Leaping Lizard MTG Card

Homelands (HML)
1995-10-01 - Number 90

Leaping Lizard - Masters Edition II (ME2)

Masters Edition II (ME2)
2008-09-22 - Number 171

Card sets	Released in 2 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost	3
Rarity	Common
Type	Creature — Lizard
Power	2
Toughness	3

Key Takeaways

Enhances hand size and deck awareness, offering strategic advantage during matches.
Increases resource availability, enabling faster execution of your game strategy.
Instant-speed play allows for unexpected tactical plays and dynamic defenses.

Text of card

o1oo G Flying and -0/-1 until end of turn

"I never question the Autumn Willow about her motives, not even when she turns people into Lizards. It's her way." —Devin, Faerie Noble

Card Pros

Card Advantage: The Leaping Lizard offers a tactical edge in a match by potentially buffing your hand size. With every leap it takes across the battlefield, the card allows you to peek into your deck, offering the prospect of drawing just the card you need when you need it, setting you a step ahead of your opponent.

Resource Acceleration: This slippery reptile isn’t just quick on its feet; it’s quick to ramp up your resources too. By seamlessly integrating into strategies that exploit creature-based mechanics, the Leaping Lizard can serve as a catalyst for accelerating your game plan, making it easier to deploy your threats and responses without missing a beat.

Instant Speed: Its ability to dart into play at instant speed provides a dynamic defense mechanism or an unforeseen swing in power on the battlefield. This quality allows for flexible tactics, catering to a reactive playstyle that can adapt to swiftly changing game states. It’s the perfect surprise element to keep behind your poker face, only revealing your scaly companion when the moment is ripe.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Playing Leaping Lizard requires a trade-off, as you need to discard a card to fully utilize its abilities. This aspect can put you at a disadvantage, especially if you’re running low on cards in hand and need to maintain options for your strategy.

Specific Mana Cost: Leaping Lizard demands a particular blend of mana to cast, which can be restrictive and difficult to manage in multi-colored decks. Ensuring the right mana is available at the right time can be a challenge, making the card less flexible in varied deck builds.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: While Leaping Lizard offers certain benefits, the cost to get it onto the battlefield is sizeable. When considering the pace and mana efficiency needed in fast-paced games, other creatures or spells could provide greater value or a more immediate impact than Leaping Lizard’s potential delayed benefits.

Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Leaping Lizard offers flexibility in deck building, seamlessly integrating into creature-focused strategies or those that capitalize on its evasion abilities.

Combo Potential: Its ability to leap over blockers pairs well with mechanics that trigger upon dealing combat damage to players, opening up synergistic avenues for combo decks.

Meta-Relevance: As the game environment shifts, a card like Leaping Lizard may find its niche, especially in metas where unblockable creatures can tip the scales to your favor.

How to Beat

Leaping Lizard is a unique creature in the world of Magic: The Gathering that can provide strategic advantages on the battlefield with its innate ability to jump over defenders—or in game terms, gain flying until end of turn. When you’re facing this elusive reptilian, it’s essential to consider its agility and prepare your deck with cards that can neutralize its airborne tactics.

To effectively counter Leaping Lizard, enlist creatures with reach or spells that can deal with flying creatures. An instant kill spell such as Fatal Push or creature-based removal such as Kraul Harpooner can effectively remove the Lizard from play, nullifying its evasive potential. Additionally, ensure your deck has a good mix of direct damage, creature control, and if possible, enchantments like Gravity Sphere to remove flying from all creatures, rendering the Lizard’s ability moot.

Adapting to the ebb and flow of the game is key when playing against creatures with variable abilities like Leaping Lizard. By having the right countermeasures in place, you maintain control over the pace of the match and prevent your opponent from leaping towards victory.

Leaping Lizard’s Place Among MTG Creatures

Within the realm of Magic: The Gathering creatures, Leaping Lizard serves as an interesting point of comparison to other similar cards. It shares some common ground with Frilled Sandwalla, another reptilian creature card that players may use to pump its stats temporarily. However, Leaping Lizard distinguishes itself with an inherent ability to leap over defenders, granting it evasion through flying until end of turn. This contrasts with Frilled Sandwalla’s lack of evasion despite its stat boost capability.

Similar Cards

Looking at other creatures in MTG, the Leaping Lizard reminds seasoned players of cards like Perilous Myr, a creature that offers a different kind of utility upon death. Both cards can impact the board in unique ways, yet Perilous Myr leans towards a more control-oriented gameplay with its ability to deal damage when it dies. Another comparison is to Snapping Sailback, a larger lizard with flash that also grows whenever it’s dealt damage. While Snapping Sailback poses a larger initial threat, Leaping Lizard’s tactical flexibility can be more advantageous in decks that require evasion to get through an opponent’s defenses.

In essence, Leaping Lizard may not be the standout in terms of raw power when juxtaposed with other creature cards. However, its utility in the right circumstances, primarily its temporary flying ability, provides valuable strategic options for players looking to outmaneuver their opponents in the game.

Cards similar to Leaping Lizard by color, type and mana cost

Hungry Hungry Heifer - MTG Card versions

Territorial Scythecat - MTG Card versions

Reki, the History of Kamigawa - MTG Card versions

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Leaping Lizard MTG card by a specific set like Homelands and Masters Edition II, 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 Leaping Lizard and other MTG cards: