Kiora Bests the Sea God MTG Card
2020-01-24 - Number 52p
2020-01-24 - Number 52
2020-01-24 - Number 52s
| Card sets | Released in 3 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 7 |
| Rarity | Mythic |
| Type | Enchantment — Saga |
Key Takeaways
- An 8/8 Kraken token with hexproof creates immediate, substantial board impact upon play.
- Control and tap opponent’s permanents for strategic advantage and tempo in the game.
- High mana cost demands strategic deck construction and careful play for optimal effect.
Text of card
(As this Saga enters and after your draw step, add a lore counter. Sacrifice after III.) I — Create an 8/8 blue Kraken creature token with hexproof. II — Tap all nonland permanents target opponent controls. They don't untap during their controller's next untap step. III — Gain control of target permanent an opponent controls. Untap it.
Card Pros
Card Advantage: When Kiora Bests the Sea God enters the battlefield, its first chapter ability allows you to create an 8/8 blue Kraken creature token with hexproof, providing a significant board presence. Further chapters also lead to massive card and board advantage as you gain control of target permanent and tap all nonland permanents your opponents control.
Resource Acceleration: Although this enchantment doesn’t directly produce mana or treasure tokens, the control you gain over your opponent’s permanents can effectively work as a form of resource acceleration. You can utilize their assets to your advantage which can be pivotal in maintaining tempo and control in a match.
Instant Speed: While Kiora Bests the Sea God itself is not an instant, it creates a state of play that demands an instant-speed response from your opponent. The power level of this saga compels opponents to have an answer right away, or they risk falling too far behind. Additionally, it forces your opponent to hold back resources in anticipation, potentially hindering their game plan.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: While Kiora Bests the Sea God offers no explicit need to discard cards as part of its casting cost, its high mana value can indirectly pressure you into discarding, particularly when using certain mechanics or effects to cheat it into play earlier than its intended curve.
Specific Mana Cost: At three blue mana in its cost, it demands a heavy commitment to blue mana sources in your deck. This can sometimes hinder deck flexibility and make it challenging to include in a multicolor strategy without a reliable mana base.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a cost of seven mana total, Kiora Bests the Sea God sits at a higher end of the mana spectrum, potentially delaying your impactful plays compared to other lower-cost alternatives that may offer tempo or strategic advantages earlier in the game.
Reasons to Include Kiora Bests the Sea God in Your Collection
Versatility: Kiora Bests the Sea God offers a multi-faceted enchantment experience that can swing games in your favor. Its ability to create a large creature, tap down potential threats, and gain control of an opponent’s asset can adapt to various game situations with ease.
Combo Potential: As a saga, this card has innate combo potential, playing well with proliferate mechanics or permanents that manipulate counters, thereby hastening its powerful effects and disrupting your opponent’s plans.
Meta-Relevance: In a meta that’s creature-heavy or where board control is crucial, Kiora Bests the Sea God’s potent effects can consistently turn the tide, making it a valuable asset in control and midrange decks looking to dominate the battlefield.
How to beat
Kiora Bests the Sea God is a powerful enchantment saga in Magic: The Gathering. It creates a sizable Kraken, taps down the opponent’s permanents, and can even steal the best threat on the board. Overcoming this card can seem daunting, but there are strategies that can effectively counteract its dominance. Targeting it with enchantment removal before the third chapter resolves can nullify the seascape. Cards like Naturalize or Disenchant are perfect for this job as they come at a low mana cost.
Alternatively, countering the saga upon casting is a clean solution; countermagic like Negate or Essence Scatter are good contenders here. Playing around the Hexproof ability of the Kraken can also be achieved through board wipes such as Shatter the Sky or Doomskar, effectively bypassing its protective shell. Also, don’t overlook the power of taking control of the board early; applying pressure can limit the impact of Kiora Bests the Sea God allowing you to close out the game before its effects become overwhelming.
By understanding your deck’s strengths and incorporating versatile answers, you can adapt and pivot your strategy, giving you the upper hand against this formidable saga. Ensure your deck is equipped with the right tools and beat Kiora at her own game.
BurnMana Recommendations
As we dive into the depths of advanced MTG play, Kiora Bests the Sea God emerges as a card to watch. Its ability to instantly change the game board with a colossal Kraken and take control of your opponent’s assets makes it a strategic powerhouse in blue-focused decks. Whether you are battling through a creature-heavy meta or aiming to lock down your opponent’s strategy, this saga can fit snugly into your game plan. Still, this enchantment demands smart play; balancing your mana base and knowing when to deploy this leviathan can make all the difference. Interested in mastering the tidal forces of this mythic card? Dive deeper with us and gain insight into making Kiora Bests the Sea God a linchpin in your winning strategy.
