Empty-Shrine Kannushi MTG Card

Empty-Shrine Kannushi - Betrayers of Kamigawa

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	1
Rarity	Uncommon
Type	Creature — Human Cleric
Released	2005-02-04
Set symbol
Set name	Betrayers of Kamigawa
Set code	BOK
Power	1
Toughness	1
Number	2
Frame	2003
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Ron Spears

Key Takeaways

Empty-Shrine Kannushi maximizes enchantments, offering card advantage and dynamic shrine synergies in your deck.
Its ability to scale with the shrines you control makes it a versatile choice for resource acceleration.
While potent, it requires careful deck construction to mitigate high mana costs and specific discards.

Text of card

Empty-Shrine Kannushi has protection from the colors of permanents you control.

"Crease the folds, bend the paper, turn the spirits, shield the soul."

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Uniquely, Empty-Shrine Kannushi has the potential to offer card advantage by virtue of converting enchantments into practical play options. As a creature that interacts with the Shrine subtype, it sets the stage for exploiting the synergies within a Shrine deck, contributing to incremental gains as the game progresses.

Resource Acceleration: This card excels in decks centered around Shrines, providing an avenue for resource acceleration. By counting the number of Shrines you control, Empty-Shrine Kannushi can adjust its power and toughness accordingly, making it a versatile addition that grows as you establish a more robust board presence with diverse mana resources.

Instant Speed: Though not an instant itself, Empty-Shrine Kannushi is affected by other cards that operate at instant speed to enact quick transitions or surprise boosts in power. Its inclusion in your deck allows for dynamic playstyles, engaging with the stack and responding to the evolving state of the game instantaneously when combined with the right cards.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Empty-Shrine Kannushi comes with its own challenges, most notably its necessity for a specific discard to activate certain abilities. This requirement might leave you at a disadvantage during gameplay if you’re forced to part with valuable cards in your hand, especially in scenarios where your hand size is already diminished.

Specific Mana Cost: Empty-Shrine Kannushi demands a precise mana cost that may pose deck-building restrictions. Requiring a particular mana type to cast means that it naturally finds a place in a narrower range of decks, generally those closely aligned with its color identity.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: When evaluating the mana cost against the provided abilities of Empty-Shrine Kannushi, some players might find the cost leaning on the higher side. This assessment especially holds when compared to other creatures in the meta that could offer similar or greater value at a lower mana investment. Balancing your deck to include this card may require careful consideration to ensure overall mana efficiency in your game plan.

Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Empty-Shrine Kannushi boasts an uncanny adeptness to seamlessly blend into diverse deck archetypes, thanks to its ability to adopt the identity of any legendary card in your graveyard. This flexibility transforms it into a multi-dimensional tool that can surprise and adapt in a multitude of game scenarios.

Combo Potential: With an intrinsic synergy with legendary cards, Empty-Shrine Kannushi can catalyze a variety of potent combos. This capacity to turn into any legendary type as needed opens doors to unique interactions and enables chain reactions with other legendary-themed cards, amplifying their impact on the battlefield.

Meta-Relevance: Given the prominence of legendary creatures and spells in many competitive formats, incorporating Empty-Shrine Kannushi into your collection can offer a strategic edge. It acts as a wildcard within the meta, able to stand in for key pieces of your deck that have been removed or countered, thus ensuring consistency in your play.

How to beat

Understanding your opponent’s strategy is key in MTG, especially when facing the unique Empty-Shrine Kannushi. This card, while not overly powerful in its own right, can be quite adaptable due to its devotion mechanic that counts the number of differently colored mana symbols in the permanents you control. Players often use it to complement a multicolor-focused deck.

To effectively counter Empty-Shrine Kannushi, controlling the board becomes crucial. Removal spells that can target any permanent, such as Assassin’s Trophy or Oblivion Ring, are versatile answers to this creature, regardless of how it’s been buffed by devotion. Another strategy is to limit the variety of colors your opponent manages to get onto the board, thereby reducing the power and utility of their Kannushi. Board wipes can reset the situation if the game state has grown out of control.

Lastly, cards that restrict the ability to cast multicolored spells or abilities, like Damping Sphere, can hamstring a deck that relies on the flexibility of the Kannushi. By attacking the strategy that makes Empty-Shrine Kannushi a threat, rather than the card itself, you can navigate towards victory even against decks that are built around this surprisingly versatile creature.

Cards like Empty-Shrine Kannushi

Empty-Shrine Kannushi offers a unique presence in the ranks of one-drop creatures within Magic the Gathering. It could be considered alongside other one-mana creatures such as Mother of Runes for its protective utility, although it differs in function. Mother of Runes requires activation and targets any creature for protection, whereas Empty-Shrine Kannushi has a more passive ability tied specifically to the subtype-sharing aspect, impacting the board differently from the get-go.

Delving deeper into the world of one-drop creatures, Isamaru, Hound of Konda comes into play. Both Empty-Shrine Kannushi and Isamaru boast the same casting cost and share the intent of quickly establishing board presence. Isamaru, however, edges out in terms of raw power with a steady 2/2 stat line compared to Empty-Shrine Kannushi’s 1/1. The contrast showcases the Kannushi’s role as a more situational, deck-specific piece focusing on subtype synergy over sheer force.

In drawing comparisons, Empty-Shrine Kannushi fits into a niche role, supporting decks that capitalize on creature types and benefit from continuity across various abilities and boosts. It shows how specific card functions cater to diverse strategies and deck builds, reinforcing the multifaceted nature of Magic the Gathering gameplay.

Isamaru, Hound of Konda - MTG Card versions

Cards similar to Empty-Shrine Kannushi by color, type and mana cost

Faerie Guidemother // Gift of the Fae - MTG Card versions

Yoshimaru, Ever Faithful - MTG Card versions

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Empty-Shrine Kannushi MTG card by a specific set like Betrayers 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 Empty-Shrine Kannushi and other MTG cards: