Kenrith, the Returned King MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 7 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost5
RarityMythic
TypeLegendary Creature — Human Noble
Power 5
Toughness 5

Key Takeaways

  1. Kenrith the Returned King offers exceptional versatility, fitting into multiple deck archetypes and strategies seamlessly.
  2. As a commander, Kenrith enhances multiplayer dynamics with abilities benefiting all players at the table.
  3. Kenrith’s five-color identity allows for a broad card selection, maximizing deck-building creativity and flexibility.

Text of card

: All creatures gain trample and haste until end of turn. : Put a +1/+1 counter on target creature. : Target player gains 5 life. : Target player draws a card. : Put target creature card from a graveyard onto the battlefield under its owner's control.


Pros of Kenrith the Returned King

Card Advantage: Kenrith offers magnificent card advantage. With a single blue mana, he allows you to draw a card. This ability can be used as many times as you have mana for in a turn, maintaining or even expanding your card advantage in a game.

Resource Acceleration: Kenrith accelerates resources greatly too. For just two mana of any color, a player can put a +1/+1 counter on any creature card. This makes your creatures more formidable, ensuring that you have the upper hand over your opponents.

Instant Speed: His abilities can be activated at instant speed. This gives you tremendous flexibility to respond to your opponents’ moves and make strategic decisions on not only your turn, but your opponent’s turn as well. If no better options arise during your opponents’ turn, you can simply boost your own creatures or draw more cards to prepare for your next move.


Cons of Kenrith the Returned King

Discard Requirement: One significant downside of Kenrith the Returned King is needing to keep a sufficient quantity of cards at hand. Being a legendary creature card, if you’re low on cards, Kenrith’s abilities could turn into a liability rather than an advantage.

Specific Mana Cost: Kenrith’s abilities require diverse mana colors including white, blue, black, red, and green. This might limit its application and become a challenge when needing to use its abilities in your deck, especially if you’re playing a monocolored or two color deck.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: In the realm of MTG, all resources are priceless and five mana for an effect can be burdensome. While Kenrith the Returned King provides various benefits, there are other cards that may present better efficiency for resource generation or card draw considering cost-value ratio.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Kenrith, the Returned King’s abilities can be slotted into a myriad of deck archetypes, rewarding players with a broad scope of mechanics to strategize around. With abilities touching every aspect of gameplay, Kenrith’s scale of usability reaches far and wide.

Combo Potential: The five-different activated abilities of Kenrith serve as powerful combo enablers. From granting haste to other creatures for swift strikes to reanimating fallen creatures from the graveyard, Kenrith’s synergy with a variety of cards is unmatched.

Meta-Relevance: Considering the diversity of decks in the current metagame, Kenrith’s multi-dimensional toolkit holds key relevance. His ability to adapt according to the game state and to progress your board state is undeniably precious in any meta-game scenario.


Similar Cards

Kenrith the Returned King marks a significant presence within Magic: The Gathering thanks to its impressive power and ample abilities. The card can be alternately likened to legends such as The Gitrog Monster, purposely designed to provide value in diverse game scenarios with their ability scope. Much like Kenrith, The Gitrog Monster has several abilities offering vast game impacts including draw and discard spells, roughly resounding to Kenrith’s capacity matching balance between abilities and mana cost.

Muldrotha, the Gravetide is another versatile card similar to Kenrith. It allows players to continuously recover and replay permanents, creating endless value like Kenrith’s reoccurring creature revival. Despite its difference in cost and color identity, the utility parallels are evident.

Then we examine cards with a monarch mechanic like Marchesa, the Black Rose. Drawing a parallel, Kenrith also embodies the king’s royal theme where players benefit from multi-faceted abilities. However, Kenrith shines brightly due to its flexibility and variety in five colors, setting it apart from its counterparts.

In essence, Kenrith the Returned King holds its own as one of the most adaptable and powerful Commander cards, dwarfing the competition when it comes to flexibility, power potential, and overall strategy influence.


How to Beat Kenrith the Returned King

Kenrith the Returned King is a potent card in MTG, with an array of abilities at its command. To triumph against this card, strategize around its flaws and the predictable reactions of your opponent. An excellent frame of reference is effective card removal. Instant speed damage spells or cards like Murderous Rider offer utility against Kenrith and other high-value creatures.

Another tactic could be hindering your opponent’s mana resources. Kenrith’s versatility comes from its paid abilities, demanding a variety of mana to execute. Thus, cards like Damping Sphere or Blood Moon restrict your opponent’s resources, reducing Kenrith’s advantage.

Lastly, we have cards marked by their exiling prowess. These are effective against indestructible creatures and stave off graveyard strategies. Cards like Scavenging Ooze or Rest in Peace limit the chances of Kenrith returning, giving you an upper hand.

To summarize, beating Kenrith is a matter of resource control, strategic creature removal, and exile-focused tactics. Appreciating these features within the MTG game dynamics can give you an edge against powerful cards like Kenrith the Returned King.


Conclusion

In conclusion, delving into the realm of Magic the Gathering is both an art and a science. Exploring the strategies around Kenrith, the Returned King, reflects the depth and complexity of the game. Each match is not just a contest of cards, but a clash of wits and tactics. As you further refine your deck and your approach, consider each game a step forward in your MTG odyssey — an opportunity to better understand the intricate synergies and the thrill of the draw. For those eager to deepen their MTG expertise and discover the secrets behind wielding Kenrith’s royal power effectively, we’re here to guide you. Step into the fray, armed with knowledge, and emerge victorious!


