Kaya, Ghost Assassin MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 5 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost4
RarityMythic
TypeLegendary Planeswalker — Kaya
Loyalty 5

Key Takeaways

  1. Kaya’s exile abilities grant control and can extend the game in your favor through strategic creature removal.
  2. Her synergies with blink and recursion mechanics offer combo possibilities, elevating deck versatility.
  3. Despite her strengths, Kaya requires careful mana base management and can be outpaced in fast-paced games.

Text of card

0: Exile Kaya, Ghost Assassin or up to one target creature. Return that card to the battlefield under its owner's control at the beginning of your next upkeep. You lose 2 life. −1: Each opponent loses 2 life and you gain 2 life. −2: Each opponent discards a card and you draw a card.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Kaya Ghost Assassin helps to maintain card advantage with her ability to exile herself and a target creature, effectively bypassing direct interactions and drawing the game out in your favor.

Resource Acceleration: Although Kaya doesn’t directly accelerate resources, her minus ability can indirectly aid by resetting loyalty on other planeswalkers or reusing enter-the-battlefield effects which can lead to a form of resource advantage.

Instant Speed: Kaya’s flexibility is on par with instant speed spells, as she can activate her abilities at the end of your opponent’s turn, disrupting their strategy and leaving mana open for responses during their turn.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Players often find Kaya’s ability to exile a creature slightly taxing as it involves discarding a card, which might strain your hand especially when options are already limited.

Specific Mana Cost: The mana cost of Kaya Ghost Assassin includes multiple colors, necessitating a well-tuned mana base to consistently cast it on curve, potentially restricting the card to certain multicolored decks.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Kaya’s four-mana cost can be prohibitive in faster games where tempo and board presence are critical. In those scenarios, players might prefer lower-cost alternatives for immediate impact.


Reasons to Include Kaya Ghost Assassin in Your Collection

Versatility: Kaya Ghost Assassin offers a unique set of abilities that make her a valuable asset in various deck builds. With her ability to exile creatures or even herself, she provides utility in both offensive and defensive strategies. Her adaptability ensures she’s a substantial addition, regardless of the ever-changing MTG landscape.

Combo Potential: Besides offering protection and creature control, Kaya also synergizes with strategies that capitalize on her enter-the-battlefield and leaves-the-battlefield effects. This opens up avenues for combo interactions within certain decks, notably in strategies involving blink or recursion mechanics.

Meta-Relevance: Kaya Ghost Assassin can disrupt opponents’ plans in meta games heavy with creature-based strategies. Her ability to handle threats while avoiding being a target herself makes her particularly relevant in formats where creatures dominate the scene.


How to beat

Kaya, Ghost Assassin is a unique planeswalker card in MTG that can be both elusive and impactful on the battlefield. One of her key strengths lies in her ability to exile herself or another creature and return it to the battlefield, effectively dodging removal and enabling potent synergies. However, players can employ several strategies to come out on top against her.

First, immediate removal in response to her activation can prevent her ability from resolving correctly. Targeted spells that don’t allow regeneration or that exile, such as Path to Exile, can efficiently handle creatures she aims to protect. Second, direct damage to Kaya through spells or abilities when she’s vulnerable on the battlefield can reduce her loyalty counters and thwart her plans.

In addition, deploying creatures with hexproof can safeguard against her targeted -1 ability. Maintaining pressure and presenting multiple threats can stretch her abilities thin and overwhelm her. Focusing on a strategic mix of protecting your key assets while continuously threatening her presence will disrupt your opponent’s game plan revolving around Kaya, Ghost Assassin.


BurnMana Recommendations

Assimilating the tactical nuances of Kaya Ghost Assassin can significantly bolster your MTG gameplay. Her eclectic abilities offer strategic depth, whether you’re disrupting opponent plays or navigating creature-heavy metas. Enhancing your collection with Kaya ensures adaptability in your deck’s strategy, allowing you to pivot effectively during matches. Furthermore, understanding how to seamlessly integrate her into your lineup, or maneuver against her in competition, can be the edge you need to dominate. Ready to master the ghostly tactics of Kaya and claim victory? Embrace the journey of continuous improvement and discover more about wielding this multifaceted planeswalker at BurnMana.


Cards like Kaya, Ghost Assassin

Kaya, Ghost Assassin stands out as a unique planeswalker in the realm of MTG. She offers a blend of abilities that allow players to manipulate both creatures and the flow of the game. One card that shares similarities with her is Sorin, Grim Nemesis. Sorin offers card advantage by revealing the top card of a player’s library and dealing damage equal to its converted mana cost, akin to Kaya’s ability to cause life loss while exiling creatures or returning them to a player’s hand.

Another planeswalker that’s worth comparing is Ashiok, Nightmare Weaver. Ashiok can also exile cards, though focusing on opponent’s libraries and creating creature tokens instead. They both disrupt opponents but in markedly different ways. Ashiok is more aggressive, creating threats, whereas Kaya excels at protecting and providing utility.

The assessment of Kaya, Ghost Assassin against her counterparts reveals her versatility as a planeswalker. With her unique set of skills for controlling opponents’ creatures and influencing life totals, Kaya provides a diverse toolkit that can pivot strategies mid-game and adapt to various situations, making her a compelling choice for decks requiring flexibility and resilience.

Sorin, Grim Nemesis - MTG Card versions
Ashiok, Nightmare Weaver - MTG Card versions
Sorin, Grim Nemesis - Shadows over Innistrad Promos (PSOI)
Ashiok, Nightmare Weaver - Theros (THS)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Kaya, Ghost Assassin MTG card by a specific set like Conspiracy: Take the Crown and Conspiracy: Take the Crown, 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 Kaya, Ghost Assassin and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Kaya, Ghost Assassin Magic the Gathering card was released in 4 different sets between 2016-08-26 and 2019-12-02. Illustrated by 2 different artists.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12016-08-26Conspiracy: Take the CrownCN2 752015normalblackChris Rallis
22016-08-26Conspiracy: Take the CrownCN2 2222015normalblackChris Rallis
32016-11-16Treasure ChestPZ2 672015normalblackChris Rallis
42019-12-02Secret Lair DropSLD 2472015normalborderlessDani Pendergast
52020-09-26The ListPLST CN2-752015normalblackChris Rallis

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Kaya, Ghost Assassin has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
OathbreakerLegal
PennyLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal

Rules and information

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

DateText
2016-08-23 As the last ability resolves, each opponent will choose a card to discard and set it aside. Then all those cards are revealed and discarded simultaneously.
2016-08-23 If you didn’t choose a target creature for the first ability, and Kaya isn’t on the battlefield as the ability resolves, you’ll just lose 2 life. No card will be exiled or returned to the battlefield.
2016-08-23 You choose whether or not to target a creature as you activate the first ability. If you chose a target creature, you choose whether to exile Kaya or that creature as the ability resolves. If you chose a creature and that creature is no longer a legal target as the ability tries to resolve, the ability doesn’t resolve and none of its effects happen. You won’t exile Kaya or lose 2 life.

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