Spawning Kraken MTG Card
Card sets | Released in 3 setsSee all |
Mana cost | |
Converted mana cost | 6 |
Rarity | Rare |
Type | Creature — Kraken |
Power | 6 |
Toughness | 6 |
Text of card
Whenever a Kraken, Leviathan, Octopus, or Serpent you control deals combat damage to a player, create a 9/9 blue Kraken creature token.
Understanding Spawning Kraken’s Role
Spawning Kraken is a recent entrant into the grand tapestry of big creatures within Magic: The Gathering. It bears similarities with colossal cards like Tidespout Tyrant, given its significant body and potent board presence. Where Tidespout Tyrant provides disruption by bouncing permanents, Spawning Kraken offers continued creature advantage by creating 9/9 Kraken tokens.
Diving deeper into oceanic themes, we find Lorthos, the Tidemaker, another sea monster that demands attention. While Lorthos can tap down a significant portion of your opponent’s board, freezing their strategy, Spawning Kraken is relentless in swelling your ranks with formidable tokens. However, unlike Lorthos, Spawning Kraken’s ability doesn’t guarantee immediate board control or disruption, providing a different strategic approach.
In light of other giant creatures, it becomes clear that Spawning Kraken’s strength lies in its capacity to escalate threats each turn. It is this characteristic that sets it apart in the environment of big blue beaters and is a testament to the card’s capability to turn the tide of a match in Magic: The Gathering.
Cards like Spawning Kraken
Spawning Kraken shares common ground with Leviathan juggernauts such as Slinn Voda, the Rising Deep. Both command attention with their notable casting costs and impactful presence. Slinn Voda offers a sweeping wave, potentially clearing the battlefield of all non-sea creatures. In contrast, Spawning Kraken leans towards cumulative power, flooding the board with its tokens to overwhelm opponents.
Consider Phyrexian Ingester, an alternative with a built-in removal mechanic. It exiles creatures and grows proportionately. While Ingester has the upside of immediate impact by removing a threat and potentially growing larger, it doesn’t match the repeatable token creation that defines Spawning Kraken. One is a singular, adaptable threat; the other represents a persistent growth in the threat level across multiple turns.
In evaluating MTG cards with a similar theme, it’s unmistakable that Spawning Kraken charts its own course. It’s not merely about the singular might of a leviathan but about the card’s unique ability to generate an army unto itself, a distinctive feature in the seas of Magic: The Gathering gameplay.
Cards similar to Spawning Kraken by color, type and mana cost
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Spawning Kraken gives you the upper hand by generating multiple tentacle tokens each time a Kraken, Leviathan, Octopus, or Serpent you control deals damage to a player, potentially filling your board with colossal sea monsters and overwhelming your opponent.
Resource Acceleration: Although this behemoth comes with a hefty mana cost, its ability to expand your board presence without expending additional cards from your hand acts as a different form of resource acceleration, as it saves the cards in your hand for other uses.
Instant Speed: Spawning Kraken may not have instant speed itself, but it synergizes well with cards that do. It encourages a strategy that includes holding up mana for instant speed interaction or creature flash-ins that trigger its ability, providing not just a surprise blocker but also an aggressive token-generator after successful combat.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: To fully harness the potential of Spawning Kraken, players often need to discard a card. This trade-off can put players at a disadvantage, especially when they’re already working with a limited hand, depriving them of critical resources at crucial moments in the game.
Specific Mana Cost: Spawning Kraken demands a specific blend of mana to cast, necessitating both blue and generic mana. This requirement can make it challenging to seamlessly incorporate into decks that aren’t heavily focused on blue mana resources, potentially limiting its versatility across various deck archetypes.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: Costing a considerable amount of mana to bring into play, Spawning Kraken can lag behind other options available to players. Its entrance to the battlefield is delayed in comparison to other creatures or spells, which could significantly affect the tempo and balance of power during a match.
Reasons to Include Spawning Kraken in Your Collection
Versatility: Spawning Kraken’s design allows it to seamlessly integrate into various blue-centric strategies. Provided you’re playing a deck that manipulates or benefits from sea creatures or tokens, this card can become a significant threat on the board.
Combo Potential: This card has inherent synergy with effects that proliferate or enhance token production. When combined with cards that allow for multiple land drops or spells that double token output, Spawning Kraken can overwhelm opponents quickly, building a formidable aquatic army.
Meta-Relevance: In a game state that favors large creatures and high-impact board states, including Spawning Kraken can give you a competitive edge. It’s particularly effective in the right deck archetype that can manipulate sea monsters, often seen in Commander and other casual formats that allow for creative and expansive deck-building.
How to beat
Spawning Kraken stands out as an imposing sea monster card that can control the flow of a Magic: The Gathering match. When facing this leviathan, it is crucial to prevent its proliferation before it overwhelms you with an army of mighty 8/8 tokens.
Removal spells are your best allies in this situation. Instant-speed options like Path to Exile or Rapid Hybridization can effectively deal with the Kraken before its controller’s upkeep trigger. If your deck allows it, countermagic such as Negate or Essence Scatter can stop the threat before it takes root on the battlefield. Moreover, employing board wipes like Wrath of God or Cyclonic Rift after the Kraken has started spawning tokens can reset the board and remove pressure.
Additionally, paying close attention to disrupting the enablers that allow your opponent to draw cards is key, since Spawning Kraken’s ability is tied to card draw. Cards like Narset, Parter of Veils can hinder your opponents’ card draw capabilities, making it more challenging for them to capitalize on the Kraken’s full potential.
BurnMana Recommendations
Mastering MTG means harnessing the power of unique cards like Spawning Kraken. With its ability to significantly alter the board state by spawning powerful tokens, it’s essential to know how to integrate this card into your strategy. Understanding the dynamics of deck building, its synergies with your existing cards, and the diverse tactics you can employ are integral to your gameplay evolution. Ready to tap into Spawning Kraken’s potential or find ways to defend against it? Dive deeper with us for strategic insights, and elevate your MTG expertise. The depths hold mighty secrets; it’s time to explore them together.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Spawning Kraken MTG card by a specific set like Magic Online Promos and Commander 2021, 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 Spawning Kraken and other MTG cards:
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- eBay
- 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
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Printings
The Spawning Kraken Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2021-04-23 and 2021-04-23. Illustrated by Kev Walker.
# | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Magic Online Promos | PRM | 90042 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Kev Walker | ||
2 | 2021-04-23 | Commander 2021 | C21 | 360 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Kev Walker | |
3 | 2021-04-23 | Commander 2021 | C21 | 33 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Kev Walker |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Spawning Kraken has restrictions
Format | Legality |
---|---|
Commander | Legal |
Legacy | Legal |
Oathbreaker | Legal |
Vintage | Legal |
Duel | Legal |