Stinging Licid MTG Card


Stinging Licid - Tempest
Mana cost
Converted mana cost2
RarityUncommon
TypeCreature — Licid
Released1997-10-14
Set symbol
Set nameTempest
Set codeTMP
Power 1
Toughness 1
Number91
Frame1997
Layoutnormal
Borderblack
Illustred byPaolo Parente

Key Takeaways

  1. Stinging Licid provides card advantage by avoiding removals as it changes form.
  2. Instantly attaching/detaching disrupts the opponent’s strategy effectively.
  3. The card’s high mana cost can hinder tempo compared to other blue cards.

Text of card

o1o U, oc T: Stinging Licid loses this ability and becomes a creature enchantment that reads "Whenever enchanted creature becomes tapped, Stinging Licid deals 2 damage to that creature's controller" instead of a creature. Move Stinging Licid onto target creature. You may pay o U to end this effect.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Stinging Licid offers incremental card advantage by transforming from a creature to an enchantment, allowing you to bypass certain removals and providing flexibility in its use.

Resource Acceleration: This unique card can effectively tap potential attackers or blockers, potentially accelerating your board state advantage without costing additional resources each turn.

Instant Speed: As an instant, Stinging Licid can attach or detach at the end or beginning of an opponent’s turn, disrupting their strategy and preserving your tactical options without committing to a single course of action prematurely.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Stinging Licid demands that you give up a potential resource, which is discarding a card, to utilize its untap feature. This can put you at a disadvantage in long games where each card in hand counts.

Specific Mana Cost: Harnessing Stinging Licid’s abilities requires a specific commitment to blue mana. This can restrict the flexibility of your deck and may not synergize well with multi-colored strategies that rely on a different mana base.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: When evaluating the mana investment against the benefits it provides, Stinging Licid has a relatively high mana cost for its relatively modest effect. This can impact your tempo, especially when there are other options in the blue color that might provide a greater impact for the same or less mana.


Reasons to Include Stinging Licid in Your Collection

Versatility: Stinging Licid offers a unique flexibility in gameplay, allowing players to attach it as an aura or revert it back to a creature as the situation demands. Its adaptability makes it a valuable addition to decks that thrive on reactive strategies and tactical maneuvers.

Combo Potential: With the ability to turn into an aura, Stinging Licid can be combined with other cards that capitalize on enchantments or benefit from targeted tap abilities. It’s particularly effective in decks that look to exploit these kinds of synergies for control or combo wins.

Meta-Relevance: In environments where creatures play a significant role, Stinging Licid can serve as a crucial piece to disrupt opponents. It’s especially potent in metas where stopping or deterring attackers can be the difference between victory and defeat.


How to beat

Stinging Licid offers a unique tactical advantage in Magic: The Gathering with its ability to temporarily become an enchantment, making it a pesky obstacle on the battlefield. One effective method to disarm this threat is through pinpoint removal spells that can eliminate it irrespective of its state, as creature or enchantment. Cards like Naturalize or Disenchant are highly versatile, allowing players to address Stinging Licid when it latches onto other creatures as an aura.

Another strategy is to implement board wipes like Wrath of God or Damnation. These enable you to sweep the field clean, Licid attachments notwithstanding. Players should also consider cards that prevent activation of abilities, such as Pithing Needle, particularly if facing a deck heavily reliant on Licid’s skills. In games where countering is key, having spells like Negate or Essence Scatter can serve to thwart a Stinging Licid before it can establish control, ensuring it never becomes a threat.

Knowing the proper timing to disrupt or remove Stinging Licid is critical for maintaining an upper hand. By keeping these responses in your deck, you significantly reduce the efficacy of Stinging Licid and can better dictate the pace and outcome of the match.


Cards like Stinging Licid

Stinging Licid falls into the unique category of creatures within Magic the Gathering, particularly known for its ability to become an Aura enchantment. Much like the enchanting Licid brothers, such as Gliding Licid or Tempting Licid, Stinging Licid offers versatility in gameplay. However, Stinging Licid distinguishes itself with the ability to essentially tap an opponent’s creature and deal damage over time. This mirrors, to a lesser extent, the functionality of cards like Trip Noose or Heavy Arbalest, which focus on controlling and whittling down opposing creatures.

Another parallel can be drawn with Gideon’s Lawkeeper, a creature with a tap ability but lacks the recurring damage feature that Stinging Licid provides. Furthermore, Fisher’s Lantern presents a similar tap-down effect at the expense of card advantage. While these cards share the concept of neutralizing threats, Stinging Licid maintains a persistent presence on the board by attaching itself to creatures and continuously impacting the state of the game with consistent damage output.

Analyzing Stinging Licid alongside its counterparts reveals its niche role in MTG as both a control and damage-dealing tool. As players consider their options, Stinging Licid’s dual nature may offer the strategic edge they seek in games where controlling combat and incremental damage are key.

Gliding Licid - MTG Card versions
Tempting Licid - MTG Card versions
Trip Noose - MTG Card versions
Heavy Arbalest - MTG Card versions
Gideon's Lawkeeper - MTG Card versions
Gliding Licid - Stronghold (STH)
Tempting Licid - Stronghold (STH)
Trip Noose - Shadowmoor (SHM)
Heavy Arbalest - Scars of Mirrodin (SOM)
Gideon's Lawkeeper - Magic 2012 (M12)

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

Vodalian Soldiers - MTG Card versions
Zephyr Falcon - MTG Card versions
Giant Albatross - MTG Card versions
Phantasmal Sphere - MTG Card versions
Skyshroud Condor - MTG Card versions
School of Piranha - MTG Card versions
Coral Merfolk - MTG Card versions
Wu Light Cavalry - MTG Card versions
Sea Eagle - MTG Card versions
Overtaker - MTG Card versions
Hazy Homunculus - MTG Card versions
Darting Merfolk - MTG Card versions
Thought Eater - MTG Card versions
Spellstutter Sprite - MTG Card versions
Sneaky Homunculus - MTG Card versions
Coral Eel - MTG Card versions
Storm Crow - MTG Card versions
Aquamoeba - MTG Card versions
Soratami Cloudskater - MTG Card versions
Minamo Sightbender - MTG Card versions
Vodalian Soldiers - Fallen Empires (FEM)
Zephyr Falcon - Fourth Edition (4ED)
Giant Albatross - Homelands (HML)
Phantasmal Sphere - Alliances (ALL)
Skyshroud Condor - Tempest (TMP)
School of Piranha - Exodus (EXO)
Coral Merfolk - Seventh Edition (7ED)
Wu Light Cavalry - Portal Three Kingdoms (PTK)
Sea Eagle - Starter 1999 (S99)
Overtaker - Mercadian Masques Promos (PMMQ)
Hazy Homunculus - Prophecy (PCY)
Darting Merfolk - World Championship Decks 2001 (WC01)
Thought Eater - Odyssey (ODY)
Spellstutter Sprite - Secret Lair Drop (SLD)
Sneaky Homunculus - Eighth Edition (8ED)
Coral Eel - Eighth Edition (8ED)
Storm Crow - Eighth Edition (8ED)
Aquamoeba - World Championship Decks 2003 (WC03)
Soratami Cloudskater - Champions of Kamigawa (CHK)
Minamo Sightbender - Betrayers of Kamigawa (BOK)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Stinging 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 Stinging Licid and other MTG cards:

Continue exploring other sealed products in Amazon
See Magic products

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Stinging Licid has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderRestricted
OathbreakerLegal
PremodernLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal

Rules and information

The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Stinging 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