Leering Onlooker MTG Card

Leering Onlooker offers card advantage by revealing opponents’ hands, informing your strategic decisions. Instant speed allows for adaptable play, but it does require discarding as a cost. Restrictive mana and its higher cost can limit play options and deck-building flexibility.

Leering Onlooker - Murders at Karlov Manor

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	2
Rarity	Uncommon
Type	Creature — Vampire
Abilities	Flying
Released	2024-02-09
Set symbol
Set name	Murders at Karlov Manor
Set code	MKM
Power	1
Toughness	3
Number	91
Frame	2015
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Dan Murayama Scott

Text of card

Flying , Exile Leering Onlooker from your graveyard: Create two tapped 1/1 black Bat creature tokens with flying.

"Ooh, this one does look nasty. Maybe they'll send Proft!"

Cards like Leering Onlooker

Leering Onlooker is an intriguing card in the world of MTG with its special ability to contribute to both hand disruption and potential card advantage. It has a kinship to other creatures like Burglar Rat, whose entrance to the battlefield also compels an opponent to discard a card. However, Leering Onlooker provides a conditional extra layer by allowing you to peek at an opponent’s hand when another creature you control becomes blocked.

This skill set mirrors that of Liliana’s Specter, as both creatures nudge opponents to discard. Despite this, the Specter comes with an additional upside of flying, offering evasion which Leering Onlooker lacks. On the other hand, Pilfering Imp offers a similar peek-and-discard strategy, yet it requires a sacrifice to activate, contrasting with Leering Onlooker’s repeatable and combat-centric trigger.

The strategic value of Leering Onlooker lies in its ability to repeatedly influence the state of an opponent’s hand while also remaining a creature on the board. This multifaceted utility, along with the element of surprise during combat, makes Leering Onlooker a card worth considering for decks that thrive on disrupting the plans of the adversary.

Cards similar to Leering Onlooker by color, type and mana cost

Order of the Ebon Hand - MTG Card versions

Decks using this card

MTG decks using Leering Onlooker. Dig deeper into the strategy of decks, sideboard cards, list ideas and export to play in ARENA or MOL.

#	Name	Format	Archetype	Event
	Decklist	Free form		UOL MKM Sealed League
	Esper Midrange	Standard	Esper Midrange	Japan Standard Cup: Murders at Karlov Manor

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Leering Onlooker enables you to peer into your opponent’s hand, giving you valuable information and an edge in strategizing your next moves. It helps ensure you’re one step ahead, maintaining card advantage.

Resource Acceleration: By creating a blueprint of your opponent’s hand, Leering Onlooker accelerates your resource planning, letting you effectively decide how to deploy your cards and mana in the coming turns.

Instant Speed: This card operates at instant speed, granting you the flexibility to react swiftly to your opponent’s actions. It allows you to adapt to the game’s changing dynamics without skipping a beat.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Leering Onlooker’s ability mandates discarding a card to activate. This can be challenging when your hand is already depleted, potentially sacrificing crucial future plays.

Specific Mana Cost: Leering Onlooker requires both black and blue mana, necessitating a dual-color mana base and potentially restricting its inclusion to only certain deck archetypes.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a casting cost that includes two color-specific mana, Leering Onlooker may come into play later than other cards providing similar effects, which can be a hindrance in fast-paced games.

Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Leering Onlooker offers flexibility in gameplay, catering to player strategies that emphasize card knowledge and tactical hand disruption. It’s well-suited for decks that leverage information as a resource.

Combo Potential: When synergized with other cards that benefit from hand information or require a player to discard, Leering Onlooker can become an integral part of powerful combo chains, enhancing the overall deck strategy.

Meta-Relevance: In an environment where understanding an opponent’s strategy is key, having Leering Onlooker in your collection could provide a critical advantage. It’s adept at keeping pace with decks that conceal high-value cards or rely on hand synergy.

How to beat

Leering Onlooker can be a thorn in the side for many players in the MTG realm, but it’s not without its weaknesses. This elusive card allows its controller to gain an advantage by peeking at an opponent’s hand once each turn, but with the right strategies, this sneaky advantage can be turned around. Since it thrives in environments where information is key, stripping that away or rendering it useless strengthens your position. Countering it can be as simple as keeping a clean hand with instant-speed spells or abilities, thus minimizing the advantage gained by peering at your cards.

Additionally, implementing cards that limit your opponent’s ability to target or interact with their hand can neutralize Leering Onlooker’s effect. This puts the spotlight on cards with hexproof abilities or effects that restrict your opponent from choosing targets for their spells and abilities. The key to triumphing over Leering Onlooker lies in clever deck-building and strategic play that reduces the benefit of any gained information – forcing opponents to play more reactively than proactively.

Keep in mind that while Leering Onlooker can be a nuanced hurdle to overcome, it’s an obstacle that’s certainly not insurmountable. By anticipating its presence and preparing your deck accordingly, you can ensure that this card’s impact on the game’s outcome is as little as possible.

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Leering Onlooker MTG card by a specific set like Murders at Karlov Manor, 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 Leering Onlooker and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Leering Onlooker has restrictions

Format	Legality
Standard	Legal
Historic	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Paupercommander	Restricted
Oathbreaker	Legal
Gladiator	Legal
Standardbrawl	Legal
Pioneer	Legal
Commander	Legal
Modern	Legal
Future	Legal
Vintage	Legal
Duel	Legal
Explorer	Legal
Brawl	Legal
Timeless	Legal