Kitesail Cleric MTG Card


Kitesail Cleric - Zendikar Rising
Mana cost
Converted mana cost1
RarityUncommon
TypeCreature — Kor Cleric
Abilities Flying,Kicker
Released2020-09-25
Set symbol
Set nameZendikar Rising
Set codeZNR
Power 1
Toughness 1
Number20
Frame2015
Layoutnormal
Borderblack
Illustred byPINDURSKI

Key Takeaways

  1. Strategic combat and board control can arise from Kitesail Cleric’s creature tapping ability.
  2. It demands white mana, which may limit deck integration but signifies mana base consistency.
  3. While operated at sorcery speed, Kitesail Cleric can bolster instant speed plays from other cards.

Text of card

Kicker (You may pay an additional as you cast this spell.) Flying When Kitesail Cleric enters the battlefield, if it was kicked, tap up to two target creatures.

Too flashy to ignore. Too fast to catch.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Kitesail Cleric presents a unique advantage with its ability to potentially disable multiple opponents’ creatures. This disruption can lead to gaining card advantage through strategic combat and board control.

Resource Acceleration: While Kitesail Cleric does not directly accelerate resources, it clears the way for more efficient attacks, allowing you to capitalize on resource generation from other effects or cards that require an open board for optimal use.

Instant Speed: Kitesail Cleric operates at sorcery speed, which emphasizes strategic planning for your turn. However, it fits into a suite of plays that can benefit from instant speed interactions provided by other cards in your deck, thus enhancing overall play flexibility.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: This card doesn’t force a discard, but players must be aware that including low-impact creatures like this may prompt them to discard more powerful cards indirectly during the game to make room for strategic plays.

Specific Mana Cost: Kitesail Cleric demands a white mana, narrowing the scope of decks it can effectively join. Those not running a white mana base might find it incompatible with their strategy.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: While the mana cost isn’t exorbitant, for three mana, the return on investment considering its abilities may not prove as advantageous compared to other options that could bolster your board presence or control the game state more significantly.


Reasons to Include Kitesail Cleric in Your Collection

Versatility: Kitesail Cleric not only serves as a capable flyer but its flexibility allows it to be slotted into various deck archetypes. Its modal ability, enabling either tapping down opponents’ creatures or bolstering your life total, makes it a smart choice for control or aggro strategies alike.

Combo Potential: With Kitesail Cleric’s ability to tap multiple creatures, it pairs well with cards that capitalize on tapped-out adversaries. This synergy creates opportunities to control the board state or set up advantageous attacks for a strategic edge.

Meta-Relevance: In an environment heavy on creature-based strategies, Kitesail Cleric can act as a deterrent, stalling opponents’ offensive moves or disrupting synergies, which makes it a practical addition to stay ahead in the current meta.


Understanding Kitesail Cleric’s Role

Within the intricate world of MTG, Kitesail Cleric stands out as a versatile component in many decks. This card provides not just a creature on the battlefield but also a unique ability to tap multiple targets, making it a valuable asset in controlling the flow of the game. What sets Kitesail Cleric apart from other creatures is its multifaceted nature, particularly its convoke-like ability that can disrupt your opponent’s plans.

How to beat

Kitesail Cleric can be a thorn in your side with its potential to manipulate combat states and timings. To effectively counter this card, your strategy should include removal spells that can target creatures regardless of their size or abilities. By keeping ready instant-speed interactions, you’ll be able to swiftly respond before the Cleric’s ability triggers during your opponent’s combat phase. Additionally, prioritize maintaining open mana for those spells to ensure the Cleric doesn’t ground your assault or leave you defenseless against incoming threats.

For those adept at MTG gameplay, evaluating every possible scenario where Kitesail Cleric could sway the momentum is crucial. A nuanced understanding of your deck’s mechanics and the Cleric’s weaknesses can help turn the tide in your favor, making your victory more attainable despite the challenges posed by such an adaptable card.


Cards like Kitesail Cleric

Kitesail Cleric emerges as an intriguing option for fans of creature-based strategies in Magic: The Gathering. It mirrors certain aspects of cards like Healer’s Hawk, which boasts flying and lifelink, giving it both defensive and offensive utility. Nonetheless, Kitesail Cleric offers a unique advantage with its modal ability to either tap multiple opponent’s creatures or to give itself a modest temporary boost in power, enhancing its versatility in early game scenarios.

