Kediss, Emberclaw Familiar MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 3 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost2
RarityUncommon
TypeLegendary Creature — Elemental Lizard
Abilities Partner
Power 1
Toughness 1

Key Takeaways

  1. Amplifies combat damage from commanders, impacting multiple opponents simultaneously in MTG matches.
  2. Supports aggressive strategies by coercing opponents to change their defensive tactics due to the damage replication threat.
  3. Requires careful hand management and specific mana availability, making strategic deck-building essential for effectiveness.

Text of card

Whenever a commander you control deals combat damage to an opponent, it deals that much damage to each other opponent. Partner (You can have two commanders if both have partner.)

Kediss loves molten metal, searing flames, and head scratches.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Kediss Emberclaw Familiar can swing games in your favor by effectively duplicating damage dealt by commanders. Each time your commander deals combat damage to an opponent, Kediss ensures that damage is replicated to each other opponent. This ability has the potential to keep your hand full by dominating multiplayer tables where card advantage often equates to more opportunities for victory.

Resource Acceleration: While Kediss itself doesn’t provide direct resource acceleration, its synergy with commanders that deal damage allows players to capitalize on card interactions and can indirectly lead to accelerating your board state. Deploying Kediss early sets the groundwork for overwhelming opponents quickly and efficiently.

Instant Speed: Although Kediss operates at sorcery speed, its lasting impact has an ‘at instant speed’ feel by altering how opponents must respond to your combat phase. The threat of duplicating commander damage compels opponents to act as if facing instant speed threats, often keeping them on their toes and reallocating resources that would be used elsewhere.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Playing Kediss Emberclaw Familiar can place demands on your hand that could be tough to manage. Each time you aim to capitalize on its ability, you may find the hand size dwindling, making it a strategic challenge if you’re already struggling with card advantage.

Specific Mana Cost: This creature requires a precise combination of mana to cast, including red mana. This can potentially restrict its inclusion exclusively to decks that can readily produce red mana or lean heavily towards red strategies, leaving fewer options for deck-building versatility.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a mana cost that may be deemed steep for its 1/1 stats, Kediss complicates your mana curve. Though its impact can be significant, when considering efficiency, many players might opt for other partners or creatures that bring more immediate value or pose a larger threat for the same, or less, investment.


Reasons to Include Kediss Emberclaw Familiar in Your Collection

Versatility: Kediss Emberclaw Familiar excels in decks that seek to capitalize on high-impact single-target damage, as it allows you to spread that damage across to each opponent, making it a flexible tool in many red-centric builds.

Combo Potential: Pairing Kediss with commanders or cards that deal damage to a player significantly amplifies its effect. For instance, when used with spells that have a “commander damage” approach, it can quickly change the tide of multiplayer games.

Meta-Relevance: In a meta that is heavy on multiplayer games or where dealing commander damage is a viable path to victory, Kediss provides a persistent threat that opponents must address lest they fall victim to exponential damage outputs.


How to Beat Kediss Emberclaw Familiar

Confronting Kediss Emberclaw Familiar on the battlefield can be quite the challenge within the Magic: The Gathering arena. This formidable partner creature can amplify damage dealt by your commander, turning any hit into a potential threat to all opponents. To effectively neutralize Kediss, it’s wise to employ tactics that limit your opponent’s ability to capitalise on its ability.

Preventative measures such as keeping up instant-speed removal, like Path to Exile or Rapid Hybridization, allow you to respond swiftly to its presence before damage multiplies. Ensnaring Kediss with control elements like Pacifism or the classic Counterspell also works to limit the creature’s impact on the game.

Moreover, focusing on cards that restrict creature attacks or grant you protection, like Ghostly Prison or Sphere of Safety, can create hurdles for your opponent trying to connect with their commander. Understanding and utilizing your deck’s strengths to disrupt or bypass Kediss’s ability is key. As you stay one step ahead, you ensure that your foes find their Emberclaw Familiar a little less familiar and a lot less threatening.


BurnMana Recommendations

Mastering MTG involves not just a deep understanding of your own deck but also comprehending the strengths and weaknesses of cards like Kediss Emberclaw Familiar. This card can turn the tides in matches with its ability to duplicate commander damage, but also poses strategic deck-building challenges given its mana requirements and impact on your hand size. Whether it’s developing new combos, adapting to the metagame, or finding the right countermeasures, there’s always a new layer to explore. For an in-depth look at how Kediss can revolutionize your gameplay or how to effectively counter its fiery antics, join us and gain the insights you need for your next victorious match.


Cards like Kediss, Emberclaw Familiar

Kediss, Emberclaw Familiar is an intriguing option for players seeking a unique twist in their commander strategy in Magic: The Gathering. Its closest parallel is likely found in an older card, Lightning-Rig Crew, which also deals damage to each opponent rather than just one. While Kediss requires pairing with another creature to trigger its ability, Lightning-Rig Crew can activate its ability alone, but does not benefit from the amplification of commander damage.

Fanning the Flames stands out as another card that shares a slight resemblance. This spell also allows for damage to multiple targets, though its scalable X cost trades consistency for flexibility and a higher potential damage output. Unlike the passive presence of Kediss, Fanning the Flames requires a dedicated mana investment to take effect, which might not suit all gameplay strategies.

