Raksha Golden Cub MTG Card

Fifth Dawn (5DN)
2004-06-04 - Number 12

Salvat 2005 (PSAL)
2005-08-22 - Number L49

Raksha Golden Cub - Commander 2017 (C17)

Commander 2017 (C17)
2017-08-25 - Number 69

Card sets	Released in 3 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost	7
Rarity	Rare
Type	Legendary Creature — Cat Soldier
Abilities	Vigilance
Power	3
Toughness	4

Key Takeaways

Building around Raksha Golden Cub offers significant card and resource advantages in longer matchups.
Raksha’s ability to synergize with instant speed buffs and equipment sets it apart as a powerful commander.
Despite limitations like mana costs, Raksha’s versatility makes it a substantial force in tribal decks.

Guide to Vigilance card ability

In the strategic universe of Magic: The Gathering (MTG), the vigilance ability stands out as a powerful tool for players. This potent keyword allows creatures to attack without tapping, keeping them ready and alert to defend against incoming threats. It represents a perfect balance between aggression and defense, offering a dynamic approach to gameplay. Lets dive deeper into how vigilance shapes the battlefield.

Text of card

Attacking doesn't cause Raksha Golden Cub to tap. As long as Raksha is equipped, Cats you control get +2/+2 and have double strike.

Some believe that Raksha, youngest of the kha, is the reincarnation of Dakan, the first and mightiest of leonin leaders.

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Raksha Golden Cub ensures that your equipped creatures become not only larger threats but also additional sources of card advantage when they can avoid unfavorable trades or dominate the battlefield — an absolute boon in games that drag into lengthy battles.

Resource Acceleration: By empowering your cat army, Raksha can dramatically accelerate your resource value by making each of your creatures a more potent force. This can translate into quicker victories, essentially speeding up your ramp towards an overwhelming board presence without actual mana acceleration. Every cat that becomes harder to deal with is another step towards seizing control.

Instant Speed: While Raksha Golden Cub itself might not be an instant, the ability to deploy buffs at instant speed with equipment or combat tricks plays nicely into his strengths. This gives you the flexibility to respond to threats on your opponent’s turn, effectively utilizing Raksha’s bonus to power and toughness during the crucial combat phase.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: While engaging in a strategic play with Raksha Golden Cub, one should be aware that its full potential is unlocked when other creatures are on the battlefield. This can be limiting if your hand is depleted and you’re unable to maintain a robust board presence to capitalize on Raksha’s leadership abilities.

Specific Mana Cost: Raksha Golden Cub comes with a mana requirement that is heavily skewed towards white mana. With three white mana symbols in its cost, it may not seamlessly fit into multicolored decks, potentially limiting its versatility in a diverse deckbuilding landscape.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: The seven mana required to summon Raksha Golden Cub can be prohibitive, especially in faster-paced games. For a card that enhances others, the initial investment can feel steep when compared to other options that may offer more immediate board impact or lower-cost synergistic enhancements.

Reasons to Include Raksha Golden Cub in Your Collection

Versatility: Raksha Golden Cub offers flexibility in deck construction as it can helm a tribal-focused deck or even slot into a broad range of white-based creature strategies. Its ability to give all Cats you control +2/+2 and double strike makes it a formidable force, adaptable to various play styles.

Combo Potential: This leader of the leonin synergizes well with equipment cards, being able to amplify the effects of artifacts like “Sword of Fire and Ice” or “Skullclamp”. In addition, it can act as a lynchpin in creating explosive turns where you can overpower opponents with a well-equipped feline army.

Meta-Relevance: In commander games, variable metas often see tribal decks rise in favor. Raksha Golden Cub aligns with the current interest in strong tribal leaders, making it a relevant addition to your collection for both its competitive potential in creature-centric decks and its command of the Cat tribe.

How to Beat Raksha Golden Cub

Raksha Golden Cub can be a commanding presence in MTG, leading a pride of cats to victory with its considerable boost to cat creatures and an ability to turn into a formidable equipment-bearing, double-strike commander. For those facing this feline force, it’s crucial to understand the ways to diminish its influence on the battlefield.

Removal spells are your best allies against Raksha. Targeted removal that bypasses indestructibility, such as “Path to Exile” or “Doom Blade,” is highly effective to take the cub out of combat. Board wipes like “Wrath of God” can also reset the playing field, leaving Raksha without a pack to empower. Moreover, ensuring to keep Raksha’s equip abilities in check with artifact removal spells can greatly reduce the threat it poses. Ensnaring Raksha with cards that restrict it from attacking or blocking, or removing it from combat with spells like “Condemn,” strap down this powerful cub, mitigating the commander’s inherent strengths.

Tactically, the key to overcoming Raksha Golden Cub lies in striking preemptively before it can turn into an overwhelming force or disarming the synergy it establishes with other cat creatures. With these strategies, players can effectively contain the threat and maintain control of the game.

Cards like Raksha Golden Cub

Raksha Golden Cub carves a unique niche among creature cards in MTG, reminiscent of other legendary creatures with commanding presence. Standing toe-to-toe with leaders like Jazal Goldmane, both cards amplify other creatures’ potentials. Unlike Jazal, Raksha doesn’t require an activation cost to boost your creatures, providing a relentless passive advantage as long as it’s equipped.

Comparatively, Leonin Shikari is a lower costed creature that also synergizes with equipment, providing the ability to attach equipment at instant speed. While it lacks the raw power-up abilities of Raksha, the tactical flexibility it offers is substantial. Then there’s Kemba, Kha Regent, which rewards you with creature tokens for each equipment attached, albeit without the direct combat buff provided by Raksha.

Among these feline leaders, Raksha Golden Cub stands proud, offering a blend of aggressive stat boosting and an affinity for equipment. This ability to empower a creature army while doubling as a formidable force on its own grants Raksha a spot of honor in MTG decks that favor equipment and warrior synergy.

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Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Raksha Golden Cub MTG card by a specific set like Fifth Dawn and Salvat 2005, 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 Raksha Golden Cub and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Raksha Golden Cub Magic the Gathering card was released in 3 different sets between 2004-06-04 and 2017-08-25. Illustrated by Pete Venters.

#	Released	Name	Code	Number	Frame	Layout	Border	Artist
1	2004-06-04	Fifth Dawn	5DN	12	2003	Normal	Black	Pete Venters
2	2005-08-22	Salvat 2005	PSAL	L49	2003	Normal	White	Pete Venters
3	2017-08-25	Commander 2017	C17	69	2015	Normal	Black	Pete Venters

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Raksha Golden Cub has restrictions

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

Rules and information

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