About Champions of Kamigawa (CHK)
Champions of Kamigawa — set code CHK — is a large set released October 1, 2004, containing 306 cards. It is the first set of the Kamigawa block, inspired by feudal Japanese mythology and Shinto tradition. The set features the highest density of legendary permanents ever printed in a single set at that time, reflecting the Japanese cultural emphasis on named heroes and honored ancestors.
Key Mechanics
- Bushido — creatures get +N/+N until end of turn when they block or become blocked
- Spiritcraft — triggered abilities that fire when you cast a Spirit or Arcane spell
- Splice onto Arcane — pay the splice cost when casting an Arcane spell to add a card’s effect from your hand
- Soulshift — when a creature with Soulshift dies, return a smaller Spirit card from your graveyard to hand
- Flip cards — physical cards with two halves; when a flip condition is met, rotate the card 180° to become its alternate identity
Key Cards in Champions of Kamigawa
- Sensei’s Divining Top — a 1-mana artifact that lets you look at the top 3 cards and rearrange them, or draw a card and put Top on top of your library. Banned in Legacy and Modern for enabling degenerate control and combo loops
- Azami, Lady of Scrolls — a legendary merfolk wizard that taps to draw a card; a Commander powerhouse for blue spell-slinging wizard tribal decks
- Kira, Great Glass-Spinner — a 2/2 flying spirit that gives all your creatures a built-in “counter the first spell or ability that targets them each turn”; still played in Legacy to protect creature-based strategies
- Kodama’s Reach — a 3-mana Arcane sorcery that fetches two basic lands (one to hand, one to battlefield); a beloved green ramp spell and Commander staple
- Forbidden Orchard — a land that taps for any color but gives your opponent a 1/1 Spirit token; powerful in combo decks that benefit from giving opponents creatures
View the Full Card Gallery
For the complete Champions of Kamigawa visual spoiler with every card image, see the CHK Visual Spoiler gallery — 306 cards sorted by collector number.