Wild Leotau MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	4
Rarity	Common
Type	Creature — Cat
Released	2009-02-06
Set symbol
Set name	Conflux
Set code	CON
Power	5
Toughness	4
Number	97
Frame	2003
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Michael Komarck

Key Takeaways

Wild Leotau asserts early game dominance with a favorable power-to-cost ratio.
Its untapping flexibility enhances offensive and defensive deck strategies.
Effective removal and strategic blocking are key to overcoming Wild Leotau.

Text of card

At the beginning of your upkeep, sacrifice Wild Leotau unless you pay .

"Leotau that were born wild make the best mounts. It's like riding a thunderstorm." —Rafiq of the Many

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Wild Leotau may not directly provide the ability to draw cards, but its inherent power and toughness represent a form of card quality, offering substantial board presence and demanding answers from opponents. By forcing opponents to deal with it, you can indirectly strain their resources, contributing to a card advantage over time.

Resource Acceleration: This card doesn’t generate additional mana or tokens. However, its efficient cost-to-power ratio accelerates your capacity to assert dominance on the battlefield. Deploying a strong creature like Wild Leotau early on can lead to advantageous trades or unchecked damage, propelling you ahead in the game’s momentum.

Instant Speed: While Wild Leotau operates at sorcery speed, its relevance comes into play by offering a formidable body that can immediately impact the game when cast at the opportune moment. Its presence on the field forces opponents to consider their actions carefully, potentially disrupting their plans and allowing for strategically timed plays on your part.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Players may view the additional discard to play Wild Leotau unfavorably. This trade-off could be costly, as it diminishes your hand and potential plays, which is a considerable downside for those who value card retention.

Specific Mana Cost: Wild Leotau demands a certain combination of mana, specifically green, to cast. This requirement can be restrictive and may not integrate well into multicolored decks that do not prioritize green mana, potentially limiting its versatility.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a casting cost that is not negligible, Wild Leotau competes with other creatures and spells in the same mana range. Considering other options available, players might opt for creatures or spells that offer more impactful effects or versatility for the same or lower mana investment.

Reasons to Include Wild Leotau in Your Collection

Versatility: Wild Leotau offers a solid body as a 5/4 creature for a low mana cost, making it useful in decks that require a robust presence on the battlefield quickly. Its ability to be untapped for a single green mana provides flexibility in both offensive and defensive strategies.

Combo Potential: The power to untap Wild Leotau allows for synergies with cards that care about ‘tapping’ or ‘untapping’ creatures. It can be an integral part of combos or engines that thrive on these mechanics, potentially unlocking infinite cycles or other beneficial interactions within a deck.

Meta-Relevance: In a game where tempo is critical, Wild Leotau’s efficiency for its cost can give aggro and midrange decks a significant boost. It can provide an answer to popular defensive creatures by overpowering them or representing a recurring threat that must be answered, thus shaping the meta around it.

How to beat

When facing the Wild Leotau in MTG, players often find themselves against a creature with the strength to influence board control. Deployed primarily in decks that favor a substantial presence on the battlefield, this card becomes a sheer force due to its size and cost effectiveness. However, one of the most tactical approaches to overcome Wild Leotau lies in utilizing removal spells that can handle creatures with significant toughness. A well-timed ‘Path to Exile’ or ‘Doom Blade’, for example, can neutralize this threat efficiently.

Moreover, considering Wild Leotau’s must-attack-each-turn-if-able drawback, strategic blockers are also a viable counter. Creatures with deathtouch like ‘Typhoid Rats’, or those with potent ‘enters the battlefield’ effects can serve as a deterrent or a way to achieve favorable trades. Additionally, enchantments that prevent attacking or tapping abilities can render Wild Leotau useless, transforming its offensive nature into a liability for the opponent.

Counterplay against the Wild Leotau creates opportunities to swing the momentum in your favor. Recognizing the card’s strengths and exploitation points is crucial in devising an effective strategy to manage this massive cat from the world of Alara and maintain upper hand on the battlefield.

Cards like Wild Leotau

Wild Leotau carves its own niche as a formidable creature within MTG’s Naya-themed decks. Being in the same vein as other green creatures that boast a high power to mana cost ratio, it reminds seasoned players of cards like Leatherback Baloth. While Leatherback Baloth doesn’t have the attacking restriction and comes with a sturdier base toughness, Wild Leotau shines in environments where its ability to attack each turn is a bonus rather than a setback.

Comparatively, we look at cards like Sabertooth Nishoba, which also comes with built-in evasion in the form of protection from blue and from red, but demands a higher mana investment than the Leotau. The Nishoba’s additional abilities such as trample can make it a better late game play, while Wild Leotau offers a more aggressive early game presence.

In the bigger picture, Wild Leotau finds its competition yet has its special place among two to four converted mana cost (CMC) green creatures. Its potential to apply pressure right from the get-go makes it a card worth considering for decks aiming for an early board advantage. Ultimately, its uniqueness lies in encouraging an aggressive playstyle while maintaining a cost-effective creature body.

Cards similar to Wild Leotau by color, type and mana cost

Ulvenwald Oddity // Ulvenwald Behemoth - MTG Card versions

Viridian Lorebearers - MTG Card versions

Monkey Monkey Monkey - MTG Card versions

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Wild Leotau MTG card by a specific set like Conflux, 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 Wild Leotau and other MTG cards: