Venerable Lammasu MTG Card
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 7 |
| Rarity | Uncommon |
| Type | Creature — Lammasu |
| Abilities | Flying |
| Released | 2014-09-26 |
| Set symbol | |
| Set name | Khans of Tarkir |
| Set code | KTK |
| Power | 5 |
| Toughness | 4 |
| Number | 28 |
| Frame | 2015 |
| Layout | Normal |
| Border | Black |
| Illustred by | YW Tang |
Key Takeaways
- Venerable Lammasu enhances decks by offering board presence and indirect resource acceleration.
- It has a specific mana requirement and discard downside which may limit its playability.
- Despite its high cost, it offers versatility and meta relevance in certain MTG strategies.
Text of card
Flying
Lammasu are the enigmatic travelers of Tarkir, soaring high above all lands in all seasons. None know their true purpose, but they often arrive on the eve of great conflicts or turning points in history.
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Venerable Lammasu comes into play offering a significant boons for your deck, primarily through card advantage. Its ability to potentially negate a card played by an opponent through its flying defense, allows you to maintain board presence without adversely affecting your hand.
Resource Acceleration: This majestic creature may not directly produce additional mana or treasure tokens, yet its respectable presence on the board applies a form of indirect resource acceleration. By obligating your opponent to deal with it, you effectively stall them from advancing their board, buying critical turns to bolster your own resources.
Instant Speed: While Venerable Lammasu itself is not an instant, understanding the metagame and the prevalence of instant speed removal can amplify its value. Playing this creature at the opportune moment, when the opponent might be low on resources or unable to respond immediately, capitalizes on the strategic timing element inherent to MTG’s complex gameplay.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: One hurdle players might encounter with the Venerable Lammasu card is its discard requirement. This can potentially put you at a resource disadvantage, especially if you’re pressed for card options and need to maintain hand advantage to respond to your opponent’s threats.
Specific Mana Cost: Another nuance to consider with this card is its specific mana cost. Needing a particular mana color combination to cast this creature can constrain deck building, forcing players to heavily invest in mana-fixing resources or limit the card’s inclusion to certain archetypes that can reliably produce the right colors.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: With its high casting cost, Venerable Lammasu may not always be the most mana-efficient creature for your strategy. Other cards at a lower mana cost can potentially provide more immediate impact on the game, enabling quicker plays and more dynamic interactions with the board state.
Reasons to Include Venerable Lammasu in Your Collection
Versatility: Venerable Lammasu’s imposing presence on the battlefield makes it a suitable fit for a variety of white decks. With its ability to survive common damage-based removal spells, it offers a reliable flying threat in both casual and more focused game environments.
Combo Potential: As a creature with a significant life-gain ability, Venerable Lammasu can be the cornerstone of life-gain combos or synergies. Its triggered ability when dealing damage can slot into strategies looking to capitalize on life-total shifts.
Meta-Relevance: In metagames where aggressive strategies prevail, Venerable Lammasu can serve as an excellent stabilization card. Its ability to gain life can quickly turn the tides against burn decks and other fast-paced archetypes, making it a card worth considering for sideboard options or even main deck inclusion, depending on the current trends.
How to Beat Venerable Lammasu
Venerable Lammasu is an intriguing creature card with a hefty casting cost and flying ability, making it a formidable force in the skies. To gain the upper hand against this card, you’ll want to focus on efficient removal spells. Due to its vulnerability to common removal spells, it’s essential to have options like Doom Blade or Murder in your deck, which can eliminate the Lammasu regardless of its flying ability.
Control decks that can counter spells also stand a strong chance against Venerable Lammasu. Counterspells such as Negate or Essence Scatter can prevent the Lammasu from ever hitting the battlefield. Moreover, since the Lammasu carries a high mana value, tempo plays can be particularly effective. Setting back your opponent’s mana curve by bouncing the Lammasu to their hand with spells like Unsummon can lead to a significant tempo loss for them.
Lastly, board wipes like Day of Judgment or Damnation can clear the board of Venerable Lammasu, along with any other threats. It’s all about timing and managing your resources well to handle a powerful creature like Venerable Lammasu.
Cards like Venerable Lammasu
Venerable Lammasu stands as a unique offering among flying creatures in Magic: The Gathering. It bears a resemblance to other aerial behemoths like Guardian of Tazeem. Both command a significant amount of mana and come with substantial flying power. Yet, Venerable Lammasu forgoes the landfall ability, opting instead to grant a static life gain advantage each time you cast a noncreature spell.
Comparatively, Archon of Redemption possesses a life gain ability akin to our Lammasu, rewarding players whenever a creature with flying enters the battlefield under their control. While the Archon’s trigger is more frequent, it lacks the Lammasu’s substantial stats. Then there’s Angel of Destiny, another flyer with a life-based strategy. It provides a path to victory through life gain, a feature Venerable Lammasu doesn’t share, yet neither offers immediate board impact upon landing.
Reviewing these cards, Venerable Lammasu finds its niche among flying creatures providing incremental life gain, a benefit that strategically aligns with certain deck builds. It doesn’t necessarily overshadow its contemporaries but offers a solid option for players crafting decks that capitalize on casting spells and maintaining aerial dominance.
Cards similar to Venerable Lammasu by color, type and mana cost
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Venerable Lammasu MTG card by a specific set like Khans of Tarkir, 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 Venerable Lammasu and other MTG cards:
- eBay
- TCG Player
- 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
See MTG Products
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Venerable Lammasu has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Historicbrawl | Legal |
| Historic | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Paupercommander | Restricted |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Gladiator | Legal |
| Pioneer | Legal |
| Commander | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Explorer | Legal |
| Penny | Legal |
| Timeless | Legal |
