Leonin of the Lost Pride MTG Card

Leonin of the Lost Pride - Theros Beyond Death

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	2
Rarity	Common
Type	Creature — Cat Warrior
Released	2020-01-24
Set symbol
Set name	Theros Beyond Death
Set code	THB
Power	3
Toughness	1
Number	28
Frame	2015
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Aaron Miller

Key Takeaways

The card can disrupt opponent strategies by exiling graveyard cards, acting as indirect card advantage.
It provides synergy for resource acceleration, albeit with a demand for white mana in decks.
Despite competing with many two-drops, its abilities make it a weapon against graveyard-recursion decks.

Text of card

When Leonin of the Lost Pride dies, exile target card from an opponent's graveyard.

Leonin band together in the Underworld, taking solace in their strength until, at last, both pride and self are forgotten.

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Leonin of the Lost Pride may not draw cards, but its ability to exile opponent’s cards from the graveyard upon death can hinder their strategies and indirectly act as card advantage.

Resource Acceleration: While the Leonin isn’t a direct source of mana, its low cost and creature type synergize with other cards that accelerate your resources, enabling quicker deployment of more formidable threats.

Instant Speed: This card strikes fast; though not at instant speed, its aggressive stats encourage an immediate board presence, posing a threat that requires an answer.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: In the early turns of the game, when your hand is critical for building board presence and setting up your strategy, having to discard a card to reap the benefits of Leonin of the Lost Pride can feel like a setback. This requirement might force you to make tough decisions between playing this furry feline or holding onto your resources for a potentially better strategic move later on.

Specific Mana Cost: With a casting cost that includes white mana, Leonin of the Lost Pride is inherently tied to a specific color identity. This necessity restricts it primarily to white-based decks or those with a reliable mana base that can accommodate splashing white, thus reducing its ubiquity across the diverse palette of MTG deck archetypes.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Considering that Leonin of the Lost Pride demands two mana, one of which is white-specific, it competes with a plethora of two-drop creatures in the vast universe of Magic cards. Some of these alternatives may offer more impactful abilities, more substantial stats, or better synergy with common deck themes, making the Leonin a less favorable choice when mana efficiency and board impact are paramount.

Reasons to Include Leonin of the Lost Pride in Your Collection

Versatility: Leonin of the Lost Pride, a swift and efficient creature, can seamlessly integrate into various deck builds, particularly those leveraging White Weenie or Aggro strategies. Its two-power for a mere two mana offers a solid early-game presence.

Combo Potential: Boasting an afterlife ability that can exile cards from an opponent’s graveyard upon dying, it pairs well with strategies that capitalize on graveyard manipulation or necessitate permanent exile effects to hinder opponent plans.

Meta-Relevance: Given the recurring presence of graveyard-based strategies in the competitive scene, Leonin of the Lost Pride holds a pertinent spot in the meta, counteracting decks that rely on graveyard recursion for their key plays.

How to beat Leonin of the Lost Pride

Leonin of the Lost Pride is a creature that embodies the aggressive and persistent nature of White creature strategies in Magic: The Gathering. Its primary draw is its affordability, swift speed, and its secondary ability to exile cards from an opponent’s graveyard whenever it dies. Tackling this card head-on requires a strategy that minimizes graveyard interactions and emphasizes control over the battlefield.

One effective approach to surpass Leonin of the Lost Pride is to employ removal spells that exile rather than destroy, circumventing its graveyard-triggered ability. Board wipes that clear multiple creatures also prove to be an advantageous counter, as they deal with numerous threats simultaneously and can suppress the typical swarm tactics that deck builders utilize alongside Leonin of the Lost Pride.

It’s also worth mentioning that by playing around the Leonin’s triggered ability, you can mitigate the impact of its graveyard interactions, making the Leonin less of a threat. In sum, facing down this card requires a blend of judicious creature removal and strategic play, ensuring Leonin of the Lost Pride becomes more of a minor nuisance than a major concern on your path to victory.

Cards like Leonin of the Lost Pride

Leonin of the Lost Pride, a creature card from the world of Magic: The Gathering, resonates with the theme of aggressive White creatures. When considering counterparts, a card like Skyclave Cleric comes to mind. While both serve the essential role of early-game creatures, Leonin’s ability to exile a card from an opponent’s graveyard upon death offers tactical graveyard disruption in comparison to Skyclave Cleric’s lack of an on-death ability.

Comparably, Selfless Spirit provides a dissimilar function. It costs one more mana than Leonin but offers a protective benefit by sacrificing itself to grant indestructible to your other creatures. The utility of this latter ability presents a different strategic approach. Moreover, Remorseful Cleric might also be considered parallel in terms of graveyard interaction. Like Leonin, it can affect graveyard dynamics, but instead of targeting a single card, it can clear an entire graveyard at once.

Each card brings its unique flavor and utility to the battlefield, highlighting the diverse range of strategic options available to players in Magic: The Gathering. Thus, choice becomes a matter of strategy and deck synergy, with Leonin of the Lost Pride offering an aggressive stance complemented by a surgical precision against graveyard-dependent decks.

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Leonin of the Lost Pride 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 Leonin of the Lost Pride and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Leonin of the Lost Pride has restrictions

Format	Legality
Historicbrawl	Legal
Historic	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Paupercommander	Legal
Oathbreaker	Legal
Gladiator	Legal
Pioneer	Legal
Commander	Legal
Modern	Legal
Pauper	Legal
Vintage	Legal
Duel	Legal
Explorer	Legal
Penny	Legal
Timeless	Legal