Kiora Bests the Sea God (THB #52)
Kiora Bests the Sea God is a mythic printing from Theros Beyond Death (THB #52), a Enchantment — Saga. Illustrated by Victor Adame Minguez.
Card text
(As this Saga enters and after your draw step, add a lore counter. Sacrifice after III.)
I — Create an 8/8 blue Kraken creature token with hexproof.
II — Tap all nonland permanents target opponent controls. They don't untap during their controller's next untap step.
III — Gain control of target permanent an opponent controls. Untap it.
Details
| Mana cost | {5}{U}{U} |
|---|---|
| Type | Enchantment — Saga |
| Rarity | Mythic |
| Set | Theros Beyond Death (THB) |
| Collector number | 52 |
| Artist | Victor Adame Minguez |
| Released | 2020-01-24 |
Current price
As of 2026-10-19, Scryfall listed this printing at non-foil $8.34, foil $8.90 (USD). Prices change constantly, so check the live price before buying.
Buy Kiora Bests the Sea God on TCGplayer
Legality
| Standard | Not legal |
|---|---|
| Future Standard | Not legal |
| Historic | Legal |
| Timeless | Legal |
| Gladiator | Legal |
| Pioneer | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Pauper | Not legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Penny Dreadful | Legal |
| Commander | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Standard Brawl | Not legal |
| Brawl | Legal |
| Competitive Brawl | Legal |
| Alchemy | Not legal |
| Pauper Commander | Not legal |
| Duel Commander | Legal |
| Old School | Not legal |
| Premodern | Not legal |
| PrEDH | Not legal |
| TLR | Not legal |
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Rulings
- January 24, 2020 — Nonland permanents target opponent controls that are already tapped when the second chapter ability resolves won’t be tapped again, but they won’t untap during their controller’s next untap step.
- January 24, 2020 — The second chapter ability keeps the permanents tapped even if Kiora Bests the Sea God leaves the battlefield before that player’s next untap step.
- January 24, 2020 — Any nonland permanents that come under the target player’s control after the second chapter ability resolves will untap as normal.
- January 24, 2020 — The second chapter ability targets the player but not their permanents. Permanents with hexproof may be tapped this way.
- January 24, 2020 — The control-change effect of the third chapter ability lasts indefinitely. It doesn’t wear off during the cleanup step. In a multiplayer game, it does expire if you leave the game.
- January 24, 2020 — As a Saga enters the battlefield, its controller puts a lore counter on it. As your precombat main phase begins (immediately after your draw step), you put another lore counter on each Saga you control. Putting a lore counter on a Saga in either of these ways doesn’t use the stack.
- January 24, 2020 — Each symbol on the left of a Saga’s text box represents a chapter ability. A chapter ability is a triggered ability that triggers when a lore counter that is put on the Saga causes the number of lore counters on the Saga to become equal to or greater than the ability’s chapter number. Chapter abilities are put onto the stack and may be responded to.
- January 24, 2020 — A chapter ability doesn’t trigger if a lore counter is put on a Saga that already had a number of lore counters greater than or equal to that chapter’s number. For example, the third lore counter put on a Saga causes the III chapter ability to trigger, but I and II won’t trigger again.
- January 24, 2020 — Once a chapter ability has triggered, the ability on the stack won’t be affected if the Saga gains or loses counters, or if it leaves the battlefield.
- January 24, 2020 — If multiple chapter abilities trigger at the same time, their controller puts them on the stack in any order. If any of them require targets, those targets are chosen as you put the abilities on the stack, before any of those abilities resolve.
- January 24, 2020 — Removing lore counters won’t cause a previous chapter ability to trigger. If lore counters are removed from a Saga, the appropriate chapter abilities will trigger again when the Saga receives lore counters.
- January 24, 2020 — Once the number of lore counters on a Saga is greater than or equal to the greatest number among its chapter abilities, the Saga’s controller sacrifices it as soon as its chapter ability has left the stack, most likely by resolving or being countered. This state-based action doesn’t use the stack.