Kess, Dissident Mage MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 5 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost4
RarityMythic
TypeLegendary Creature — Human Wizard
Abilities Flying
Power 3
Toughness 4

Key Takeaways

  1. Double your spell arsenal by recasting instants or sorceries from your graveyard with Kess, Dissident Mage.
  2. Gain flexible combat strategies by casting spells at instant speed with Kess during any player’s turn.
  3. Kess’s distinct mana requirements make her a specialized yet impactful choice for Grixis color decks.

Text of card

Flying Once during each of your turns, you may cast an instant or sorcery spell from your graveyard. If a spell cast this way would be put into your graveyard, exile it instead.

"Loss has no meaning here. You cannot take from those who have nothing."


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Kess, Dissident Mage excels at providing card advantage by allowing you to cast an additional spell from your graveyard each turn. This means each instants or sorceries has the potential to be used twice, tipping the scales in your favor by effectively doubling your usable resources.

Resource Acceleration: With the ability to delve into your graveyard, Kess gives you access to a wider array of spells throughout the game. This can lead to a form of resource acceleration as you’re not solely reliant on the cards in hand, but you can also utilize those in the graveyard, ensuring a steadier flow of options and strategies.

Instant Speed: The ability to cast spells at instant speed with Kess, Dissident Mage is of paramount importance. By enabling you to cast instants or sorceries from your graveyard during any player’s turn, this magic manipulator opens up avenues for disruption, surprise plays, and tactical advantages impossible for opponents to predict.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: One of the key drawbacks of Kess, Dissident Mage is the discard stipulation attached to her ability. Every use necessitates discarding, which can be restrictive when you’re running low on card options and can potentially place you at a disadvantage against opponents.

Specific Mana Cost: The casting requirements for Kess are fairly specific, demanding a combination of blue, black, and red mana. This restricts her inclusion to decks that run on a Grixis color scheme, potentially excluding her from various other multicolor combinations that might not be able to accommodate her mana needs.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a casting cost of one blue, one black, one red, and one generic mana, Kess, Dissident Mage is not the cheapest commander to get onto the battlefield. While her abilities are strong, the mana investment is significant and could be deemed high compared to other commanders who offer immediate impact or lower cost alternatives.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Kess, Dissident Mage offers flexibility to slot into a variety of decks, particularly those that revolve around instants and sorceries. Her ability to grant an additional casting opportunity each turn makes her a consistent performer in strategies that rely on spell recursion.

Combo Potential: This card is a powerhouse in combo decks, allowing players to recast pivotal spells from the graveyard. This can set the stage for powerful plays and synergize with spells that have cast or graveyard-triggered effects, amplifying the deck’s combo execution capabilities.

Meta-Relevance: In a meta where control and combo decks are prevalent, Kess, Dissident Mage stands out, providing an edge by enabling repeat spell plays that can disrupt opponents’ strategies or swing the game in your favor.


How to beat

Kess, Dissident Mage, stands out as a powerful spellcaster in the world of Magic: The Gathering. This legendary creature allows you to cast an instant or sorcery card from your graveyard during each of your turns, complicating strategies for opponents who must deal with recurring threats. Nevertheless, there are ways to ensure Kess doesn’t dominate the game.

Employing graveyard hate is an effective approach. Cards like Rest in Peace or Leyline of the Void can exile cards as soon as they hit the graveyard, rendering Kess’s ability useless. Moreover, since Kess is prone to summoning sickness, using removal spells right after she hits the battlefield is key. Fast-acting spells like Path to Exile or Terror can dispatch her before her abilities even come into play. Other strategies include countering Kess with spells like Counterspell or Mana Leak when she’s cast, or using enchantments like Imprisoned in the Moon to neutralize her abilities without sending her to the graveyard.

Responding swiftly and prioritizing graveyard control can decisively dismantle the advantages Kess, Dissident Mage, poses, safeguarding your gameplay from her potential to turn the tide in favor of your opponent. By incorporating preventative measures into your deck, you can navigate around her powerful effects and maintain control of the match.


