Kentaro, the Smiling CatHow it works & interactions with other cards

A New Way to Pay

Kentaro, the Smiling Cat features a static ability that offers an alternative cost for Samurai spells. For any Samurai spell you cast, you may pay {X} where X is the mana value (formerly known as converted mana cost) of that spell. This replaces the colored mana requirements of the spell with generic mana, allowing you to use any color—or even colorless mana—to cast your Samurai creatures.

Casting Step-by-Step

When you cast a Samurai spell while Kentaro is on the battlefield, you first announce the spell. You then choose whether to pay its normal mana cost or Kentaro's alternative cost of {X}. If you choose Kentaro's cost, you calculate the total cost by taking the mana value, adding any cost increases (like taxes), and then applying any cost reductions. Finally, you pay the resulting amount using any mana available in your pool.

Common Pitfalls

It is important to remember that Kentaro’s ability only functions while he is on the battlefield; you must pay his standard {1}{W} cost to cast him initially. Additionally, Kentaro does not change the timing of when you can cast your spells. If a Samurai does not have Flash, you still must cast it during your main phase when the stack is empty.

Strategic Implementation

Because Kentaro turns colored requirements into generic costs, he is best utilized in decks that generate large amounts of colorless mana or have a strained mana base. He also helps you bypass restrictive costs on high-impact Samurai, ensuring that you are never 'color-screwed' when it is time to deploy your army.

Interaction examples

Filtering with the Ornithopter

Ornithopter of Paradise

If you have Kentaro, the Smiling Cat on the battlefield and use Ornithopter of Paradise to add one mana of any color, that mana can be applied toward the {X} cost of any Samurai spell. Even if the Samurai originally required a color you don't possess, Kentaro ensures that the mana from the Thopter is always applicable.

Interaction with Taxes

Esper Sentinel

When an opponent controls Esper Sentinel and you cast a noncreature Samurai spell (such as one with the subtype via Changelings or specific card effects), Kentaro allows you to pay {X} for the spell itself. However, Kentaro's ability does not cover the additional 'tax' from Esper Sentinel. You must still pay the extra {X} requested by the Sentinel's trigger to prevent your opponent from drawing a card.

The Bushido Bonus

In combat, Kentaro utilizes his Bushido 1 ability. If Kentaro blocks an attacking creature or is blocked by an opponent's creature, his ability triggers and goes on the stack. Once it resolves, he gets +1/+1 until end of turn, effectively becoming a 2/2 creature during the damage step.