Krark, the Thumbless MTG Card


With Krark, each spell cast presents the chance to double your impact, maximizing card efficiency. Successful coin flips can turbocharge resource gains, giving you a head start in the game. Krark encourages strategic play with instants, potentially duplicating your spells during opponents’ turns.
Card setsReleased in 4 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost2
RarityRare
TypeLegendary Creature — Goblin Wizard
Abilities Partner
Power 2
Toughness 2

Text of card

Whenever you cast an instant or sorcery spell, flip a coin. If you lose the flip, return that spell to its owner's hand. If you win the flip, copy that spell, and you may choose new targets for the copy. Partner (You can have two commanders if both have partner.)

"Double or nothing."


Cards like Krark, the Thumbless

Krark the Thumbless offers MTG players a unique twist on spell copying that is unlike most cards in the game. It invites comparison to cards like Melek, Izzet Paragon, which also doubles spells, but Krark does so in an unpredictably whimsical manner. While Melek requires top-deck manipulation for doubling spells, Krark relies on winning coin flips, injecting a fun element of chance into the game.

Another card that shares some resemblances with Krark the Thumbless is Stitch in Time. This card also plays with the randomness of coin flips, but its effect is limited to potentially granting extra turns rather than replicating the spells themselves. Krark the Thumbless stands out by allowing players repeated opportunities to copy any instant or sorcery, provided fortune is in their favor.

In the landscape of MTG cards encouraging an element of randomness, Krark the Thumbless positions itself as a dynamic and intriguing option. It promotes a playstyle built around risk and reward, offering potential for exponential value, a trait not commonly found among its contemporaries. This distinct mechanism ensures Krark a special place in the hearts of players who enjoy a blend of strategy and serendipity.

Melek, Izzet Paragon - MTG Card versions
Stitch in Time - MTG Card versions
Melek, Izzet Paragon - MTG Card versions
Stitch in Time - MTG Card versions

Cards similar to Krark, the Thumbless by color, type and mana cost

Rock Hydra - MTG Card versions
Dwarven Weaponsmith - MTG Card versions
Goblin Rock Sled - MTG Card versions
Dwarven Lieutenant - MTG Card versions
Goblin Recruiter - MTG Card versions
Heart Sliver - MTG Card versions
Mogg Flunkies - MTG Card versions
Goblin Elite Infantry - MTG Card versions
Fireslinger - MTG Card versions
Skittish Kavu - MTG Card versions
Rage Weaver - MTG Card versions
Minotaur Explorer - MTG Card versions
Sparksmith - MTG Card versions
Goblin Lookout - MTG Card versions
Skirk Marauder - MTG Card versions
Hellspark Elemental - MTG Card versions
Storm Entity - MTG Card versions
Dwarven Soldier - MTG Card versions
Mogg War Marshal - MTG Card versions
Mudbrawler Cohort - MTG Card versions
Rock Hydra - MTG Card versions
Dwarven Weaponsmith - MTG Card versions
Goblin Rock Sled - MTG Card versions
Dwarven Lieutenant - MTG Card versions
Goblin Recruiter - MTG Card versions
Heart Sliver - MTG Card versions
Mogg Flunkies - MTG Card versions
Goblin Elite Infantry - MTG Card versions
Fireslinger - MTG Card versions
Skittish Kavu - MTG Card versions
Rage Weaver - MTG Card versions
Minotaur Explorer - MTG Card versions
Sparksmith - MTG Card versions
Goblin Lookout - MTG Card versions
Skirk Marauder - MTG Card versions
Hellspark Elemental - MTG Card versions
Storm Entity - MTG Card versions
Dwarven Soldier - MTG Card versions
Mogg War Marshal - MTG Card versions
Mudbrawler Cohort - MTG Card versions

Decks using this card

MTG decks using Krark, the Thumbless. Dig deeper into the strategy of decks, sideboard cards, list ideas and export to play in ARENA or MOL.

