King of the Pride MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 6 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost3
RarityUncommon
TypeCreature — Cat
Power 2
Toughness 1

Key Takeaways

  1. Boosts multiple Cat creatures’ power, significantly increasing overall board strength with one card.
  2. Provides immediate impact upon play, akin to instant speed effects, to swiftly advance game state.
  3. Cost-effective only in decks that utilize many Cat creatures, limiting its versatility.

Text of card

Other Cats you control get +2/+1.

"Glorious, to walk again across the savannah with my beloved." —"Love Song of Night and Day"


Card Pros

Card Advantage: King of the Pride offers more than just a single beast on the battlefield. This MTG card allows you to buff all other Cat creatures you control, effectively increasing your card advantage by boosting the power of multiple creatures with a single play.

Resource Acceleration: Despite its cost, King of the Pride justifies the investment. It accelerates your resources by strengthening your board presence without requiring additional mana for every Cat creature you control. This helps create opportunities for quick, lethal strikes against your opponent.

Instant Speed: Although King of the Pride isn’t an instant, its impact is immediately felt when it hits play. This immediate stat buff represents a pseudo-instant speed effect, keeping your opponents on their toes and adding an additional layer of complexity to the gameplay.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: The King of the Pride presents limitations as there can be a dire need to discard a card, leading to a subsequent disadvantage if your strategic reservoir is thin.

Specific Mana Cost: The casting cost includes a specific color, in this case white, that may bottleneck its usage to predominantly white or multi-color decks, restricting its adaptability.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Despite its commanding presence, the King of the Pride comes with a mana cost of three. In the arena of MTG, there is a plethora of other cards that could afford similar or greater effects considering mana efficiency.


Reasons to Include King of the Pride in Your Collection

Versatility: As a Tribal card, King of the Pride has the capacity to seamlessly blend into various deck types. Most notably, it thrives in decks that capitalise on tribal synergies, particularly those built around Cats.

Combo Potential: This card can lead to powerful combos due to its ability to enhance the strength of other Cat creatures on the field. Utilised correctly, it can set off chains of boosted attacks that potentially overwhelm your opponents.

Meta-Relevance: King of the Pride holds its ground, even within the dynamic nature of the MTG meta-game. Its power to amplify Cat-based decks, coupled with a high toughness value, makes it a formidable contender against a variety of meta strategies.


How to beat

King of the Pride poses a significant threat in Magic: The Gathering due to its ability to pump up other cat creatures. The challenge players face is dealing with the structured solidarity of a cat-enabled army. A potent example, Murder can obliterate the threat instantly, hitting with targeted removal power that strips the board clean of King of the Pride’s influence.

On the other hand, a more strategic approach could involve using bounce spells such as Unsummon. It disrupts the tempo of King of the Pride’s build-up while buying time to initiate counter-strategies. Sacrifice effects, represented by cards like Chainer’s Edict, are hard for the opponent to dodge and can wipe the King of the Pride off the board.

In a broader perspective, board-wipes like Damnation could entirely reset the board, taking all creatures off the battlefield, King of the Pride included. All in all, various counteractive strategies extend from instant removal to tactical gameplay adjustments that can effectively deal with King of the Pride.


BurnMana Recommendations

King of the Pride is a standout MTG card for anyone looking to strengthen their feline forces on the battlefield. Its ability to give your Cat creatures a significant power boost can turn the tide of a game in your favor. Understand that while it flies high in the right deck, it can be a less fitting choice in non-Cat focused builds. Balancing its strengths and weaknesses is key. If you’re keen to learn how to optimize King of the Pride in your deck or find effective ways to counter it, delve deeper with us. Join our community of MTG enthusiasts to enhance your strategies and make every match you play roar with potential.


Cards like King of the Pride

King of the Pride stands tall in the category of creature boosting cards in Magic: The Gathering. Its comparison with other cards shows an interesting landscape. Primarily, Icon of Ancestry is its close alternative. Both boost the power of creatures, but Icon of Ancestry includes a wider range of creature types yet lacking the readily available power-up as King of the Pride does.

Benalish Marshal is another comparable card. Also offering additional power to creatures, yet it has a severe color demand with all-white mana cost. In contrast, King of the Pride’s green and white mana cost is more attainable, leading to easier gameplay.

Similarly, we see the appeal of Metallic Mimic, which offers a slight enhancement to creatures and allows counters for each new creature entering. It, however, does not provide the immediate boost that King of the Pride ensures.

Summarizing, King of the Pride maintains its position in Magic: The Gathering due to its simplicity and effectiveness in boosting creatures. Its comparison with other similar cards underscores its undeniable utility in the game.

Icon of Ancestry - MTG Card versions
Benalish Marshal - MTG Card versions
Metallic Mimic - MTG Card versions
Icon of Ancestry - MTG Card versions
Benalish Marshal - MTG Card versions
Metallic Mimic - MTG Card versions

Cards similar to King of the Pride by color, type and mana cost

Argivian Blacksmith - MTG Card versions
Jamuraan Lion - MTG Card versions
Snow Hound - MTG Card versions
Elvish Healer - MTG Card versions
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Soltari Crusader - MTG Card versions
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Diving Griffin - MTG Card versions
Faithful Squire // Kaiso, Memory of Loyalty - MTG Card versions
Kitsune Palliator - MTG Card versions
Freewind Equenaut - MTG Card versions
Sanctum Guardian - MTG Card versions
Argivian Blacksmith - MTG Card versions
Jamuraan Lion - MTG Card versions
Snow Hound - MTG Card versions
Elvish Healer - MTG Card versions
Femeref Knight - MTG Card versions
Border Guard - MTG Card versions
Stern Marshal - MTG Card versions
Soltari Crusader - MTG Card versions
Town Sentry - MTG Card versions
Benalish Knight - MTG Card versions
Regal Unicorn - MTG Card versions
Wild Griffin - MTG Card versions
Pianna, Nomad Captain - MTG Card versions
Dogged Hunter - MTG Card versions
Sanctum Prelate - MTG Card versions
Diving Griffin - MTG Card versions
Faithful Squire // Kaiso, Memory of Loyalty - MTG Card versions
Kitsune Palliator - MTG Card versions
Freewind Equenaut - MTG Card versions
Sanctum Guardian - MTG Card versions

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase King of the Pride MTG card by a specific set like Magic Online Promos and Modern Horizons, 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 King of the Pride and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The King of the Pride Magic the Gathering card was released in 6 different sets between 2019-06-14 and 2022-12-02. Illustrated by 2 different artists.

#ReleasedNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12002-06-24Magic Online PromosPRM 912251997NormalBlackJonathan Kuo
22019-06-14Modern HorizonsMH1 162015NormalBlackJonathan Kuo
32020-09-26The ListPLST MH1-162015NormalBlackJonathan Kuo
42021-06-18Modern Horizons 1 TimeshiftsH1R 41997NormalBlackJonathan Kuo
52021-08-26Jumpstart: Historic HorizonsJ21 992015NormalBlackJonathan Kuo
62022-12-02Jumpstart 2022J22 572015NormalBlackInuchiyo Meimaru

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where King of the Pride has restrictions

FormatLegality
HistoricbrawlLegal
CommanderLegal
HistoricLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderRestricted
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
GladiatorLegal
PennyLegal
TimelessLegal

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