Lavinia, Azorius Renegade MTG Card
2019-01-25 - Number 189
2019-01-25 - Number 189
2019-01-25 - Number 189s
2021-03-19 - Number 380
2024-01-12 - Number 195
2024-01-12 - Number 370
2024-01-12 - Number 370z
2002-06-24 - Number 71588
| Card sets | Released in 8 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 2 |
| Rarity | Rare |
| Type | Legendary Creature — Human Soldier |
| Power | 2 |
| Toughness | 2 |
Key Takeaways
- Lavinia leads to card advantage by restricting opponents’ spell casting possibilities.
- Her ability ensures your resource acceleration supersedes opponents’ ramp strategies.
- Acts as a constant threat, simulating instant-speed interaction through her abilities.
Text of card
Each opponent can't cast noncreature spells with mana value greater than the number of lands that player controls. Whenever an opponent casts a spell, if no mana was spent to cast it, counter that spell.
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Having Lavinia, Azorius Renegade on the board can indirectly lead to card advantage. Her ability to prevent opponents from casting noncreature spells that have a higher converted mana cost than the number of lands a player controls can force opponents into not playing spells, effectively giving you a form of card advantage by negating your opponent’s potential plays.
Resource Acceleration: While Lavinia herself doesn’t directly provide resource acceleration, her presence can restrict opponents’ ability to utilize ramp strategies effectively. This helps maintain parity in resources, especially if your deck is designed to operate efficiently with fewer lands.
Instant Speed: Though Lavinia, Azorius Renegade is a creature and not an instant, her disruptive ability works at all times, which can feel akin to the threat of interacting at instant speed. Your opponents must always consider her static ability when playing their spells, as attempting to cheat on mana costs or play free spells could result in unpleasant surprises, keeping them constantly at bay.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Lavinia, Azorius Renegade doesn’t directly impose a discard cost upon you, but her ability may force a change in your deckbuilding strategy, potentially requiring discards to ensure her disruptive abilities are effective. This could result in having to let go of valuable cards during the game to maintain her functionality.
Specific Mana Cost: Lavinia has a specific mana requirement of one white and one blue. This necessitates a dedicated Azorius-color deck or at least a mana base that can consistently provide both colors, which might not fit into every player’s deck construction plan, reducing her versatility.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: Despite her potential to disrupt opponents’ strategies, Lavinia’s mana cost could be deemed high for a 2/2 creature. Other cards at a similar cost could provide you with more immediate board presence or utility, making her a less appealing option in a fast-paced match where every mana point is critical.
Reasons to Include in Your Collection
Versatility: Lavinia, Azorius Renegade can be a staple in decks seeking to restrict opponents’ gameplay. Its ability to prevent opponents from casting noncreature spells unless they’ve paid mana for them helps to stifle many ramp-based strategies, making it a dynamic tool across various formats.
Combo Potential: In combination with cards designed to make spells cost more, Lavinia can lock out opponents from casting spells altogether. This opens the door for a range of oppressive and control-oriented combos that can turn the tide of a game.
Meta-Relevance: With Lavinia’s ability to disrupt strategies reliant on cheating costs or cascading spells, it may become increasingly relevant if these strategies rise in popularity. Its inclusion can be a strategic choice to hedge against evolving meta trends that favor explosive plays.
How to beat Lavinia, Azorius Renegade
Lavinia, Azorius Renegade is a unique piece of the MTG puzzle, holding the line against opponents’ noncreature spells that they cast without using mana. This means your traditional approach of casting powerful spells for free from ramps or alternative methods hits a wall. Strategies such as free-casting spells via Omniscience or cheating spells onto the battlefield with the likes of Electrodominance are stunted.
To navigate around Lavinia’s limitations, consider focusing on creature-based plays or relying on cast triggers that occur regardless of her presence. Remember that cards with alternate cost payment methods like Force of Will or using abilities that put cards directly onto the battlefield still function under her watch. Direct removal spells remain one of the most straightforward answers, so keep a suite of kill spells or board wipes in your arsenal to clear the way for your spells to flow freely once again. Another angle is to utilize lands that generate more than one mana, as they are not negated by Lavinia’s abilities.
