Jump to section ▾
Hand size matters
What this set is
Saviors of Kamigawa ends the Kamigawa block, and its theme is the number of cards in your hand: many cards care whether you have more or fewer than an opponent. It added three mechanics, channel, epic and sweep.
Channel is the one that came back: you discard the card from your hand to use an ability instead of casting it, which Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty revived on its legendary lands. Epic spells let you copy them every upkeep for the rest of the game but stop you casting other spells, and sweep returns lands to your hand to scale an effect.
Commander players know Kami of the Crescent Moon, Sakashima the Impostor, Reki, the History of Kamigawa and Mikokoro, Center of the Sea. Commander bans Erayo, Soratami Ascendant, one of the set's flip cards.
Themes
Every mechanic in Saviors of Kamigawa
Channel
An ability word on abilities you activate by discarding the card from your hand. A creature or land becomes an instant-speed spell when you need one.
Epic
For the rest of the game you can't cast spells, but at the beginning of each of your upkeeps you copy the epic spell. A one-way commitment.
Sweep
Return any number of lands of a given basic type to your hand; the spell's effect scales with how many you returned.
Where You Can Play It
Format legality
Saviors of Kamigawa is a single code with one Commander ban.
Not Standard-legal, and never Pioneer-legal: Pioneer starts at Return to Ravnica (October 2012). Everything here is legal in Modern, Legacy, Vintage and Commander unless a ban list says otherwise. Commander bans Erayo, Soratami Ascendant. Nothing is banned in Modern, Legacy or Vintage. Commons from any set are Pauper-legal; that isn't listed per set here.
Commanders
The most played commanders from Saviors of Kamigawa
The legends this set is best known for. Tap one for its printings and what it costs.
Boosters, precons and singles from Saviors of Kamigawa are on TCGplayer.
FAQ
Common questions
Where can I play Saviors of Kamigawa cards?
In Modern, Legacy, Vintage and Commander, minus the cards each format bans. Saviors of Kamigawa left Standard long ago and was never in Pioneer, which starts in 2012. Commander bans Erayo, Soratami Ascendant.
Did channel start in Saviors of Kamigawa?
Yes. Channel abilities are used by discarding the card from your hand, and Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty put them on its legendary lands.
What does epic do?
After an epic spell resolves you can't cast spells for the rest of the game, but you copy it at the beginning of each of your upkeeps.
All card names, art, and mechanics belong to Wizards of the Coast. Saviors of Kamigawa released on Jun 3, 2005; details reflect the set as published. Sources: Wizards of the Coast set pages and release notes, Draftsim, Untapped.gg.
Playing Saviors of Kamigawa in Commander?
TurnZero HQ keeps deck records, MMR, and moments for every Commander night, so you can see which new cards are actually earning their slot.
Create Free Account