Leonin Sun Standard MTG Card


Leonin Sun Standard - Mirrodin
Mana cost
Converted mana cost2
RarityRare
TypeArtifact
Released2003-10-02
Set symbol
Set nameMirrodin
Set codeMRD
Number194
Frame2003
Layoutnormal
Borderblack
Illustred byJim Nelson

Key Takeaways

  1. Affordable casting cost facilitates early game plays, allowing for strategic mana allocation elsewhere.
  2. Instant-speed activations can surprise opponents and shift combat outcomes significantly.
  3. Mandatory discard and specific mana requirements may limit its versatility in varied decks.

Text of card

: Creatures you control get +1/+1 until end of turn.

The commander tells the troops where to go, but the standard reminds them why they're there.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Leonin Sun Standard offers a multiplicative advantage by boosting creature power, turning single creatures into significant threats over repeated turns. This can pressure opponents and outpace their card resources while enhancing your battlefield presence.

Resource Acceleration: While not directly producing mana or tokens, Leonin Sun Standard’s low casting cost allows for a quick setup, enabling you to allocate resources to other spells and threats. Its ability can be activated using any spare mana, effectively converting excess resources into combat prowess round after round.

Instant Speed: The ability to pump your creatures at instant speed with Leonin Sun Standard offers the strategic advantage of surprise during combat. This flexibility keeps opponents guessing and allows you to make pivotal power boosts in response to threats or during the declare blockers step, potentially altering the course of the game in your favor.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: The Leonin Sun Standard requires players to discard another card as part of its activation cost. This can be a hurdle for MTG players who are managing a tight hand, necessitating tactical deliberation about hand resource management during gameplay.

Specific Mana Cost: This card’s activation is locked behind a specific mana cost that includes white mana, potentially restricting its integration in decks that do not heavily feature white mana or have a diverse mana base capable of accommodating such costs.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With an activation cost that might be considered steep in comparison to other cards with similar effects, it may not always be the most mana-efficient choice for players looking to enhance their board state or respond to opponents’ threats.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Leonin Sun Standard offers a flexible boost to creature-based strategies, fitting seamlessly into white weenie or aggro decks that value the increase in power and toughness.

Combo Potential: This card’s ability to pump up your creatures can synergize well with effects that trigger on combat damage or other abilities that become more potent as your creatures grow in size.

Meta-Relevance: In an environment where board presence is key, Leonin Sun Standard can be an excellent tool to turn the tides in your favor, making it a smart addition in a fluctuating competitive scene.


How to beat Leonin Sun Standard

Leonin Sun Standard demonstrates its prowess as an anthem effect within the battlefield by boosting your creatures’ power, setting the stage for commanding attacks. Facing this card in Magic: The Gathering can be challenging due to the combat advantages it provides. To counter this card effectively, controlling the board becomes pivotal. Removal spells like Doom Blade or Path to Exile can swiftly eliminate key creatures before the buff from Leonin Sun Standard is applied. Additionally, enchantment destruction spells, such as Disenchant, provide a direct way to deal with the artifact itself, bypassing its potential to amplify threats on board.

In games where Leonin Sun Standard shines, maintaining pressure on your opponent’s resources can prevent them from capitalizing on the artifact’s abilities. A savvy approach would involve limiting their opportunities to maximize its usage by keeping their creature count low, therefore minimizing the impact of its power-boosting effect. Artifact disruption, creature control, and staying ahead on board all play pivotal roles in diminishing Leonin Sun Standard’s impact in MTG matches.


Cards like Leonin Sun Standard

Leonin Sun Standard is a unique artifact in MTG that boosts the might of your creatures. Similar to cards like Glorious Anthem, it offers a persistent power and toughness increase, yet it provides the flexibility for strategic timing. While Glorious Anthem grants a flat +1/+1 to all your creatures by default, Leonin Sun Standard shines with its ability to scale your offensive power at critical moments, albeit at the cost of mana investment for each activation.

Another analogy could be drawn with Honor of the Pure, specifically bolstering white creatures which bear relevance to the Leonin Sun Standard’s affinity with White Weenie or Cat Tribal decks. Nonetheless, the Sun Standard favors a more surgically targeted application, capable of pumping individual creatures or the entire team during combat. Cards like Honor of the Pure, on the other hand, exclude non-white creatures, thus limiting their versatility.

In assessing its niche, the Leonin Sun Standard occupies a space where it competes with static enhancers but offers an added layer of tactical depth. Its utility in response to your opponent’s actions makes it a card worth considering for decks that can capitalize on instant speed tricks and incremental advantage.

Glorious Anthem - MTG Card versions
Honor of the Pure - MTG Card versions
Glorious Anthem - Urza's Saga (USG)
Honor of the Pure - Magic 2010 Promos (PM10)

Cards similar to Leonin Sun Standard by color, type and mana cost

Marble Diamond - MTG Card versions
Lion Sash - MTG Card versions
Dancing Sword - MTG Card versions
Kayla's Music Box - MTG Card versions
Healer's Headdress - MTG Card versions
Ethersworn Canonist - MTG Card versions
Metallurgeon - MTG Card versions
Trigon of Mending - MTG Card versions
Cathedral Membrane - MTG Card versions
Gold Myr - MTG Card versions
Knight of the Kitchen Sink - MTG Card versions
Jackknight - MTG Card versions
Glass Casket - MTG Card versions
Shining Armor - MTG Card versions
Old Guard - MTG Card versions
Cogworker's Puzzleknot - MTG Card versions
Ancestral Blade - MTG Card versions
Halvar, God of Battle // Sword of the Realms - MTG Card versions
Valkyrie's Sword - MTG Card versions
Arcbound Prototype - MTG Card versions
Marble Diamond - Commander Legends: Battle for Baldur's Gate (CLB)
Lion Sash - Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty Promos (PNEO)
Dancing Sword - Adventures in the Forgotten Realms Promos (PAFR)
Kayla's Music Box - The Brothers' War Commander (BRC)
Healer's Headdress - Fifth Dawn (5DN)
Ethersworn Canonist - Double Masters (2XM)
Metallurgeon - Archenemy (ARC)
Trigon of Mending - Scars of Mirrodin (SOM)
Cathedral Membrane - New Phyrexia (NPH)
Gold Myr - Duel Decks: Mirrodin Pure vs. New Phyrexia (TD2)
Knight of the Kitchen Sink - Unstable (UST)
Jackknight - The List (Unfinity Foil Edition) (ULST)
Glass Casket - Wilds of Eldraine (WOE)
Shining Armor - The List (PLST)
Old Guard - Unsanctioned (UND)
Cogworker's Puzzleknot - Kaladesh Remastered (KLR)
Ancestral Blade - Commander Masters (CMM)
Halvar, God of Battle // Sword of the Realms - Kaldheim (KHM)
Valkyrie's Sword - Kaldheim (KHM)
Arcbound Prototype - Jumpstart: Historic Horizons (J21)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Leonin Sun Standard MTG card by a specific set like Mirrodin, 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 Leonin Sun Standard and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Leonin Sun Standard has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal
PennyLegal

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