Kithkin Healer MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	3
Rarity	Common
Type	Creature — Kithkin Cleric
Released	2007-10-12
Set symbol
Set name	Lorwyn
Set code	LRW
Power	2
Toughness	2
Number	27
Frame	2003
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Rebecca Guay

Key Takeaways

Kithkin Healer’s life gain and instant-speed activation boost defense, disrupting opponent’s tactics.
Life-centric combos and metagame relevance make it a key card for creature-focused decks.
Effective strategies to counter Kithkin Healer include removals that avoid damage-based mechanics.

Text of card

: Prevent the next 1 damage that would be dealt to target creature or player this turn.

The empathetic nature of the thoughtweft allows kithkin healers to treat the cause of an illness rather than fight its symptoms.

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Kithkin Healer can stabilize your presence on the battlefield by providing consistent life gain. This isn’t direct card draw but extends the utility of the cards you have in play, effectively creating an advantage over your opponent by negating damage they may be counting on to secure their victory.

Resource Acceleration: While Kithkin Healer isn’t directly increasing your mana pool, the consistent life it provides can free up resources. This means you might not need to spend cards on life gain elsewhere, allowing you to play more impactful spells sooner.

Instant Speed: The Kithkin Healer’s ability can be activated at instant speed, giving you the flexibility to respond to threats or the opponent’s actions during their turn. This surprise factor can disrupt your opponent’s strategy, as they have to consider the possibility of life gain altering combat outcomes or their damage calculations.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Kithkin Healer may require discarding another card to activate its ability. This can deplete your hand and leave you at a disadvantage, especially if you’re starved for card options.

Specific Mana Cost: The healer has a mana cost that includes white mana. This specificity may restrict its inclusion only to decks that can reliably produce white mana, thereby limiting its flexibility in multi-colored decks.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: When lined up against other creatures with similar healing abilities, the Kithkin Healer often comes with a higher mana cost. This can affect the pace of your game play, as you might need to wait longer to summon it onto the battlefield.

Reasons to Include Kithkin Healer in Your Collection

Versatility: Kithkin Healer has an ability beneficial to any deck focusing on creature synergy. Its capability to prevent damage to creatures or players adds a layer of protection and longevity to your board presence.

Combo Potential: This card shines in decks that capitalize on life-gain or damage prevention mechanics. Pairing Kithkin Healer with cards that trigger effects whenever you gain life or prevent damage can create powerful interactions.

Meta-Relevance: In metas where aggressive strategies dominate, Kithkin Healer can serve as a useful tool to stabilize the game and give you the breathing room needed to mount a comeback or establish control.

How to beat

Kithkin Healer is a card that may appear unassuming, but in the right circumstances, it can provide formidable defense in MTG, making it a card worth understanding how to counter. The Kithkin Healer’s primary strength lies in its ability to prevent damage, safeguarding other creatures and complicating the combat mathematics for opponents.

Nevertheless, the key to overpowering a Kithkin Healer lies in bypassing its healing capabilities. Utilize removals that don’t rely on damage, aiming for exile or destroy effects which circumvent the damage prevention mechanic altogether. Cards like Path to Exile or Doom Blade can efficiently remove the Kithkin Healer from play without dealing damage, rendering its ability moot.

Direct player-targeted tactics are also a reliable method. Kithkin Healer may stop damage to creatures, but it leaves the player open, allowing strategies that target opponents directly, like burn spells or effects that cause loss of life, to flourish. In essence, by adjusting your strategy to deal with the healing gameplay Kithkin Healer promotes, you can mitigate its impact and maintain control over the battlefield.

Cards like Kithkin Healer

The Kithkin Healer is a unique card in the MTG realm with abilities that cater to a healing theme. It can stand alongside cards like Healer’s Hawk, which features lifelink, bolstering a player’s life total with each attack. The Kithkin Healer, however, comes with a distinct ability to prevent damage, veering slightly from the lifelink attribute but functioning within the same domain of keeping a player’s life points secure.

Another card to consider in relation is the Alabaster Mage. This card brings flexibility to the battlefield, allowing you to give lifelink to selected creatures at a moment’s notice. Although it lacks the damage prevention skill inherent to the Kithkin Healer, it belts out its own rhythm in life-gain strategies. Crested Sunmare is also worth mentioning with its ability to create indestructible Horse tokens, indirectly contributing to damage prevention by fortifying your creature lineup.

After comparing Kithkin Healer with other utility creatures, it stands out for its focus on preemptive protection rather than retroactive life-gain. This niche role can be pivotal in matches where defense is as crucial as offense, making it a valuable card for those invested in preservation tactics within MTG.

Cards similar to Kithkin Healer by color, type and mana cost

Pianna, Nomad Captain - MTG Card versions

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Kithkin Healer MTG card by a specific set like Lorwyn, 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 Kithkin Healer and other MTG cards: