that can consistently provide the necessary mana without disrupting their mana curve.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: Sitting at a higher end of the mana spectrum for its defensive capabilities, this card’s cost can be prohibitive. There are alternatives that could serve a similar purpose without the hefty investment. Cards with lower mana costs or more impactful defensive abilities might fit better in a deck where every mana point is crucial, especially in formats where speed and efficiency are key.
Reasons to Include Kithkin Shielddare in Your Collection
Versatility: Kithkin Shielddare is a card that can seamlessly integrate into various white and multi-color decks, bringing both defensive utility and tribal synergy to the field. Its adaptability makes it a solid choice for numerous strategies centered around creature support and board stabilization.
Combo Potential: This card shines in combinations with other creatures who benefit from being untapped or need protection. Kithkin Shielddare can enable intricate plays that safeguard key creatures at critical moments, thus maintaining momentum and control on the battlefield.
Meta-Relevance: As the game’s landscape continues to evolve, Kithkin Shielddare maintains relevance by fitting into decks designed to counteract creature-centric or aggressive strategies. Its ability to redirect damage can cause opponents to think twice before launching attacks, giving this card a place in metas where creature protection is pivotal.
How to beat
Kithkin Shielddare presents a unique challenge on the battlefield in Magic: The Gathering. This stoic defender stands out with its toughness, capable of shielding others with its own resilience. Its ability to redirect damage from other creatures to itself makes it a linchpin in any defensive strategy. For those confronting this steadfast protector, the key is in disruption and removal tactics.
Direct damage spells such as Shock or Lightning Bolt can be efficient tools to whittle down its toughness, enabling a clearer path to other creatures or planeswalkers. Furthermore, a strategic use of removal spells or abilities that bypass its damage redirection, like Terminate or Path to Exile, ensures the Shielddare’s protective stance is dismantled. Edict effects, which force a player to sacrifice a creature, also cleverly navigate around its defensive capability.
It’s important to neutralize the Kithkin Shielddare early in the game before your opponent can establish a fortified board presence. Timely intervention with the right mix of disruption can efficiently counter the advantage that Kithkin Shielddare provides, ensuring that players maintain control of the game’s tempo and ultimately lead themselves to victory.
Cards like Kithkin Shielddare
Kithkin Shielddare stands out in the realm of Magic: The Gathering for its defensive capabilities. It shares the space with other standout cards such as Veteran Armorer, which also serves to bolster the strength of your other creatures. Veteran Armorer, much like our Kithkin Shielddare, provides additional toughness to your creatures but does not require tapping to activate its ability.
Moving on to another comparison, we encounter Knight of the White Orchid. This card also emphasizes protection, with a focus on board presence by allowing you to fetch an additional land if you’re behind your opponent. While not directly related to creature fortification like Kithkin Shielddare, it aids in resource acceleration, which can be pivotal during a game. Additionally, Carapace, a simple enchantment, provides a similar but more permanent toughness boost to only one creature instead of potentially aiding multiple allies.
Taking a step back to evaluate, Kithkin Shielddare fits snugly within the MTG cards that offer safeguarding traits to your forces. Its tap-to-protect ability and being part of a synergistic tribal deck option can make it a favorable choice in specific gameplay situations.
Cards similar to Kithkin Shielddare by color, type and mana cost
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Kithkin Shielddare MTG card by a specific set like Shadowmoor, 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 Kithkin Shielddare and other MTG cards:
- eBay
- TCG Player
- Card Kingdom
- Card Market
- Star City Games
- CoolStuffInc
- MTG Mint Card
- Hareruya
- Troll and Toad
- ABU Games
- Card Hoarder Magic Online
- MTGO Traders Magic Online
See MTG Products
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Kithkin Shielddare has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Paupercommander | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Pauper | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Predh | Legal |
| Penny | Legal |
