King Cheetah MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 4 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost4
RarityRare
TypeCreature — Cat
Abilities Flash
Power 3
Toughness 2

Key Takeaways

  1. King Cheetah’s flash ability allows immediate in-game impact, potentially providing a tactical advantage.
  2. Its casting cost is low, fitting well into swift threat deployment strategies within a deck.
  3. Strategically countering King Cheetah involves instant removal spells and anticipating flash plays.
Flash card art

Guide to Flash card ability

Explore the dynamic Flash ability in Magic: The Gathering (MTG), a feature that allows you to cast spells at lightning speed, often leaving your opponents reeling and your strategy several steps ahead. This versatile ability can turn the tide of a game, providing the element of surprise and tactical advantage. It places a premium on timing and foresight, transforming an ordinary deck into a formidable arsenal of instant threats and responses.

Text of card

Flash

If you find yourself and a friend being chased by a king cheetah, you have but one chance: Trip your friend. —Suq'Ata wisdom


Card Pros

Card Advantage: The stealthy King Cheetah offers an edge through its ability to surprise the opponent, effectively bypassing summoning sickness and enabling immediate impact on the game state. Though it doesn’t draw cards directly, this can indirectly lead to card advantage by outmaneuvering your opponent’s strategy.

Resource Acceleration: While King Cheetah itself may not provide direct resource acceleration, its relatively low casting cost integrates smoothly into decks looking to deploy threats quickly and efficiently. Its presence encourages resourceful gameplay, keeping mana available for other strategic plays.

Instant Speed: The flash ability of King Cheetah allows it to be cast at instant speed, meaning you can wait until the end of your opponent’s turn to make a move. This grants you the flexibility to react to their actions, keeping them guessing while you maintain the upper hand.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: King Cheetah may not ask you to discard, but any deck built around it will need ways to leverage its quick deployment, potentially leading to a thinner hand over time.

Specific Mana Cost: This creature needs both green mana and additional generic mana for casting, thus it might not seamlessly fit into multicolored deck strategies that require a flexible mana base.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: For a creature that has the flash ability, King Cheetah’s mana cost is on the higher side. Players might opt for other creatures or spells that provide more value or have a stronger impact on the game at a similar cost.


Reasons to Include King Cheetah in Your Collection

Versatility: King Cheetah offers a unique twist with its flash ability, allowing it to be played at any time you could cast an instant. This adds a layer of surprise and tactical advantage, making it a flexible choice for decks that aim to keep opponents guessing.

Combo Potential: This creature pairs well with effects that capitalize on the surprise aspect of flash or those that benefit from creatures entering the battlefield unexpectedly. It’s an asset in setups geared towards ambush strategies or exploiting summoning synergies.

Meta-Relevance: In an ever-shifting MTG landscape where speed can be king, King Cheetah stands ready to pounce. Its ability to enter the fray at a moment’s notice keeps it relevant, especially in environments where quick reactions can outmaneuver slower, more traditional plays.


How to beat King Cheetah

King Cheetah is a unique creature card in Magic: The Gathering, known for its flash ability, allowing you to surprise your opponent by playing it any time you could cast an instant. With this in mind, strategic gameplay is key when facing this agile adversary. First, consider keeping mana open to respond to the Cheetah’s summoning – utilizing instant-speed removal spells can swiftly tackle the threat before it gets a chance to strike. Cards such as “Murder” or “Path to Exile” are reliable choices to exile or destroy the creature, circumventing its potential impact on the game.

Moreover, the element of surprise which King Cheetah carries is its primary weapon. To counteract, enhance your deck with counter spells to negate the cheetah’s cast, or flash creatures of your own to block the ambush. Playing around the Cheetah player’s mana availability and potential flash times could also tilt the match in your favor. Focusing on a proactive playstyle, establishing a board presence that the Cheetah can’t easily bypass and using your spells at the correct juncture can ensure dominance over King Cheetah.


