Trained Cheetah MTG Card

Trained Cheetah excels in offering card advantage with its unique combat capabilities and synergistic plays. Efficient early game presence with its low casting cost, setting up for stronger subsequent turns. Benefits from instant speed interaction, allowing impactful combat tricks and tactical plays.

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	3
Rarity	Uncommon
Type	Creature — Cat
Released	1999-05-01
Set symbol
Set name	Portal Three Kingdoms
Set code	PTK
Power	2
Toughness	2
Number	154
Frame	1997
Layout	Normal
Border	White
Illustred by	Fang Yue

Text of card

When Trained Cheetah attacks and is blocked, it gets +1/+1 until the end of the turn.

"[King Mulu's cheetahs] came riding on the winds, charging, with fangs bared and claws flexed."

Cards like Trained Cheetah

Trained Cheetah is an interesting creature card within Magic: The Gathering’s vast menagerie. It brings a simple yet effective ability to the table, reminiscent of other creatures like Whiptail Moloch. Both cards are poised to strike quickly with the Trample ability, allowing excess combat damage to be dealt to the defending player. Where Trained Cheetah stands out, however, is in its capacity to be an early game threat, requiring only three mana compared to the Moloch’s four.

Examining cards such as Skarrgan Pit-Skulk offers another perspective. The Pit-Skulk, like Trained Cheetah, gains a combat advantage when you meet a condition – in Pit-Skulk’s case, having more life than your opponent. Yet, Trained Cheetah doesn’t hinge on life totals, potentially offering a more consistent offensive option. Lastly, Rip-Clan Crasher enters the fray, also brandishing haste and capable of rapid attacks. Though it stands as a strong alternative, Trained Cheetah does not depend on multi-colored mana, which can streamline your mana base in a game.

Overall, Trained Cheetah fits nicely into many decks that benefit from quick, aggressive creatures that bypass blockers. Its reliability in various scenarios positions it as a favorable choice amongst creatures in its mana range.

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Card Pros

Card Advantage: With Trained Cheetah on the board, you get the chance to accumulate card advantage by leveraging its combat abilities. Coupled with cards that benefit from creature attacks or those that power up each strike, Trained Cheetah turns into a reliable engine for outpacing your opponent’s hand.

Resource Acceleration: Trained Cheetah functions as an efficient catalyst in strategies aiming for resource acceleration. Its nominal casting cost makes it an accessible option in the early turns, which helps establish board presence and momentum without significant investment, setting the stage for more formidable plays.

Instant Speed: One of the coveted perks of cards like Trained Cheetah is its compatibility with instant speed spells. Its presence can create advantageous scenarios during combat, where instant speed buffs or combat tricks can shift the tides dramatically. This synergy enhances Trained Cheetah’s utility, presenting it as a nuanced choice for decks that thrive on tactical flexibility.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: To fully take advantage of Trained Cheetah’s abilities, players sometimes need to discard cards to activate various synergies or effects. This can result in a net loss of card advantage and hinder one’s game progression, particularly if you’re already behind in resources.

Specific Mana Cost: Trained Cheetah’s casting cost includes green mana, which may not seamlessly fit into multi-colored decks. This could potentially limit its inclusion only to green-centric or two-color decks that can consistently provide green mana in the early stages of the game.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: While Trained Cheetah provides certain benefits, its casting cost is relatively high when considering its overall impact on the game. There are other creatures in MTG that might offer the same or higher power and toughness, additional abilities, or provide more strategic value at a similar or lower mana investment.

Reasons to Include Trained Cheetah in Your Collection

Versatility: Trained Cheetah can be a great addition to decks focusing on speed and creature-based strategies. Its ability to assign combat damage as though it weren’t blocked can help it sneak past sturdy defenses.

Combo Potential: In decks that aim to capitalize on direct damage, Trained Cheetah’s evasive characteristics work well with cards that buff attack power or provide additional combat phases, leading to unexpected wins.

Meta-Relevance: Given the current trends, having a creature that can consistently hit your opponent regardless of their creature lineup can give you an edge, especially in a meta with heavy defender presence.

How to beat

Trained Cheetah is an intriguing creature card in Magic: The Gathering, with abilities that can pose a challenge to an unprepared opponent. Its capacity to gain forestwalk can make it difficult to block, allowing it to potentially deal consistent damage. To effectively counteract the Trained Cheetah, it’s wise to manage its abilities through removal or by deploy tweak strategies that render forestwalk irrelevant.

Consider spells like Shock or Fatal Push to remove the Trained Cheetah before the ability becomes a factor. Without it on the board, you eliminate the threat altogether. Alternatively, if removal isn’t on hand, adjusting your land base to avoid having forests, or using land modification spells to change the type of your forests, can neutralize the forestwalk ability. Adaptability is key.

Ultimately, success against Trained Cheetah lies in anticipation and preparedness. Being ready with instant-speed interaction to disrupt your opponent’s plans ensures that this swift creature doesn’t outpace your defenses.

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Trained Cheetah MTG card by a specific set like Portal Three Kingdoms, 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 Trained Cheetah and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Trained Cheetah has restrictions

Format	Legality
Commander	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Paupercommander	Restricted
Oathbreaker	Legal
Vintage	Legal
Duel	Legal
Predh	Legal