Pride of Lions MTG Card

Card Pros

Card Advantage: One of the biggest benefits of playing with Pride of Lions in your deck is that it often forces your opponent to make unfavorable trades. Being able to deal damage during combat whether it’s blocked or not can lead to early card advantage by whittling down your opponent’s creatures while maintaining board presence.

Resource Acceleration: While this high-powered creature does not directly provide mana acceleration, its sheer presence on the battlefield accelerates your ability to pressure your opponent’s resources. By demanding answers or risking substantial damage, it effectively speeds up the rate at which you deplete your adversary’s defensive options.

Instant Speed: Though Pride of Lions itself does not operate at instant speed, its ability to create a constant threat of damage complements strategies involving instant speed spells and effects. The need for opponents to constantly be wary of its combat damage capabilities allows you to play your instants with greater leverage, often dictating the pace of interactions during combat phases.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Some players find the discard requirement a downside when playing Pride of Lions. Having to let go of potentially useful cards to achieve an attack that doesn’t deplete your hand can be a tough call on the battlefield.

Specific Mana Cost: Pride of Lions comes with a specific mana cost that includes both green mana and generic mana. This cost may pose a limitation for decks that are not heavily invested in green or those that struggle with mana flexibility.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a mana cost of five, including two green, Pride of Lions’ ability to deal damage as though it weren’t blocked can be costly. For the same mana investment, players might find other creatures or spells with more immediate board impact or versatility.

Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Pride of Lions offers a unique advantage as it can deliver damage directly to an opponent, regardless of whether it’s blocked or not. This trait allows it to fit smoothly into decks that capitalize on direct damage strategies.

Combo Potential: When paired with cards that increase its power or provide additional combat phases, Pride of Lions can become a significant threat, offering multiple opportunities to bypass an opponent’s defenses and deal substantial damage.

Meta-Relevance: In a meta that’s heavy on creature-based defenses, Pride of Lions shines brightly. Its ability to push damage through the toughest blockers makes it a game-changer, tipping the scales in matchups that would normally stall with a crowded battlefield.

How to beat

The Pride of Lions is a notable creature card in the world of Magic: The Gathering, prized for its ability to deal damage to a player even when blocked. This means once it attacks, the opponent will feel the lion’s bite regardless of their defenses. However, like all cards, it has its vulnerabilities. To counter this ferocious feline, it’s good strategy to remove it before it can attack. Instant speed removal spells like Doom Blade or Path to Exile offer clean and efficient solutions, taking the Pride of Lions off the board with minimal fuss. Alternatively, counter spells like Cancel also work effectively by preventing the lion from ever entering the battlefield in the first place.

Another tactic is to utilize control elements to limit the card’s impact. Ensnaring cards that keep the Pride of Lions tapped, such as Frost Lynx, or enchantments that pacify it, like Pacifism, can neutralize the threat without having to remove it from the battlefield directly. In a game where tempo and board presence are key, knowing when and how to deal with creatures like Pride of Lions can be the difference between victory and defeat.