Lathnu Hellion MTG Card
2016-09-30 - Number 121s
2016-09-30 - Number 121
| Card sets | Released in 2 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 3 |
| Rarity | Rare |
| Type | Creature — Hellion |
| Abilities | Haste |
| Power | 4 |
| Toughness | 4 |
Text of card
Haste When Lathnu Hellion enters the battlefield, you get (two energy counters). At the beginning of your end step, sacrifice Lathnu Hellion unless you pay .
Understanding Lathnu Hellion
Lathnu Hellion is an intriguing creature card that offers an aggressive approach to gameplay in Magic: The Gathering. Being hasty allows it to swing for damage as soon as it enters the battlefield. The card features an impactful 4/4 stat line for just three mana, representing a significant threat early in the game. However, it also brings a unique mechanic where it requires energy counters to remain on the battlefield. Without investing additional energy, Lathnu Hellion will sacrifice itself, making it a potentially short-lived but potent force.
Cards like Lathnu Hellion
Lathnu Hellion draws comparisons with other hasty creatures that have been designed to make an immediate impact on the battlefield. For instance, cards like Ball Lightning also boast a swift attack strategy, hitting hard and then vanishing at the turn’s end. Yet, unlike Ball Lightning, Lathnu Hellion offers a choice, allowing you to expend the resources to keep it around for additional turns if desired. Another comparable card is Hell’s Thunder, which shares the temporary but hard-hitting properties, although with the flexibility of returning from the graveyard for another swift strike. What sets Lathnu Hellion apart is its static presence on the field given energy counter availability, contrasting with the one-time effects or the need for revival seen in these similar cards.
Overall, players looking to incorporate a swift and punishing playstyle would find Lathnu Hellion a valuable card in their arsenal. It balances the ephemeral nature of other quick creatures with a more flexible and strategic energy mechanic, elevating the potential for aggressive MTG strategies.
Cards similar to Lathnu Hellion by color, type and mana cost
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Lathnu Hellion provides a powerful board presence quickly, pressuring your opponent and requiring immediate answers. Although it doesn’t directly provide card draw, the potential damage it can deal can translate into a form of card advantage if it forces the opponent to trade multiple resources to deal with it.
Resource Acceleration: With its efficient cost of three mana for a 4/4 creature, Lathnu Hellion accelerates your game by giving you a significant threat earlier than many other creatures with comparable power and toughness. This can lead to faster victories, saving resources in the long run.
Instant Speed: While Lathnu Hellion itself is not an instant, its ability to impact the game immediately upon hitting the board simulates the surprise factor often provided by instant speed interactions. Its haste quality means it can swing in right away, catching an opponent off guard before they have set up adequate defenses.
Card Cons
Energy Counter Dependency: Lathnu Hellion requires the player to expend energy counters to maintain its presence on the battlefield. In the absence of sufficient energy reserves, this creature sacrifices itself, which could lead to a loss of board advantage.
Specific Mana Cost: Lathnu Hellion demands a precise combination of red and colorless mana, potentially restricting its integration into multi-color or energy-focused decks that might not always have the required mana readily accessible.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a casting cost of three mana, including two red, Lathnu Hellion competes with other three-drop options within the red archetype. Its initial impact may not justify the cost, especially considering the additional resource investment to keep it on the field.
Reasons to Include Lathnu Hellion in Your Collection
Versatility: Lathnu Hellion is a flexible card that can charge into a variety of red or multi-colored aggressive decks. With its high power-to-mana-cost ratio, it promises a strong early to mid-game board presence.
Combo Potential: This creature can synergize well with energy-counters strategies, utilizing and potentially multiplying energy counters for a significant impact on the game state.
Meta-Relevance: Given the speed at which Lathnu Hellion hits the battlefield and starts dealing damage, it aligns well with the fast pace of many competitive decks that aim to reduce the opponent’s life total rapidly. Its relevance fluctuates with the meta but it’s often a threat that cannot be ignored.
How to beat
Lathnu Hellion, a powerhouse of haste and high damage output, makes a considerable impact on the battlefield for players of Magic: The Gathering. With its ability to swing for high damage the moment it enters play, this creature requires a strategy to handle effectively. To counteract Lathnu Hellion’s strengths, maintaining a strong defense is key. Including creatures with higher toughness can absorb the initial onslaught.
Moreover, instant speed removal spells are a must-have in your arsenal to deal with the Hellion before it wreaks havoc. Spells such as Fatal Push, Path to Exile, or even the burn spell Lightning Bolt can efficiently remove it from combat. If those options aren’t available, chump blocking provides a temporary fix, as the Hellion’s energy upkeep cost will eventually force the opponent to sacrifice it unless they have a substantial energy reservoir. Understanding the energy mechanic is fundamental as it allows you to anticipate your opponent’s plays and manage your resources to sustain the battlefield until the Hellion’s inevitable departure.
In summary, a blend of defensive creatures, timely removal, and resource management forms a solid plan to overcome the challenge Lathnu Hellion presents in MTG, stabilizing the game in your favor.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Lathnu Hellion MTG card by a specific set like Kaladesh Promos and Kaladesh, 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 Lathnu Hellion 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 Lathnu Hellion Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2016-09-30 and 2016-09-30. Illustrated by Lars Grant-West.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2016-09-30 | Kaladesh Promos | PKLD | 121s | 2015 | Normal | Black | Lars Grant-West | |
| 2 | 2016-09-30 | Kaladesh | KLD | 121 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Lars Grant-West |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Lathnu Hellion has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Pioneer | Legal |
| Penny | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Lathnu Hellion card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2017-02-09 | Energy counters are a kind of counter that a player may have. They're not associated with specific permanents. (Other kinds of counters that players may have include poison and experience.) |
| 2017-02-09 | Energy counters aren't mana. They don't go away as steps, phases, and turns end, and effects that add mana “of any type” to your mana pool can't give you energy counters. |
| 2017-02-09 | If an effect says you get one or more , you get that many energy counters. To pay one or more , you lose that many energy counters. Any effects that interact with counters a player gets, has, or loses can interact with energy counters. |
| 2017-02-09 | Keep careful track of how many energy counters each player has. You may do so by keeping a running count on paper, by using a die, or by any other clear and mutually agreeable method. |
| 2017-02-09 | You can't pay more energy counters than you have. |
| 2017-02-09 | is the energy symbol. It represents one energy counter. |