Loam Lion MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 3 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost1
RarityUncommon
TypeCreature — Cat
Power 1
Toughness 1

Key Takeaways

  1. Loam Lion excels early game with potential to become a substantial threat quickly, at a low mana cost.
  2. Requires specific lands in play, posing mana base restrictions for deck inclusion and possible hand depletion.
  3. Its ability to integrate into land-focused strategies makes it a resilient contender in aggressive decks.

Text of card

Loam Lion gets +1/+2 as long as you control a Forest.

ゼンディカーでは、今日の草原は明日の密林であり、狩場も天気と同じぐらいにすぐ変わってしまう。


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Though Loam Lion itself does not directly provide card advantage, its low cost and high power potential allow it to become a significant threat that can either demand an answer from an opponent, often costing them a card, or facilitate faster wins preserving your hand.

Resource Acceleration: Loam Lion shines in its ability to offer an aggressive start. While not directly providing resource acceleration, its efficient mana cost allows for a robust early game presence, paving the way for more substantial threats sooner than later.

Instant Speed: While Loam Lion is a creature and doesn’t have instant speed mechanics, its presence on the battlefield requires opponents to always consider its potential strength during their actions, especially when you have lands in play that can boost its power at a moment’s notice.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Loam Lion’s optimal play necessitates having lands in hand to discard, which can become a daunting task, especially if your hand is running low and every card counts.

Specific Mana Cost: Loam Lion requires both white and green mana for optimal performance, potentially restricting its inclusion in decks outside of those color combinations due to mana base constraints.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: For what is essentially a 1/1 creature, needing to have specific types of lands in play for it to scale can result in a mana efficiency issue when compared to other low-cost creatures that provide value right off the bat.


Reasons to Include Loam Lion in Your Collection

Versatility: Loam Lion’s strength is that it’s a one-mana creature with the potential to quickly become a 2/3, making it extremely efficient in decks that leverage land type manipulation. It fits in well with any deck focusing on a Zoo strategy or those requiring aggressive one-drops.

Combo Potential: The card can serve as an integral part of land-themed synergies or combos. Coupled with cards that change land types or fetch lands, Loam Lion can consistently be a formidable threat from the very first turn of the game.

Meta-Relevance: Given the increasing popularity of fast-paced aggro decks, Loam Lion holds its ground in the meta by offering early game presence and pressure on the opponent, proving valuable in the current landscape of MTG play.


How to Beat Loam Lion

Loam Lion is a well-regarded creature card within the ranks of aggressive White and Green decks. Its key strength lies in its potential to become a 2/3 for only one white mana, given you control a Forest. Defeating a card with such efficiency requires strategic planning. Players often turn to removal spells that surpass the creature’s toughness at a low mana cost or utilize creature abilities that can neutralize it before it grows stronger.

One effective tactic is to employ cards that can deal with multiple creatures at once, like board wipes or cards such as ‘Electrickery’, which can reach a 2 toughness creature for a minimal investment. Additionally, combat tricks that boost your own creatures’ power allow you to trade favorably with the Loam Lion or even surpass it in combat without the need for a direct removal spell, maintaining board presence while dealing with the threat. Acknowledging Loam Lion’s reliance on land types also opens up the possibility of land disruption strategies, although these are less common and more situational compared to direct creature control.

Adapting to your meta and preparing your deck with answers for 1-drop powerhouses like Loam Lion can tilt the scales in your favor, maintaining control in the early stages of the game where such creatures shine the most.


Cards like Loam Lion

Loam Lion, a valued creature card in Magic: The Gathering, shares a kinship with other similar ‘land matter’ creatures such as Wild Nacatl and Steppe Lynx. Much like Loam Lion, which gets a boost from owning a Forest, Wild Nacatl’s power increases with either a Mountain or a Plains on the field. This makes both cards quite potent in decks that can reliably provide the necessary land types. On the other side, you have Steppe Lynx, which also gains advantage from land plays—but only temporarily following a landfall.

While each card bears its unique traits, the Loam Lion stands out for its consistent strength enhancement as long as a Forest is present, as opposed to the Lynx’s fleeting might tied to a specific turn action. In the landscape of MTG, balancing such attributes is crucial for deck building. The consistent power boost may, in many cases, be more strategically valuable than a temporary spike offered by a landfall ability.

Evaluating these similarities and differences among ‘land matter’ creatures is essential. Loam Lion finds its niche in decks that can benefit from its steady power gain, making it a solid choice for players who capitalize on such synergies.

Wild Nacatl - MTG Card versions
Steppe Lynx - MTG Card versions
Wild Nacatl - Shards of Alara (ALA)
Steppe Lynx - Zendikar (ZEN)

Cards similar to Loam Lion by color, type and mana cost

Savannah Lions - MTG Card versions
Benalish Hero - MTG Card versions
Icatian Infantry - MTG Card versions
Icatian Scout - MTG Card versions
Icatian Javelineers - MTG Card versions
Kjeldoran Warrior - MTG Card versions
Trade Caravan - MTG Card versions
Vigilant Martyr - MTG Card versions
Honor Guard - MTG Card versions
Nomads en-Kor - MTG Card versions
Volunteer Militia - MTG Card versions
Soul Warden - MTG Card versions
Resistance Fighter - MTG Card versions
Cho-Arrim Alchemist - MTG Card versions
Honorable Scout - MTG Card versions
Eager Cadet - MTG Card versions
Devoted Caretaker - MTG Card versions
Faerie Guidemother // Gift of the Fae - MTG Card versions
Kor Duelist - MTG Card versions
Yoshimaru, Ever Faithful - MTG Card versions
Savannah Lions - 30th Anniversary Edition (30A)
Benalish Hero - 30th Anniversary Edition (30A)
Icatian Infantry - Fallen Empires (FEM)
Icatian Scout - Fallen Empires (FEM)
Icatian Javelineers - Masters Edition II (ME2)
Kjeldoran Warrior - Ice Age (ICE)
Trade Caravan - Homelands (HML)
Vigilant Martyr - Mirage (MIR)
Honor Guard - Ninth Edition (9ED)
Nomads en-Kor - Tempest Remastered (TPR)
Volunteer Militia - Portal Second Age (P02)
Soul Warden - Historic Anthology 1 (HA1)
Resistance Fighter - Classic Sixth Edition (6ED)
Cho-Arrim Alchemist - Mercadian Masques (MMQ)
Honorable Scout - Planeshift (PLS)
Eager Cadet - Eighth Edition (8ED)
Devoted Caretaker - Odyssey (ODY)
Faerie Guidemother // Gift of the Fae - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Kor Duelist - Wizards Play Network 2009 (PWP09)
Yoshimaru, Ever Faithful - Magic Online Promos (PRM)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Loam Lion MTG card by a specific set like Resale Promos and Worldwake, 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 Loam Lion and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Loam Lion Magic the Gathering card was released in 3 different sets between 2007-01-01 and 2011-09-02. Illustrated by Daniel Ljunggren.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12007-01-01Resale PromosPRES 13★2003normalblackDaniel Ljunggren
22010-02-05WorldwakeWWK 132003normalblackDaniel Ljunggren
32011-09-02Duel Decks: Ajani vs. Nicol BolasDDH 52003normalblackDaniel Ljunggren

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Loam Lion has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderRestricted
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal

Rules and information

The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Loam Lion card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.

DateText
2010-03-01 Loam Lion either gets +1/+2 or it doesn’t. It doesn’t get the bonus for each Forest you control.

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