Pious Kitsune MTG Card


Grants life gain synergy, boosting card advantage and supporting resource acceleration in early game phases. Requires careful deck construction – most effective with shrines and in decks designed around lifegain. Despite its three mana cost and specific mana needs, the card’s versatility makes it a solid collection addition.
Pious Kitsune - Champions of Kamigawa
Mana cost
Converted mana cost3
RarityCommon
TypeCreature — Fox Cleric
Released2004-10-01
Set symbol
Set nameChampions of Kamigawa
Set codeCHK
Power 1
Toughness 2
Number38
Frame2003
LayoutNormal
BorderBlack
Illustred byAnthony S. Waters

Text of card

At the beginning of your upkeep, put a devotion counter on Pious Kitsune. Then if a creature named Eight-and-a-Half-Tails is in play, you gain 1 life for each devotion counter on Pious Kitsune. , Remove a devotion counter from Pious Kitsune: You gain 1 life.


Cards like Pious Kitsune

Pious Kitsune is a unique creature in the vast universe of Magic: The Gathering, bringing some intriguing qualities for deck builders. It is often compared to creatures like Eight-and-a-Half-Tails, which offers a degree of protection for other creatures and becomes important in decks centered around controlling the board. While both cards stem from the Kitsune lineage and heighten the defensive stance of a game, Pious Kitsune presents an ability that rewards you for playing enchantments with life gain.

Healer’s Hawk is another creature that could be seen as a kin in some deck strategies. Although Healer’s Hawk is known for its lifelink ability right off the bat, Pious Kitsune requires an enchantment to unlock its life-gaining feature. However, the prestigious fox stands out by providing a repeatable source of life whenever you cast an enchantment, potentially leading to substantial life advantages over time.

Examining the capabilities and potential combos with other cards, Pious Kitsune holds a special role in enchantment-heavy decks within Magic: The Gathering. Its ability to bolster life totals turn after turn offers both resilience and stability, making it a card worthy of consideration for those favoring a defensive and incremental gain strategy.

Eight-and-a-Half-Tails - MTG Card versions
Healer's Hawk - MTG Card versions
Eight-and-a-Half-Tails - MTG Card versions
Healer's Hawk - MTG Card versions

Cards similar to Pious Kitsune by color, type and mana cost

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Argivian Blacksmith - MTG Card versions
Jamuraan Lion - MTG Card versions
Snow Hound - MTG Card versions
Elvish Healer - MTG Card versions
Femeref Knight - MTG Card versions
Border Guard - MTG Card versions
Stern Marshal - MTG Card versions
Benalish Knight - MTG Card versions
Regal Unicorn - MTG Card versions
Wild Griffin - MTG Card versions
Pianna, Nomad Captain - MTG Card versions
Dogged Hunter - MTG Card versions
Diving Griffin - MTG Card versions
Faithful Squire // Kaiso, Memory of Loyalty - MTG Card versions
Kitsune Palliator - MTG Card versions
Freewind Equenaut - MTG Card versions
Sanctum Guardian - MTG Card versions
Field Marshal - MTG Card versions
Kithkin Healer - MTG Card versions
Kor Hookmaster - MTG Card versions

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Pious Kitsune offers you consistent access to life gain, which in certain decks could enable drawing cards if synergized with the right supporting artifacts or enchantments. This establishes a subtle form of card advantage by indirectly leveraging your health total into potential card draw.

Resource Acceleration: While Pious Kitsune itself does not directly accelerate your mana resources, it can indirectly support resource acceleration by keeping you healthy in the early game. A solid life total gives you more breathing room to set up your mana base and spells without being pressured by the risk of losing too quickly.

Instant Speed: The Fox’s ability activates at instant speed, allowing you to gain life during your opponent’s turn. This not only creates surprise potential in combat trades but can also be used tactically to interact with cards that trigger on gaining life or to boost the effectiveness of instant-speed spells that respond to your increased life total.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Pious Kitsune demands attentive gameplay to capitalize on its life-gain ability, which is only triggered when you control a shrine. Missing this requirement means forfeiting a valuable benefit, making it less effective in decks without shrines.

Specific Mana Cost: This card’s casting cost requires white mana, which can restrict its integration into multicolor decks. If your mana base is not well-tuned, summoning Pious Kitsune might be more challenging, thereby limiting its versatility in various deck builds.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Costing three mana, Pious Kitsune presents a relatively high investment for its 1/2 stats and conditional ability. In an environment where board presence and early game tempo are crucial, there may be alternative creatures that provide more immediate impact or better stats for the same or lower mana cost.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Pious Kitsune’s ability to gain life every turn not only complements any deck focusing on longevity but also serves as a deterrent against aggressive strategies. This makes it a flexible addition to a variety of deck builds, particularly those that revolve around life gain synergies or defensive tactics.

Combo Potential: This fox cleric pairs well with cards that reward you for gaining life, increasing the effectiveness of such interactions. The potential combos with Pious Kitsune can lead to significant board advantages, leveraging each life gain for a greater impact on the game’s progression.

Meta-Relevance: In a game environment where damage-inflicting decks are prevalent, a card like Pious Kitsune that offers consistent life gain can be crucial in outlasting opponents. Its relevance increases in metas heavy with burn decks, providing a counterbalance to swift, damage-oriented strategies.


How to beat Pious Kitsune

Pious Kitsune is a unique creature card in Magic: The Gathering, holding special value for players running decks with a strong focus on life-gain strategies. A creature with the ability to bolster your health total each turn, Pious Kitsune works wonders in a deck alongside cards with the “Soulshift” or “Spirit” mechanics, or those that benefit from increased life totals. It’s not just its healing capabilities that make it noteworthy, but also its interaction with legendary cards, allowing you to command the tempo of lifegain.

To successfully counter this resilient fox, consider employing removal spells that can take it off the board before its life-gain ability can be activated, such as “Fatal Push” or “Path to Exile.” Alternatively, focusing on strategies that diminish the impact of life-gain, such as utilizing cards like “Erebos, God of the Dead” or “Tainted Remedy”, proves to be effective. Attack the synergy Pious Kitsune brings to the table by targeting other spirit or legendary creatures to undercut the reach of its influence. Doing so helps to maintain pressure and reduce the utility it provides to your opponent’s strategy.


Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Pious Kitsune MTG card by a specific set like Champions of Kamigawa, 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 Pious Kitsune and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Pious Kitsune has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
PauperLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal
PennyLegal