Lead-Belly Chimera MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	4
Rarity	Uncommon
Type	Artifact Creature — Chimera
Abilities	Trample
Released	1997-02-03
Set symbol
Set name	Visions
Set code	VIS
Power	2
Toughness	2
Number	148
Frame	1997
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Mike Dringenberg

Key Takeaways

The Chimera’s ability to cycle cards secures card advantage and situational deck sifting.
Instant speed sacrifice for {S} mana injects flexibility and surprise into your resource management.
Demands careful deck building due to its specific casting cost and discard requirement.

Text of card

Trample Lead-Belly Chimera counts as a Chimera. Sacrifice Lead-Belly Chimera: Put a +2/+2 counter on target Chimera and that Chimera gains trample permanently.

Card Pros

Card Advantage: The recycling ability of Lead-Belly Chimera lets players trade it for another card, essentially cycling to sift through the deck for more useful options and maintaining hand density.

Resource Acceleration: Breaking down the Lead-Belly Chimera for its {S} mana cost can be a strategic resource acceleration tactic, allowing you to ramp up and play higher-cost cards ahead of the curve.

Instant Speed: Being able to sacrifice Lead-Belly Chimera at instant speed provides the flexibility to react to your opponent’s moves or to gain that needed advantage at the most opportune moment.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: The Lead-Belly Chimera requires discarding a card as part of its activation cost. This could be a strategic pitfall for players already struggling to maintain a hand with enough options to respond to opposing threats.

Specific Mana Cost: This chimera also demands a specific combination of mana types to cast—three generic and one red mana. This requirement can restrict its inclusion to decks that are heavy on red mana sources, potentially reducing its versatility in multi-colored deck strategies.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: While a 2/2 creature with the ability to sacrifice itself for additional red mana has utility, the initial investment of four mana to bring Lead-Belly Chimera into play can be steep. Players may find that other creatures or spells could offer the same or increased value for a lower or more flexible mana cost, thereby affecting its competitive playability.

Reasons to Include Lead-Belly Chimera in Your Collection

Versatility: Lead-Belly Chimera stands out with its adaptability. As a chimeric artifact creature, it can seamlessly integrate into artifact-oriented and graveyard-centric strategies, where its sacrifice ability offers a resourceful edge.

Combo Potential: This card shines when combined with decks that capitalize on artifact recursion or sacrifice mechanics, enabling a cycle of play that can repeatedly leverage its abilities for strategic advantages.

Meta-Relevance: In environments where control decks and artifact synergies predominate, Lead-Belly Chimera’s capacity to provide both board presence and graveyard utility makes it a contender you might want to have at your disposal.

How to beat

The Lead-Belly Chimera stands as a unique artifact creature card in Magic: The Gathering. Its trample ability, coupled with the option to sacrifice it for three red mana, makes it both a formidable attacker and a tactical resource. Players engaging with this card must carefully consider their strategies to effectively overcome it.

To counter the Lead-Belly Chimera effect, look towards control decks that can remove or neutralize creatures before they become too powerful. Cards like Swords to Plowshares offer a swift removal solution, dealing with the Chimera before it can capitalize on its abilities. Similarly, managing your blockers to prevent heavy damage from its trample effect or utilizing instant-speed removal spells during combat can shift the situation in your favor.

Finally, it’s essential to hinder the Chimera’s sacrificial mana gain which can pave the way for your opponent’s game-changing spells. Thus, consider cards that restrict or negate abilities, such as Phyrexian Revoker or Pithing Needle. By implementing these strategies, players can mitigate the benefits Lead-Belly Chimera brings to the battlefield and maintain control of the game.

Cards like Lead-Belly Chimera

The utility of Lead-Belly Chimera in the vast world of Magic: The Gathering lies in its trample ability and the somewhat uncommon sacrifice mechanic to add mana. It shares traits with other artifacts such as the Iron Myr, which is also a source of red mana. However, Lead-Belly Chimera stands out by providing a sturdier creature with trample that can press an advantage on the battlefield.

Comparatively, Su-Chi is another artifact creature with a stronger board presence and a similar mana ability upon death. Unlike the Chimera, Su-Chi offers a significant burst of mana instead of the incremental advantage. Another point of comparison is the Myr Moonvessel, yet again an artifact creature with death-mana traits, but it lacks the aggressiveness of Lead-Belly Chimera and doesn’t influence the field the same way.

Evaluating these cards alongside Lead-Belly Chimera showcases the unique blend of offense and ramp capability the Chimera provides. It’s a card that favors both aggressive strategies and mana acceleration, a duality that is appreciated among players looking for versatile card options in Magic: The Gathering.

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Lead-Belly Chimera MTG card by a specific set like 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 Lead-Belly Chimera and other MTG cards: