MTG Phyrexia to welcome return of Kaito, Dancing Shadow
Magic: The Gathering will welcome the return of the planeswalker Kaito Shizuki in Phyrexia: All Will Be One, to support Ninja decks with its ability.
The four-mana planeswalker has established itself as a strong value play in all formats. Although Kaito is nearly impossible to conquer Standard, it will be handy in UB decks.
Kaito also will fit in well with Ninja decks. The tempo archetype overpowers the opponent with value by activating various Ninjutsu and counterspell backup abilities. Players can use a nonlinear strategic plan to make Kaito one of the game’s more interesting characters.
About Kaito, Dancing Shadow
Kaito has a Mana value of 2UB and three starting loyalty. Compared to the first Kaito Shizuki and other four-mana Black plays such as Sheoldred, the Apocalypse, these aren’t exactly the best stats.
However, it has the static ability to return one of the creatures it controls to its owner’s hand whenever one or more creatures under its influence deal combat damage to an opponent. When a creature is returned, Kaito’s loyalty abilities can be used twice in the same turn instead of once.
Dancing Shadow has the First ability with “+1 Up to one target creature can’t attack or block until the player’s next turn”. The +1 is an efficient method to protect Kaito and help an attacker get past blockers.
This ability can help completely dominate a match. Players who continuously use the +1 twice per turn can nullify an opponent’s best combat threat.
His Third ability is “-2: Create a 2/2 colorless Drone Artifact creature token with Deathtouch.” When this creature departs the battlefield, each opponent loses double their life while the players regain two lives.
The -2 ability is fantastic and performs well against practically every deck. A 2/2 with Deathtouch will stop forceful game plans while also supplying another unstoppable body against influence.
It consumes the opponent’s life for two turns when traded or dealt with by removal. A four-point life swing is not inconsequential, and it improves throughout a long match if players can use the -2 repeatedly.
Phyrexia: All Will Be One
Phyrexia: All Will Be One is the 95th Magic expansion. It is scheduled to be released on February 7, 2023, for digital play via MTG Arena and MTG Online and on February 10 for tabletop play. It will be legal in Standard and any formats based on it, including Alchemy and Brawl.
All Will Be One was supposed to be released on February 3. Still, to provide Dominaria Remastered, released just two weeks earlier, some breathing room, Wizards of the Coast decided to delay Phyrexia by one week.
The story of Phyrexia follows the ongoing “Phyrexian Invasion” arc, which started in Kaldheim in 2021 but ended up taking off with Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty in 2022.
After Dominaria United and The Brothers’ War, the artificial Planeswalker Karn was disassembled and abducted by the Phrexian Praetor Elesh Norn, only to be rescued by Tezzeret, whose motivations are still unknown.
A group of Planeswalkers known as The Gatewatch, along with Lukka, Niko Aris, Tyvar Kell, Elspeth Tirel, Kaito Shizuki, The Wanderer, Nahiri, and Vraska, undertake a rescue mission to New Phyrexia with the primary goal of rescuing Karn.
Phyrexia will receive the entire complement of products as the year’s first “premier” set. In addition to Draft, Set, Jumpstart and Collector boosters, it will come with at least two Commander preconstructed decks, a booster bundle box and at least one pre-launched kit.
A Compleat Edition of the booster bundle is also being released for Phyrexia. This set includes twenty boosters, forty foil land cards, a rare foil promo card, and a Compleat Edition Booster, which promises two foil mythic rares and ten “special foil” land cards.
The set will almost certainly include Phyrexian mana, shown on cards such as Tamiyo, Compleated Sage and Ajani, Sleeper Agent. A similar mechanic was also seen on the five Defiler cards in Dominaria United.