Echoes of the Kin Tree MTG Card


Echoes of the Kin Tree - Dragons of Tarkir
Mana cost
Converted mana cost2
RarityUncommon
TypeEnchantment
Abilities Bolster
Released2015-03-27
Set symbol
Set nameDragons of Tarkir
Set codeDTK
Number15
Frame2015
Layoutnormal
Borderblack
Illustred byRyan Alexander Lee

Key Takeaways

  1. Instant-speed cast of Echoes of the Kin Tree can unexpectedly strengthen creatures, altering the battlefield dynamics.
  2. Mana-efficient bolster effect helps improve creature robustness, pivotal for winning with board presence.
  3. Versatility in decks centered on +1/+1 counters makes it a potent combo enabler and long-term threat.

Text of card

: Bolster 1. (Choose a creature with the least toughness among creatures you control and put a +1/+1 counter on it.)

Even after Anafenza was executed, many secretly maintained their beliefs in the old ways.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Echoes of the Kin Tree excels in bolstering your creatures, essentially allowing one to strengthen their board presence without needing to commit additional cards from hand.

Resource Acceleration: Through its bolster mechanic, this card efficiently utilizes your mana to empower your creatures, effectively increasing your resources on the battlefield as your creatures become more imposing threats.

Instant Speed: The ability to cast Echoes of the Kin Tree at instant speed gives players the tactical advantage to respond during the opponent’s turn, making it a versatile tool for surprise enhancements or in response to incoming threats.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: While Echoes of the Kin Tree may offer some substantial buffs to your creatures, it requires you to exile a white card from your hand. This condition can put you at a disadvantage, especially when your hand is running low on cards or when each card you possess is pivotal for your strategy.

Specific Mana Cost: Echoes of the Kin Tree needs a specific mana combination to cast: one generic and one white. This requirement may potentially limit its inclusion to decks that can consistently produce white mana, reducing its versatility across the broader spectrum of MTG deck archetypes.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With an activation cost of two mana, including one white, repeatedly using Echoes of the Kin Tree’s bolster ability to strengthen your creatures can be demanding on your mana resources. This makes it comparatively inefficient when held up against cards with lower or more flexible activation costs that can achieve similar or even better board impacts.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Echoes of the Kin Tree offers a universal boon to any deck looking to bolster its creatures. Its ability to put +1/+1 counters on your creatures gives every creature the potential to be a bigger threat on the board.

Combo Potential: This enchantment shines in decks built around +1/+1 counters. It pairs beautifully with mechanics like proliferate or evolve, turning Echoes of the Kin Tree into a pivotal part of a powerful synergy.

Meta-Relevance: In a game state where long-term value wins the day, the incremental advantage gained from consistently amplifying your creatures can be a game-changer. It thrives in environments where stalling the board and building up overwhelming forces are key to victory.


How to beat

Understanding how to counteract Echoes of the Kin Tree is crucial for any MTG player aiming to maintain control on the battlefield. This enchantment bolsters your creatures by giving them +1/+1 counters through its bolster ability, which could turn into a real threat if left unchecked. To effectively neutralize this card, consider utilizing removal spells that can directly target enchantments, such as Disenchant or Naturalize, which will dismantle the Kin Tree’s echoes before they reverberate across the field. Alternatively, employing counter magic like Negate when Echoes of the Kin Tree is on the stack can prevent its activation entirely. Moreover, incorporating cards that can strip counters from your opponent’s creatures could severely undermine their strategy, leaving you with a clear advantage. It’s pivotal to act swiftly against Echoes of the Kin Tree, as each turn can amplify the threat through a growing army of bolstered creatures. Plan your deck with these strategies, and you’ll be prepared to silence the echoes when they arise.


Cards like Echoes of the Kin Tree

Echoes of the Kin Tree is a unique enchantment spell that bolsters your creatures’ strength across the battlefield. It shares a thematic link with support spells like Glorious Anthem, which provides a static power and toughness boost to creatures you control. However, Echoes of the Kin Tree stands out with its individualistic bolster mechanic, enabling you to selectively increase a creature’s might based on its current size, and potentially accruing its benefits over time.

