Throne of MakindiHow it works & interactions with other cards

A Multi-Functional Mana Source

Throne of Makindi has three distinct activated abilities. First, it can tap for one colorless mana like a standard utility land. Second, you can pay one mana and tap it to place a charge counter on it; this is an investment for future turns. Finally, you can tap it and remove a charge counter to produce two mana of any one color, though this mana comes with a specific restriction: it can only be used to pay for spells that are being kicked.

Managing the Kicker Mana

When you use the third ability, you choose a single color of mana to add. The two mana produced can be used to pay for any part of a spell's cost, provided that the spell is indeed being kicked. This includes the spell's total cost, which comprises the mana cost, additional costs (like kicker), and cost increases. However, if you are not casting the spell for its kicker cost, you cannot use this specific mana to pay for it.

Timing and Strategy

Because the second ability requires a mana payment and tapping the land, you usually want to charge Throne of Makindi on turns where you have one mana to spare. It acts as a battery, allowing you to effectively 'carry over' mana from a slow turn to a big turn where you need to pay a high kicker cost. Remember that you can only remove one counter per activation to get two mana; you cannot remove multiple counters at once for a massive mana burst.

Interaction examples

Building a Mana Battery

On turn two, you have no plays. You tap a Forest and Throne of Makindi to use its second ability, putting a charge counter on it. On turn three, you can now tap it and remove that counter to produce two mana of any color (like Red) specifically to cast a kicked spell.

Mana Fixing with Command Tower

Command Tower

You have Command Tower to provide your colors for standard spells. When you need to cast a heavy kicker spell in a Blue-Green deck, you use Throne of Makindi's counter to add two Blue mana. This allows Command Tower to cover the Green requirements of the spell while the Throne handles the specific high-cost kicker requirement.

Strategic Color Production

Exotic Orchard

If your Exotic Orchard can only produce Green mana because of your opponent's lands, but you need White mana for a kicked spell, Throne of Makindi can save you. By removing a charge counter, you can choose White for the two mana produced, bypassing the color limitations of your other lands to resolve your kicked spell.