Cards like King Cheetah

In the realm of Magic: The Gathering, King Cheetah occupies a unique position among creatures. When evaluating it against its counterparts, it’s essential to highlight its ability to gain instant speed upon casting another creature. This feature is akin to Scout’s Warning, a card that gives the next creature card you play this turn flash. However, unlike Scout’s Warning, King Cheetah comes with this ability intrinsically and also presents itself as a creature on the battlefield, offering immediate board presence.

Other similar cards like Vedalken Orrery and Emergence Zone bestow flash on all creatures, but they are noncreature permanents that don’t directly influence the combat phase. King Cheetah, meanwhile, is always ready to dash onto the battlefield when you’re casting another creature, surprising opponents and serving as both a tool for ambush and a solid 3/2 body for combat scenarios.

Ultimately, in the ecosystem of Magic: The Gathering, King Cheetah requires strategic deck construction to maximize its potential. It stands up well against other flash-enabling cards due to its duality of flash-bestowing and combat readiness, a trait that is especially valuable in creature-based strategies.

Scout's Warning - MTG Card versions
Vedalken Orrery - MTG Card versions
Emergence Zone - MTG Card versions
Scout's Warning - Future Sight (FUT)
Vedalken Orrery - Fifth Dawn (5DN)
Emergence Zone - War of the Spark (WAR)

Cards similar to King Cheetah by color, type and mana cost

Giant Spider - MTG Card versions
Marsh Viper - MTG Card versions
Scarwood Bandits - MTG Card versions
Carnivorous Plant - MTG Card versions
Erhnam Djinn - MTG Card versions
War Mammoth - MTG Card versions
Aurochs - MTG Card versions
Lhurgoyf - MTG Card versions
Jackalope Herd - MTG Card versions
Rootwater Alligator - MTG Card versions
Golden Bear - MTG Card versions
Argothian Swine - MTG Card versions
Elvish Piper - MTG Card versions
Erithizon - MTG Card versions
Saber Ants - MTG Card versions
Skyshroud Cutter - MTG Card versions
Ulvenwald Oddity // Ulvenwald Behemoth - MTG Card versions
Fungusaur - MTG Card versions
Viridian Lorebearers - MTG Card versions
Monkey Monkey Monkey - MTG Card versions
Giant Spider - Tenth Edition (10E)
Marsh Viper - The Dark (DRK)
Scarwood Bandits - The Dark (DRK)
Carnivorous Plant - Fourth Edition Foreign Black Border (4BB)
Erhnam Djinn - Pro Tour Collector Set (PTC)
War Mammoth - Introductory Two-Player Set (ITP)
Aurochs - Masters Edition II (ME2)
Lhurgoyf - World Championship Decks 1997 (WC97)
Jackalope Herd - Exodus (EXO)
Rootwater Alligator - Exodus (EXO)
Golden Bear - Portal Second Age (P02)
Argothian Swine - Urza's Saga (USG)
Elvish Piper - Ninth Edition (9ED)
Erithizon - Mercadian Masques (MMQ)
Saber Ants - Mercadian Masques (MMQ)
Skyshroud Cutter - Nemesis (NEM)
Ulvenwald Oddity // Ulvenwald Behemoth - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Fungusaur - Eighth Edition (8ED)
Viridian Lorebearers - Fifth Dawn (5DN)
Monkey Monkey Monkey - Unhinged (UNH)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase King Cheetah MTG card by a specific set like Multiverse Gift Box and Visions, 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 King Cheetah and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The King Cheetah Magic the Gathering card was released in 3 different sets between 1996-11-01 and 2005-07-29. Illustrated by Terese Nielsen.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
11996-11-01Multiverse Gift BoxMGB 101997normalblackTerese Nielsen
21997-02-03VisionsVIS 1101997normalblackTerese Nielsen
32005-07-29Ninth Edition9ED 2502003normalwhiteTerese Nielsen
42005-07-29Ninth Edition9ED 250★2003normalblackTerese Nielsen

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where King Cheetah has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
PauperLegal
PremodernLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal
PennyLegal

Rules and information

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

DateText
2005-08-01 King Cheetah is always a Creature spell, never an instant, regardless of when you cast it.

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