Ultimately, adapting to Lavinia’s restriction demands a tactical shift, reinforcing decks with robust responses to ensure your game plan can persevere despite her rigorous enforcement of the rules.
Cards like Lavinia, Azorius Renegade
In the realm of rule-enforcing cards within MTG, Lavinia, Azorius Renegade holds a respected position. Just like Lavinia, cards such as Thalia, Guardian of Thraben, and Gaddock Teeg have earned their status for disrupting opponent strategies. Thalia taxes noncreature spells, making it difficult for the opponent to roll out a spell-heavy agenda. Gaddock Teeg takes this principle even further by preventing the casting of costly spells altogether.
Another peer in the realm of strategic control is Meddling Mage. Like Lavinia, it can hamper an opponent’s game plan by naming and therefore prohibiting a specific card from being played. Yet, Lavinia’s unique ability to stop opponents from casting noncreature spells for free puts her in a league of her own, especially in scenarios where players tend to cheat spells onto the battlefield without paying their mana costs.
Scrutinizing their impact on gameplay, each of these cards—Lavinia included—plays a pivotal role tailored to shutting down particular tactics. However, Lavinia’s specific niche against zero-cost spells and her added feature of rendering illegal spells ineffective upon cast distinguishes her as an exceptional choice for players seeking to lock down the board against nontraditional strategies.
Cards similar to Lavinia, Azorius Renegade by color, type and mana cost
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Lavinia, Azorius Renegade MTG card by a specific set like Magic Online Promos and Ravnica Allegiance Promos, 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 Lavinia, Azorius Renegade 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
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Printings
The Lavinia, Azorius Renegade Magic the Gathering card was released in 5 different sets between 2019-01-25 and 2024-01-12. Illustrated by 2 different artists.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Magic Online Promos | PRM | 71588 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Matt Stewart | ||
| 2 | 2019-01-25 | Ravnica Allegiance Promos | PRNA | 189 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Matt Stewart | |
| 3 | 2019-01-25 | Ravnica Allegiance | RNA | 189 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Steven Belledin | |
| 4 | 2019-01-25 | Ravnica Allegiance Promos | PRNA | 189s | 2015 | Normal | Black | Steven Belledin | |
| 5 | 2021-03-19 | Time Spiral Remastered | TSR | 380 | 1997 | Normal | Black | Steven Belledin | |
| 6 | 2024-01-12 | Ravnica Remastered | RVR | 195 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Steven Belledin | |
| 7 | 2024-01-12 | Ravnica Remastered | RVR | 370 | 1997 | Normal | Black | Steven Belledin | |
| 8 | 2024-01-12 | Ravnica Remastered | RVR | 370z | 2015 | Normal | Black | Steven Belledin |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Lavinia, Azorius Renegade has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Historicbrawl | Legal |
| Commander | Legal |
| Historic | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Explorer | Legal |
| Gladiator | Legal |
| Pioneer | Legal |
| Timeless | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Lavinia, Azorius Renegade card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2021-03-19 | Effects that modify or replace the cost to cast a spell (such as flashback or casting a spell without paying its mana cost due to suspend) don’t affect the spell’s mana value, so they won’t change whether Lavinia’s first ability restricts that spell from being cast. |
| 2021-03-19 | For spells with in their mana costs, use the value chosen for X to determine the spell’s mana value. |
| 2021-03-19 | If an effect allows a player to cast a spell without paying its mana cost, that player can’t choose to cast it and pay its mana cost unless another rule or effect allows that player to cast it that way. However, if that spell also has additional costs that require mana, paying that mana will stop Lavinia’s last ability from triggering. |
| 2021-03-19 | Players may cast spells that they know Lavinia will counter. Any abilities that trigger when spells are cast will trigger and resolve if appropriate, and any effects that count spells cast will count those spells if appropriate. |