BurnMana Recommendations

Embracing Kess, Dissident Mage can significantly upgrade your spell-slinging experience in MTG, opening up a library of possibilities each turn. Whether it’s building a deck around her strengths, understanding potential pitfalls, or studying how she interacts with similar cards, our deep dive into Kess highlights the avenues to harness her full potential. If facing her across the battlefield, we’ve also shared sage advice on thwarting her formidable skills. As you continue your MTG journey, consider the insight and strategies discussed to refine your gameplay. Curious about incorporating Kess into your arsenal or crafting a strategy to best her? Connect with us to learn more and advance your mastery of the game.


Cards like Kess, Dissident Mage

Kess, Dissident Mage is a dynamic force among creature cards in Magic: The Gathering. It resonates with the abilities of notable wizards like Snapcaster Mage, which grants an echo of Kess’s core functionality – the ability to cast an instant or sorcery from the graveyard during your turn. Snapcaster Mage offers this for a single spell with a fleeting boost, while Kess extends this power across every turn.

Delving deeper, we find cards like Jeleva, Nephalia’s Scourge. Jeleva also excavates spells from the graveyard but pulls from each player’s deck, adding an element of unpredictability. Although Jeleva requires an attack to trigger the ability, Kess allows for control and planning with her straightforward approach. Another comparison is with Jace, Vryn’s Prodigy, which transforms into a planeswalker capable of casting spells from the graveyard. However, Jace’s flexibility is restrained by once per turn usage and a requisite transformation.

Assessing Kess, Dissident Mage within the landscape of similar MTG cards showcases her unique stable position. Her ability to consistently access the vast graveyard each turn carves a distinct niche, especially for players favoring spell-heavy strategies and the advantages of casting from the graveyard.

Snapcaster Mage - MTG Card versions
Jeleva, Nephalia's Scourge - MTG Card versions
Snapcaster Mage - Innistrad (ISD)
Jeleva, Nephalia's Scourge - Commander 2013 Oversized (OC13)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Kess, Dissident Mage MTG card by a specific set like Treasure Chest and Commander 2017, 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 Kess, Dissident Mage and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Kess, Dissident Mage Magic the Gathering card was released in 5 different sets between 2016-11-16 and 2022-04-29. Illustrated by 2 different artists.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12016-11-16Treasure ChestPZ2 657632015normalblackIzzy
22017-08-25Commander 2017C17 392015normalblackIzzy
32019-06-14Modern HorizonsMH1 2062015normalblackIzzy
42019-12-02Secret Lair DropSLD 11672015normalborderlessMartin Ontiveros
52022-04-29New Capenna CommanderNCC 3442015normalblackIzzy

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Kess, Dissident Mage has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal

Rules and information

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

DateText
2019-06-14 If a sorcery card is put into your graveyard during your main phase and the stack is empty, you have a chance to cast it before any player may attempt to remove that card from your graveyard.
2019-06-14 If a spell cast this way is put into another zone after it resolves (perhaps because it had buyback), it's considered a new object. If that card later moves to your graveyard, it won't be exiled.
2019-06-14 If you cast a card from your graveyard using another permission (such as that of flashback), Kess's effect doesn't apply. You can cast another instant or sorcery card from your graveyard.
2019-06-14 If you cast one instant or sorcery card from your graveyard and then have a new Kess come under your control in the same turn, you may cast another instant or sorcery card from your graveyard that turn.
2019-06-14 Once you begin to cast the card, losing control of Kess won't affect the spell. You can finish casting it as normal and it will be exiled if it would be put into your graveyard.
2019-06-14 You must follow the normal timing permissions and restrictions of the card you cast from your graveyard.
2019-06-14 You must pay the costs to cast that card. If it has an alternative cost, you may cast it for that cost instead.

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