Arlinn Kord // Arlinn, Embraced by the Moon MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 5 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost4
RarityMythic
TypeLegendary Planeswalker — Arlinn
Abilities Transform
Loyalty 3

Key Takeaways

  1. Arlinn’s transformation ability provides instant speed versatility, making for unpredictable and strategic plays.
  2. Resource acceleration and board presence are bolstered through her wolf tokens and creature boosting.
  3. Despite stringent mana requirements, Arlinn’s dynamic utility makes her a worthy deck addition.
Vigilance card art

Guide to Vigilance card ability

In the strategic universe of Magic: The Gathering (MTG), the vigilance ability stands out as a powerful tool for players. This potent keyword allows creatures to attack without tapping, keeping them ready and alert to defend against incoming threats. It represents a perfect balance between aggression and defense, offering a dynamic approach to gameplay. Lets dive deeper into how vigilance shapes the battlefield.

Text of card

+1: Until end of turn, up to one target creature gets +2/+2 and gains vigilance and haste. 0: Put a 2/2 green Wolf creature token onto the battlefield. Transform Arlinn Kord.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Arlinn Kord excels at giving players an advantage by shifting between her human form and werewolf planeswalker form, allowing access to different abilities that can create card advantage. For example, her ability to create 2/2 wolf creature tokens can keep your board presence strong without expending additional cards from your hand.

Resource Acceleration: Arlinn provides resource acceleration by bolstering your creature’s power, leading to an increase in pressure on your opponents and potentially faster wins. Her ability to grant creatures +1/+1 and haste until end of turn means you can utilize new creatures immediately, saving time and resources typically required to establish a threatening board state.

Instant Speed: One of Arlinn Kord’s key strengths is her ability to interact at instant speed, thanks to her werewolf form’s transformation ability. With the capability to transform back into Arlinn, Embraced by the Moon, and use her abilities whenever you could cast an instant, it allows for versatile and surprising plays that can drastically change the course of a match at a moment’s notice.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Although Arlinn Kord herself does not require a discard, transforming her into Arlinn, Embraced by the Moon, means potentially losing out on casting another spell that turn. This trade-off requires careful hand management to ensure you’re not discarding a crucial card for later in the game.

Specific Mana Cost: Arlinn Kord’s casting cost includes both green and red mana, which necessitates a commitment to those colors in your deck. This can restrict deckbuilding options, especially in formats with a broad pool of cards where mana flexibility is key.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Being a four-mana planeswalker means that Arlinn Kord competes with other impactful four-mana drops in the game. While she can be a game-changing presence on the board, there are situations where the mana could be spent on more immediate threats or defenses, depending on the state of the game.


Reasons to Include Arlinn Kord in Your Collection

Versatility: Arlinn Kord is a dynamic card that can adapt to various game situations. As a planeswalker, she can bolster your creature strategies with her ability to create Wolf tokens and transform herself to grant creatures numerous benefits.

Combo Potential: Arlinn’s transformation into Arlinn, Embraced by the Moon, provides a unique combo potential. Her +1 ability gives creatures haste and vigilance, which can immediately swing games in your favor and mesh well with abilities that trigger on attacking or tap and untap mechanics.

Meta-Relevance: In a meta that appreciates flexible and aggressive strategies, Arlinn Kord can shine. She fits well into midrange decks that utilize creatures and value, being able to pressure opponents both with an increasing number of creatures and direct damage abilities.


How to beat

Arlinn Kord is a versatile planeswalker card in MTG that can alter the dynamics of a game. Facing off against this power-packed werewolf can seem daunting, but strategies do exist to counter her influence on the battlefield. One of the effective ways to neutralize Arlinn Kord’s impact is by focusing on instant-speed removal that can disrupt her before her loyalty abilities activate. This includes spells such as Murderous Rider or Heartless Act that can target either the planeswalker directly or her werewolf tokens.

Another tactic is to employ counterspells when she is cast, ensuring she never gets a chance to affect the game. This preemptive approach could include cards such as Cancel or Dovin’s Veto, which are mainstay counters in many control decks. Understanding the tempo of your opponent’s play and predicting the right moment to deploy these countering strategies is crucial to gaining the upper hand.

Additionally, leveraging exile effects can be exceptionally effective since they overcome the regeneration abilities of werewolves. Cards like Declaration in Stone or Cast Out can handle both Arlinn Kord and her token creatures efficiently. By maintaining pressure and controlling the planeswalker’s influence, players can effectively pave their way to victory against a deck featuring Arlinn Kord.


