Kiku, Night's Flower MTG Card
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 2 |
| Rarity | Rare |
| Type | Legendary Creature — Human Assassin |
| Released | 2004-10-01 |
| Set symbol | |
| Set name | Champions of Kamigawa |
| Set code | CHK |
| Power | 1 |
| Toughness | 1 |
| Number | 121 |
| Frame | 2003 |
| Layout | Normal |
| Border | Black |
| Illustred by | Jim Murray |
Key Takeaways
- Kiku can disrupt board states, forcing opponents to utilize resources to counteract her destructive ability.
- While Kiku doesn’t ramp, her board control offers a strategic edge, delaying opponents and benefiting your game plan.
- Operating at instant speed, Kiku’s ability provides tactical flexibility and enhances mana optimization each cycle.
Text of card
, : Target creature deals damage to itself equal to its power.
"A wanderer has told me of an assassin in the Takenuma Swamp who uses her dark arts to animate her enemies' shadows against them. A wild tale, but it explains much." —Diary of Azusa
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Kiku, Night’s Flower offers a unique pathway to disrupt opponents’ board presence, potentially converting each activation into a removal spell. As this might force your opponent to expend resources to save their creatures or rebuild their board, Kiku can indirectly contribute to generating card advantage.
Resource Acceleration: While Kiku herself does not directly provide resource acceleration, her ability to control the board can slow down your opponents’ strategy, effectively giving you more time to access your resources and set up your game plan unimpeded.
Instant Speed: Kiku’s ability operates at instant speed, granting you the flexibility to respond during your opponent’s turn. This allows you to optimize your mana every cycle and keep up the pressure, all while holding up the threat of activation that can alter the course of combat or neutralize key threats at a moment’s notice.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Playing Kiku, Night’s Flower requires a tactical approach since your strategy may hinge on the cards you hold. Using her ability forces you to discard another card, which could put you at a disadvantage if you’re already playing with a depleted hand.
Specific Mana Cost: Kiku, Night’s Flower demands a specific combination of mana for casting — two black mana spots. This requirement means that she slots into fewer decks and typically is restricted to mono-black or two-color decks that can consistently produce black mana.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a casting cost of four mana, including the double black mana requirement, Kiku’s activation can be costly compared to other removal options in the game. This can be particularly cumbersome in the early game or in a highly competitive environment where mana efficiency is key.
Reasons to Include Kiku, Night’s Flower in Your Collection
Versatility: Kiku, Night’s Flower offers flexible removal options. As a legendary creature, she can head a commander deck, adding strategic dimensions to control-oriented play styles.
Combo Potential: With her activated ability to destroy tapped creatures, Kiku works well with cards that force your opponents to tap their creatures, thereby setting up potential combos and removing key threats from the board.
Meta-Relevance: In a game where creatures typically dictate the flow of battle, Kiku can play an important role in keeping opponents’ creatures in check, especially in a meta filled with strategies that rely heavily on creature-based combos and attackers.
How to beat
Kiku, Night’s Flower presents a unique challenge in the world of Magic: The Gathering. As a commander, she demands a strategic approach to be overcome. Kiku’s ability to target creatures and force them to deal damage to themselves can dismantle creature-based strategies, making her a persistent threat on the board.
One effective method to counter Kiku is to employ hexproof or shroud-enabling cards to protect your crucial creatures from her targetted ability. This way, you maintain a formidable presence on the battlefield, impervious to Kiku’s dark influence. Additionally, considering the mana cost of activating Kiku’s ability, ramping up your mana production can give you an advantage. When you outpace your opponent’s mana availability, you’re in a better position to play around Kiku’s timing and resource constraints.
Ultimately, patience and resource management are key in prevailing against Kiku. Ensuring that your creatures are safe from her reach or deploying non-creature threats can entirely mitigate her effect, letting you keep the upper hand. Magic: The Gathering is a game of wits and strategy, and with the right approach, even the most enigmatic cards like Kiku, Night’s Flower can be bested.
Cards like Kiku, Night's Flower
Kiku, Night’s Flower commands attention among legendary creatures in MTG. Its ability to tap and deal damage to target creature equal to the number of black mana symbols in that creature’s casting cost invites comparisons to Royal Assassin, which can also destroy tapped creatures efficiently. However, Kiku’s unique power extends beyond simple destruction, dealing with creatures regardless of their tapped or untapped status.
Another counterpart is Visara the Dreadful, who offers a tap ability without any color restriction yet at the expense of a higher casting cost. Both share the trait of being able to selectively dismantle opposing threats, albeit through different means. Kiku painstakingly exploits the mana cost composition, while Visara is blunt in her execution. Then there’s Avatar of Woe, a creature that can not only tap to destroy another creature but becomes easier to cast as the number of graveyards grows, showcasing the diversity in tactical approaches available within MTG.
Upon surveying the landscape of comparable cards, Kiku, Night’s Flower distinctly holds its place with its ability to indirectly manipulate combat and strategy via its mana-cost-centered targeting ability, making it a nuanced choice for players seeking control within the black mana archetype.
Cards similar to Kiku, Night's Flower by color, type and mana cost
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Kiku, Night's Flower MTG card by a specific set like Champions of Kamigawa, 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 Kiku, Night's Flower 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 Kiku, Night's Flower has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Predh | Legal |
| Penny | Legal |