Leech Gauntlet MTG Card
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 2 |
| Rarity | Uncommon |
| Type | Artifact Creature — Equipment Leech |
| Abilities | Lifelink,Reconfigure |
| Released | 2022-02-18 |
| Set symbol | |
| Set name | Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty |
| Set code | NEO |
| Power | 2 |
| Toughness | 2 |
| Number | 106 |
| Frame | 2015 |
| Layout | Normal |
| Border | Black |
| Illustred by | Robin Olausson |
Key Takeaways
- Leech Gauntlet’s card advantage is pivotal in disruption-focused strategies within the game.
- This equipment’s instant speed utility offers dynamic play and strategic flexibility.
- High mana costs and specific requirements can limit its inclusion in diverse deck types.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Leech Gauntlet MTG card by a specific set like Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty, 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 Leech Gauntlet 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
Text of card
Lifelink Equipped creature has lifelink. Reconfigure (: Attach to target creature you control; or unattach from a creature. Reconfigure only as a sorcery. While attached, this isn't a creature.)
Card Pros
Card Advantage: The Leech Gauntlet offers a strategic edge by potentially stripping cards from your opponent’s hand, effectively translating into card quality and, indirectly, card advantage over time. This makes it particularly potent in formats where hand disruption is key.
Resource Acceleration: In decks that capitalize on artifacts or sacrifice mechanics, the Leech Gauntlet can act as a catalyst, enabling quicker deployment of your strategy by providing both an artifact to use and a potential boost from your opponent’s lost resources.
Instant Speed: The ability to use the Leech Gauntlet at instant speed adds a layer of versatility to your game, allowing you to respond to your opponent’s moves or end-of-turn decisions, disrupting their plans while keeping your mana usage efficient and flexible.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Leech Gauntlet demands that its controller discards a card upon activation. This could deplete your hand quickly, especially in decks that don’t have mechanisms to recoup card advantage efficiently.
Specific Mana Cost: With a mana cost that necessitates black mana, Leech Gauntlet can be restrictive for multicolor decks that may struggle with mana consistency, making it less versatile in decks that don’t heavily favor black.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: Although Leech Gauntlet offers valuable utility, its high mana cost makes it a less optimal choice in faster-paced games where lower-cost alternatives could be played with greater frequency, affecting the pace of gameplay in the user’s favor.
Reasons to Include in Your Collection
Versatility: Leech Gauntlet’s ability to equip creatures with a powerful life drain feature makes it a strong addition to various deck archetypes. Whether you’re running an aggro strategy that benefits from the life points swing or a control deck needing incremental advantages, this card can serve multiple purposes.
Combo Potential: As enchantment equipment, Leech Gauntlet can work harmoniously with cards that capitalize on lifelink, or those thriving on equipment synergies. Its combo potential can often turn the tides in your favor when you’re looking to outpace your opponent in life totals.
Meta-Relevance: In a gameplay environment that rewards resilience and staying power, Leech Gauntlet’s drain effect can provide you with the necessary edge. In current metas where maintaining high life totals can be crucial, this card could be a key player in outlasting your opponents.
How to beat
The Leech Gauntlet card presents a unique challenge on the battlefield, with its capacity to give a player’s creatures lethal on blocking. This can turn the tide by dissuading opponents from attacking. However, there are efficient ways to mitigate the power of Leech Gauntlet.
First and foremost, cards that prevent your opponent from declaring blockers, such as those that render creatures unable to block, can be particularly useful. You can also resort to using direct removal spells or board wipes to clear the path before the Gauntlet’s ability becomes a concern. Additionally, playing cards that grant your creatures hexproof or indestructible can protect them from Leech Gauntlet’s devastating effect.
When strategizing against Leech Gauntlet, it’s important to focus on maintaining a strong offensive line or finding alternate win conditions that don’t rely on combat. Cards that allow you to bypass your opponent’s creatures, such as those that enable you to deal damage directly or accumulate enough advantage elsewhere to overpower your opponent, are key in overcoming the obstacle posed by Leech Gauntlet.
Cards like Leech Gauntlet
Leech Gauntlet enters the realm of Magic: The Gathering as a novel addition to the arsenal of equipment cards. In the lineage of life gain and damage-dealing artifacts, it shares traits with venerable equipment such as Basilisk Collar. While Basilisk Collar grants deathtouch and lifelink—a powerful combo—Leech Gauntlet takes a different approach by aiming to exploit the lifelink ability solely and reward aggressive strategies.
Another parallel exists with Shadowspear, which, like Leech Gauntlet, confers lifelink. Shadowspear also provides trample and has the added utility of stripping indestructible from opposing permanents, but at a higher cost. Meanwhile, Leech Gauntlet is in tune with the streamlined focus of bolstering a creature’s lifelink capability without the additional abilities.
Assessing Leech Gauntlet among its counterparts, it’s clear that it caters to a specific niche. It resonates with players who appreciate the simple yet effective modification of creature stats through lifelink, making it an asset in decks that are designed to outheal and outlast the opposition.
Cards similar to Leech Gauntlet by color, type and mana cost
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Leech Gauntlet has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Standard | Legal |
| Historicbrawl | Legal |
| Historic | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Paupercommander | Restricted |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Gladiator | Legal |
| Pioneer | Legal |
| Commander | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Future | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Explorer | Legal |
| Brawl | Legal |
| Penny | Legal |
| Timeless | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Leech Gauntlet card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2022-02-18 | Although it causes an Equipment to become attached to a creature, reconfigure is not an “equip ability” for the purpose of cards like Fighter Class and Leonin Shikari. |
| 2022-02-18 | An Equipment creature can never become attached to itself. If an effect tries to do this, nothing happens. |
| 2022-02-18 | An Equipment creature with reconfigure can be attached to creatures by effects other than its reconfigure ability, such as the activated ability of Brass Squire. |
| 2022-02-18 | An Equipment doesn't become tapped when the permanent it's attached to becomes tapped. For example, if you attack with a creature that is equipped with Acquisition Octopus, then use reconfigure to unattach Acquisition Octopus after combat, the Octopus will be untapped and could be used to block during your opponent's turn. |
| 2022-02-18 | As soon as an Equipment creature with reconfigure stops being a creature, any Equipment and Auras with enchant creature abilities become unattached. Auras that can enchant an Equipment that isn't a creature remain attached to it. |
| 2022-02-18 | Attaching an Equipment with reconfigure to a creature causes that Equipment to stop being a creature until it becomes unattached. It also loses any creature subtypes it had. |
| 2022-02-18 | If a permanent with reconfigure is somehow still a creature after it becomes attached (perhaps due to an effect like that of March of the Machines), it immediately becomes unattached from the equipped creature. |
| 2022-02-18 | If an Equipment with reconfigure somehow loses its abilities while it is attached, the effect causing it to not be a creature continues to apply until it becomes unattached. |
| 2022-02-18 | Reconfigure represents two activated abilities. Reconfigure -ost] means “ -ost: Attach this permanent to another target creature you control. Activate only as a sorcery,” and “ -ost: Unattach this permanent. Activate only if this permanent is attached to a creature and only as a sorcery.” |
| 2022-02-18 | Similarly, if an Equipment is tapped, its reconfigure abilities may still be activated and it may still become attached to creatures. Becoming attached doesn't untap it. In most cases, an attached Equipment being tapped won't affect gameplay, but it will be relevant if it becomes unattached again before it untaps. |