Ramosian Lieutenant MTG Card
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 2 |
| Rarity | Common |
| Type | Creature — Human Rebel |
| Released | 1999-10-04 |
| Set symbol | |
| Set name | Mercadian Masques |
| Set code | MMQ |
| Power | 1 |
| Toughness | 2 |
| Number | 37 |
| Frame | 1997 |
| Layout | normal |
| Border | black |
| Illustred by | Alan Pollack |
Key Takeaways
- Ramosian Lieutenant offers deck thinning and instant board presence without depleting hand resources.
- It demands a specific mana setup and discard, which can challenge deck flexibility and resource management.
- Despite its imperfections, it’s a linchpin for Rebel themed decks, elevating strategic plays and combos.
Text of card
o4, oc T: Search your library for a Rebel card with converted mana cost 3 or less and put that card into play. Then shuffle your library.
"Give me your hand and I will give you victory."
Card Pros
Card Advantage: The Ramosian Lieutenant allows you to search your library for a Rebel permanent card with a converted mana cost of 3 or less and put it onto the battlefield. This ability not only thins your deck, enhancing the quality of your draws, but it also creates immediate presence on the board without losing hand resources.
Resource Acceleration: By fetching Rebels directly onto the battlefield, Ramosian Lieutenant effectively bypasses their mana costs. This can significantly speed up your gameplay, allowing you to deploy threats and build a formidable board state more quickly than usual.
Instant Speed: Although the Ramosian Lieutenant’s ability is not at instant speed, it can be utilized at the end of your opponent’s turn if not used during your own turn. This can be particularly strategic, ensuring that you retain open mana for responses while still advancing your board position when deemed safe.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: One aspect that might deter players from using Ramosian Lieutenant is its requirement to discard another card to utilize its ability. This can be particularly taxing when your hand is already sparse, forcing you to sacrifice valuable resources that could be essential for later stages of the game.
Specific Mana Cost: The casting requirement for Ramosian Lieutenant is quite stringent, needing a mix of white mana and generic mana. This specificity can potentially restrict its play to decks that are heavily white or those with a mana base tailored to accommodate such costs without compromising their mana curve.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: While not exorbitant, the initial mana investment to get Ramosian Lieutenant on the field might not always align with the tempo of your game plan. When considering its full potential in a match, there are other creatures or cards which may offer a more immediate impact or better synergy for a similar, if not lower, mana cost.
Reasons to Include Ramosian Lieutenant in Your Collection
Versatility: Ramosian Lieutenant is a flexible addition to any deck that capitalizes on the Rebel mechanic. Its ability to fetch various Rebel cards ensures it can adapt to a multitude of game situations and opponents’ strategies.
Combo Potential: Similar to the way engine pieces operate, this card enables powerful combinations with other Rebels, creating opportunities for increasing your board presence or accelerating a specific game-winning strategy.
Meta-Relevance: With decks focusing on synergy and tribal themes, Ramosian Lieutenant could elevate your deck’s performance in a meta that appreciates refined strategies with a consistent mechanic like the Rebel tutoring provided by this card.
How to beat
Ramosian Lieutenant serves as a pivotal card in any Rebel-focused deck, offering the unique ability to fetch other Rebel creatures from your library. This tutor effect makes it essential to dismantle the Lieutenant’s strategy efficiently. To counter this creature, it’s wise to consider removal spells that can eliminate it before its ability is activated. Cards like Fatal Push or Path to Exile are perfect fits, dealing with the Lieutenant instantly.
Moreover, preventing the searching ability from being used is another strategy. This can be done by using cards that restrict opponents from searching libraries like Aven Mindcensor. Timing is crucial; you must disrupt the chain of Rebel summons before it gains momentum. Additionally, board wipes such as Wrath of God or Damnation can serve as a reset button, handling not only the Lieutenant but also the potentially summoned allies.
Ultimately, a swift and preemptive approach is paramount. By keeping the field clear of Ramosian Lieutenant and its Rebel comrades, you neutralize a considerable threat, thereby preserving your upper hand in the game and stifling your opponent’s board development.
Cards like Ramosian Lieutenant
In the varied landscape of creature cards within Magic: The Gathering (MTG), Ramosian Lieutenant notably stands out with its Rebel tutoring capability. When considering its kinship to similar cards, Lin Sivvi, Defiant Hero springs to mind also known for efficiently putting Rebel cards into play. Both cards act as catalysts for Rebel tribal strategies but differ in their mana cost and tutor scope. Lin Sivvi pulls ahead with the ability to retrieve Rebel cards from the graveyard as well.
Taking a step into the broader horizon, we encounter Auriok Steelshaper, another card that synergizes well with Rebels. While not a tutor, it lowers the equip cost for creatures, proving complementary to the weavings of a Rebel-centric deck. In comparison, Auriok Steelshaper adds an augmentative dimension to gameplay with boosting capabilities that Ramosian Lieutenant lacks. Then there’s Blightspeaker, which also falls under the Rebel umbrella and shares the ability to search for peers. Yet, Blightspeaker brings a utility with its tapping ability that can chip away at an opponent’s life total, an offensive trait that is outside the Lieutenant’s focus.
What we signpost here is that while Ramosian Lieutenant is a formidable card for constructing a Rebel army, other cards offer diverse paths to enhance the archetype’s performance in MTG. Each card has tailored strengths that can be strategically utilized to fortify a Rebel deck’s position in the game.
Cards similar to Ramosian Lieutenant by color, type and mana cost
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Ramosian Lieutenant MTG card by a specific set like Mercadian Masques, 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 Ramosian Lieutenant and other MTG cards:
- eBay
- TCG Player
- Card Kingdom
- Card Market
- Star City Games
- CoolStuffInc
- MTG Mint Card
- Hareruya
- Troll and Toad
- ABU Games
- Card Hoarder Magic Online
- MTGO Traders Magic Online
See Magic products
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Ramosian Lieutenant has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Paupercommander | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Pauper | Legal |
| Premodern | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Predh | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Ramosian Lieutenant 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 | Because the “search” requires you to find a card with certain characteristics, you don’t have to find the card if you don’t want to. |