Looking towards Always Watching, another enchantment offering creatures a static boost, it similarly bolsters your army but with the added vigilance ability. Echoes of the Kin Tree doesn’t offer additional keywords, but its mana investment is lighter, making it a versatile pick for decks on a tighter curve. Then there’s Inspiring Call, delivering an instant-speed protection and card draw feature, albeit for creatures with +1/+1 counters. Though it doesn’t permanently increase power and toughness, Inspiring Call’s defensive and card advantage capabilities provide instant strategic benefits.

In assessing the variety of enhancement spells available, Echoes of the Kin Tree presents itself as a particularly strategic tool. It not only incrementally strengthens creatures but does so in a manner that can adapt over the course of a game, making it a card with potential upsides that scale with the flow of play.

Glorious Anthem - MTG Card versions
Always Watching - MTG Card versions
Inspiring Call - MTG Card versions
Glorious Anthem - Urza's Saga (USG)
Always Watching - Shadows over Innistrad (SOI)
Inspiring Call - Dragons of Tarkir (DTK)

Cards similar to Echoes of the Kin Tree by color, type and mana cost

Blessing - MTG Card versions
Circle of Protection: Red - MTG Card versions
Circle of Protection: Black - MTG Card versions
Island Sanctuary - MTG Card versions
Circle of Protection: White - MTG Card versions
Crusade - MTG Card versions
Circle of Protection: Blue - MTG Card versions
Hallowed Ground - MTG Card versions
Circle of Protection: Artifacts - MTG Card versions
Energy Storm - MTG Card versions
Ward of Lights - MTG Card versions
Gossamer Chains - MTG Card versions
I'm Rubber, You're Glue - MTG Card versions
Absolute Grace - MTG Card versions
Serenity - MTG Card versions
Mageta's Boon - MTG Card versions
Seal of Cleansing - MTG Card versions
Absolute Law - MTG Card versions
Sacred Ground - MTG Card versions
Pacifism - MTG Card versions
Blessing - Fourth Edition Foreign Black Border (4BB)
Circle of Protection: Red - 30th Anniversary Edition (30A)
Circle of Protection: Black - 30th Anniversary Edition (30A)
Island Sanctuary - 30th Anniversary Edition (30A)
Circle of Protection: White - Classic Sixth Edition (6ED)
Crusade - Duel Decks: Elspeth vs. Tezzeret (DDF)
Circle of Protection: Blue - Fourth Edition (4ED)
Hallowed Ground - Ice Age (ICE)
Circle of Protection: Artifacts - Renaissance (REN)
Energy Storm - Pro Tour Collector Set (PTC)
Ward of Lights - Mirage (MIR)
Gossamer Chains - Visions (VIS)
I'm Rubber, You're Glue - Unglued (UGL)
Absolute Grace - Urza's Saga (USG)
Serenity - Classic Sixth Edition (6ED)
Mageta's Boon - Prophecy (PCY)
Seal of Cleansing - World Championship Decks 2000 (WC00)
Absolute Law - World Championship Decks 2000 (WC00)
Sacred Ground - Seventh Edition (7ED)
Pacifism - Duel Decks: Divine vs. Demonic (DDC)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Echoes of the Kin Tree MTG card by a specific set like Dragons of Tarkir, 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 Echoes of the Kin Tree and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Echoes of the Kin Tree has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PioneerLegal
PennyLegal

Rules and information

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

DateText
2015-02-25 Bolster itself doesn’t target any creature, though some spells and abilities that bolster may have other effects that target creatures. For example, you could put counters on a creature with protection from white with Aven Tactician’s bolster ability.
2015-02-25 You determine which creature to put counters on as the spell or ability that instructs you to bolster resolves. That could be the creature with the bolster ability, if it’s still under your control and has the least toughness.

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