Vivien's Jaguar MTG Card
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 3 |
| Rarity | Uncommon |
| Type | Creature — Cat Spirit |
| Abilities | Reach |
| Released | 2018-07-13 |
| Set symbol | |
| Set name | Core Set 2019 |
| Set code | M19 |
| Power | 3 |
| Toughness | 2 |
| Number | 305 |
| Frame | 2015 |
| Layout | Normal |
| Border | Black |
| Illustred by | Magali Villeneuve |
Text of card
Reach (This creature can block creatures with flying.) : Return Vivien's Jaguar from your graveyard to your hand. Activate this ability only if you control a Vivien planeswalker.
Each of Vivien's arrows is an invocation of a species.
Cards like Vivien's Jaguar
Vivien’s Jaguar shares many attributes with creatures that are designed for combat flexibility and resilience in Magic: The Gathering. Like its feline counterpart, Fleecemane Lion, Vivien’s Jaguar offers a creature that can become more powerful over the course of the game. Though the Jaguar doesn’t have the static ability to become indestructible, it compensates by offering a recurrent ability that allows it to return to your hand when a certain condition is met, keeping it safe from threats on the battlefield.
Comparing it further, we look at cards like Strangleroot Geist featuring the undying mechanic. This allows the Geist to return to the battlefield with a +1/+1 counter after it dies, offering a different form of resilience. Unlike the recurrent ability of Vivien’s Jaguar that necessitates a planeswalker’s presence, Strangleroot Geist functions autonomously. In another corner of the jungle, we find Prowling Serpopard, designed as a cat snake that provides your creature spells with the invaluable ability to not be countered, offering a different strategic advantage in creature-heavy decks.
Assessing the attributes of Vivien’s Jaguar in comparison with these creatures makes it clear that its unique combination of conditional return and the requirement of a planeswalker on the battlefield offers a distinct tactical approach in MTG games that reward planning and strategic foresight.
Cards similar to Vivien's Jaguar by color, type and mana cost
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Vivien’s Jaguar brings value to the table through its ability to return to the hand when a certain condition is met, namely, controlling a Vivien planeswalker. This recursive element keeps the card cycling back for another round of combat or blocking, which translates to a persistent board presence and inherent card advantage over the course of a game.
Resource Acceleration: While Vivien’s Jaguar itself doesn’t directly accelerate resources, its synergistic relationship with Vivien planeswalkers often does. Many Vivien planeswalker cards are designed to ramp up your mana and provide additional resources. Having a reliable creature like the Jaguar that benefits from and contributes to that strategy adds to your potential for a faster, more powerful gameplay.
Instant Speed: The agility of Vivien’s Jaguar is metaphorically reflected in its gameplay, as it can potentially be brought back to hand at instant speed. This capability allows players to adapt swiftly to the changing battlefield, reserving mana for other tactics, and deploying the Jaguar when most advantageous. The choice to retrieve it at the end of an opponent’s turn for maximum efficiency exemplifies the strategic depth it adds to your arsenal.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Vivien’s Jaguar often necessitates discarding another card to fully utilize its abilities. In critical turns, this can lead to a disadvantage where card advantage is already pressured or when you’re trying to maintain a full grip of options.
Specific Mana Cost: Requiring both green mana and an additional colorless mana, Vivien’s Jaguar might not slot into as many decks as more flexible creatures. This particular mana cost can make it challenging to play in multi-colored decks that are tight on mana optimization.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a casting cost set at three mana for a 3/2 creature, Vivien’s Jaguar might be outweighed by other more cost-efficient options in the competitive scene. Alternative creatures could potentially offer more impact on the board without the deckbuilding constraints posed by this card. Considering the fast-paced nature of many matchups, the mana investment in Vivien’s Jaguar may not always justify its board presence compared to other more immediate threats or value creatures.
Reasons to Include Vivien’s Jaguar in Your Collection
Versatility: Vivien’s Jaguar is a solid addition to any green deck that focuses on creature-based strategies. Its ability to return to your hand from the graveyard when Vivien planeswalkers are on the field adds resilience and staying power to your board.
Combo Potential: This card works well in tandem with planeswalkers, particularly those named Vivien. Each iteration of Vivien brings different advantages, and having the Jaguar recur offers persistent threats that can repeatedly leverage those advantages.
Meta-Relevance: With a constantly evolving MTG meta, a card like Vivien’s Jaguar remains pertinent due to its potential to adapt and fit into various strategies, especially those that emphasize the importance of creatures and interactions with planeswalkers.
How to Beat Vivien’s Jaguar
Vivien’s Jaguar can be a tough adversary on the battlefield, considering its ability to return to the hand once it has been dealt with. This recurring creature from those who play green decks can create a sense of inevitability, continuously applying pressure. A straightforward tactic to counter this is to limit its ability to return by removing Vivien planeswalkers from play. Without the planeswalker, the Jaguar loses its resilience.
Graveyard hate cards, such as Relic of Progenitus or Leyline of the Void, can thwart the Jaguar’s return mechanism by ensuring it doesn’t hit the graveyard in the first place or by exiling it upon death. Targeted removals that exile, such as Path to Exile or Swords to Plowshares, work wonders too by removing the Jaguar from the game entirely. Counterspells are equally effective by preventing it from hitting the board at all, setting back your opponent’s mana investment and board presence.
Overcoming Vivien’s Jaguar requires a strategy that disrupts the card’s strengths. You need to manage your resources effectively and use your removals and counters at key moments to keep the Jaguar from springing back into action and maintain control over the game’s pace. By anticipating its return and having a plan in place, a well-crafted deck and strategic play can ensure victory even against the most persistent creatures.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Vivien's Jaguar MTG card by a specific set like Core Set 2019, 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 Vivien's Jaguar and other MTG cards:
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- eBay
- Card Kingdom
- Card Market
- Star City Games
- CoolStuffInc
- MTG Mint Card
- Hareruya
- Troll and Toad
- ABU Games
- Card Hoarder Magic Online
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Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Vivien's Jaguar has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Historicbrawl | Legal |
| Historic | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Paupercommander | Restricted |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Gladiator | Legal |
| Pioneer | Legal |
| Commander | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Explorer | Legal |
| Timeless | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Vivien's Jaguar card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2018-07-13 | If a Vivien planeswalker and Vivien’s Jaguar are both dealt lethal damage at the same time (most likely in combat), they’ll be put into their owner’s graveyard at the same time. You won’t be able to activate the last ability of Vivien’s Jaguar before Vivien leaves the battlefield. |