#NameFormatArchetypeEvent
Gruul ComboGruul Combo Legacy95 / The 95th Legacy at Home

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Krark the Thumbless provides potential for immense card advantage. Each time you cast an instant or sorcery, there’s a chance to copy it, effectively doubling your output without expending additional cards from your hand.

Resource Acceleration: The potential copy effect from Krark can rapidly accelerate your resources. Successfully copying spells that generate mana or draw additional cards can put you turns ahead of your opponent in both card quantity and quality. This coin-flipping consequence can swing games in your favor immensely when you get ahead on your resource pool.

Instant Speed: Krark the Thumbless doesn’t have an ability that works at instant speed inherently, but he significantly amplifies the value of instant speed spells in your deck. By holding up mana and playing instants on your opponent’s turn, each successful coin flip can strategically duplicate your responses, control the board, or simply accumulate value while your opponents commit to their plays.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Krark the Thumbless may compel you to return an instant or sorcery card to your hand upon failing a coin flip, which can inadvertently expedite the depletion of your hand, especially in drawn-out matches or in formats where hand size is vital.

Specific Mana Cost: This card requires one red mana, which means it’s inherently bounded to red-centric or multi-colored decks, potentially reducing its versatility across various deck archetypes.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Costing two mana might not seem steep, but in an environment where efficiency is key, there are alternative two-mana creatures that might offer immediate impact or more robust abilities without the inherent risk of losing crucial spells.


Reasons to Include Krark the Thumbless in Your Collection

Versatility: Krark the Thumbless is a flexible card that can be incorporated into various deck archetypes. As a low-cost creature that influences spell casting, it allows for numerous play styles, tailoring to anything from spell-heavy to chaos-themed decks.

Combo Potential: Krark pairs remarkably well with cards like “Fork” or “Increasing Vengeance” to amplify the chances of duplicating spells. This combination can lead to powerful plays and infinite combos in the right setup, creating an unstoppable momentum for the player.

Meta-Relevance: In current metagames that favor instant and sorcery spells, Krark the Thumbless can be a key component. Its unique ability to potentially copy spells or return them to your hand aligns perfectly with strategies that capitalize on spellcasting and can give an edge against prevalent control or combo decks.


How to beat

Krark the Thumbless presents as a unique challenge in Magic: The Gathering, attracting players with his ability to potentially duplicate spells. When facing off against this goblin wizard, it’s vital to anticipate the possibility of your opponent casting multiple instances of powerful spells in a single turn. The key to overcoming Krark lies in disrupting this synergy.

Targeted removal and counterspells are effective ways to ensure Krark never gets the chance to manipulate the stack in your opponent’s favor. Cards such as Fatal Push or Path to Exile can dispatch Krark before his ability triggers. Similarly, countering key spells that your opponent aims to duplicate negates Krark’s advantage. It’s also beneficial to apply pressure with a fast-paced strategy, forcing the opponent to react defensively rather than setting up combos with Krark. By staying ahead on board and keeping Krark off the table, you reduce the odds of dealing with an onslaught of repeated spells.

Remember, consistency in your response to Krark is crucial. Maintaining a steady flow of disruption will prevent your opponent from gaining the upper hand and lead you to victory against a deck centered around Krark the Thumbless.


BurnMana Recommendations

Understanding the strengths and weaknesses of Krark the Thumbless is fundamental to anyone looking to harness its chaotic yet powerful potential in their MTG decks. If you’re intrigued by the challenge of integrating a coin-flipping mechanic into your playstyle for potential game-swinging effects, Krark can be a thrilling and rewarding choice. Harnessing this goblin wizard’s abilities requires a blend of risk management and strategic foresight. To further delve into the exciting possibilities offered by Krark the Thumbless and discover strategies to maximize its potential or counter its tricky plays, navigate to our detailed insights for an authoritative guide on mastering this unpredictable card.


Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Krark, the Thumbless MTG card by a specific set like Magic Online Promos 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 Krark, the Thumbless and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Krark, the Thumbless Magic the Gathering card was released in 3 different sets between 2020-11-20 and 2020-11-20. Illustrated by Mathias Kollros.

#ReleasedNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12002-06-24Magic Online PromosPRM 862402015NormalBlackMathias Kollros
22020-09-26The ListPLST CMR-1892015NormalBlackMathias Kollros
32020-11-20Commander LegendsCMR 1892015NormalBlackMathias Kollros
42020-11-20Commander LegendsCMR 5742015NormalBlackMathias Kollros

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Krark, the Thumbless has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
OathbreakerLegal
VintageLegal
DuelRestricted

Rules and information

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

Date Text
2020-11-10 An effect that checks whether you control your commander is satisfied if you control one or both of your two commanders.
2020-11-10 Both commanders start in the command zone, and the remaining 98 cards (or 58 cards in a Commander Draft game) of your deck are shuffled to become your library.
2020-11-10 If something refers to your commander while you have two commanders, it refers to one of them of your choice. If you are instructed to perform an action on your commander (e.g. put it from the command zone into your hand due to Command Beacon), you choose one of your commanders at the time the effect happens.
2020-11-10 If the spell has damage divided as it was cast (like Monstrous Onslaught), the division can't be changed, although the targets receiving that damage still can. The same is true of spells that distribute counters.
2020-11-10 If the spell that's copied has an X whose value was determined as it was cast, the copy will have the same value of X.
2020-11-10 If the spell that's copied is modal (that is, it has a bulleted list of modes), the copy will have the same mode or modes. You can't choose different ones.
2020-11-10 If you cast a copy of an instant or sorcery card (for example, one created by Mnemonic Deluge), and the spell is returned to its owner's hand, it will cease to exist. You won't be able to cast it again.
2020-11-10 If you copy a spell with targets, the copy will have the same targets unless you choose new ones. You may change any number of the targets, including all of them or none of them. If, for any of the targets, you can't choose a new legal target, that target remains unchanged (even if the current target is illegal).
2020-11-10 If you lose the flip and the spell is returned to its owner's hand, it's removed from the stack and won't resolve. This isn't the same as countering the spell, and a spell that can't be countered can be returned to hand.
2020-11-10 If you lose the flip, but the spell that caused Krark's triggered ability to trigger isn't on the stack anymore (most likely because it was countered), nothing is returned to your hand. The card stays in its current zone.
2020-11-10 If you win the flip, but the spell that caused Krark's triggered ability to trigger isn't on the stack anymore (most likely because it was countered), the copy is still created.
2020-11-10 If you win the flip, the copy will resolve before the original spell does.
2020-11-10 If you win the flip, the spell will be copied even if it doesn't require targets.
2020-11-10 If your Commander deck has two commanders, you can only include cards whose own color identities are also found in your commanders' combined color identities. If Falthis and Kediss are your commanders, your deck may contain cards with black and/or red in their color identity, but not cards with green, white, or blue.
2020-11-10 Krark's ability triggers at the same time as any other abilities that say "When you cast this spell" or similar, including cascade. Those abilities may be put on the stack in any order. Those triggered abilities are unaffected by the original spell being returned to hand, countered, or otherwise removed from the stack.
2020-11-10 Once the game begins, your two commanders are tracked separately. If you cast one, you won't have to pay an additional the first time you cast the other. A player loses the game after having been dealt 21 damage from any one of them, not from both of them combined.
2020-11-10 The copy from winning the flip is created on the stack, so it's not "cast." Abilities that trigger when a player casts a spell won't trigger.
2020-11-10 To have two commanders, both must have the partner ability as the game begins. Losing the ability during the game doesn't cause either to cease to be your commander.
2020-11-10 You can choose two commanders with partner that are the same color or colors. In Commander Draft, you can even choose two of the same commander with partner if you drafted them. If you do this, make sure you keep the number of times you've cast each from the command zone clear for "commander tax" purposes.
2020-11-10 You can't choose to pay any alternative or additional costs for the copy. However, effects based on any alternative or additional costs that were paid for the original spell are copied as though those same costs were paid for the copy.