Kes, Evolving TelepathHow it works & interactions with other cards

Scaling Intellect

Kes features a triggered ability that occurs at the beginning of your end step. Each turn she survives, you place a time counter on her and then draw cards equal to the new total of time counters. This means the first turn she is out, you draw one card; the second turn, you draw two, and so on. This exponential growth makes her a high-priority target for opponents.

The Final Countdown

The resolution of the ability follows a specific sequence: first, add a counter; second, draw cards; third, check if she has nine or more counters. If the counter total is nine or higher after drawing, you must sacrifice Kes. This sacrifice is part of the resolution of the end step trigger and does not use the stack separately.

Timing and Strategy

Because the drawing and the sacrifice happen in the same trigger, you will always get your final nine cards before she leaves the battlefield. To maximize her value, you should look for ways to remove counters or double the triggers to draw cards faster, though doubling the triggers will also cause her to reach the nine-counter limit much sooner.

Interaction examples

Exponential Growth with Roaming Throne

Roaming Throne

If you have Roaming Throne on the battlefield naming 'Ocampa' or 'Advisor', Kes's end step ability triggers twice. The first trigger adds a counter (total 1) and draws 1 card. The second trigger adds another counter (total 2) and draws 2 cards. You draw 3 cards total in one turn, but you also reach the sacrifice threshold twice as fast.

Setting up the Defense

Solemn Simulacrum

While Kes provides the cards, Solemn Simulacrum provides the mana and defense needed to reach the later turns. If Kes draws you into a board wipe, you can comfortably sacrifice the Simulacrum to block an attacker, drawing an extra card from its death trigger, while waiting for Kes to reach her 7, 8, or 9-card draw turns.