Larceny MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 5 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost5
RarityUncommon
TypeEnchantment

Key Takeaways

  1. Larceny excels by reducing opponents’ strategies through continuous discard effects each combat.
  2. Mana cost and late-game relevance are potential downsides, requiring strategic deck design.
  3. Despite cons, Larceny’s impact on opponent resources makes it a powerful asset in aggressive decks.

Text of card

Whenever a creature you control deals combat damage to a player, that player discards a card from his or her hand.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: One of the distinct benefits of Larceny is its ability to continuously strip cards from your opponent’s hand whenever a creature you control deals combat damage to them. This ongoing disruption can significantly diminish your opponent’s strategic options over the course of a game.

Resource Acceleration: While Larceny itself doesn’t create mana or tokens, the card puts indirect pressure on your opponent’s resources. By forcing discards, Larceny can effectively slow down your opponent’s gameplay, giving you the upper hand in resource tempo and paving the way for a more assertive board presence.

Instant Speed: While Larceny operates at sorcery speed, its continuous effect can have an instant impact on the game state. The threat of triggering its effect can alter how your opponent plays, often deterring them from leaving valuable cards in hand if they suspect an attack might get through.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Larceny’s ability mandates that a player must discard a card upon dealing combat damage to them. This can become less effective late in the game when opponents have fewer cards in hand, thus reducing its potential impact on their strategy.

Specific Mana Cost: Larceny has a specific mana cost that requires three black mana sources. This can pose a challenge in multicolored decks and limit its inclusion to primarily black-focused decks or those with a reliable mana base to accommodate the color-intensive requirement.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a casting cost of five mana, Larceny competes with other high-impact cards in the same mana range. Considering the aggressive nature of decks that would use this card, the cost can be a significant setback, potentially slowing down the overall tempo of the deck.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Larceny slips into a variety of deck archetypes with ease, particularly those aiming to disrupt opponents through discard strategies while mounting an offensive with creatures.

Combo Potential: This enchantment pairs exceptionally well with evasion-enabling cards, enhancing its ability to maintain consistent pressure on your opponent’s hand while advancing your own board position.

Meta-Relevance: In environments where hand size is crucial, Larceny shines by systematically depriving opponents of resources. This can tilt games in your favor, especially against control decks that rely on a broad selection of answers.


How to beat

When facing off against the Larceny enchantment in Magic: The Gathering, strategy shifts to a high priority. This pesky card can drain your hand quickly, as it forces you to discard whenever a creature you control deals combat damage to an opponent. To counter this, it’s essential to control the battlefield. Deploying creatures with defender attributes can prevent opponents from hitting you directly and triggering Larceny’s effect. Alternatively, using instant removal spells or abilities that can destroy or return the opponent’s creatures to their hand before they can inflict combat damage will keep your hand safe. Sweepers can also clear the board of enemy creatures, nullifying Larceny’s ability to cripple your strategy.

Enchantment removal is your direct line of defense. Cards like Disenchant can take out Larceny directly, allowing you to protect your hand size and maintain your strategic depth. Playing around Larceny involves thoughtful deck building and in-game decision-making to mitigate its effects and limit your opponent’s ability to capitalize on its hand-disruptive power.


Cards like Larceny

Larceny holds a devious edge within the category of enchantment cards in MTG. In a shared space with cards like Raiders’ Wake, Larceny ensures that opponents feel the sting of each creature attack. It’s particularly brutal in decks that focus on numerous, repeated attacks. Raiders’ Wake, while similar in discouraging opponents’ hand size, activates its ability when you attack with just one creature, but also packs the punch on an opponent’s discard.

Megrim stands as a cousin to Larceny, dealing damage every time an opponent discards a card, although it does not directly force discards like Larceny. Quest for the Nihil Stone is yet another relative, creating a passive threat for decks that are built around discard strategies, punishing opponents as their hand sizes decrease.

When it comes to disrupting opponents and enhancing strategies centered around their forfeiture, Larceny plays a significant role. Its ability to consistently strip away an opponent’s resources with each strike makes it a valuable piece in any aggressive strategy geared towards controlling an opponent’s hand within MTG.

Raiders' Wake - MTG Card versions
Megrim - MTG Card versions
Quest for the Nihil Stone - MTG Card versions
Raiders' Wake - Ixalan (XLN)
Megrim - Stronghold (STH)
Quest for the Nihil Stone - Worldwake (WWK)

Cards similar to Larceny by color, type and mana cost

Horror of Horrors - MTG Card versions
Worms of the Earth - MTG Card versions
Forbidden Crypt - MTG Card versions
Death Pits of Rath - MTG Card versions
Handcuffs - MTG Card versions
Discordant Dirge - MTG Card versions
Subversion - MTG Card versions
Conspiracy - MTG Card versions
Putrefaction - MTG Card versions
Unnatural Hunger - MTG Card versions
Intimidation - MTG Card versions
Spreading Plague - MTG Card versions
Yawgmoth's Agenda - MTG Card versions
Traveling Plague - MTG Card versions
Screams of the Damned - MTG Card versions
Dawn of the Dead - MTG Card versions
Gravebreaker Lamia - MTG Card versions
Doomwake Giant - MTG Card versions
Painful Quandary - MTG Card versions
Clutch of Undeath - MTG Card versions
Horror of Horrors - Ninth Edition (9ED)
Worms of the Earth - The Dark (DRK)
Forbidden Crypt - Classic Sixth Edition (6ED)
Death Pits of Rath - Ninth Edition (9ED)
Handcuffs - Unglued (UGL)
Discordant Dirge - Urza's Saga (USG)
Subversion - Urza's Legacy (ULG)
Conspiracy - The List (PLST)
Putrefaction - Mercadian Masques (MMQ)
Unnatural Hunger - Mercadian Masques (MMQ)
Intimidation - Mercadian Masques (MMQ)
Spreading Plague - Invasion (INV)
Yawgmoth's Agenda - The List (PLST)
Traveling Plague - Odyssey (ODY)
Screams of the Damned - Odyssey (ODY)
Dawn of the Dead - Torment (TOR)
Gravebreaker Lamia - Theros Beyond Death (THB)
Doomwake Giant - Commander Masters (CMM)
Painful Quandary - The Brothers' War Promos (PBRO)
Clutch of Undeath - Scourge (SCG)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Larceny MTG card by a specific set like Mercadian Masques and Eighth Edition, 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 Larceny and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Larceny Magic the Gathering card was released in 4 different sets between 1999-10-04 and 2006-01-01. Illustrated by Dave Dorman.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
11999-10-04Mercadian MasquesMMQ 1431997normalblackDave Dorman
22003-07-28Eighth Edition8ED 1392003normalwhiteDave Dorman
32003-07-28Eighth Edition8ED 139★2003normalblackDave Dorman
42005-08-22Salvat 2005PSAL A492003normalwhiteDave Dorman
52006-01-01Hachette UKPHUK 492003normalwhiteDave Dorman

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Larceny has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
PremodernLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal
PennyLegal

Rules and information

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

DateText
2004-10-04 Triggers once per creature, not once per point of damage.

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