Stinging Lionfish MTG Card
2020-01-24 - Number 69
2022-07-07 - Number 915
2022-12-02 - Number 352
| Card sets | Released in 3 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 2 |
| Rarity | Uncommon |
| Type | Enchantment Creature — Fish |
| Power | 2 |
| Toughness | 1 |
Text of card
Whenever you cast your first spell during each opponent's turn, you may tap or untap target nonland permanent.
Starfish are its favorite prey.
Cards like Stinging Lionfish
Stinging Lionfish is an intriguing creature card that finds its niche within the pantheon of utility creatures in Magic: The Gathering. Like other enchantment-focused creatures such as Setessan Champion, the Lionfish also leverages enchantments on the battlefield. However, what sets the Lionfish apart is its lower casting cost and its ability to untap another target nonland permanent, not just enchantments, any time you cast a spell during your opponents’ turns.
Comparatively, Naiad of Hidden Coves operates in the same space, offering benefits for playing spells on your opponent’s turn, but it instead reduces the cost of said spells. While Naiad of Hidden Coves can potentially create greater mana efficiency for spell casting, Stinging Lionfish provides more tactical flexibility by untapping permanents, which can be pivotal in maintaining control or triggering useful abilities multiple times around the table.
Another creature to be considered is Gadwick, the Wizened, who also has synergies with nonland permanents by tapping them when you draw cards. Although Gadwick’s abilities are more directly related to card draw, Stinging Lionfish shines in its simplicity and specific interaction with flash spells or enchantments, offering a distinct advantage in decks that maximize such strategies.
Card Pros
Card Advantage: The Stinging Lionfish enhances your card advantage as it permits you to untap another target nonland permanent you control. This synergizes well with permanents that provide card draw or filtering, effectively getting you closer to the cards you need to turn the tide of the game.
Resource Acceleration: With this creature on the board, every time you cast a spell during your opponent’s turn, you get to untap a permanent. This can be particularly powerful for resource acceleration as it allows you to reuse mana rocks or other permanents, ramping up your available resources in subsequent turns.
Instant Speed: The Stinging Lionfish’s ability to interact at instant speed adds a layer of flexibility to your gameplay. This capability can disrupt opponent strategies and give you an edge by maximizing the use of your resources efficiently and unexpectedly, all while conforming to the fast-paced nature of current MTG games.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Stinging Lionfish doesn’t necessitate a discard, but its utility is connected to having other nonland cards to play. Without a range of cheap spells or enchantments in hand, its relevance diminishes.
Specific Mana Cost: This creature requires both blue and generic mana, which could be slightly restrictive. Decks not heavily invested in blue may find it challenging to consistently cast on curve.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: Although Stinging Lionfish comes at a low cost, there’s an indirect one – it demands an enchantment-heavy deck to optimize its payoff. Therefore, its efficiency can be contested by decks that easily mobilize impactful creatures for similar mana investments.
Reasons to Include in Your Collection
Versatility: Stinging Lionfish can seamlessly adapt to various deck builds, particularly those that heavily utilize enchantments or instants. The card’s ability to untap each time you cast a spell with an enchantment resonance adds tactical flexibility to your gameplay.
Combo Potential: Its latent ability to untap gives it innate synergy with strategies revolving around tap and untap mechanics. As a result, it opens up opportunities for combinations with cards to take advantage of consistent untapping, leading to an expansion of your combat and ability activation potential.
Meta-Relevance: With enchantments often playing a pivotal role in shaping the battlefield, the integration of Stinging Lionfish can capitalize on the current meta, providing you an edge by offering efficient utilization of your enchantment spells during opponents’ turns.
How to beat
Stinging Lionfish, a curious creature from the Theros Beyond Death set, offers enchantment and aura deck players a nifty advantage in Magic: The Gathering. With a modest requirement of a mere two mana to cast, this card can create a tempo that’s challenging for opponents to match, especially when it’s triggering its ability during both your turn and your opponent’s.
To effectively counter Stinging Lionfish, prioritize removal spells that can deal with it before its ability triggers. Instant-speed removal like Shock or Fatal Push work well to ensure the Lionfish doesn’t get a chance to become a nuisance. If you’re too late and the Lionfish’s ability is already active, another strategy is to limit its efficacy by reducing the number of enchantments or auras you cast each turn. Instead, focus on establishing a board presence with creatures that can pressure your opponent, pulling their focus away from enchantment synergies and toward managing threats on the board.
Remember, as much as this aquatic adversary can pose a prickly problem, thorough planning and prompt play can ensure the Stinging Lionfish’s sting is nothing more than a fleeting pinch in your Magic: The Gathering matchups.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Stinging Lionfish MTG card by a specific set like Theros Beyond Death and Alchemy Horizons: Baldur's Gate, 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 Stinging Lionfish and other MTG cards:
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- eBay
- Card Kingdom
- Card Market
- Star City Games
- CoolStuffInc
- MTG Mint Card
- Hareruya
- Troll and Toad
- ABU Games
- Card Hoarder Magic Online
- MTGO Traders Magic Online
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Printings
The Stinging Lionfish Magic the Gathering card was released in 3 different sets between 2020-01-24 and 2022-12-02. Illustrated by Christopher Burdett.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2020-01-24 | Theros Beyond Death | THB | 69 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Christopher Burdett | |
| 2 | 2022-07-07 | Alchemy Horizons: Baldur's Gate | HBG | 915 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Christopher Burdett | |
| 3 | 2022-12-02 | Jumpstart 2022 | J22 | 352 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Christopher Burdett |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Stinging Lionfish has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Historicbrawl | Legal |
| Historic | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Paupercommander | Restricted |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Gladiator | Legal |
| Pioneer | Legal |
| Commander | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Explorer | Legal |
| Penny | Legal |
| Timeless | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Stinging Lionfish card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2020-01-24 | An ability that triggers when you cast a spell resolves before the spell that caused it to trigger. It resolves even if that spell is countered. |
| 2020-01-24 | If you have more than one opponent, this ability can trigger once during each of those opponents’ turns. |
| 2020-01-24 | In a Two-Headed Giant game, this ability triggers no more than once during each opposing team’s turn. |
| 2020-01-24 | This ability triggers only on your very first spell during an opponent’s turn, not the first spell after the card is on the battlefield. If you cast a spell before it’s on the battlefield (including if you cast this card somehow during an opponent’s turn), the ability won’t trigger. |