Lonis, Genetics Expert MTG Card
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 3 |
| Rarity | Rare |
| Type | Legendary Creature — Snake Elf Detective |
| Abilities | Evolve,Investigate |
| Released | 2024-02-23 |
| Set symbol | |
| Set name | Ravnica: Clue Edition |
| Set code | CLU |
| Power | 1 |
| Toughness | 2 |
| Number | 37 |
| Frame | 2015 |
| Layout | Normal |
| Border | Black |
| Illustred by | Kai Carpenter |
Text of card
Evolve (Whenever a creature enters the battlefield under your control, if that creature has greater power or toughness than this creature, put a +1/+1 counter on this creature.) Whenever one or more +1/+1 counters are put on Lonis, investigate that many times. Whenever you sacrifice a Clue, put a +1/+1 counter on another target creature you control.
Cards like Lonis, Genetics Expert
Lonis, Genetics Expert introduces a unique spin to creature-based card advantage in MTG. With abilities that resonate with Prime Speaker Zegana, which also lets you draw cards relative to creature strength, Lonis offers a nuanced advantage. While Zegana maximizes benefit from a single creature’s power, Lonis rewards players for risking non-token creatures in the fray of experimentation. The result is a potentially significant card draw that aligns well with decks that aren’t shy about putting their creatures to work.
Another card in a related category is Fathom Mage, a creature that lets you draw a card each time it gains a +1/+1 counter. It has a built-in method to accumulate those counters and convert them into cards, similar to Lonis’s creature-targeting design. However, Lonis provides a more immediate and broad card draw option for those creatures without waiting for the counters to accumulate. Additionally, Thrasios, Triton Hero springs to mind, offering you a chance to look at the top card of your library and put a land into play. While not a direct card draw, it provides a form of card advantage and library manipulation akin to Lonis’s vision for deck efficiency.
In sum, when positioning Lonis against other card advantage engines among creatures within MTG, it stands out for its innovative twist on leveraging creature abilities, ensuring that the deck’s synergy and strategic creature deployment translate into powerful momentum and card draw.
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Lonis, Genetics Expert allows you to draw additional cards whenever a non-token creature with a counter on it enters the battlefield under your control, providing solid support to strategies that focus on building card advantage.
Resource Acceleration: One of the key benefits of Lonis is its ability to catalyze resource acceleration. With every creature summon that meets the criteria, you’re drawing into potential mana sources, ramp spells, or creatures that further accelerate your game plan. This can be crucial for maintaining tempo and overwhelming your opponents with resources.
Instant Speed: While Lonis itself is not an instant, its ability pairs well with creatures that have flash or spells that can be cast at instant speed, ensuring you can continue to draw and deploy resources even during your opponent’s turn. This creates unexpected opportunities and keeps opponents guessing about your next move.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Lonis, Genetics Expert requires you to potentially sacrifice creature tokens to fully capitalize on its ability. This might deplete your defensive lines or require you to alter your strategy mid-game, potentially leaving you vulnerable.
Specific Mana Cost: The mana cost includes both blue and green, necessitating a dual-color deck. This requirement could restrict the card’s utility to players running those exact colors, limiting its flexibility in various deck builds.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a casting cost that totals three mana, including one blue and one green, some players might find Lonis less accessible in the early game. Additionally, for the cost and slot in the deck, there might be alternative cards that execute similar strategies more efficiently or with less resource investment.
Reasons to Include in Your Collection
Versatility: The adaptability of Lonis, Genetics Expert shines in various deck builds, with his ability to exploit creature cloning and operational flexibility in Simic-colored strategies. Lonis slots in perfectly for those looking to merge creature-based shenanigans with consistent value generation.
Combo Potential: Lonis excels in combo-centric decks due to his unique interaction with entering creatures. With Lonis on the field, any nontoken creature’s appearance can turn into a valuable clue or even a copy of your most pivotal creatures, enhancing infinite combo possibilities and synergies within your deck’s ecosystem.
Meta-Relevance: In a meta-game where creature-based strategies prevail, Lonis, Genetics Expert can stand as a cornerstone for toolbox decks, capable of generating incremental advantage while applying pressure through the strategic deployment of your creatures and their copies, keeping your gameplay aligned with competitive scenes.
How to beat
Lonis, Genetics Expert is a nuanced creature card in the Magic: The Gathering universe, blending creature control with a touch of deck manipulation. As a commander, Lonis can be quite the handful as it allows players to clone nonland permanents by leveraging card draws from their deck, fostering both field presence and hand advantage. To successfully navigate a game against this card, players should focus on limiting card draws and keeping Lonis off the battlefield.
Disruption is key. Cards that force your opponent to discard or restrict card draws, such as Narset, Parter of Veils, can help prevent Lonis from accessing its cloning ability. Removal spells that can target Lonis on the stack, like Counterspell, are particularly effective as well. Consider using instant speed removals such as Swords to Plowshares to deal with Lonis before its ability can be activated. Graveyard hate cards like Rest in Peace can nullify Lonis’ recursion potential. Combining these strategies will give you a fighting chance against Lonis and any synergistic deck built around this troublesome Geneticist.
Apply these tactics and keep control of the game tempo to ensure that Lonis, Genetics Expert doesn’t get the upper hand and start cloning its way through your defenses.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Lonis, Genetics Expert MTG card by a specific set like Ravnica: Clue Edition, 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 Lonis, Genetics Expert 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 Lonis, Genetics Expert has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |