Reckless Pangolin MTG Card

Reckless Pangolin - Treasure Chest (PZ2)

Treasure Chest (PZ2)
2016-11-16 - Number 70845

Reckless Pangolin - Global Series Jiang Yanggu & Mu Yanling (GS1)

Global Series Jiang Yanggu & Mu Yanling (GS1)
2018-06-22 - Number 26

Card sets	Released in 2 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost	3
Rarity	Common
Type	Creature — Pangolin
Power	2
Toughness	2

Key Takeaways

Reckless Pangolin can indirectly lead to card advantage by forcing unfavorable opponent trades.
It offers strategic deck synergy, complementing creature-centric strategies and ramping decks.
Deploying Reckless Pangolin strategically can manipulate opponent’s response, enhancing game control.

Text of card

Whenever Reckless Pangolin attacks, it gets +1/+1 until end of turn.

"A pangolin's power grows with its speed. Strike when you have the chance!" —Jiang Yanggu's travelogue

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Reckless Pangolin, as a creature, offers strategic value on the battlefield. While it doesn’t draw cards directly, it can pressure your opponent into unfavorable trades, potentially leading to indirect card advantage as you maintain board presence.

Resource Acceleration: Although Reckless Pangolin itself may not accelerate resources, its presence can influence gameplay, offering a level of synergy with decks designed to ramp up mana or utilize creatures for various effects. It can be a crucial part of the momentum swing in creature-centric strategies.

Instant Speed: While Reckless Pangolin doesn’t operate at instant speed, understanding when to deploy it during your main phases can be key. Strategically casting this card can affect opponent’s choices, as they must consider their responses carefully to avoid being outmaneuvered by the unexpected plays it invites.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: The Reckless Pangolin requires players to discard a card, which could deplete valuable hands especially when resources are already stretched thin. This effect can be particularly punishing in late game scenarios or formats where card advantage is crucial.

Specific Mana Cost: Sporting a specific red mana cost, the Reckless Pangolin can be restrictive in deck building. Players running multicolor decks may find it challenging to fit the Pangolin into their mana base, making it less flexible than more color-generic options.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With its cost being higher on the curve, there are alternatives within the mana range that may provide greater utility or impact the board more significantly. This can make the pangolin a less attractive choice when optimizing for efficiency and effect in deck construction.

Reasons to Include Reckless Pangolin in Your Collection

Versatility: Reckless Pangolin is a flexible card that can easily slot into creature-heavy decks or those looking to capitalize on its distinct creature type. Its adaptability makes it a handy tool in a variety of MTG formats.

Combo Potential: This card can synergize well with effects that care about the number of creatures you control or those that benefit from creatures entering the battlefield. It can also be a part of combos that require a specific creature type.

Meta-Relevance: In a meta that appreciates resilient creatures, Reckless Pangolin’s capacity to be more than just a simple creature on the board makes it a possible fit. Especially if creatures of its type are gaining traction in the current game environment, it could prove its worth in the right deck.

How to Beat Reckless Pangolin

Reckless Pangolin might not be the biggest threat on the battlefield, but understanding its strengths and weaknesses is key to overcoming it. This creature brings a specific dynamic to the game when it comes from a set that focuses on quirky abilities and unusual combinations. Its power lies in its ability to potentially become problematic if not checked early in the game.

To effectively counter Reckless Pangolin, consider using removal spells that can target and eliminate it regardless of its power. Cards such as Path to Exile or Murder are perfect examples of efficient removal that can deal with the creature before your opponent has the chance to leverage its abilities fully. If your strategy includes control elements, look towards counter spells that can preemptively address the creature spells before they hit the board.

Blocking strategies also work well if you have creatures that can survive the encounter or even profit from it, like those with lifelink or death-triggered abilities. It’s about understanding the timing and reacting before the pangolin’s potential becomes actual threat. By staying one step ahead and having the right answers at the right time, you can ensure that this beast remains a minor hurdle in your path to victory.

Cards like Reckless Pangolin

Reckless Pangolin is a unique creature card that finds its niche among the myriad of red creatures in Magic: The Gathering. With its notable ability to gain strength from the number of cards in your hand, it vaguely echoes the mechanics of creatures such as Avaricious Dragon which also benefits from card quantities. However, Avaricious Dragon has a built-in draw effect and forces you to discard your hand at the end of your turn, a riskier venture compared to the more stable increase in power Reckless Pangolin offers.

Delving further into comparisons, we come across the card Bloodfire Enforcers, sporting a different aspect of playing with hand size. While Bloodfire Enforcers have the potential for a formidable presence with first strike and trample provided you have an instant and sorcery card in your graveyard, they lack the immediate, on-curve strength that Reckless Pangolin could exhibit simply by maintaining a full grip of cards.

To wrap up, Reckless Pangolin might not offer the glide of drawing abilities or the conditional heavy-hitting like some, yet its consistency in effect depending on hand size can be pivotal, positioning it as a subtlety stable option within red creature cards in Magic: The Gathering.

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Reckless Pangolin MTG card by a specific set like Treasure Chest and Global Series Jiang Yanggu & Mu Yanling, 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 Reckless Pangolin and other MTG cards: