Betrayers of Kamigawa

For the novel, see Heretic: Betrayers of Kamigawa.

Betrayers of Kamigawa
Set Information
Set symbol
Themes and mechanics	Ninja, Ki counters
Keywords/​ability words	Ninjutsu, Offering
Set size	165 (55 Common 55 Uncommon 55 Rare)
Expansion code	BOK
Development codename	Wind

Betrayers of Kamigawa is the thirty-fourth Magic expansion, released in February 2005 as the second set and first small expansion in the Kamigawa block. The prerelease was on January 22, 2005.

Set details

Betrayers of Kamigawa contains 165 black-bordered cards (55 rare, 55 uncommon, and 55 commons). Its expansion symbol is a "shuriken" or "shaken" to evoke the set's ninja theme. A shuriken is a traditional Japanese concealed weapon that was generally used for throwing, and sometimes stabbing or slashing. Shuriken is the name given to any small-bladed object, while shaken is traditionally used to indicate the "throwing star". The set introduced the Ninjutsu and Offering keywords.

Marketing

Betrayers of Kamigawa was sold in 15-card boosters, four preconstructed theme decks and a fat pack. The booster packs featured artwork from Opal-Eye, Konda's Yojimbo, Ink-Eyes, Servant of Oni and Isao, Enlightened Bushi. The prerelease card was a foil alternate art Ink-Eyes, Servant of Oni. The release card was Budoka Pupil. The set was accompanied by a novel by Scott McGough.

Storyline

Now in the employ of Princess Michiko and beholden to the Myojin of Night's Reach, Toshi Umezawa tries to honor his commitments while pursuing his own ends. But as the Kami War threatens to engulf Kamigawa, an unimaginably powerful spirit beast threatens the world. And at the heart of the battle moves the figure of the Daimyo, whose impassive features conceal a sinister crime that gnaws at the world's heart.

Token

A special 3/3 Spirit token with flying for Oyobi, Who Split the Heavens appeared in Magic Online.

Mechanics

• Ninjutsu allows a player to put a Ninja creature card from his or her hand into play tapped and attacking by paying a cost and returning an attacking, unblocked creature he or she controls to its owner's hand.
• Offering allows the player to partially pay for a spell by sacrificing a creature of a certain creature type, and lets the spell be played as an instant. This ability is used on five Spirit creatures, the patron spirits of five non-human species in Kamigawa.

Cycles

Betrayers of Kamigawa has eight cycles and a vertical cycle.

• Patrons: Patrons are rare legendary spirit creatures that have creature offerings. For example, Patron of the Orochi has snake offering, which allows the controller to sacrifice a snake in order to play the card as an instant and pay the difference in mana cost of the card and the sacrificed snake. Patron of the Kitsune has fox offering and so forth. Each patron has an ability. The patrons are: Patron of the Orochi, Patron of the Kitsune, Patron of the Akki, Patron of the Moon, and Patron of the Nezumi.

• Alternate cost splice cards: a cycle of common instants that can be spliced onto arcane by paying a non-mana splice cost: Hundred-Talon Strike, Veil of Secrecy, Horobi's Whisper, Torrent of Stone and Roar of Jukai.

• Baku: a cycle of common spirits that gain Ki counters whenever their controller plays a spirit or arcane spell. These counters can then be removed for an ability: Waxmane Baku, Quillmane Baku, Skullmane Baku, Blademane Baku and Petalmane Baku. The artifact Baku Altar has a similar mechanic and complements the cycle.

• Flip cards: cycle of uncommon MM 2/2 human creatures that acquire ki counters whenever a spirit or arcane spell is played and may be flipped at end of turn once they have at least 2 ki counters on them. Their flipped forms are all legendary spirits with activated abilities that require removing their ki counters: Faithful Squire, Callow Jushi, Hired Muscle, Cunning Bandit and Budoka Pupil.

• Genju: A cycle of auras that can temporarily turn the land they enchant into a creature for . If the enchanted land goes to the graveyard, the enchantment is returned from the graveyard to the owner's hand: Genju of the Cedars, Genju of the Falls, Genju of the Fens, Genju of the Fields, Genju of the Realm, and Genju of the Spires. The five-colored Genju of the Realm also exists as a compliment to the cycle.

• One-mana spirits: a cycle of common 1/1 spirits costing one coloured mana that could sacrificed for an ability: Kami of False Hope, Teardrop Kami, Bile Urchin, Frostling and Child of Thorns.

• "Remove from the game" spells: An uncommon cycle of spells that removed a target card from the game, then also removed all other copies of the card in its controller's graveyard, hand and library from the game. They were all reprints from Urza's Destiny: Scour, Quash, Eradicate, Sowing Salt and Splinter.

• Shoals: Arcane instants which costs and 2 of the appropriate mana. A cycle of Pitch Spells meaning that the player may remove a card of the appropriate color with converted mana cost of X in his or her hand from the game rather than pay . Also, each art has fish in it: Blazing Shoal, Disrupting Shoal, Nourishing Shoal, Shining Shoal, and Sickening Shoal.

Vertical cycle

• Glasskite: Blue flying creatures that has "Whenever this creature becomes the target of a spell or ability for the first time in a turn, counter that spell or ability". The rare, while technically not having this line of text, has an ability that grants it to all creatures under your control: Shimmering Glasskite, Jetting Glasskite, Kira, Great Glass-Spinner.

Notable cards

Umezawa's Jitte is arguably the most powerful card that has ever been included in a preconstructed deck (Rats' Nest theme deck). Other cards that saw some degree of constructed play include Ink-Eyes, Servant of Oni, Tendo Ice Bridge , Shining Shoal, Blazing Shoal (banned in Modern since September 2011, just one month after Modern became a sanctioned format), Threads of Disloyalty, Goryo's Vengeance (the namesake of a Modern combo deck that uses the card to cheat Griselbrand into play), Ninja of the Deep Hours, and Flames of the Blood Hand.

Theme decks

The preconstructed theme decks are:

Theme deck name	Colors Included
Dark Devotion			B	R
Ninjutsu		U
Rats' Nest			B
Spiritcraft	W				G

Reprinted cards

The following cards have been reprinted from previous sets.

• The "Lobotomy" cycle (Scour, Quash, Eradicate, Sowing Salt and Splinter) — were last seen in Urza's Destiny. Per Mark Rosewater, "They were chosen for repeats as their ability to remove threats from the game seemed like a good answer to a number of issues in Standard at the time (Eternal Witness, Goblin Charbelcher, Cloudpost, etc.)."
• Phantom Wings — was last seen in Weatherlight.

Functional reprints

Betrayers of Kamigawa has 2 functional reprints:

• Gnarled Mass is a functional reprint of Trained Armodon from 8th Edition, save for creature type.
• Goblin Cohort is a functional reprint of Mogg Conscripts from Tempest, save for creature type.

External links

Betrayers of Kamigawa product information page — Wizards of the Coast