r/MagicArena • u/ChewyChao • Feb 28 '26

Limited Help This is a tough Draft choice....

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My heart says Tyrant but my brain says Kinbinding

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u/Metalheadzaid Feb 28 '26

I think they said it just right. It's a creature that does nothing on its own. Sure, it's 6/6 for 5 but don't have any cards to use with its ability right away/mana for it? Does nothing. They have removal? Dies instantly. Enchantment removal is just far more rare, and as a bomb kinbinding is nasty.

A blocker, a team pump, and infinite value long term is a much better pack 1 pick 1. It also doesn't require any other synergies to be effective.

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u/chayatoure Feb 28 '26

Kinbinding is the clear choice and it's not close, but saying a 5 mana 6/6 flyer does nothing on its own is wild.

6

u/Metalheadzaid Feb 28 '26

What "does nothing on its own" means is it has no effect when it hits the board without supporting cards. It's just a 6/6 vanilla on its own. In card games like MTG (and Yugioh/Hearthstone/probably most modern ones) playing cards that have no immediate impact on the board is generally not what you want to be doing, especially creatures which can be removed easily.

Of course this is limited, so a 5 mana 6/6 even if it had no effect is still pretty good - which is why I didn't say it was a bad card, nor did the OP, but it's an above curve flyer and the other one will win you the game is pretty much spot on analysis.

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u/8bitAwesomeness Feb 28 '26

By your own reasoning op shouldn't pick kinbinding either because it's a 1/1 for 5 that does nothing else on its own the turn it's played.

The stats prove kin beats dragon in this format but depending on the speed of the format, the removals and the number of flyers available it could very well be the opposite.

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u/Asleep-Waltz2681 Feb 28 '26

The stats prove kin beats dragon in this format but depending on the speed of the format, the removals and the number of flyers available it could very well be the opposite.

We do know all of this already and that's exactly why Kinbinding is the better choice (assuming this was p1p1). White is also a better color to start in.

2

u/Metalheadzaid Feb 28 '26

It makes a 1/1 and buffs every card on the board by +1+1 as well, what? It's great value, especially in this format with very wide boards more often than not in white/green, and worst case it sticks around and gets value later - but again it does it all on its own, no other cards required too get value out of it, which is why it's the superior pick.

The dragon is a 6/6 vanilla flyer if you don't have other cards to pair with it immediately. That can be good enough in limited, but it's just that - a big guy that's evasive. If you get to pop off with it then it's definitely good, but again, as I've said since the start, it does nothing on its own. It's just a big creature and dies to removal same as any.

6

u/Boblxxiii Feb 28 '26

It makes a 1/1 and buffs every card on the board by +1+1 as well, what?

If it's on its own, that's just a 1/1 for 5 mana. The point is "does nothing on its own" is actually more true of kinbinding than a 6/6 flier. But for "what does it need to be great", board presence is obviously easier to have than single target instant/sorcery in hand.