Cards like Kenrith, the Returned King

Kenrith the Returned King marks a significant presence within Magic: The Gathering thanks to its impressive power and ample abilities. The card can be alternately likened to legends such as The Gitrog Monster, purposely designed to provide value in diverse game scenarios with their ability scope. Much like Kenrith, The Gitrog Monster has several abilities offering vast game impacts including draw and discard spells, roughly resounding to Kenrith’s capacity matching balance between abilities and mana cost.

Muldrotha, the Gravetide is another versatile card similar to Kenrith. It allows players to continuously recover and replay permanents, creating endless value like Kenrith’s reoccurring creature revival. Despite its difference in cost and color identity, the utility parallels are evident.

Then we examine cards with a monarch mechanic like Marchesa, the Black Rose. Drawing a parallel, Kenrith also embodies the king’s royal theme where players benefit from multi-faceted abilities. However, Kenrith shines brightly due to its flexibility and variety in five colors, setting it apart from its counterparts.

In essence, Kenrith the Returned King holds its own as one of the most adaptable and powerful Commander cards, dwarfing the competition when it comes to flexibility, power potential, and overall strategy influence.

The Gitrog Monster - MTG Card versions
Muldrotha, the Gravetide - MTG Card versions
Marchesa, the Black Rose - MTG Card versions
The Gitrog Monster - Shadows over Innistrad (SOI)
Muldrotha, the Gravetide - Dominaria (DOM)
Marchesa, the Black Rose - Conspiracy (CNS)

Cards similar to Kenrith, the Returned King by color, type and mana cost

Sliver Queen - MTG Card versions
Cromat - MTG Card versions
Atogatog - MTG Card versions
Tazri, Beacon of Unity - MTG Card versions
Jegantha, the Wellspring - MTG Card versions
The First Sliver - MTG Card versions
Sliver Overlord - MTG Card versions
Sliver Legion - MTG Card versions
Horde of Notions - MTG Card versions
Child of Alara - MTG Card versions
Maelstrom Archangel - MTG Card versions
Fusion Elemental - MTG Card versions
Sliver Hivelord - MTG Card versions
General Tazri - MTG Card versions
Scion of the Ur-Dragon - MTG Card versions
Nira, Hellkite Duelist - MTG Card versions
Niv-Mizzet Reborn - MTG Card versions
Garth One-Eye - MTG Card versions
Jodah, the Unifier - MTG Card versions
Omnath, Locus of All - MTG Card versions
Sliver Queen - Tempest Remastered (TPR)
Cromat - Apocalypse (APC)
Atogatog - Odyssey (ODY)
Tazri, Beacon of Unity - Zendikar Rising (ZNR)
Jegantha, the Wellspring - Multiverse Legends (MUL)
The First Sliver - Jumpstart: Historic Horizons (J21)
Sliver Overlord - Scourge (SCG)
Sliver Legion - Secret Lair Drop (SLD)
Horde of Notions - Modern Masters 2015 (MM2)
Child of Alara - Double Masters 2022 (2X2)
Maelstrom Archangel - Jumpstart (JMP)
Fusion Elemental - The List (PLST)
Sliver Hivelord - Commander Masters (CMM)
General Tazri - Oath of the Gatewatch Promos (POGW)
Scion of the Ur-Dragon - Commander 2017 (C17)
Nira, Hellkite Duelist - 2016 Heroes of the Realm (HTR16)
Niv-Mizzet Reborn - Multiverse Legends (MUL)
Garth One-Eye - Modern Horizons 2 Promos (PMH2)
Jodah, the Unifier - Dominaria United (DMU)
Omnath, Locus of All - March of the Machine Promos (PMOM)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Kenrith, the Returned King MTG card by a specific set like Throne of Eldraine and The List, 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 Kenrith, the Returned King and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Kenrith, the Returned King Magic the Gathering card was released in 4 different sets between 2019-10-04 and 2023-06-23. Illustrated by 4 different artists.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12019-10-04Throne of EldraineELD 3032015normalblackKieran Yanner
22020-09-26The ListPLST ELD-3032015normalblackKieran Yanner
32023-04-21Multiverse LegendsMUL 1342015normalblackAaron Miller
42023-04-21Multiverse LegendsMUL 42015normalblackAaron Miller
52023-04-21Multiverse LegendsMUL 134z2015normalblackAaron Miller
62023-04-21Multiverse LegendsMUL 692015normalblackKieran Yanner
72023-06-23Tales of Middle-earth CommanderLTC 5152015normalborderlessGreg Hildebrandt & Tim Hildebrandt

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Kenrith, the Returned King has restrictions

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

Rules and information

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

DateText
2019-10-04 Kenrith's first ability affects only creatures on the battlefield at the time it resolves. Creatures that enter the battlefield later in the turn won't gain trample or haste.
2023-04-14 Kenrith’s last ability can target a creature card in any player’s graveyard. Its owner will control the creature, and it will remain on the battlefield even if you leave the game (if you don’t own it).

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