Lagonna-Band Storyteller MTG Card


Lagonna-Band Storyteller - Theros Beyond Death
Mana cost
Converted mana cost4
RarityUncommon
TypeCreature — Centaur Advisor
Released2020-01-24
Set symbol
Set nameTheros Beyond Death
Set codeTHB
Power 3
Toughness 4
Number27
Frame2015
Layoutnormal
Borderblack
Illustred byChris Seaman

Key Takeaways

  1. Lagonna-Band Storyteller offers enchantment recursion and resource acceleration, boosting strategic depth in gameplay.
  2. Specific mana requirements and discard conditions of the card may limit its inclusion in diverse deck types.
  3. Its unique ability to recur enchantments and gain life distinguishes it from similar MTG creatures.

Text of card

When Lagonna-Band Storyteller enters the battlefield, you may put target enchantment card from your graveyard on top of your library. If you do, you gain life equal to its converted mana cost.

"Our stories are full of ancient wisdom; they tell us who we are."


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Lagonna-Band Storyteller provides card advantage by allowing you to put an enchantment card from your graveyard on top of your library whenever it enters the battlefield, keeping your hand supplied with options.

Resource Acceleration: The card’s ability to return an enchantment card directly to the battlefield when casting a spell that’s five mana or more works as resource acceleration, effectively bypassing the mana cost of the returned enchantment.

Instant Speed: While not an instant itself, Lagonna-Band Storyteller can capitalize on instant speed spells in your deck. Its ability synergizes well with instant speed enchantments or spells that allow you to flash in permanents, keeping your opponents guessing and maximizing your maneuvers during their turns.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Lagonna-Band Storyteller’s ability requires you to have a specific card type, namely an Aura, to reap its benefits. This can be restrictive as it necessitates having a suitable card in hand to discard, which might not always align with your play strategy or the available cards in your deck, potentially leading to suboptimal plays.

Specific Mana Cost: The casting cost of Lagonna-Band Storyteller includes both white and green mana, which demands commitment to a Selesnya color pairing. This limits the card’s inclusion to decks running these colors, potentially sidelining it in mono-colored or other multicolored deck variations where it would not fit the mana base.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a cost of four mana, including two specific colors, Lagonna-Band Storyteller’s mana investment may appear steep when considering other creatures or enchantments at a similar cost bracket that could provide immediate impact or more versatile effects. Consequently, the card might be overlooked in favor of options that deliver a more efficient mana-to-impact ratio.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Lagonna-Band Storyteller is a flexible addition to any deck that aims to benefit from enchantment synergies or life gain strategies. As a creature that can recur enchantments and bolster your life total, it works well in various deck archetypes.

Combo Potential: This card can be a linchpin in combo decks that exploit the enter-the-battlefield effects or end-of-turn triggers. Partner it with cards that swap graveyard contents for even more powerful plays or with enchantments that have strong self-sacrifice abilities to maximize your gains.

Meta-Relevance: In environments where enchantment-based decks are prevalent, Lagonna-Band Storyteller stands out as a valuable asset. It can provide the upper hand in grindy matches, where recapturing key enchantments and bolstering life totals can tip the scales in your favor.


How to beat Lagonna-Band Storyteller

The Lagonna-Band Storyteller card is an intriguing piece in the world of Magic: The Gathering, primarily recognized for its enchantment recursion ability. It stands out by allowing players to return a target enchantment card from their graveyard to the battlefield, a utility that can potentially tip scales in a player’s favor. To counterplay effectively against this card, it’s essential to disrupt this recursion strategy.

One effective approach is to utilize removal spells that exile rather than destroy, circumventing the ability to retrieve enchantments from the graveyard. In addition, incorporating graveyard hate cards that can purge the graveyard, like Rest in Peace, can nullify the Storyteller’s advantage completely. Cards that counter creature spells or provide instant-speed interaction can also stop the Storyteller before its ability triggers.

Ultimately, in facing Lagonna-Band Storyteller, the key is to prioritize cards that stifle graveyard strategies or hinder creature-based synergies. Removing enchantments from the equation is as important as addressing the creature itself, ensuring that the Storyteller’s tales are short-lived and your victory assured.


Cards like Lagonna-Band Storyteller

Lagonna-Band Storyteller is a unique creature within the Magic: The Gathering universe. This card shares some similarities with other creatures that focus on enchantment-based strategies. One card that comes to mind is Auramancer, which also allows players to return an enchantment from their graveyard to their hand when it enters the battlefield. However, the Storyteller offers an additional benefit by gaining you life equal to the returned enchantment’s mana value.

Another card worth examining is Monk Idealist, a creature with an ability almost identical to Auramancer’s. The key difference here is the creature type, as Lagonna-Band Storyteller boasts the centaur cleric type, which could have synergistic benefits in certain decks that the Monk Idealist cannot provide. Then, similar to Lagonna-Band Storyteller’s life-gaining effect, there’s also Treasury Thrull, which can return an enchantment from graveyard to hand, but it requires the Thrull to attack, therefore providing the recursion on a delayed timetable.

Considering these elements, Lagonna-Band Storyteller serves a special role in MTG decks that are focused on enchantment recursion while providing immediate life gain, setting it apart from similar cards in terms of flexibility and immediate board impact in enchantment-centric strategies.

Auramancer - MTG Card versions
Monk Idealist - MTG Card versions
Treasury Thrull - MTG Card versions
Auramancer - Odyssey (ODY)
Monk Idealist - Urza's Saga (USG)
Treasury Thrull - Gatecrash Promos (PGTC)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Lagonna-Band Storyteller MTG card by a specific set like Theros Beyond Death, 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 Lagonna-Band Storyteller and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Lagonna-Band Storyteller has restrictions

FormatLegality
HistoricbrawlLegal
HistoricLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderRestricted
OathbreakerLegal
GladiatorLegal
PioneerLegal
CommanderLegal
ModernLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
ExplorerLegal
TimelessLegal

Rules and information

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

DateText
2020-01-24 If a card in a player’s graveyard has in its mana cost, X is considered to be 0.

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