Exploring further, we bump into Battleflight Eagle in this space. It shares the flying attribute with Kitesail Cleric but brings a different approach, focusing on boosting another target creature’s power and providing flying upon entering the battlefield. Although not as flexible as Kitesail Cleric, Battleflight Eagle can be a game-changer by enabling powerful attacks out of nowhere.

Overall, Kitesail Cleric earns its spot among these creatures due to its adaptive capacity during gameplay. Whether slowing down an adversary’s onslaught or swooping in for increased damage, its situational flexibility makes it a valuable card among MTG’s multifaceted white creatures.

Healer's Hawk - MTG Card versions
Battleflight Eagle - MTG Card versions
Healer's Hawk - Guilds of Ravnica (GRN)
Battleflight Eagle - Magic 2013 (M13)

Cards similar to Kitesail Cleric by color, type and mana cost

Savannah Lions - MTG Card versions
Benalish Hero - MTG Card versions
Icatian Infantry - MTG Card versions
Icatian Scout - MTG Card versions
Icatian Javelineers - MTG Card versions
Kjeldoran Warrior - MTG Card versions
Trade Caravan - MTG Card versions
Vigilant Martyr - MTG Card versions
Honor Guard - MTG Card versions
Nomads en-Kor - MTG Card versions
Volunteer Militia - MTG Card versions
Soul Warden - MTG Card versions
Resistance Fighter - MTG Card versions
Tundra Wolves - MTG Card versions
Cho-Arrim Alchemist - MTG Card versions
Honorable Scout - MTG Card versions
Eager Cadet - MTG Card versions
Devoted Caretaker - MTG Card versions
Faerie Guidemother // Gift of the Fae - MTG Card versions
Kor Duelist - MTG Card versions
Savannah Lions - 30th Anniversary Edition (30A)
Benalish Hero - 30th Anniversary Edition (30A)
Icatian Infantry - Fallen Empires (FEM)
Icatian Scout - Fallen Empires (FEM)
Icatian Javelineers - Masters Edition II (ME2)
Kjeldoran Warrior - Ice Age (ICE)
Trade Caravan - Homelands (HML)
Vigilant Martyr - Mirage (MIR)
Honor Guard - Ninth Edition (9ED)
Nomads en-Kor - Tempest Remastered (TPR)
Volunteer Militia - Portal Second Age (P02)
Soul Warden - Historic Anthology 1 (HA1)
Resistance Fighter - Classic Sixth Edition (6ED)
Tundra Wolves - Classic Sixth Edition (6ED)
Cho-Arrim Alchemist - Mercadian Masques (MMQ)
Honorable Scout - Planeshift (PLS)
Eager Cadet - Eighth Edition (8ED)
Devoted Caretaker - Odyssey (ODY)
Faerie Guidemother // Gift of the Fae - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Kor Duelist - Wizards Play Network 2009 (PWP09)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Kitesail Cleric MTG card by a specific set like Zendikar Rising, 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 Cleric and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Kitesail Cleric has restrictions

FormatLegality
HistoricbrawlLegal
HistoricLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderRestricted
OathbreakerLegal
GladiatorLegal
PioneerLegal
CommanderLegal
ModernLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
ExplorerLegal
TimelessLegal

Rules and information

The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Kitesail Cleric card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.

DateText
2020-09-25 An ability that triggers when a player casts a kicked spell resolves before the spell that caused it to trigger, but after targets have been chosen for that spell. It resolves even if that spell is countered.
2020-09-25 If you copy a kicked spell, the copy is also kicked. If a card or token enters the battlefield as a copy of a permanent that’s already on the battlefield, the new permanent isn’t kicked, even if the original was.
2020-09-25 If you put a permanent with a kicker ability onto the battlefield without casting it, you can’t kick it.
2020-09-25 Kicker represents an optional additional cost that you may choose to pay as you cast the spell. A spell cast with that additional cost paid is “kicked.”
2020-09-25 Some instant or sorcery spells require alternative or additional targets if they’re kicked. You ignore these targeting requirements if those spells aren’t kicked, and you can’t kick those spells unless you can choose the appropriate targets. On the other hand, you can kick a permanent spell even if you won’t be able to choose targets for an enters-the-battlefield ability of that permanent once the spell resolves.
2020-09-25 To determine a spell’s total cost, start with the mana cost (or an alternative cost if another card’s effect allows you to pay one instead), add any cost increases (such as kicker), then apply any cost reductions. The converted mana cost of the spell is determined only by its mana cost, no matter what the total cost to cast the spell was.
2020-09-25 You can’t pay a kicker cost more than once.

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