Leeching Licid MTG Card


Leeching Licid - Tempest
Mana cost
Converted mana cost2
RarityUncommon
TypeCreature — Licid
Released1997-10-14
Set symbol
Set nameTempest
Set codeTMP
Power 1
Toughness 1
Number141
Frame1997
Layoutnormal
Borderblack
Illustred byJoel Biske

Key Takeaways

  1. Leverage disruption by repeatedly controlling opponent’s creatures, gaining a long-term edge.
  2. Instant-speed Aura conversion offers strategic surprises, disrupting enemy plays.
  3. Negates drawbacks through smart play, avoiding resource strain and maximizing impact.

Text of card

o B, oc T: Leeching Licid loses this ability and becomes a creature enchantment that reads "During the upkeep of enchanted creature's controller, Leeching Licid deals 1 damage to that player" instead of a creature. Move Leeching Licid onto target creature. You may pay o B to end this effect.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Leeching Licid can offer a strategic edge by enabling repeated control of your opponent’s creatures. This recurring effect has the potential to disrupt your adversary’s board presence and generate ongoing card advantage.

Resource Acceleration: Although Leeching Licid itself doesn’t provide direct resource acceleration, the ability to control key creatures can be pivotal. By efficiently tying up the opponent’s resources, you effectively set the pace of the game, potentially leading to a position where your resources can outmatch and outpace theirs.

Instant Speed: The ability to become an Aura at instant speed gives Leeching Licid versatility, allowing you to surprise an opponent by attaching it during their turn or in response to a spell or ability. This flexibility can be crucial in maintaining the upper hand in the duel and can disrupt your opponent’s strategy at a moment’s notice.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Leeching Licid commands a drawback in that it necessitates the discard of a card when you opt to end its bonding with another creature. This can be a strategic setback if your hand is already dwindling, further pressuring your resource management during the game.

Specific Mana Cost: The card’s activation requires an exact mana arrangement, one black, which might not seamlessly integrate into multicolored decks. This can lead to situational conundrums where the presence of Leeching Licid does not harmonize with the deck’s mana flexibility.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With Leeching Licid’s entire cost algorithm standing at two and a black mana to play and another one black mana to activate, it contends with other cards that might consummate a larger impact on the battlefield for a similar or reduced mana investment.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Leeching Licid presents a unique aspect to gameplay by offering the ability to become an Aura. This dual nature makes it adaptable in diverse deck builds and enables various strategic moves, fitting well within decks looking for flexible creature solutions.

Combo Potential: The card’s capacity to latch onto opposing creatures enables it to work cohesively with strategies centered around control and ongoing life loss. It can be paired with cards that reward players for life point swings or penalize opponents for losing life.

Meta-Relevance: Given its ability to disrupt opponents’ plays by attaching to key creatures, Leeching Licid has the potential to play a significant role in specific metagames. Its usage can tilt the balance when creature-based strategies dominate play, making it a smart inclusion against decks relying on pivotal creatures for success.


How to beat

Leeching Licid occupies a unique space in the MTG ecosystem as a creature card with the flexibility to latch onto opposing creatures and siphon off their life force. While this can be a nuisance to deal with, it’s not without countermeasures. One of the most effective strategies is to utilize instant-speed removal spells. This can disrupt the attachment process of the Licid, or remove the creature it targets before the life-sapping ability resolves, which also returns Leeching Licid to its owner’s control as a creature.

Board wipes are another solid approach. Clearing the board not only deals with Leeching Licid but also with the creature it has enhabit. Counter spells also serve as a preemptive strike, never allowing the Licid to hit the board. Lastly, granting your creatures hexproof or shroud can nullify the Licid’s ability from ever taking hold. By considering these tactics and integrating them into your deck, you can prepare yourself for the potential threat that Leeching Licid presents in your MTG matchups.


Cards like Leeching Licid

In the diverse world of Magic: The Gathering, Leeching Licid occupies a unique space among creatures that can turn into Auras. This ability is akin to the mechanic found in cards like Unstable Mutation or Spirit Loop. Unlike these, Leeching Licid gains the power to drain life from opponents while attached to a creature. However, it doesn’t provide the static buffs that Unstable Mutation does to the enchanted creature.

Examining cards such as Parasitic Implant, we see a similar leeching effect. This card allows for the gradual bleed of an opponent’s life total, though it does so without the need to latch onto another creature. There’s also the classic Control Magic, which, while not life-draining, shares the concept of commandeering opponents’ resources by taking control of their creatures. Leeching Licid forgoes that control dynamic for a more parasitic relationship with the host creature.

Overall, while Leeching Licid presents a comparable dynamic to other MTG cards with life-draining abilities or Aura-like characteristics, it carves out a distinct strategy by combining both. This dual nature allows it to adapt to various situations on the battlefield, demonstrating its unique value among similar MTG cards.

Unstable Mutation - MTG Card versions
Spirit Loop - MTG Card versions
Parasitic Implant - MTG Card versions
Control Magic - MTG Card versions
Unstable Mutation - Arabian Nights (ARN)
Spirit Loop - Time Spiral (TSP)
Parasitic Implant - New Phyrexia (NPH)
Control Magic - Limited Edition Alpha (LEA)

Cards similar to Leeching Licid by color, type and mana cost

Drudge Skeletons - MTG Card versions
Erg Raiders - MTG Card versions
Cuombajj Witches - MTG Card versions
Order of the Ebon Hand - MTG Card versions
Bog Imp - MTG Card versions
Wall of Corpses - MTG Card versions
Blighted Shaman - MTG Card versions
Rabid Rats - MTG Card versions
Dakmor Bat - MTG Card versions
Ravenous Rats - MTG Card versions
Flesh Reaver - MTG Card versions
Bloodcurdler - MTG Card versions
Nantuko Shade - MTG Card versions
Piper of the Swarm - MTG Card versions
Undead Augur - MTG Card versions
Shepherd of Rot - MTG Card versions
Swarm of Rats - MTG Card versions
Skullsnatcher - MTG Card versions
Nezumi Cutthroat - MTG Card versions
Stromgald Crusader - MTG Card versions
Drudge Skeletons - Eighth Edition (8ED)
Erg Raiders - Fourth Edition Foreign Black Border (4BB)
Cuombajj Witches - Chronicles (CHR)
Order of the Ebon Hand - Pro Tour Collector Set (PTC)
Bog Imp - Rivals Quick Start Set (RQS)
Wall of Corpses - Mirage (MIR)
Blighted Shaman - Mirage (MIR)
Rabid Rats - Stronghold (STH)
Dakmor Bat - Portal Second Age (P02)
Ravenous Rats - Invasion (INV)
Flesh Reaver - Urza's Saga (USG)
Bloodcurdler - Odyssey (ODY)
Nantuko Shade - Commander 2014 (C14)
Piper of the Swarm - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Undead Augur - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Shepherd of Rot - Onslaught (ONS)
Swarm of Rats - Eighth Edition (8ED)
Skullsnatcher - Salvat 2005 (PSAL)
Nezumi Cutthroat - Salvat 2005 (PSAL)
Stromgald Crusader - Coldsnap (CSP)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Leeching Licid MTG card by a specific set like Tempest, 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 Leeching Licid and other MTG cards:

Continue exploring other sealed products in Amazon
See Magic products

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Leeching Licid has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderRestricted
OathbreakerLegal
PremodernLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal

Rules and information

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

DateText
2013-04-15 If a spell that can target enchantments but not creatures (such as Clear) is cast targeting the Licid after it has become an enchantment, but the Licid’s controller pays the cost, the Licid will no longer be an enchantment. This will result in the spell failing to resolve for having no legal targets.
2013-04-15 Paying the cost to end the effect is a special action and can’t be responded to.

Recent MTG decks

Continue exploring other format decks
More decks