Hunting Cheetah MTG Card
1999-05-01 - Number 138
2009-09-07 - Number 124
| Card sets | Released in 2 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 3 |
| Rarity | Uncommon |
| Type | Creature — Cat |
| Power | 2 |
| Toughness | 3 |
Text of card
When Hunting Cheetah successfully damages your opponent, you may search your library for a forest card, reveal that card, and put it into your hand. Shuffle your library afterward.
Cards like Hunting Cheetah
Hunting Cheetah, known for its unique ability to search for Forests upon dealing combat damage to a player, shares qualities with creatures such as Ohran Viper and Viridian Corrupter in the realm of Magic: The Gathering. Ohran Viper, alike in granting an effect upon dealing combat damage, offers card draw instead of land tutoring, presenting a trade-off between immediate resource acquisition and building a stronger mana base. Viridian Corrupter, while also embodying the green philosophy of interacting with lands, focuses on destruction of artifacts while still providing a body on the board.
However, similar to Hunting Cheetah, there is Skyshroud Ranger which allows for an additional land play per turn, yet it differentiates itself by not requiring combat to trigger the ability, instead functioning at the mere tap of the card. Another card, Sakura-Tribe Scout operates similarly to Skyshroud Ranger, reinforcing green’s theme of land manipulation without the direct need for combat, hence providing players with reliable means to accelerate their mana growth without being contingent on the creature’s ability to deal damage.
While these cards provide a myriad of options for land interaction strategies, Hunting Cheetah’s command of the combat phase and its direct land tutoring makes it a distinctive choice for players espousing a blend of aggressiveness and mana ramping tactics in their Magic: The Gathering decks.
Cards similar to Hunting Cheetah by color, type and mana cost
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Hunting Cheetah’s unique ability, allowing a search for Forest cards upon dealing combat damage to a player, facilitates a significant card advantage. This strategy ensures the player maintains a steady flow of land cards, pivotal for orchestrating winning moves in later turns.
Resource Acceleration: Given that the card efficiently pulls Forests from the deck directly onto the battlefield, it accelerates the player’s resource development. This expedites the summoning of more formidable creatures or the casting of high-impact spells in a game where pace can be a determining factor for victory.
Instant Speed: Although the card itself doesn’t operate at instant speed, the land fetched by its ability can be untapped during the next untap phase, providing an immediate boost in mana availability which in turn allows for instant-speed interactions on an opponent’s turn. This can catch an opponent off guard and swing the momentum of the game.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Not applicable to Hunting Cheetah as it does not require the player to discard cards as a cost for its abilities or effects.
Specific Mana Cost: Hunting Cheetah demands a precise mana combination of two green mana and one other. This specific cost can sometimes peg it back in decks that aren’t closely aligned with the needs of a green mana base.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: While a three mana 2/2 creature might be on curve, for green decks that focus on large creatures and ramp options, there are usually more impactful creatures or spells that can be played at this stage of the game, making it a less favorable choice in certain competitive scenarios.
Reasons to Include Hunting Cheetah in Your Collection
Versatility: Hunting Cheetah is a card that fits well in a variety of green decks, with its inherent ability to search for a land card upon dealing damage to a player making it a natural addition to ramp or land-matters strategies.
Combo Potential: When paired with cards that enable multiple combat phases or additional attacks, Hunting Cheetah multiplies its value by potentially searching for multiple lands in a single turn, thinning your deck and securing the land drops you need to execute your game plan.
Meta-Relevance: In a gameplay environment where games can be impacted by who has the faster resource development, Hunting Cheetah’s potential to accelerate land retrieval can be a subtle yet powerful weapon against slower, control-oriented decks.
How to beat
In the realm of Magic the Gathering, Hunting Cheetah may not stand out as a formidable foe due to its straightforward mechanics, but underestimating it can lead to frustration. This green creature benefits from forestwalk, allowing it to sneak past creatures unblocked if your opponent controls a Forest. For those looking to outmaneuver this nimble feline, the key is disrupting its advantage.
One strategy involves land alteration or removal, rendering forestwalk ineffective. Cards like Blood Moon change the type of land in play, cutting off Hunting Cheetah’s ability to bypass your defenses. Additionally, strategic use of removal spells ensures the Cheetah can be neutralized before it can capitalize on its forestwalk ability. Should Hunting Cheetah slip through your lines, having a variety of defensive measures like instant-speed creature removal or damage spells will let you handle it even during the combat phase.
Ultimately, staying one step ahead in managing the battlefield and keeping a versatile toolkit of responses will guarantee that Hunting Cheetah spends more time in the sidelines than on the attack, securing your position in the game.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Hunting Cheetah MTG card by a specific set like Portal Three Kingdoms and Masters Edition III, 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 Hunting Cheetah and other MTG cards:
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- eBay
- Card Kingdom
- Card Market
- Star City Games
- CoolStuffInc
- MTG Mint Card
- Hareruya
- Troll and Toad
- ABU Games
- Card Hoarder Magic Online
- MTGO Traders Magic Online
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Printings
The Hunting Cheetah Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 1999-05-01 and 2009-09-07. Illustrated by Fang Yue.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1999-05-01 | Portal Three Kingdoms | PTK | 138 | 1997 | Normal | White | Fang Yue | |
| 2 | 2009-09-07 | Masters Edition III | ME3 | 124 | 1997 | Normal | Black | Fang Yue |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Hunting Cheetah has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Paupercommander | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Pauper | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Predh | Legal |
| Penny | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Hunting Cheetah card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2004-10-04 | Because the “search” requires you to find a card with certain characteristics, you don’t have to find the card if you don’t want to. |
| 2009-10-01 | Hunting Cheetah’s ability allows you to search your library for any card with the land type Forest, not just a card with the name Forest. |