In the sphere of enhancing combat damage, Fiery Emancipation is a heavy hitter. It triples the damage dealt to opponents from any source, not just commander combat, but at a significantly higher cost and later in the game. Kediss, Emberclaw Familiar, lets players exploit early game aggression to a devastating effect, potentially redirecting and doubling damage as soon as the commanders are in action.

Lightning-Rig Crew - MTG Card versions
Fanning the Flames - MTG Card versions
Fiery Emancipation - MTG Card versions
Lightning-Rig Crew - Ixalan (XLN)
Fanning the Flames - Stronghold (STH)
Fiery Emancipation - Core Set 2021 (M21)

Cards similar to Kediss, Emberclaw Familiar by color, type and mana cost

Rock Hydra - MTG Card versions
Dwarven Weaponsmith - MTG Card versions
Goblin Rock Sled - MTG Card versions
Dwarven Lieutenant - MTG Card versions
Goblin Recruiter - MTG Card versions
Heart Sliver - MTG Card versions
Mogg Flunkies - MTG Card versions
Goblin Elite Infantry - MTG Card versions
Fireslinger - MTG Card versions
Skittish Kavu - MTG Card versions
Rage Weaver - MTG Card versions
Minotaur Explorer - MTG Card versions
Sparksmith - MTG Card versions
Goblin Lookout - MTG Card versions
Skirk Marauder - MTG Card versions
Hellspark Elemental - MTG Card versions
Storm Entity - MTG Card versions
Dwarven Soldier - MTG Card versions
Mogg War Marshal - MTG Card versions
Mudbrawler Cohort - MTG Card versions
Rock Hydra - Intl. Collectors' Edition (CEI)
Dwarven Weaponsmith - Foreign Black Border (FBB)
Goblin Rock Sled - The Dark (DRK)
Dwarven Lieutenant - Fallen Empires (FEM)
Goblin Recruiter - Visions (VIS)
Heart Sliver - Tempest (TMP)
Mogg Flunkies - Stronghold (STH)
Goblin Elite Infantry - Classic Sixth Edition (6ED)
Fireslinger - Duel Decks Anthology: Jace vs. Chandra (JVC)
Skittish Kavu - Invasion (INV)
Rage Weaver - Invasion (INV)
Minotaur Explorer - Odyssey (ODY)
Sparksmith - Onslaught (ONS)
Goblin Lookout - Legions (LGN)
Skirk Marauder - Legions (LGN)
Hellspark Elemental - DCI Promos (PDCI)
Storm Entity - Future Sight (FUT)
Dwarven Soldier - Masters Edition (ME1)
Mogg War Marshal - Duel Decks: Elves vs. Goblins (DD1)
Mudbrawler Cohort - Shadowmoor (SHM)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Kediss, Emberclaw Familiar MTG card by a specific set like Magic Online Promos and Commander Legends, 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 Kediss, Emberclaw Familiar and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Kediss, Emberclaw Familiar Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2020-11-20 and 2020-11-20. Illustrated by Jesper Ejsing.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12002-06-24Magic Online PromosPRM 862522015normalblackJesper Ejsing
22020-11-20Commander LegendsCMR 1882015normalblackJesper Ejsing
32020-11-20Commander LegendsCMR 5732015normalblackJesper Ejsing

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Kediss, Emberclaw Familiar has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderRestricted
OathbreakerLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal

Rules and information

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

DateText
2020-11-10 An effect that checks whether you control your commander is satisfied if you control one or both of your two commanders.
2020-11-10 Both commanders start in the command zone, and the remaining 98 cards (or 58 cards in a Commander Draft game) of your deck are shuffled to become your library.
2020-11-10 If something refers to your commander while you have two commanders, it refers to one of them of your choice. If you are instructed to perform an action on your commander (e.g. put it from the command zone into your hand due to Command Beacon), you choose one of your commanders at the time the effect happens.
2020-11-10 If your Commander deck has two commanders, you can only include cards whose own color identities are also found in your commanders' combined color identities. If Falthis and Kediss are your commanders, your deck may contain cards with black and/or red in their color identity, but not cards with green, white, or blue.
2020-11-10 Kediss's triggered ability will trigger if any commander you control deals combat damage to an opponent, not just your commander.
2020-11-10 Kediss's triggered ability won't trigger if a commander you control deals combat damage to a planeswalker.
2020-11-10 Once the game begins, your two commanders are tracked separately. If you cast one, you won't have to pay an additional the first time you cast the other. A player loses the game after having been dealt 21 damage from any one of them, not from both of them combined.
2020-11-10 The damage the commander deals as a result of Kediss's triggered ability isn't combat damage. It isn't tracked with combat damage dealt by commanders and won't cause Kediss's ability to trigger again.
2020-11-10 To have two commanders, both must have the partner ability as the game begins. Losing the ability during the game doesn't cause either to cease to be your commander.
2020-11-10 You can choose two commanders with partner that are the same color or colors. In Commander Draft, you can even choose two of the same commander with partner if you drafted them. If you do this, make sure you keep the number of times you've cast each from the command zone clear for "commander tax" purposes.

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