Kalitas, Bloodchief of Ghet MTG Card
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 7 |
| Rarity | Mythic |
| Type | Legendary Creature — Vampire Warrior |
| Released | 2009-10-02 |
| Set symbol | |
| Set name | Zendikar |
| Set code | ZEN |
| Power | 5 |
| Toughness | 5 |
| Number | 99 |
| Frame | 2003 |
| Layout | Normal |
| Border | Black |
| Illustred by | Todd Lockwood |
Key Takeaways
- Convert defeated creatures into valuable tokens to increase offensive and defensive board options.
- Amplify deck strategies through token generation, enhancing sacrifice and mana acceleration.
- Utilize instant-speed removal to complement Kalitas’s ability, ensuring a flexible and robust gameplay.
Text of card
, : Destroy target creature. If that creature is put into a graveyard this way, put a black Vampire creature token onto the battlefield. Its power is equal to that creature's power and its toughness is equal to that creature's toughness.
Card Pros
Card Advantage: When evaluating Kalitas, Bloodchief of Ghet, card advantage is a key attribute. This vampire ally creature not only deals with threatening creatures but also turns them into a resource for its controller. Each vanquished foe becomes a black Vampire creature token under your command, thereby expanding your board presence and providing additional options for both offense and defense.
Resource Acceleration: Kalitas provides a form of resource acceleration through its token generation ability. Each time an opponent’s creature is destroyed by it, you get a token, which can potentially be utilized for various sacrificial synergies within your deck, leading to mana acceleration or other advantageous effects. This feeds into powerful strategies that benefit from having multiple creatures on the battlefield.
Instant Speed: While Kalitas itself may not operate at instant speed, it benefits enormously from instant-speed removal spells you control. By timing your removal spells during the opponent’s turn, you can simultaneously eliminate threats and strengthen your own board state with the tokens that Kalitas creates. This interaction allows for a dynamic and responsive playstyle, keeping your opponents guessing and your strategy flexible.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: While Kalitas, Bloodchief of Ghet does not specifically require discarding cards, it requires the sacrifice of other creatures to strengthen itself, which could be considered as discarding creature resources and may not always be optimal or possible, especially if your board presence is weak.
Specific Mana Cost: Kalitas comes with a strict mana requirement, needing two black and two colorless mana. This can be a hurdle in multi-colored decks where mana fixing is crucial and it might be challenging to have the right mana at the right time.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a cost of seven mana, Kalitas is a late-game play. This high mana cost makes it less accessible in the earlier stages of the game and can be disadvantageous compared to other lower-cost creatures or spells that are more immediately impactful on the game.
Reasons to Include in Your Collection
Versatility: Kalitas, Bloodchief of Ghet offers flexibility across different deck archetypes. Whether you’re building a vampire tribal deck or a commander deck that thrives on life-drain, Kalitas can be a vital addition for its powerful creature removal and ability to generate tokens.
Combo Potential: This legendary vampire’s ability to exile creatures and replace them with tokens can work harmoniously with sacrifice synergies, enabling devastating combos and potentially overwhelming the board with a vampire army.
Meta-Relevance: Given its unique interaction with creature death and graveyard manipulation, Kalitas can be highly effective in metas where creature-based strategies are prevalent. As it disrupts opponents’ plans and accumulates advantage, Kalitas proves to remain a relevant choice even outside of its initial release environment.
How to beat
Kalitas, Bloodchief of Ghet presents a unique challenge on the battlefield, particularly in the context of Magic the Gathering’s vast card ecosystem. As a towering vampire with the power to take control by exiling creatures and creating vampiric minions, players often seek strategies to neutralize this formidable threat. It’s vital to remember that Kalitas thrives in a setting where it can steadily consume creatures to build an army, so keeping the board clear of expendable creatures is a sound tactic.
Direct removal spells that bypass Kalitas’s ability to respawn minions are effective. Spells like Path to Exile or Swords to Plowshares can handle Kalitas efficiently, bypassing the graveyard and thus, his ability to capitalize on death triggers. Artifact removal can also be key if paired with equipment or auras that provide indestructibility or hexproof. Keeping an eye on your own graveyard is just as crucial because an unchecked Kalitas can quickly consume your lost creatures, turning your past plays against you.
To sum up, when you confront Kalitas, Bloodchief of Ghet, remember that less is more; limit creature plays and keep removal at the ready. Precision and timing are your greatest allies to claim victory against this vampire overlord.
Cards like Kalitas, Bloodchief of Ghet
Kalitas, Bloodchief of Ghet stands out as a potent force in Magic: The Gathering’s array of vampire cards. Embraced for its capacity to disrupt opponents’ strategies, it draws parallels to other formidable creatures like Drana, Kalastria Bloodchief. While Drana offers targeted removal that buffs her power, Kalitas offers a unique angle by creating 2/2 black Vampire creature tokens when enemy creatures die, providing a potentially endless army.
Another noteworthy card is Anowon, the Ruin Sage which, like Kalitas, leans into vampire tribal mechanics. Both cards focus on creating advantageous board states for vampire-deck pilots, yet Anowon demandingly requires the sacrifice of non-vampire creatures each upkeep, shifting the dynamics differently compared to Kalitas’s ability to dominate through opponent creature removal.
While assessing comparable options, Kalitas, Bloodchief of Ghet is a commanding choice for players seeking to capitalize on creature destruction and amass a vampire legion. Its mana-intensive activation is a strategic investment, but the payoff in tokens and board control firmly establishes it as a desirable card against its counterparts.
Cards similar to Kalitas, Bloodchief of Ghet by color, type and mana cost
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Kalitas, Bloodchief of Ghet MTG card by a specific set like Zendikar, 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 Kalitas, Bloodchief of Ghet 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
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Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Kalitas, Bloodchief of Ghet has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Predh | Legal |
| Penny | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Kalitas, Bloodchief of Ghet card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2009-10-01 | The power and toughness of the token are based on the destroyed creature’s last existence on the battlefield. The token doesn’t have any of the destroyed creature’s other characteristics. |
| 2009-10-01 | You get the token, not the player who controlled the creature. |
| 2013-07-01 | If the targeted creature has indestructible or regenerates, you won’t get a Vampire token. Similarly, if the targeted creature is destroyed but a replacement effect moves it to a different zone instead of its owner’s graveyard, you won’t get a Vampire token. |
