Kiku's Shadow
I think I've reviewed this card a few times
already, but I still LOVE IT for limited play
and was almost surprised it wasn't interesting
to anybody for Regionals Type II. Most of the
creatures you need to kill have powers equal to
or greater than their toughness. Creatures that
have toughnesses greater than their power may
very well be destroyed by Kiku's Shadow after
they have blocked one of your attacking
creatures. This card would be better,
admittedly, if it were an instant, and this card
would be more valuable in the Kamigawa block if
it were Arcane. Still, Kiku's Shadow is, in my
opinion, the best single-target removal spell in
the Kamigawa block. For constructed, you really
do need instant creature removal, Terror and
Rend Flesh both seem better than Kiku's Shadow,
but for a spell cheaper than Rend Flesh that can
destroy targets Terror cannot (black and
artifact creatures) Kiku's Shadow could be the
cheap constructed answer for you.
CONSTRUCTED: 3.5
CASUAL: 4.0
LIMITED: 4.0
I'm far from impressed with this card, and why
shouldn't I be? We are now in an environment
where there are a massive number of high-quality
black removal spells in all constructed formats,
so why would you play a card that may or may not
be able to remove a creature? The only place I
would imagine Kiku's Shadow making an impact is
in Kamigawa Block Constructed, where your
selection of black removal cards is slightly
more limited.
For limited play, Kiku's Shadow should probably
make the cut every time, if only because it is
cheap removal, and as we all know, cheap removal
can easily swing the game in your favor.
Really good destruction for the cost. There are
a few cards that it has a problem with, but they
are few and far between...not many people are
playing defensive creatures. So Shadow usually
gets the job done. In limited, you absolutely
play it if you are going Black. Believe me,
you'll find some use for it. In casual,
something to consider if your Black deck needs
more destruction spells.
