Looter il-Kor MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 5 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost2
RarityCommon
TypeCreature — Kor Rogue
Abilities Shadow
Power 1
Toughness 1

Key Takeaways

  1. Looter il-Kor excels in card advantage, facilitating deck cycling and maintaining gameplay pressure.
  2. Its shadow ability allows safe attacks and card draws, increasing your strategic options at instant speed.
  3. Despite its advantages, Looter il-Kor requires careful hand management to avoid detrimental discards.

Text of card

Shadow (This creature can block or be blocked by only creatures with shadow.) Whenever Looter il-Kor deals damage to an opponent, draw a card, then discard a card.

Unable to touch items of value, he goes forth to steal secrets instead.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Looter il-Kor is a powerful tool for maintaining pressure on your opponent by effectively cycling through your deck. Every time Looter il-Kor deals damage to an opponent, you’re able to draw a card, potentially pulling the resources you need to outpace and outmaneuver the competition.

Resource Acceleration: Although it doesn’t inherently accelerate your resources like a mana dork or a rock might, the Looter il-Kor aids in smoothing out your draws. This sifts through your deck to find lands or ramp spells, which indirectly boosts your resource curve by ensuring a smoother play experience.

Instant Speed: The subtlety of Looter il-Kor comes into play with its shadow ability, making it only blockable by creatures with shadow. This allows you to attack safely and draw cards at instant speed during the combat phase, while keeping mana open for instant-speed interaction or bluffing potential responses during your opponent’s turn.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Looter il-Kor demands that a card be discarded whenever it deals combat damage to a player. This can backfire in situations where you have a precarious grip on your hand size and no surplus cards to comfortably discard.

Specific Mana Cost: Looter il-Kor can be tricky to integrate into multi-colored decks due to its specific blue mana cost. Without sufficient mana fixing, it could potentially cause hiccups in your mana curve, impacting your game tempo.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a casting cost that might be considered steep for its 1/1 stats, there are alternative creatures and draw engines that could offer more bang for your buck. This might lead to Looter il-Kor being overshadowed in decks where efficiency is key.


Reasons to Include Looter il-Kor in Your Collection

Versatility: Looter il-Kor is a card that seamlessly integrates into various deck archetypes. This two-mana creature offers consistent card filtering with its shadow ability, allowing for strategic hand sculpting in both aggressive and controlling strategies.

Combo Potential: The repeatable loot effect of this creature can significantly enhance combo decks by digging for necessary combo pieces. Its interactions with graveyard-centric mechanics or abilities that trigger on discard or draw make it a valuable asset for intricate gameplay.

Meta-Relevance: With a meta that fluctuates, having a reliable source of card advantage like Looter il-Kor can help players stay ahead. Its ability to slip past blockers ensures that you can continue to churn through your deck and find answers or threats no matter the board state.


How to beat

Looter il-Kor is a staple among tricky shadow creatures in Magic: The Gathering, serving as a reliable tool for card selection and graveyard filling strategies. This slippery threat can often feel frustrating to deal with, given its evasion and the card advantage it provides. However, one can employ several strategies to mitigate its impact on the game.

Utilizing removal spells that don’t target, such as board wipes, can sweep Looter il-Kor off the board regardless of its shadow ability. Creatures with reach or those that can block creatures with shadow are also effective. Furthermore, cards that strip the opponent’s hand, like discard spells or effects that exile cards from the graveyard, can hinder the advantages gleaned from Looter il-Kor’s ability. An informed player can also anticipate the type of deck Looter il-Kor is played in and prepare their sideboard accordingly.

Overall, while Looter il-Kor can be a persistent menace, understanding its weaknesses and preparing your deck with answers will help you maintain control of the game. Adapt your strategy, and this elusive creature won’t dictate the pace of your matches.


BurnMana Recommendations

Delving into the strategy and mechanics of MTG is a continuous quest for innovation and superiority. Looter il-Kor stands as a testament to the intricate dance of deck building and in-game tactics. Its power to sift through your deck and refine your hand can be pivotal in clutch moments. If you’re striving to push your gameplay to new heights, embracing the subtleties of such nuanced cards is essential. Their ability to impact the game often goes unnoticed in broader strokes. Elevate your strategy and discover deeper insights into your deck’s synergy with Looter il-Kor. Embark on this journey with us to refine your skills and harness the full potential of your collection.


Cards like Looter il-Kor

Looter il-Kor is a standout creature card that offers a unique take on card advantage strategies in Magic: The Gathering. It shares the fundamental concept of card manipulation with cards like Merfolk Looter. Both creatures allow players to draw a card then discard a card, but Looter il-Kor edges out with its shadow ability, making it essentially unblockable by creatures without shadow. This subtle difference can significantly impact gameplay by ensuring a reliable card selection process.

Another creature to consider is Wharf Infiltrator. Similar to Looter il-Kor, it encourages a strategy focused on looting; however, it has the added benefit of potentially creating Eldrazi Horror tokens. This ability adds a layer of versatility, although at a higher mana cost and without the elusive shadow ability. Lastly, Jhessian Thief’s prowess lies in its ability to draw a card whenever it deals combat damage to a player, a task made easier by Looter il-kor’s evasion mechanism. Despite its higher power, Jhessian Thief lacks the consistent card filtering provided by the il-Kor.

Evaluating these creatures shows that Looter il-Kor holds a special niche in MTG, combining evasiveness with the looting effect, making it a relevant choice for decks that benefit from reliable card filtering and subtle, but effective offense.

Merfolk Looter - MTG Card versions
Wharf Infiltrator - MTG Card versions
Jhessian Thief - MTG Card versions
Merfolk Looter - Exodus (EXO)
Wharf Infiltrator - Eldritch Moon (EMN)
Jhessian Thief - Magic Origins (ORI)

Cards similar to Looter il-Kor 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 Looter il-Kor MTG card by a specific set like Time Spiral and Magic Online Theme Decks, 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 Looter il-Kor and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Looter il-Kor Magic the Gathering card was released in 5 different sets between 2006-10-06 and 2023-08-04. Illustrated by Mike Dringenberg.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12006-10-06Time SpiralTSP 662003normalblackMike Dringenberg
22010-11-08Magic Online Theme DecksTD0 A252003normalblackMike Dringenberg
32021-03-19Time Spiral RemasteredTSR 742015normalblackMike Dringenberg
42022-04-29New Capenna CommanderNCC 2252015normalblackMike Dringenberg
52023-08-04Commander MastersCMM 1022015normalblackMike Dringenberg

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Looter il-Kor has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
PauperLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal

Rules and information

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

DateText
2021-03-19 If an attacking creature has multiple evasion abilities, such as shadow and flying, a creature can block it only if that creature satisfies all of the appropriate evasion abilities.
2021-03-19 Multiple instances of shadow on the same creature are redundant.
2021-03-19 Once a creature has been blocked, that creature remains blocked and will deal and be dealt combat damage even if it gains or loses shadow or if the blocking creature gains or loses shadow.
2021-03-19 You draw a card and discard a card all while Looter il-Kor's ability is resolving. Nothing can happen in between, and no player can take actions.

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