Lu Meng, Wu General MTG Card
1999-05-01 - Number 46
2009-09-07 - Number 41
| Card sets | Released in 2 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 5 |
| Rarity | Rare |
| Type | Legendary Creature — Human Soldier |
| Abilities | Horsemanship |
| Power | 4 |
| Toughness | 4 |
Key Takeaways
- Gives you card control by refilling your hand and weakening opponents’ hands, strengthening your game position.
- Allows for rapid resource acceleration and instant speed reactions, altering game tempo to your favor.
- Requires careful deck construction due to its specific mana needs and potential costly discard requirements.
Text of card
Horsemanship
As the Wu chief commander, Lu Meng conquered Shu-held Jingzhou in 219 by disguising soldiers as merchants on boats filled with hiding troops.
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Lu Meng, Wu General provides a strategic edge by allowing you to marginalize your opponent’s hand while simultaneously refilling your own. This dual effect ensures you’re more likely to maintain a strong position throughout the game.
Resource Acceleration: This card can quickly change the tempo of the game. It’s designed to ramp up your resources, giving you access to more mana and enabling bigger plays sooner than your opponents might expect.
Instant Speed: The ability to react at instant speed grants a significant tactical advantage. Lu Meng, Wu General offers a surprise element, interrupting opponents’ strategies effectively during their turn and shifting the momentum in your favor.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Lu Meng, Wu General necessitates that you toss one of your own cards into the graveyard to activate certain effects. In games where your hand size is crucial, this can be a detrimental tradeoff. Discarding valuable cards can also disrupt your strategic plans, making it essential to weigh the costs against the potential battlefield advantages.
Specific Mana Cost: The mana cost for this card is quite rigid, requiring a specific combination of blue and other colors. This can make it challenging to fit into a multi-colored deck, as it demands a certain level of commitment to blue resources. Decks without a strong blue mana base may find it hard to play this card effectively, limiting its versatility.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: When it comes to playing impactful creatures, Lu Meng, Wu General comes at a relatively steep mana cost. For the same amount of mana, players might find other creatures or spells that provide better immediate value or versatility, which could make this card a less appealing option during crucial game stages.
Reasons to Include Lu Meng, Wu General in Your Collection
Versatility: Lu Meng, Wu General, slides easily into a variety of decks, particularly those that capitalize on blue’s strength in control and card manipulation. It can also serve as a resilient commander or complement other strategies that reward drawing and discarding cards.
Combo Potential: This card’s ability to draw cards can be paired with numerous combos and synergies, especially in decks that thrive on cycling through their deck or benefit from filling the graveyard with specific card types for payoff mechanics.
Meta-Relevance: In a meta where information is power and control decks thrive, Lu Meng’s ability to disrupt opponents by peeking at their hand gives a strategic advantage, making it a timely inclusion for anyone looking to stay one step ahead of the competition.
How to beat Lu Meng, Wu General
Overcoming Lu Meng, Wu General in the game requires tactical maneuvering. As a formidable card that hinders opponents from drawing extra cards, Lu Meng can pose a significant challenge. The key is to neutralize its ability which triggers upon damaging a player, often achieved by removing it from the battlefield. Cards with direct removal abilities, such as Path to Exile or Fatal Push, come in handy to promptly deal with Lu Meng.
Another strategy is to bypass Lu Meng’s ability by utilizing cards that draw outside the draw step. Examples include instant-speed spells or abilities that draw cards on your opponent’s turn. Cards like Brainstorm or instant-speed looters allow for card advantage without tripping Lu Meng’s restrictive ability.
Finally, it is essential to limit Lu Meng’s impact if you can’t remove it. Prioritize playing your card-drawing spells when Lu Meng is not on the battlefield or look to out-value your opponent with more efficient spells or threats. With the right approach, Lu Meng, Wu General, can be effectively managed, ensuring the tide of battle stays in your favor.
Cards like Lu Meng, Wu General
Lu Meng, Wu General is a compelling figure among historical-themed creatures in Magic: The Gathering. Drawing parallels to other legendary creatures, Lu Meng shines with his unique abilities. A notable comparison is to Thalia’s Lieutenant, which similarly rewards you for playing with creatures of a shared type – in Thalia’s case, Humans. However, Lu Meng is more specific, fitting into decks that capitalize on the Warrior tribe, granting them formidable boosts in power.
Taking another similar card, Adaptive Automaton offers versatility across various creature types and boosts the chosen type, much like Lu Meng. While Lu Meng bolsters Warrior creatures and offers card draw, Adaptive Automaton’s strength lies in its chameleon-like adaptability, seamlessly fitting into any tribal strategy. Moving on, Lovisa Coldeyes also stands as a beacon for Warrior, Berserker, and Barbarian creatures, increasing their power and haste. Unlike Lu Meng, Lovisa impacts a wider array of creature types but lacks the card advantage provided by Lu’s ability to draw cards.
In sum, Lu Meng, Wu General holds a prestigious position amongst tribal synergy cards in Magic: The Gathering. His combination of empowering Warriors and providing additional card draw carves him a niche that is as strategic as it is thematic.
Cards similar to Lu Meng, Wu General by color, type and mana cost
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Lu Meng, Wu General MTG card by a specific set like Portal Three Kingdoms and Masters Edition III, 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 Lu Meng, Wu General 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 MTG Products
Printings
The Lu Meng, Wu General Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 1999-05-01 and 2009-09-07. Illustrated by Gao Yan.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1999-05-01 | Portal Three Kingdoms | PTK | 46 | 1997 | Normal | White | Gao Yan | |
| 2 | 2009-09-07 | Masters Edition III | ME3 | 41 | 1997 | Normal | Black | Gao Yan |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Lu Meng, Wu General has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Paupercommander | Restricted |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Predh | Legal |
| Penny | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Lu Meng, Wu General card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2009-10-01 | Despite the similarities between horsemanship and flying, horsemanship doesn’t interact with flying or reach. |