BurnMana Recommendations

Unlock the full potential of Arlinn Kord in your MTG arsenal by understanding her strengths and strategizing to mitigate her weaknesses. Her versatility and ability to generate card advantage make her a compelling choice for players who favor dynamic gameplay with transformative elements. Whether it’s crafting a midrange deck that leverages her creature-boosting prowess or integrating her into a werewolf-themed build for flavor and power, Arlinn Kord offers exciting opportunities for deck innovation. If you’re looking to finesse your strategy and build a compelling collection, dive deeper with our expert insights. Let’s explore together the many facets of Arlinn Kord’s abilities and how to optimize your MTG experience.


Cards like Arlinn Kord // Arlinn, Embraced by the Moon

In the world of Magic: The Gathering, Arlinn Kord stands out as a dynamic werewolf planeswalker. It closely mirrors the transformative flexibility found in cards like Garruk Relentless. Both cards can flip into a more potent form, providing diverse abilities. Yet, Arlinn Kord offers a unique edge, bringing both creature boosting and creature creation to your side of the battlefield without requiring damage to an opponent’s creature.

Another analogous card is Huntmaster of the Fells, which also embodies the werewolf theme. This creature card flips under specific game conditions, similar to Arlinn Kord, and provides both immediate value in creating a wolf token and life gain. But Arlinn Kord has the upper hand with its planeswalker status, allowing for multiple ability activations across different turns.

Comparatively, when deck building around werewolves and transformational mechanics, Arlinn Kord proves to be a formidable choice within Magic: The Gathering. Its versatility is unmatched, offering strategic depth and field advantage in ways that not every similar card can achieve.

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Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Arlinn Kord // Arlinn, Embraced by the Moon MTG card by a specific set like Shadows over Innistrad and Shadows over Innistrad Promos, 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 Arlinn Kord // Arlinn, Embraced by the Moon and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Arlinn Kord // Arlinn, Embraced by the Moon Magic the Gathering card was released in 5 different sets between 2016-04-08 and 2023-05-08. Illustrated by Winona Nelson.

#ReleasedNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12016-04-08Shadows over InnistradSOI 2432015TransformBlackWinona Nelson
22016-04-08Shadows over Innistrad PromosPSOI 243s2015TransformBlackWinona Nelson
32017-11-24From the Vault: TransformV17 32015TransformBlackWinona Nelson
42023-03-21Shadows over Innistrad RemasteredSIR 2302015TransformBlackWinona Nelson
52023-05-08From Cute to BrutePCTB 362015TransformBlackWinona Nelson

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Arlinn Kord // Arlinn, Embraced by the Moon has restrictions

FormatLegality
HistoricbrawlLegal
HistoricLegal
LegacyLegal
OathbreakerLegal
GladiatorLegal
PioneerLegal
CommanderLegal
ModernLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
ExplorerLegal
PennyLegal
TimelessLegal

Rules and information

The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Arlinn Kord // Arlinn, Embraced by the Moon card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.

Date Text
2016-04-08 Arlinn Kord is not a Werewolf card; that is, she doesn’t have the creature type Werewolf. Spells and abilities that refer to Werewolf cards or Werewolves don’t apply to Arlinn.
2016-04-08 Arlinn, Embraced by the Moon is not a Werewolf card; that is, she doesn’t have the creature type Werewolf. Spells and abilities that refer to Werewolf cards or Werewolves don’t apply to Arlinn.
2016-04-08 The emblem grants the activated ability to your creatures. Use the power of the creature as the activated ability resolves to determine how much damage is dealt. If the creature isn’t on the battlefield at that time, use its power as it last existed on the battlefield. Note that this works differently than the fight keyword action, which requires both creatures to be on the battlefield for any damage to be dealt.
2016-04-08 The set of creatures affected by the first ability of Arlinn, Embraced by the Moon is determined as the ability resolves. Creatures you begin to control later in the turn won’t get +1/+1 or gain trample.
2016-04-08 When the ability that transforms Arlinn Kord into Arlinn, Embraced by the Moon (or vice versa) resolves, the number of loyalty counters on her doesn’t change.
2016-04-08 You can activate the first ability of Arlinn Kord without any targets just to add a loyalty counter to her.
2016-04-08 You can’t activate Arlinn Kord’s second ability and, after she transforms, activate a loyalty ability of Arlinn, Embraced by the Moon during that turn (or vice versa).
2016-07-13 For more information on double-faced cards, see the Shadows over Innistrad mechanics article (http://magic.wizards.com/en/articles/archive/feature/shadows-over-innistrad-mechanics).
2017-09-29 You can control two of this permanent, one front-face up and the other back-face up, at the same time.

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