Minion of Leshrac MTG Card
1995-06-03 - Number 150
2008-09-22 - Number 104
| Card sets | Released in 2 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 7 |
| Rarity | Rare |
| Type | Creature — Demon Minion |
| Abilities | Protection |
| Power | 5 |
| Toughness | 5 |
Text of card
Protection from black During your upkeep, sacrifice a creature or Minion of Leshrac deals 5 damage to you. If Minion of Leshrac deals damage to you in this way, tap it. You cannot sacrifice Minion of Leshrac to itself. oc T: Destroy target creature or land.
Cards like Minion of Leshrac
Minion of Leshrac is an intriguing creature in the universe of Magic: The Gathering. Its uniqueness lies within its ability to destroy target creature or land at the cost of sacrificing a creature or land each upkeep. This mirrors the effect of Avatar of Woe, which also allows the destruction of creatures, but without the additional upkeep cost. Both offer potent battlefield control, yet their activation conditions differ, making Minion of Leshrac a more high-maintenance choice.
Another analogous card is Dread Presence, which shares the theme of land interaction. Dread Presence provides value when swamps enter the battlefield under your control, offering either card draw or life loss to an opponent. While it lacks the direct creature control that Minion of Leshrac provides, it makes up for it with consistent value generation and no sacrificial costs.
The menace and control Minion of Leshrac brings to the game are undeniable. Despite the significant costs involved, for players who can effectively manage their resources, Minion of Leshrac can dominate the battlefield akin to its counterparts in MTG’s vast library of impactful creatures.
Cards similar to Minion of Leshrac by color, type and mana cost
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Minion of Leshrac offers a level of control over the board by providing the ability to destroy target creature or land every turn without extra cost. This repeatable action can lead to a significant advantage over the course of a game as it systematically dismantles your opponent’s resources.
Resource Acceleration: While this card doesn’t directly accelerate resources in terms of mana, the elimination of opponent’s lands can impede their resource progression, indirectly accelerating your relative position in the game. This can pave the way for you to cast high-impact spells sooner than your adversary.
Instant Speed: Although Minion of Leshrac does not operate at instant speed, it compensates with a powerful upkeep ability. This grants a persistent threat that must be dealt with, lest it continues to accrue value each turn, affecting the pace at which your opponent can safely play out their hand and plan their strategies.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Enlisting the service of Minion of Leshrac comes at a price beyond its mana cost. Players must forfeit another card from their hand each turn, potentially depleting valuable resources and strategies over time.
Specific Mana Cost: Minion of Leshrac’s allegiance lies strictly with Black mana, demanding a total of four Black mana sources. This level of specificity necessitates a deck heavily invested in Swamps or mana-fixing abilities, limiting its inclusion to mono-Black or heavily Black-focused deck builds.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: Requiring seven mana, Minion of Leshrac commands a substantial investment before hitting the battlefield. This can be cumbersome compared to other creatures or spells at this mana threshold, which could provide immediate board impact or game-altering effects without the ongoing commitment of further card discards.
Reasons to Include Minion of Leshrac in Your Collection
Versatility: Minion of Leshrac offers a unique blend of abilities that allow it to adapt to various situations. Its power to destroy any target permanent at no mana cost makes it a flexible removal option within black-centric or multicolor decks.
Combo Potential: When coupled with cards that can mitigate or leverage the sacrifices it requires, Minion of Leshrac becomes a formidable component of combo decks. Its capability to control the board each turn can be exploited for strategic advantages.
Meta-Relevance: This card excels in environments where permanent-based strategies dominate. As metas evolve, the inclusion of this potent disruption tool may prove essential against decks heavily reliant on specific permanents.
How to beat
The Minion of Leshrac is a formidable card that can pose a significant challenge in a Magic: The Gathering match. Its ability to destroy target creature or land at no cost other than tapping can be quite problematic, especially given that it can do this action during each of your turns. It’s important to have strategies in place to counteract this powerful effect.
To stand a chance against this powerful creature, it’s essential to focus on removal strategies that do not depend on targeting or can act at instant speed. Since Minion of Leshrac also has protection from black, running spells in other colors that can exile or destroy it without targeting it directly, like board wipes, can be particularly effective. You might also want to disable the card’s various abilities by utilizing cards that can strip its powers or prevent activations, such as pithing needle.
Another approach is to play around the minion’s potential downside, which is its requirement to sacrifice a creature during your upkeep. Decks that can repeatedly produce creature tokens can outpace the minion’s demand and reduce the overall impact on your board presence. By carefully managing your resources and utilizing broad removal, you can overcome even the most challenging creatures, like the Minion of Leshrac, and secure your path to victory.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Minion of Leshrac MTG card by a specific set like Ice Age and Masters Edition II, 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 Minion of Leshrac 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
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Printings
The Minion of Leshrac Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 1995-06-03 and 2008-09-22. Illustrated by Allen Williams.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1995-06-03 | Ice Age | ICE | 150 | 1993 | Normal | Black | Allen Williams | |
| 2 | 2008-09-22 | Masters Edition II | ME2 | 104 | 1997 | Normal | Black | Allen Williams |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Minion of Leshrac has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Premodern | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Predh | Legal |
| Penny | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Minion of Leshrac card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2008-10-01 | If you don’t sacrifice a creature at the beginning of your upkeep (either by choice or because you can’t), but you somehow prevent all the damage Minion of Leshrac would deal to you, then you don’t tap Minion of Leshrac. |
| 2008-10-01 | Minion of Leshrac can’t target itself with its activated ability because it has protection from black. |