Stalking Leonin MTG Card


Stalking Leonin excels in balancing the board by specifically targeting and exiling creatures. It’s a strategic card that saves mana, indirectly aiding resource acceleration. Presence on the battlefield encourages opponents to rethink attack strategies.
Card setsReleased in 5 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost3
RarityRare
TypeCreature — Cat Archer
Power 3
Toughness 3

Text of card

When Stalking Leonin enters the battlefield, secretly choose an opponent. Reveal the player you chose: Exile target creature that's attacking you if it's controlled by the chosen player. Activate only once.


Cards like Stalking Leonin

The Stalking Leonin card is an intriguing creature card that offers a unique form of board control in MTG. It’s often compared to Banisher Priest, as both cards have the ability to remove an opponent’s creature from the game. Whereas Banisher Priest exiles any target creature until it leaves the battlefield, Stalking Leonin remains more selective, allowing its controller to exile a creature only if its controller is the chosen player, making it particularly potent in multiplayer formats.

Another card for comparison is Fiend Hunter, which shares a similar exile ability with Stalking Leonin. Fiend Hunter also has the potential to permanently exile creatures if the leave-the-battlefield ability is manipulated correctly. However, Fiend Hunter does not offer the same preemptive targeting strategy that the cat card does, meaning Stalking Leonin can be a strategic play in games where politics and threat assessment are key.

Overall, Stalking Leonin offers a unique tactical angle in creature control, standing out for its targeted approach. Although it might not be as flexible as some of its counterparts, its specificity can be a powerful tool in the right deck, showcasing its value among creature-based strategies in MTG.

Banisher Priest - MTG Card versions
Fiend Hunter - MTG Card versions
Banisher Priest - MTG Card versions
Fiend Hunter - MTG Card versions

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Stalking Leonin offers a unique form of card advantage through creature control. On revealing a target opponent’s creature, you effectively negate their advantage by removing it without losing a card yourself. This makes it an excellent choice for balancing the board and maintaining parity in your favor.

Resource Acceleration: While this card doesn’t directly accelerate your resources in terms of mana, it does free up your mana and resources by handling potential threats without the need for additional removal spells. By investing in Stalking Leonin, you’re potentially saving mana for future turns to utilize on other spell casts or board developments.

Instant Speed: Although Stalking Leonin does not operate at instant speed, its ability to exile a revealed creature as soon as it attacks makes it a formidable surprise element on the board. Opponents must carefully consider their attack strategies, knowing that this creature lies in wait, ready to disrupt their plans at a pivotal moment in combat. This preemptive control changes the pace of the game and offers indirect tempo gains akin to instant speed interactions.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Engaging with Stalking Leonin could lead to a scenario where it becomes necessary to discard other valuable cards from your hand. This requirement may cause players to lose crucial momentum during key turns, especially when maintaining a full hand can be critical to success.

Specific Mana Cost: Stalking Leonin demands a precise mana configuration to play—two generic and one white. This requirement confines the card to decks that have a robust white mana base, potentially limiting its versatility across various types of decks.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a casting cost that totals three mana, Stalking Leonin may be perceived as an investment that could strain your mana resources in the early game. When considering other options available for the same or lower cost, there might be alternative creatures or spells that provide more immediate board impact or utility.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Stalking Leonin’s ability to single out and remove a problematic creature makes it a valuable asset in both aggressive and control decks. Its solid presence on the battlefield enables it to serve various roles, from attacker to defender.

Combo Potential: This card’s reveal and destroy ability pairs excellently with effects that can manipulate opponents’ creature choices or uncover cards in their hand, enhancing strategic plays within your deck.

Meta-Relevance: Given its creature-specific removal, Stalking Leonin gains importance in metas teeming with commander-centric or creature-heavy strategies, offering pinpoint precision in dealing with key threats.


How to beat

Stalking Leonin presents a unique challenge on the battlefield as this MTG card brings a combination of board presence and targeted creature removal. To effectively neutralize this feline threat, it’s crucial to understand its “reveal a player” ability, which allows the Leonin’s controller to exile a creature once that player’s identity is unveiled. One effective strategy is to avoid committing high-value creatures to the board until the Leonin’s ability has been triggered, thereby minimizing potential losses.

Another tactic involves the use of hexproof or shroud-enabling spells to protect key creatures from being targeted. Spells that counter creature abilities can also prove useful in thwarting the Leonin’s removal potential. Additionally, if you can manage to remove the Leonin from play before its ability is activated, such as through instant-speed removal or board wipes, you’ll effectively disarm its threat.

Understanding these strategies is vital for players facing Stalking Leonin across the table. By playing around the Leonin’s ability and carefully choosing when to deploy your threats, you can maintain control of the game and ensure that the Stalking Leonin does not disrupt your path to victory.


BurnMana Recommendations

Stalking Leonin’s nuanced abilities make it a strategic asset in MTG, inviting a deeper exploration of gameplay. Mastering its use requires a sophisticated approach to board control and opponent prediction. If you’re keen to refine your deck’s dynamics or challenge your strategic thinking, incorporating Stalking Leonin could be your next smart move. Enhance your collection with this feline force and outwit opponents with its targeted removal prowess. Discover more about optimizing your deck’s potential and navigating the ever-evolving meta. Join us for more insights and elevate your MTG experience to the next level.


Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Stalking Leonin MTG card by a specific set like Treasure Chest and Commander 2017, 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 Stalking Leonin and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Stalking Leonin Magic the Gathering card was released in 5 different sets between 2016-11-16 and 2024-02-09. Illustrated by Zoltan Boros.

#ReleasedNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12016-11-16Treasure ChestPZ2 657692015NormalBlackZoltan Boros
22017-08-25Commander 2017C17 72015NormalBlackZoltan Boros
32020-09-26The ListPLST C17-72015NormalBlackZoltan Boros
42021-04-23Commander 2021C21 1052015NormalBlackZoltan Boros
52024-02-09Murders at Karlov Manor CommanderMKC 862015NormalBlackZoltan Boros

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Stalking Leonin has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
OathbreakerLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal

Rules and information

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

Date Text
2017-08-25 If Stalking Leonin leaves the battlefield and returns, it’s considered a new object. You may choose a new opponent and you may activate its last ability again.
2017-08-25 If a creature is attacking a planeswalker you control, it’s not attacking you. Stalking Leonin’s last ability can’t target it.
2017-08-25 If you didn’t choose an opponent when Stalking Leonin entered the battlefield, you can’t pay the cost to activate its last ability. This will usually happen because you gained control of another player’s Stalking Leonin or because a creature already on the battlefield became a copy of Stalking Leonin.
2017-08-25 If you have multiple Stalking Leonins, you may choose a different opponent for each one. Be careful to keep track of which opponent is chosen for each Stalking Leonin.
2017-08-25 There are several ways to secretly choose an opponent, including writing that player’s name on a piece of paper that’s kept with Stalking Leonin.