After hoping we’d get this between both of the more recent Innistrad sets, and waiting ever since the introduction of Hofri Ghostforge, among a few other key Strixhaven cards, we’re finally going to be getting a blue, red, and white Legendary Spirit in Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty.
It’s an exciting time to be the kind of fool that’s already got a fully built and battle-ready Jeskai Spirits deck, especially as a lot of us are currently just using whichever commander we feel fits the idea best, rather than one that’s thematically suited to the deck. So, let’s chat about this new Kirin.
A mix of good and bad
RIght, first of all, obviously this is a proud moment for us, so let’s not water that down at all. We have technically gotten what we wanted, even if it’s not everything we were actually hoping for. Hinata, Dawn-Crowned is a four-mana 4/4 with flying and trample that makes spells you cast cost one less for each target, and spells your opponents cast cost one more for each target.
Honestly, this is a pretty powerful ability in general, and we’re going to be using it in our Spirit/enchantment deck, but it doesn’t feel as though it actually fits what spirits can do. It certainly makes the most of cards that have strive, for example, and also makes auras cheaper, which could be a big thing if you’re going that way with your deck. It’s especially good when you look at cards like Aurelia’s Fury, and will likely see the two cards being played in whatever decks they both exist in.
However, it’s hard not to be a little sad about the fact that this isn’t really a tribal lord of some sort. There are enough Spirits in Kamigawa that having a lord in there would make sense, and ultimately, it would also allow players to build the decks they want, rather than feeling a little pigeon-holed into choosing ones where instant and sorcery spells are obviously preferable. It also doesn’t feel like it matches up with enchantments especially either. We’re happy overall, but we’ll have to keep our fingers crossed that we get another one soon too.
Read More: Best Starter Commanders – Isshin, Two Heavens As One