Cards like Kiora Bests the Sea God
Kiora Bests the Sea God is a powerful enchantment saga that has made a splash in MTG decks favoring blue. Its nearest relatives include cards like Crush of Tentacles, which also embodies the oceanic power and has a surge mechanic, resetting the board with a large Octopus creature. Kiora Bests the Sea God, however, takes it a step further by providing a progressive three-step saga that ultimately takes control of an opponent’s permanent.
Another card with a similar battlefield impact is Captive Audience, a saga from a different color pie that imposes several harsh choices on your opponents – a different kind of control over the game. While not as immediately impactful as creating a massive creature, its long-term influence on the game’s outcome can be just as decisive. In the vein of taking control, Mass Manipulation offers direct control over multiple creatures or planeswalkers, yet it doesn’t provide the towering Kraken to advance your board state as Kiora Bests the Sea God does.
All things considered, Kiora Bests the Sea God stands out as a unique saga with its multifaceted ability to shift the tide of a game by introducing a dominant creature, turning the opponent’s assets against them, and locking out one of their most valuable assets, showcasing an unparalleled combination in MTG’s enchantment space.
Cards similar to Kiora Bests the Sea God by color, type and mana cost
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Kiora Bests the Sea God MTG card by a specific set like Theros Beyond Death Promos and Theros Beyond Death, 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 Kiora Bests the Sea God and other MTG cards:
- eBay
- TCG Player
- Card Kingdom
- Card Market
- Star City Games
- CoolStuffInc
- MTG Mint Card
- Hareruya
- Troll and Toad
- ABU Games
- Card Hoarder Magic Online
- MTGO Traders Magic Online
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Printings
The Kiora Bests the Sea God Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2020-01-24 and 2020-01-24. Illustrated by Victor Adame Minguez.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2020-01-24 | Theros Beyond Death Promos | PTHB | 52p | 2015 | Saga | Black | Victor Adame Minguez | |
| 2 | 2020-01-24 | Theros Beyond Death | THB | 52 | 2015 | Saga | Black | Victor Adame Minguez | |
| 3 | 2020-01-24 | Theros Beyond Death Promos | PTHB | 52s | 2015 | Saga | Black | Victor Adame Minguez |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Kiora Bests the Sea God has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Historicbrawl | Legal |
| Commander | Legal |
| Historic | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Explorer | Legal |
| Gladiator | Legal |
| Pioneer | Legal |
| Timeless | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Kiora Bests the Sea God card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2020-01-24 | A chapter ability doesn’t trigger if a lore counter is put on a Saga that already had a number of lore counters greater than or equal to that chapter’s number. For example, the third lore counter put on a Saga causes the III chapter ability to trigger, but I and II won’t trigger again. |
| 2020-01-24 | Any nonland permanents that come under the target player’s control after the second chapter ability resolves will untap as normal. |
| 2020-01-24 | As a Saga enters the battlefield, its controller puts a lore counter on it. As your precombat main phase begins (immediately after your draw step), you put another lore counter on each Saga you control. Putting a lore counter on a Saga in either of these ways doesn’t use the stack. |
| 2020-01-24 | Each symbol on the left of a Saga’s text box represents a chapter ability. A chapter ability is a triggered ability that triggers when a lore counter that is put on the Saga causes the number of lore counters on the Saga to become equal to or greater than the ability’s chapter number. Chapter abilities are put onto the stack and may be responded to. |
| 2020-01-24 | If multiple chapter abilities trigger at the same time, their controller puts them on the stack in any order. If any of them require targets, those targets are chosen as you put the abilities on the stack, before any of those abilities resolve. |
| 2020-01-24 | Nonland permanents target opponent controls that are already tapped when the second chapter ability resolves won’t be tapped again, but they won’t untap during their controller’s next untap step. |
| 2020-01-24 | Once a chapter ability has triggered, the ability on the stack won’t be affected if the Saga gains or loses counters, or if it leaves the battlefield. |
| 2020-01-24 | Once the number of lore counters on a Saga is greater than or equal to the greatest number among its chapter abilities, the Saga’s controller sacrifices it as soon as its chapter ability has left the stack, most likely by resolving or being countered. This state-based action doesn’t use the stack. |
| 2020-01-24 | Removing lore counters won’t cause a previous chapter ability to trigger. If lore counters are removed from a Saga, the appropriate chapter abilities will trigger again when the Saga receives lore counters. |
| 2020-01-24 | The control-change effect of the third chapter ability lasts indefinitely. It doesn’t wear off during the cleanup step. In a multiplayer game, it does expire if you leave the game. |
| 2020-01-24 | The second chapter ability keeps the permanents tapped even if Kiora Bests the Sea God leaves the battlefield before that player’s next untap step. |
| 2020-01-24 | The second chapter ability targets the player but not their permanents. Permanents with hexproof may be tapped this way. |
