Leeching Bite MTG Card
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 2 |
| Rarity | Common |
| Type | Instant |
| Released | 2011-05-13 |
| Set symbol | |
| Set name | New Phyrexia |
| Set code | NPH |
| Number | 113 |
| Frame | 2003 |
| Layout | Normal |
| Border | Black |
| Illustred by | Cos Koniotis |
Text of card
Target creature gets +1/+1 until end of turn. Another target creature gets -1/-1 until end of turn.
A substantial portion of Vorinclex's forces became fuel for the rest.
Understanding Leeching Bite’s Place in MTG
Leveraging strategic plays in Magic: The Gathering often involves the nuanced selection of combat tricks and removal. Leeching Bite displays a unique flair in these categories, with its simultaneous ability to boost one of your creatures while weakening an opponent’s. It reminds seasoned players of a card like Agony Warp, which also offers a dual functionality of weakening and preventing damage. Yet, Leeching Bite is distinct in its green identity, focusing on the synergy with creatures that benefit from counters or have power/toughness dependent abilities.
Cards like Leeching Bite
Leeching Bite is a versatile tool for MTG players, akin to the likes of Solidarity of Heroes which also manipulates counters but does so by doubling them, offering a different kind of power spike. Slightly diverging, Hunt the Weak provides a more aggressive approach, allowing not just a counter addition but also forcing a creature fight, thus removing threats directly. In comparison to these, Leeching Bite’s instant speed gives it the upper hand in surprise plays, adapting to various battlefield scenarios smoothly.
Additionally, looking at incrementally impactful cards, Bioshift comes to mind, offering the transfer of counters from one creature to another. Although it lacks the direct weakening effect of Leeching Bite, Bioshift shines in its potential for massive, game-swinging shifts in power. It’s crucial to gauge the pacing of the game and the board state when choosing between these tactical plays. As an instant, Leeching Bite’s capability to impact the board at crucial moments demonstrates its solid standing in Magic: The Gathering’s vast arsenal of tricks.
Cards similar to Leeching Bite by color, type and mana cost
Card Pros
Card Advantage: With the Leeching Bite MTG card, you optimize your hand by impacting the battlefield immediately. This can prove essential in outmaneuvering opponents and keeping a steady flow of resources.
Resource Acceleration: Though not a direct accelerant, Leeching Bite could remove key blockers or threats, potentially accelerating your path to victory by clearing the way for your creatures to deal damage more effectively.
Instant Speed: As an instant, Leeching Bite offers the flexibility to respond to threats during your opponent’s turn or end step, crucial for maintaining momentum and adapting to the dynamic nature of MTG games.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Leeching Bite requires no discard, but its impact might not justify a slot in your deck if it doesn’t synergize with your strategy or if there are more efficient alternatives available.
Specific Mana Cost: Leeching Bite’s mana cost includes one green, which means it’s exclusively available for green-inclined decks, possibly limiting its versatility in multi-color deck builds.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: For two mana, Leeching Bite provides a modest boost and removal option. Despite this, the card could be considered underwhelming when compared to other cards available at a similar or even lower mana cost, especially given that it’s not a permanent boost or a removal with broader effects.
Reasons to Include in Your Collection
Versatility: Leeching Bite offers a dual utility in games – it can be a useful tool for removing smaller threats or boosting your own creatures in combat. This makes it an adaptable card perfect for sideboards or main decks alike.
Combo Potential: This instant can synergize with strategies that revolve around +1/+1 counters or life gain. It can also be paired with other cards to enhance its effect, making it a great combo piece in certain decks.
Meta-Relevance: In a meta that’s heavy on aggro decks, Leeching Bite can swing combats in your favor or remove key threats. Its ability to disrupt opponent’s plans while progressing yours can give you an edge in many matchups.
How to Beat Leeching Bite
Leeching Bite presents a unique tactical challenge on the battlefield. This green instant not only allows a player to give one creature a modest power boost but to simultaneously weaken another. The nuanced power of Leeching Bite lies in its versatility, enabling both offensive and defensive strategies with a single card.
However, securing victory against this card requires strategic prowess. Counterplay might involve leveraging creatures that are unaffected by such temporary modifications, such as those with hexproof or indestructible attributes, ensuring they remain beyond the reach of Leeching Bite’s influence. Adapting to the temporary power shift it can cause is also key, perhaps by activating abilities or spells in response that can negate or at least mitigate the impact.
Another angle could be prioritizing the removal of key targets before Leeching Bite can be used to safeguard them. Since the card is limited to the power balance between two creatures, precise control over creature battles and maintaining creatures with robust statistics can minimize the card’s overall effectiveness. In doing so, Leeching Bite’s impact on the game can be considerably lessened, swinging the advantage back to your favor.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Leeching Bite MTG card by a specific set like New Phyrexia, 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 Leeching Bite 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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Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Leeching Bite has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Paupercommander | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Pauper | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Predh | Legal |
| Penny | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Leeching Bite card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2011-06-01 | If only one of the targeted creatures is still a legal target when Leeching Bite tries to resolve, that creature will still be affected, but the illegal target won’t be. |
| 2011-06-01 | You need to be able to choose two different target creatures in order to cast Leeching Bite. |