MTG COTD: Kiku's Shadow

[klducks]

[IMG200]http://www.wizards.com/global/images/magic/sok/kikus_shadow.jpg[/IMG200]
Kiku's Shadow - Saviors of Kamiwaga. Uncommon
BB: Sorcery
Target creature deals damage to itself equal to its power.
"Me? No, I'm not going to kill you. I won't even lay a finger on you. I promise."
-Kiku, Night's Flower



Ok. An odd removal spell, but a removal spell nonetheless. Obviously kills creatures with toughness>power. Not to mention, Giant Growth doesn't help. It's hard to state the pros while there's so many cons.

1) It costs BB.
2) It's sorcery speed.

Sorry, but this doesn't cut past Terror.

The Duck's Rating: 1/5

 

[chaoslord]

Ok. An odd removal spell, but a removal spell nonetheless. Obviously kills creatures with toughness>power. Not to mention, Giant Growth doesn't help. It's hard to state the pros while there's so many cons.

1) It costs BB.
2) It's sorcery speed.

Sorry, but this doesn't cut past Terror.

The Duck's Rating: 1/5

You have GOT to be kidding me.

first you mean Power>toughness

Sure, terror is an instant, but it has a fatal flaw: doesnt hit black and/or artifact creatures.

Strangely enough, a lot of Black creatures have power greater than or equal to toughness....OH WAI-

The only downside is that it IS, in fact, a sorcery. Well, that and its not a guaranteed kill, BUT, I'd probably play this over terror.

Especially because, again, it can hit more, and takes care of most things anyways.

3/5

 

[klducks]

first you mean Power>toughness

yes, my bad

Sure, terror is an instant, but it has a fatal flaw: doesnt hit black and/or artifact creatures.

Yes, like how Kiku's Shadow isn't a guaranteed kill. Both has cons as every card.

The only downside is that it IS, in fact, a sorcery. Well, that and its not a guaranteed kill, BUT, I'd probably play this over terror.

Yes, it is a sorcery. I'm a fan of combat tricks and Terror falls in that category while Kiku's Shadow doesn't.

Especially because, again, it can hit more, and takes care of most things anyways.

Yes, those are Kiku's pros.

Terror = Combat tricks + guaranteed kill for nonblacks/artifacts.

 

[Shadow Trainer]

A decent removal spell, only downside is if you run into a lot of creatures with more toughness then power. 3/5

 

[mindripper]

Well, I agree with most of what Chaoslord said, save the part about playing it over terror.

I think you missed out several of its other pros. Kiku's Shadow is probably going to see most play in a pure black deck, as B/W has vindicate and StP, B/G has Putrefy and Deed, B/R has burn, and B/U has counter and bounce. Terror cannot see that much play in pure black because of its inability to target black creatures and artifact creatures, which can be fatal when something like a Juzam or Juggernaut is after your blood. Another good point about it is that it deals damage, meaning something like a Jackal Pup or a Negator would be cannon fodder for Kiki's Shadow. Also, if we are talking about play in a mono black deck, it does not really matter if it is 1B or BB, and instant/sorcery speed does not count that much, as mono black decks are expected to utilise all their mana each turn, and killing a creature an opponent controls during your turn gets your creatures through unscathed. Anyone using terror would also do just the same as well.

3/5.

 

[~RaikouRider243~]

1.5/5.

If it's a burn spell that doesn't have "Instant" on it, I don't like it. Unless it's something ridiculously good anyway...

 

[klducks]

and instant/sorcery speed does not count that much, as mono black decks are expected to utilise all their mana each turn, and killing a creature an opponent controls during your turn gets your creatures through unscathed. Anyone using terror would also do just the same as well.

So you would play your terrors at the end of your turn when you could easily play it at the end of your opponents turn OR during declare blockers step. There's always the Haste factor. Not to mention, having mana open + cards in hand would make your opponent think twice about attacking or play other creatures. The value of an instant > the value of a sorcery.

 

[mindripper]

So you would play your terrors at the end of your turn when you could easily play it at the end of your opponents turn OR during declare blockers step. There's always the Haste factor. Not to mention, having mana open + cards in hand would make your opponent think twice about attacking or play other creatures. The value of an instant > the value of a sorcery.

You misunderstand me. Obviously an instant is always better than a sorcery, which is why vindicate is not one of the all time best. However, you forget what I say. Kiku's shadow is going to see play only in mono black decks. Mono black decks play like sligh, ie constant pressure and full usage of mana. Casting a terror as an instant is great, but essentially serves the same purpose as Kiku's shadow in early game.

For example, you cast a carnophage on first turn, and opponent casts an isamaru. When you play your second land, the correct play would be to destroy the isamaru and attack with carnophage. In this case, does it matter much wheter you kill isamaru with terror, an instant, or kiku's shadow, a sorcery? The time when the difference is most pronounced is when you cast non-reactive spells, like card drawing which you would only do IF the opponent is not going to take advantage or when you do not have a chopice, like when you draw cards in reaction to a spell, hoping to find a counterspell, or when you cast ancestral recall at the end of the opponent's turn. What I say is that the same simply does not apply that much to kiku's shadow and terror. Terror is still better, but the difference between a sorcery and an instant in a mono black deck is overestimated.