Lurking Jackals MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	1
Rarity	Uncommon
Type	Enchantment
Released	1999-06-07
Set symbol
Set name	Urza's Destiny
Set code	UDS
Number	62
Frame	1997
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Greg Staples

Key Takeaways

It can swing board control unexpectedly when transformed, if an opponent’s life hits the right threshold.
Despite requiring a card discard to transform, its presence can strategically pressure opponents.
Lurking Jackals’ cost and color specificity may limit its deck inclusion, yet it brings unique dynamics.

Text of card

When one of your opponents has 10 life or less, if Lurking Jackals is an enchantment, it becomes a 3/2 Hound creature.

Often it's not the hunter or the hunted but the opportunist who thrives in Rath.

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Lurking Jackals stands out by its potential to surprise an opponent and provide a robust creature card once conditions are met. The advantage it offers can shift the state of the board significantly once activated.

Resource Acceleration: While this card itself doesn’t directly ramp your resources, its low casting cost aids in maintaining mana efficiency. Having more mana available allows for greater flexibility to cast other spells alongside Lurking Jackals.

Instant Speed: This card’s transformation ability is triggered on an opponent’s turn, giving it an inherent advantage at instant speed. This allows savvy players to maximize the timing of their strategies without sacrificing the pace of their own game plan.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Lurking Jackals mandates that players discard another card to trigger its transformation into a potent creature. This requirement can be particularly onerous when your hand is already depleted or when each card you hold is crucial for your strategy.

Specific Mana Cost: The mana cost to transform Lurking Jackals isn’t flexible—it’s locked into a particular color combination. This necessity constrains the card to decks that can reliably produce the required mana, potentially excluding it from a broader range of strategies where it might have otherwise found a home.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Transforming Lurking Jackals incurs a significant mana cost that could detract from your ability to play other impactful cards in the same turn. Additionally, in the context of other cards at similar mana values, Lurking Jackals might not provide an effect that justifies its expense, particularly in a fast-paced game where efficiency is paramount.

Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Lurking Jackals can adapt to various game scenarios, flipping into a potent creature when an opponent’s life total falls low, which makes it a flexible addition to any deck looking to capitalize on shifts in life points.

Combo Potential: With its ability to instantly become a creature, it pairs well with strategies that manipulate life totals or benefit from sudden creature appearances, opening the door for unexpected synergies and tactical plays.

Meta-Relevance: Its transformation condition can be increasingly relevant depending on the pace of the meta. In environments where life totals fluctuate frequently, Lurking Jackals can catch opponents off guard and serve as a formidable threat on the board.

How to Beat

Lurking Jackals is a unique card in Magic: The Gathering, embodying a form of ambush through its transformation ability. At first glance, its basic form may seem innocuous, a mere enchantment lying in wait. However, with the right conditions, Lurking Jackals can become a considerable threat. One of the most effective strategies to conquer this subtle predator is maintaining life total control. Ensuring your life total doesn’t fall to 10 or less is key, preventing the Jackals from arising.

Another avenue is via enchantment removal. Keeping options like Disenchant or Naturalize at the ready can dismantle the lurking danger before it transforms. Moreover, incorporating counter play cards in your deck will serve you well. Beware, the Jackals can sniff out weakness, so constantly managing your defense and maintaining a healthy life buffer is essential. Tactful play and mindful resource management can stop this card from turning the tide against you.

Whether through preventing life loss, employing removals, or disrupting your opponent’s plays, there are multiple ways to ensure the Lurking Jackals never reveal their true power. A balanced strategy can nullify this hidden threat, keeping the Jackals where they belong—in the realm of potential, not reality.

Cards like Lurking Jackals

Lurking Jackals is an intriguing card that brings a unique dynamic to creature spells in the world of MTG. This card transforms under specific conditions, offering strategic advantages similar to in-game mechanics found in cards like Myth Realized. Just as Lurking Jackals morphs into a powerful creature when an opponent’s life total drops to 10 or less, Myth Realized grows in strength through the casting of noncreature spells. Both provide a progressive threat that can escalate quickly if left unchecked.

Another noteworthy comparison is with Hidden Gibbons, a card that transforms into an aggressive creature when an opponent casts an instant spell. While the activation condition differs, the element of surprise and morphing ability shares a strategic parallel with Lurking Jackals. Then there’s the card Arlinn Kord, from the sets imbued with transform abilities, creating a relevant comparison in terms of versatility and impact on the battlefield, although it operates from the planeswalker card category.

Ultimately, each card provides a transformative impact on the game, but Lurking Jackals stands out with its condition-based metamorphosis, offering a unique tactical advantage in the realm of MTG that rewards players for monitoring their opponent’s life total and timing their plays accordingly.

Cards similar to Lurking Jackals by color, type and mana cost

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Bloodchief Ascension - MTG Card versions

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Lurking Jackals MTG card by a specific set like Urza's Destiny, 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 Lurking Jackals and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Lurking Jackals has restrictions

Format	Legality
Commander	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Oathbreaker	Legal
Premodern	Legal
Vintage	Legal
Duel	Legal
Predh	Legal
Penny	Legal

Rules and information

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

Date	Text
2004-10-04	Once it becomes a creature, it is no longer an enchantment.
2004-10-04	Once it becomes a creature, it will not change back into an enchantment if your opponent’s life total goes back above 10.
2008-08-01	A noncreature permanent that turns into a creature can attack, and its abilities can be activated, only if its controller has continuously controlled that permanent since the beginning of their most recent turn. It doesn’t matter how long the permanent has been a creature.