Bounteous Kirin MTG Card


Bounteous Kirin - Saviors of Kamigawa
Mana cost
Converted mana cost7
RarityRare
TypeLegendary Creature — Kirin Spirit
Abilities Flying
Released2005-06-03
Set symbol
Set nameSaviors of Kamigawa
Set codeSOK
Power 4
Toughness 4
Number123
Frame2003
Layoutnormal
Borderblack
Illustred byShishizaru

Key Takeaways

  1. Bounteous Kirin enables deck thinning and consistency via land placement and card advantage.
  2. Instant speed interactions with this creature allow for a more flexible and reactive strategy.
  3. Resource commitment and a high mana cost are considerations when integrating Kirin into a deck.

Text of card

Flying Whenever you play a Spirit or Arcane spell, you may gain life equal to that spell's converted mana cost.

Even the most benevolent and life-giving of kami joined the war against the mortal world, but only with heavy and sorrowful hearts.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Bounteous Kirin offers a unique twist on card advantage by potentially allowing you to put multiple lands onto the battlefield, effectively drawing you those cards and thinning your deck for more consistency in future draws.

Resource Acceleration: When you cast spirit or arcane spells, this creature provides valuable resource acceleration by letting you put a land from your hand onto the battlefield, setting you ahead of your opponents in terms of available mana resources.

Instant Speed: In a game rich with sorcery-speed threats, the ability to interact and benefit at instant speed with cards similar to Bounteous Kirin is a significant advantage, promoting a reactive and flexible playstyle.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Bounteous Kirin asks players to manage their hand carefully as it does not have an inherent discard mechanic to fuel its abilities. This can be challenging in formats where hand size is critical to maintain control.

Specific Mana Cost: This card requires a mix of colorless and green mana, and given its unique hybrid mana in the cost, it demands commitment to a particular mana base. This specificity can sometimes be restrictive when deck building, especially in multicolored decks that might struggle to have the right mana at the right time.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a mana cost of seven, Bounteous Kirin is a late-game play. In faster-paced environments, this may be a significant drawback, as players need to stay alive and maintain a board presence until they can cast it while other lower-cost cards might offer similar benefits sooner.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Bounteous Kirin shines in various deck builds that capitalize on life gain or spirit tribal themes, adeptly fitting into strategies that need a substantial life buffer or synergize with spirit-related mechanics.

Combo Potential: Its ability to convert noncreature spells into a life gain engine unlocks several combo possibilities, ideally pairing with decks that cast numerous spells each turn to maximize health gains or to trigger abilities linked to life changes.

Meta-Relevance: In a meta that treasures longevity and incremental advantages, Bounteous Kirin can be a game-changer, often tipping the scales in prolonged matches where sustaining high life totals is crucial against aggressive opposition.


How to beat

The nuance of playing against Bounteous Kirin in MTG lies in unsettling its lifegain and creature synergy. This spirited creature thrives in decks that capitalize on arcane spells, often causing a substantial life differential. Interrupting this synergy is key; consider leveraging spell counters or removals that can target Bounteous Kirin before its controller can make full use of its abilities. Specifically, instant-speed removal allows you to respond to spells on the stack, limiting the opportunities for your opponent to gain life. Prioritizing threats like Bounteous Kirin in decks that synergize with its abilities can be the difference between victory and defeat. Additionally, exploit graveyard play; if you can exile Bounteous Kirin or use cards that penalize lifegain, you significantly dampen its impact. Remember, standing against this kirin is not just about brute force; it’s a strategic diversion to mitigate the potential gain your opponent seeks.


Cards like Bounteous Kirin

Bounteous Kirin is another unique addition to the array of life-gain cards in MTG. When juxtaposed with other life-gain cards like Sarah’s Avatar, a card that grants life equal to your health total, Bounteous Kirin takes a different approach, linking life gain to the casting of spirit or arcane spells. This gives a strategic advantage to decks revolving around these subtypes.

Similarly, cards like Celestial Mantle double a player’s life total upon dealing combat damage, showing that there can be diverse tactics to increase life. Though Bounteous Kirin doesn’t offer such immediate and explosive growth, it sets the stage for incremental gains throughout the game. In contrast, Tabletop Companion creatures like Kitchen Finks provide life gain while also adding board presence. Bounteous Kirin requires more build-around, but it rewards players who cater to its mechanical synergies.

In summary, while Bounteous Kirin may not deliver the quickest life gain in gameplay, it creates opportunities for players to establish a steady stream of health points while synergizing with spirit and arcane spells, thus holding its own in the pantheon of life-gain cards in MTG.

Celestial Mantle - MTG Card versions
Kitchen Finks - MTG Card versions
Celestial Mantle - Zendikar (ZEN)
Kitchen Finks - Shadowmoor (SHM)

Cards similar to Bounteous Kirin by color, type and mana cost

Thorn Elemental - MTG Card versions
Penumbra Wurm - MTG Card versions
Stone-Tongue Basilisk - MTG Card versions
Thriss, Nantuko Primus - MTG Card versions
Beanstalk Giant // Fertile Footsteps - MTG Card versions
Somberwald Beastmaster - MTG Card versions
Cultivator Colossus - MTG Card versions
Garruk's Horde - MTG Card versions
Krosan Tusker - MTG Card versions
Avenger of Zendikar - MTG Card versions
Hundroog - MTG Card versions
Enormous Baloth - MTG Card versions
Ancient Ooze - MTG Card versions
Cytospawn Shambler - MTG Card versions
Panglacial Wurm - MTG Card versions
Molimo, Maro-Sorcerer - MTG Card versions
Duskdale Wurm - MTG Card versions
Pelakka Wurm - MTG Card versions
Engulfing Slagwurm - MTG Card versions
Kalonian Behemoth - MTG Card versions
Thorn Elemental - Eighth Edition (8ED)
Penumbra Wurm - Ultimate Masters (UMA)
Stone-Tongue Basilisk - Odyssey Promos (PODY)
Thriss, Nantuko Primus - Judgment (JUD)
Beanstalk Giant // Fertile Footsteps - Throne of Eldraine (ELD)
Somberwald Beastmaster - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Cultivator Colossus - Innistrad: Crimson Vow (VOW)
Garruk's Horde - Welcome Deck 2017 (W17)
Krosan Tusker - The List (PLST)
Avenger of Zendikar - Jumpstart 2022 (J22)
Hundroog - Legions (LGN)
Enormous Baloth - Tenth Edition (10E)
Ancient Ooze - Scourge (SCG)
Cytospawn Shambler - Dissension (DIS)
Panglacial Wurm - The List (PLST)
Molimo, Maro-Sorcerer - Tenth Edition (10E)
Duskdale Wurm - Iconic Masters (IMA)
Pelakka Wurm - Rise of the Eldrazi (ROE)
Engulfing Slagwurm - Scars of Mirrodin (SOM)
Kalonian Behemoth - Salvat 2011 (PS11)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Bounteous Kirin MTG card by a specific set like Saviors of Kamigawa, 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 Bounteous Kirin and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Bounteous Kirin has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal
PennyLegal

Rules and information

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

DateText
2005-06-01 If the Spirit or Arcane spell has in the mana cost, then you use the value of on the stack. For example, Shining Shoal costs . If you choose X = 2, then Shining Shoal’s mana value is 4. Shining Shoal also has an ability that says “You may exile a white card with mana value X from your hand rather than pay Shining Shoal’s mana cost”; if you choose to pay the alternative cost and exile a card with mana value 2, then X is 2 while Shining Shoal is on the stack and its mana value is 4.

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