Icatian Lieutenant MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 2 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost2
RarityRare
TypeCreature — Human Soldier
Power 1
Toughness 2

Key Takeaways

  1. The Lieutenant’s buffs can swing battles by empowering creatures, providing card advantage without extra draws.
  2. Despite its benefits, the card’s specific mana needs and high cost limit its versatility in diverse decks.
  3. In soldier strategies, its combo potential and meta relevance can make it a worthy collection addition.

Text of card

o1oo W Target Soldier gets +1/+0 until end of turn.

To become an officer, an Icatian Soldier had to pass a series of tests. These evaluated not only fighting and leadership skills, but also integrity, honor, and moral strength.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: The Icatian Lieutenant can boost the capabilities of other cards on your battlefield, making each unit more of a threat and potentially leading to an overall advantage without the need to play additional cards.

Resource Acceleration: While the Lieutenant itself doesn’t directly provide mana, its ability to enhance your creatures can lead to stronger attacks, which may help you overpower your opponent’s defenses and further your game position quickly.

Instant Speed: The ability to increase a creature’s power during combat or in response to an opponent’s actions at instant speed makes the Lieutenant a strategic tool for surprising opponents and protecting your key creatures in a pinch.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Icatian Lieutenant demands a hefty toll, necessitating the sacrifice of other creatures to bolster its own power. This requirement can often leave players at a strategic disadvantage, reducing their battlefield presence and potentially undermining their overall game plan.

Specific Mana Cost: True to its heritage, Icatian Lieutenant’s casting cost is embedded with a particular mana symbol, constraining it to decks that can consistently produce white mana. This limitation not only reduces its universal appeal but also makes it less flexible in a multi-colored deck that may struggle to meet its color-specific needs.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: When weighed against other options, the Lieutenant’s mana-to-effect ratio may seem unbalanced. Allocating two white mana might seem steep for the incremental advantage it offers, particularly when other cards could potentially provide a more impactful presence or versatile functionality for a similar investment.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Icatian Lieutenant can be seamlessly integrated into various deck archetypes, providing crucial utility for those that leverage a soldier tribal strategy or stand to benefit from incremental creature buffing.

Combo Potential: This card’s ability to bolster other creatures makes it an ideal component for combinations that capitalize on enhanced attack power or synergy with +1/+1 counters.

Meta-Relevance: In a meta where creature-based strategies are prevalent, Icatian Lieutenant’s capability to consistently strengthen your board presence can be particularly advantageous.


How to beat

The Icatian Lieutenant, often found anchoring white-based strategies in MTG, is known for empowering creatures around it. This unassuming card can be a challenge if not addressed promptly. When strategizing how to outnumber or outpace the buffs it provides, consider removal spells that can target the Lieutenant before its ability becomes a persistent threat. Cards like Doom Blade or Path to Exile are efficient ways to clear it off the board and nip the problem in the bud. Moreover, board wipes such as Wrath of God can reset the playing field, negating the Lieutenant’s impact on its cohort of creatures.

Timing is critical when dealing with creature enhancers. Engaging in trades or combat when the Lieutenant is tapped out or when you have instant-speed interaction can mitigate its empowering effects. Without its ability to boost its comrades, your opponent’s forces become considerably easier to manage. In essence, a proactive approach to removing the Icatian Lieutenant or disrupting its synergy is key to maintaining control of the match and ultimately triumphing over decks that rely on its ability to strengthen their army.


Cards like Icatian Lieutenant

The Icatian Lieutenant is a unique card within the banding troops strategy in Magic: The Gathering. It bears resemblance to other cards that focus on empowering fellow creatures, such as Veteran Armorsmith. Both cards are designed to augment the battlefield presence of your other units. Veteran Armorsmith, however, specifically boosts the defense of other soldier creatures without the banding feature.

Another card that echoes the principle of unity is Benalish Hero, which also provides the banding ability to a deck. While Benalish Hero allows for tactical defense like Icatian Lieutenant, it does not offer the same lieutenant’s ability to permanently strengthen other creatures. Additionally, Kazandu Blademaster shares a kindred spirit with our Icatian Lieutenant by giving itself a boost whenever another ally enters the fray. Its inherent vigilance and power increase with other allies make it a formidable presence but lacks the direct support role that Icatian Lieutenant plays in enhancing its comrades.

Ultimately, Icatian Lieutenant holds its own in Magic: The Gathering for those who enjoy a strategy centered around solidarity and gradual strength building. The lieutenant’s capacity to turn a modest squad of creatures into a more durable force showcases its value in the right deck composition.

Veteran Armorsmith - MTG Card versions
Benalish Hero - MTG Card versions
Kazandu Blademaster - MTG Card versions
Veteran Armorsmith - Magic 2010 (M10)
Benalish Hero - Limited Edition Alpha (LEA)
Kazandu Blademaster - Zendikar (ZEN)

Cards similar to Icatian Lieutenant by color, type and mana cost

White Knight - MTG Card versions
Soul Shepherd - MTG Card versions
Soltari Monk - MTG Card versions
Talon Sliver - MTG Card versions
Keeper of the Light - MTG Card versions
Faith Healer - MTG Card versions
Angelic Page - MTG Card versions
Avenger en-Dal - MTG Card versions
Spirit Weaver - MTG Card versions
Voice of the Blessed - MTG Card versions
Stoneforge Mystic - MTG Card versions
Drannith Magistrate - MTG Card versions
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Silverflame Squire // On Alert - MTG Card versions
Flumph - MTG Card versions
Cloudreach Cavalry - MTG Card versions
Samite Healer - MTG Card versions
Kor Firewalker - MTG Card versions
White Knight - Duel Decks: Knights vs. Dragons (DDG)
Soul Shepherd - Weatherlight (WTH)
Soltari Monk - Tempest (TMP)
Talon Sliver - Tempest (TMP)
Keeper of the Light - Exodus (EXO)
Faith Healer - Urza's Saga (USG)
Angelic Page - Urza's Saga (USG)
Avenger en-Dal - Nemesis (NEM)
Spirit Weaver - Invasion (INV)
Voice of the Blessed - Innistrad: Crimson Vow (VOW)
Stoneforge Mystic - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Drannith Magistrate - Ikoria: Lair of Behemoths (IKO)
Leonin Lightscribe - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Silver Knight - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Longbow Archer - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Silverflame Squire // On Alert - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Flumph - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Cloudreach Cavalry - Legions (LGN)
Samite Healer - Ninth Edition (9ED)
Kor Firewalker - Mystery Booster (MB1)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Icatian Lieutenant MTG card by a specific set like Fallen Empires and Masters Edition, 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 Icatian Lieutenant and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Icatian Lieutenant Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 1994-11-01 and 2007-09-10. Illustrated by Pete Venters.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
11994-11-01Fallen EmpiresFEM 91993normalblackPete Venters
22007-09-10Masters EditionME1 171997normalblackPete Venters

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Icatian Lieutenant has restrictions

FormatLegality
OldschoolLegal
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderLegal
OathbreakerLegal
PauperLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal
PennyLegal

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