Kiln Fiend MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 8 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost2
RarityCommon
TypeCreature — Elemental Beast
Power 1
Toughness 2

Key Takeaways

  1. Encourages use of cantrips and spells, indirectly aiding in deck cycling and card advantage.
  2. Instant speed interactions bolster Kiln Fiend, making it a formidable and unexpected threat.
  3. Great combo potential and meta-relevance make it a valuable asset in aggressive red-centric decks.

Text of card

Whenever you cast an instant or sorcery spell, Kiln Fiend gets +3/+0 until end of turn.

It traps an explosion within its stony skin.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Kiln Fiend doesn’t directly provide card draw, but its ability to massively increase its power encourages the use of cantrips and spells that naturally cycle through your deck, leading to indirect card advantage over the course of a game.

Resource Acceleration: While it does not generate mana or tokens, Kiln Fiend accelerates the game’s pace for aggressive strategies, translating your spells into significant combat damage, which is a different form of resource acceleration in red-centric decks known for their speed.

Instant Speed: Kiln Fiend benefits immensely from spells at instant speed. Any instant buff or protection played during combat can unexpectedly increase its power, turning it into a formidable threat that can reap immediate rewards through its overwhelming attack capacity.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Some strategies revolving around Kiln Fiend necessitate discarding cards to fuel its power-boosting ability. This can put you at a disadvantage if your hand is already running on empty or if each card you hold is crucial to your win condition.

Specific Mana Cost: Kiln Fiend’s casting cost requires red mana. While this isn’t an issue in mono-red or red-centric decks, it does pose a restriction. Players running a multicolored or colorless deck will find it challenging to integrate without a flexible mana base.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Despite only costing two mana, in the fast-paced and mana-efficient world of modern Magic, this can sometimes be a stretch, especially when needing to keep mana open for other instant-speed interactions or when competing against lower-cost creatures with similar or superior abilities.


Reasons to Include Kiln Fiend in Your Collection

Versatility: Kiln Fiend is a powerhouse in decks that cast numerous noncreature spells. Its ability to adapt to various playstyles and synergize with a wide array of instants and sorceries makes it a formidable inclusion in any red-centric deck.

Combo Potential: This card possesses immense combo potential, amplifying its power exponentially with each spell cast. A few spells can quickly turn Kiln Fiend into a lethal threat, fitting perfectly into strategies focused on swift, decisive victories.

Meta-Relevance: In an environment where aggressive strategies can outpace more slow-forming control decks, Kiln Fiend shines as a primary attacker. Its relevance in the current meta hinges on the prevalence of such aggressive strategies that can capitalize on its quick power growth.


How to beat

Kiln Fiend, a potent force in Magic: The Gathering, can be a formidable adversary on the battlefield. With each instant or sorcery spell cast, Kiln Fiend gets a significant power boost, making it a key card in combos that aim to deal lethal damage in a single turn. However, strategies to beat it exist and revolve around preemptive action and control.

Firstly, removal spells that can target Kiln Fiend the moment it hits the board are crucial. Since the Fiend’s power lies in its ability to grow rapidly, immediate action with cards like Fatal Push, Path to Exile, or Lightning Bolt prevent it from becoming a larger threat. Creature counters like Essence Scatter when Kiln Fiend is still a spell or board control strategies such as board wipes can also be effective, especially before your opponent accumulates enough spells to create a critical situation.

Moreover, keeping a watchful eye on your opponent’s mana can give you an edge. If they’re setting up for a big turn, holding up mana for instant-speed interaction will be key. By understanding the threat that Kiln Fiend poses and maintaining a responsive playstyle, you can neutralize its potential and secure your position in the game.


Cards like Kiln Fiend

Kiln Fiend is a dynamic creature card that enriches the prowess archetype in Magic: The Gathering. Its ability to gain +3/+0 until end of turn whenever you cast an instant or sorcery spell mirrors that of Nivix Cyclops, which also buffs up but to a lesser degree, gaining +3/+0 but with the added benefit of being protected with defender until it’s time to attack. Wee Dragonauts offers a similar effect, though it gives a lesser power boost of only +2/+0, its evasion with flying makes it a formidable threat as well.

Comparatively, Blistercoil Weird is another card that interacts well with spellslinging strategies. It’s cheaper to play and accrues +1/+1 per spell cast, but the overall potential for a single-turn boost is lower than what Kiln Fiend can achieve. Monastery Swiftspear, brings haste to the table allowing for immediate impact and it’s widely favored in fast-paced decks, however, it only gets +1/+0 per spell, which again, is modest in contrast with Kiln Fiend’s explosive potential.

In essence, while there are several creatures that benefit from casting noncreature spells, Kiln Fiend stands out for its explosive power increase, making it a fearsome contender in MTG formats that support rapid spellcasting methods.

Nivix Cyclops - MTG Card versions
Wee Dragonauts - MTG Card versions
Blistercoil Weird - MTG Card versions
Monastery Swiftspear - MTG Card versions
Nivix Cyclops - Dragon's Maze (DGM)
Wee Dragonauts - Arena League 2006 (PAL06)
Blistercoil Weird - Return to Ravnica (RTR)
Monastery Swiftspear - Khans of Tarkir (KTK)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Kiln Fiend MTG card by a specific set like Rise of the Eldrazi and Duel Decks: Izzet vs. Golgari, 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 Kiln Fiend and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Kiln Fiend Magic the Gathering card was released in 8 different sets between 2010-04-23 and 2020-07-17. Illustrated by Adi Granov.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12010-04-23Rise of the EldraziROE 1532003normalblackAdi Granov
22012-09-07Duel Decks: Izzet vs. GolgariDDJ 22003normalblackAdi Granov
32016-08-26Conspiracy: Take the CrownCN2 1672015normalblackAdi Granov
42017-11-17Iconic MastersIMA 1372015normalblackAdi Granov
52019-11-07Mystery BoosterMB1 9922015normalblackAdi Granov
62019-11-21Historic Anthology 1HA1 102015normalblackAdi Granov
72020-07-17JumpstartJMP 3382015normalblackAdi Granov
82020-09-26The ListPLST IMA-1372015normalblackAdi Granov

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Kiln Fiend has restrictions

FormatLegality
HistoricbrawlLegal
HistoricLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderLegal
OathbreakerLegal
GladiatorLegal
CommanderLegal
ModernLegal
PauperLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal
TimelessLegal

Rules and information

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

DateText
2010-06-15 If you cast an instant or sorcery spell, Kiln Fiend’s ability triggers and goes on the stack on top of it. The ability will resolve before the spell does.

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