Lurking Arynx MTG Card


Lurking Arynx offers card advantage by manipulating blocks to create favorable combat outcomes. Its board presence indirectly accelerates your strategy, pressuring opponents and dictating resource allocation. The ability to affect combat phase outcomes grants a level of control akin to instant speed plays.
Lurking Arynx - Dragons of Tarkir
Mana cost
Converted mana cost5
RarityUncommon
TypeCreature — Cat Beast
Abilities Formidable
Released2015-03-27
Set symbol
Set nameDragons of Tarkir
Set codeDTK
Power 3
Toughness 5
Number192
Frame2015
LayoutNormal
BorderBlack
Illustred byCarl Frank

Text of card

Formidable — : Target creature blocks Lurking Arynx this turn if able. Activate this ability only if creatures you control have total power 8 or greater.

Once it has your scent, it will hunt you from the Gurmag Swamp to Ayagor.


Cards like Lurking Arynx

Lurking Arynx stands out in the realm of creature cards in MTG with its formidable Hunt ability. It draws comparison with other creatures like Nessian Courser, which shares the same power and toughness for the same mana cost. However, Lurking Arynx takes the edge with its ability to fight another target creature, provided you have the required mana and a +1/+1 counter. Nessian Courser doesn’t offer such an interactive feature.

When looking at Sedge Scorpion, we see a creature with a lower cost and the deathtouch ability, making it a strong contender in early defense strategies. Still, it lacks the sheer size and impact of Lurking Arynx. Throwing another card into the mix, Alpine Grizzly offers the same power but falls short as it doesn’t provide any additional abilities, making Lurking Arynx a superior choice when it comes to versatility and board presence.

Assessing these options, Lurking Arynx presents a unique combination of size and utility, securing it a valuable niche within MTG creature dynamics powered by its potential for creature interaction and board control.

Nessian Courser - MTG Card versions
Sedge Scorpion - MTG Card versions
Alpine Grizzly - MTG Card versions
Nessian Courser - MTG Card versions
Sedge Scorpion - MTG Card versions
Alpine Grizzly - MTG Card versions

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Thicket Basilisk - MTG Card versions
Cockatrice - MTG Card versions
Ironroot Treefolk - MTG Card versions
Elvish Bard - MTG Card versions
Durkwood Boars - MTG Card versions
Elven Riders - MTG Card versions
Redwood Treefolk - MTG Card versions
Spined Wurm - MTG Card versions
Rabid Wolverines - MTG Card versions
Deadly Insect - MTG Card versions
Vintara Elephant - MTG Card versions
Crashing Boars - MTG Card versions
Kavu Chameleon - MTG Card versions
Spring-Leaf Avenger - MTG Card versions
Okina Nightwatch - MTG Card versions
Consuming Blob - MTG Card versions
Primeval Force - MTG Card versions
Spitting Spider - MTG Card versions
Moss Monster - MTG Card versions
Copperhoof Vorrac - MTG Card versions

Card Pros

Card Advantage: The ability of the Lurking Arynx to force your opponent to block has potential card advantage implications. By selecting an opponent’s weaker creature to block this creature, you set up favorable trades that can systematically reduce your opponent’s board presence.

Resource Acceleration: Lurking Arynx doesn’t directly provide resource acceleration in the traditional sense of providing mana or ramp. However, its formidable presence on the battlefield can indirectly accelerate your game plan by pressuring your opponent and requiring them to deal with it, potentially diverting resources they would otherwise use elsewhere.

Instant Speed: Though Lurking Arynx acts at sorcery speed, its ability to interact with the combat phase can yield strategic advantages similar to instant speed interactions. By influencing how combat plays out, you gain a level of control and unpredictability that can complicate your opponent’s decisions.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Even though Lurking Arynx doesn’t ask you to discard cards, it could pressure your hand due to its abilities that synergize with having a full hand, making each card you play a strategic decision.

Specific Mana Cost: Lurking Arynx requires a mix of green and red mana, potentially limiting deck compatibility, as you need to be committed to those colors to cast it effectively.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With its mana cost, you may find that Lurking Arynx can be outpaced by creatures of lower cost with similar or better stat lines, affecting its playability in fast-paced games.


Reasons to Include Lurking Arynx in Your Collection

Versatility: Lurking Arynx can adapt to a variety of game plans with its formidable combat presence and the ability to threaten blocking flyers, making it a flexible pick for green-based decks seeking board control.

Combo Potential: Its synergy with cards that encourage counters or benefit from creature abilities offers multiple combination routes for players to explore, enhancing more intricate and strategy-heavy deck builds.

Meta-Relevance: In a metagame filled with airborne threats, Lurking Arynx serves as a useful tool to keep aggressive flying strategies in check, providing a solid defense mechanism on the battlefield while supporting offensive plays.


How to beat

Lurking Arynx stands out in MTG as a formidable card for its strength in combat. With its ability to force blocks, it can shape the battlefield to your opponent’s disadvantage. To effectively counter this feline force, consider flying or reach creatures that can evade its mandatory block mechanism. Creatures with deathtouch also serve as excellent deterrents, as they make any block potentially lethal for the Arynx, thus neutralizing its combat influence. Furthermore, removal spells are key. Cards like Murder or Path to Exile can dispatch Lurking Arynx before it poses a significant threat. In more creature-heavy decks, combat tricks to bolster your creatures’ toughness during battle can also turn the tides against Arynx. The strategic use of these methods can ensure that this predator becomes prey in the intricate ecosystem of MTG gameplay.


Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Lurking Arynx MTG card by a specific set like Dragons of Tarkir, 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 Lurking Arynx and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Lurking Arynx has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderRestricted
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PioneerLegal
PennyLegal

Rules and information

The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Lurking Arynx card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.

Date Text
2015-02-25 Activating Lurking Arynx’s ability doesn’t force you to attack with it that turn. If it doesn’t attack, the creatures affected by its ability can block other attacking creatures or not block at all.
2015-02-25 If a creature affected by Lurking Arynx’s ability can’t legally block it (perhaps because Lurking Arynx has gained flying), that creature can block other attacking creatures or not block at all.
2015-02-25 If you control a creature with power less than 0, use its actual power when calculating the total power of creatures you control. For example, if you control three creatures with powers 4, 5, and -2, the total power of creatures you control is 7.
2015-02-25 If, during the declare blockers step, a creature is tapped or is affected by a spell or ability that says it can’t block, it doesn’t block. If there’s a cost associated with having a creature block, its controller isn’t forced to pay that cost, so it doesn’t have to block in that case either.
2015-02-25 Other formidable abilities are triggered abilities with an “intervening ‘if’” clause. Such abilities check the total power of creatures you control twice: once at the appropriate time to see if the ability will trigger, and again as the ability tries to resolve. If, at that time, the total power of creatures you control is no longer 8 or greater, the ability will have no effect.
2015-02-25 Some formidable abilities are activated abilities that require creatures you control to have total power 8 or greater. Once you activate these abilities, it doesn’t matter what happens to the total power of creatures you control.
2015-02-25 You may activate Lurking Arynx’s ability multiple times in a turn to force multiple creatures to block it if able.