Leovold's Operative MTG Card


Connive mechanic offers card advantage, shaping game dynamics while replenishing your hand. Instant speed play allows for strategic flexibility and timely decision-making. Mana cost and specific color requirements may limit deck integration.
Leovold's Operative - Conspiracy: Take the Crown
Mana cost
Converted mana cost3
RarityCommon
TypeCreature — Elf Rogue
Released2016-08-26
Set symbol
Set nameConspiracy: Take the Crown
Set codeCN2
Power 3
Toughness 2
Number66
Frame2015
LayoutNormal
BorderBlack
Illustred byRyan Pancoast

Text of card

Draft Leovold's Operative face up. As you draft a card, you may draft an additional card from that booster pack. If you do, turn Leovold's Operative face down, then pass the next booster pack without drafting a card from it. (You may look at that booster pack.)


Cards like Leovold's Operative

Leovold’s Operative is an intriguing card that finds its niche in the realm of creature spells with a subtle ability to impact draft mechanics. Comparable to hidden gems like Cogwork Librarian, Leovold’s Operative stands out due to its function during the draft process rather than its play in the game. Cogwork Librarian allows for swapping a draft pick, while Leovold’s Operative, on the other hand, enhances flexibility by permitting you to draft an additional card whenever you draft it.

Another similar card is Agent of Acquisitions, which like Leovold’s Operative, modifies the drafting phase, but instead of drafting a bonus card, it forgoes the draft of the current pack entirely in exchange for drafting all the remaining cards. Lore Seeker also shares this exclusive draft-altering category, by introducing an additional booster pack into the draft. Both are unique in the way they change the drafting landscape, but neither offers the immediate card-quantity advantage of Leovold’s Operative.

While each card brings a twist to the drafting table, Leovold’s Operative’s ability to increase card quantity without forfeiting a draft turn adds a layer of strategic depth. The differences in Leovold’s Operative’s mechanics position it strategically among its peers in MTG, carving a distinct identity within the conspiracy draft-focused card segments.

Cogwork Librarian - MTG Card versions
Agent of Acquisitions - MTG Card versions
Lore Seeker - MTG Card versions
Cogwork Librarian - MTG Card versions
Agent of Acquisitions - MTG Card versions
Lore Seeker - MTG Card versions

Card Pros

Card Advantage: With Leovold’s Operative, players can expand their hand by carrying out its connive mechanic, subtly shaping the battlefield to their advantage while refilling their resources.

Resource Acceleration: This card harmonizes well with decks focused on ramping up their mana base, seamlessly assimilating into strategies that prioritize swift development of resources.

Instant Speed: The flexibility of Leovold’s Operative shines when played at instant speed, enabling players to adapt to the evolving game state and make pivotal decisions with pinpoint precision.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Leovold’s Operative necessitates you to part with a card upon activation, which can become a hurdle when your hand is already running on empty.

Specific Mana Cost: This agent of intrigue demands a precise concoction of mana, including both green and blue, potentially restricting its adoption to decks that can reliably generate both colors.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Clocking in at three mana might not seem exorbitant at a glance, but in a game where every mana point matters, there are alternatives that could offer similar benefits at a lesser investment or provide more bang for your buck at the same cost.


Reasons to Include [THEME] in Your Collection

Versatility: Leovold’s Operative can easily find a home in numerous deck archetypes, particularly those that value the synergy between creature types or require a deft balance of power and utility on the battlefield.

Combo Potential: This card opens up avenues for intricate combos, working well with effects that manipulate card draws or benefit from the dexterity of operatives, which is particularly useful in multiplayer formats.

Meta-Relevance: Given its unique abilities, Leovold’s Operative remains a relevant choice in evolving metas, especially where control of hand resources is crucial and draft strategies can be exploited.


How to Beat Leovold’s Operative

Leovold’s Operative presents a challenge to many MTG players due to its ability to sway the game in the favor of your opponent when it comes to card advantage and information. Its role in enhancing conspiracy drafts cannot be underestimated, and its synergy with other cards makes it a formidable opponent on the battlefield.

Overcoming the strategic advantage posed by Leovold’s Operative requires smart plays. One of the methods is to leverage removal spells that can bypass its protection or that do not require targeting it, thus neutralizing the Operative’s impact on the game. Spot removal spells, as well as board wipes that don’t target, can effectively remove the Operative without allowing your opponent to benefit from its abilities. It’s also wise to limit the amount of information you reveal if your deck heavily relies on planning and surprise elements. Keeping a tight lid on your strategies reduces the upper hand that Leovold’s Operative’s owner might have.

Finally, employing strategies that focus less on the conspiracy draft elements and more on inherent card synergies within your own deck will help decrease the value that Leovold’s Operative provides to your opponent. With the right balance of strategy and card choice, Leovold’s Operative’s edge can be effectively blunted.


Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Leovold's Operative MTG card by a specific set like Conspiracy: Take the Crown, there are several reliable options to consider. One of the primary sources is your local game store, where you can often find booster packs, individual cards, and preconstructed decks from current and some past sets. They often offer the added benefit of a community where you can trade with other players.

For a broader inventory, particularly of older sets, online marketplaces like TCGPlayer, Card Kingdom and Card Market offer extensive selections and allow you to search for cards from specific sets. Larger e-commerce platforms like eBay and Amazon also have listings from various sellers, which can be a good place to look for sealed product and rare finds.

Additionally, Magic’s official site often has a store locator and retailer lists for finding Wizards of the Coast licensed products. Remember to check for authenticity and the condition of the cards when purchasing, especially from individual sellers on larger marketplaces.

Below is a list of some store websites where you can buy the Leovold's Operative and other MTG cards:

TCGPlayerBUY NOW
BurnMana is an official partner of TCGPlayer
Continue exploring other sealed products in Amazon
See MTG Products

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Leovold's Operative has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderLegal
OathbreakerLegal
PauperLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal

Rules and information

The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Leovold's Operative card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.

Date Text
2016-08-23 You can turn more than one Leovold’s Operative face down to draft additional cards from one booster pack. However, for each Leovold’s Operative you turn face down, you will skip drafting a card from an additional future booster pack. For example, if you turn three Leovold’s Operatives face down as you draft a card from a booster pack, you may draft three additional cards from that booster pack. You then won’t draft a card from the next three booster packs you are passed (and/or open).