Curse of Leeches // Leeching Lurker MTG Card


Transitioning from enchantment to creature, Curse of Leeches offers dual utility and a robust board presence. Locked to black mana decks, it may limit creative deck building despite its transformative gameplay benefits. As a unique double-faced card, it stands out for its adaptability and meta-relevant transformative capability.
Card setsReleased in 5 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost3
RarityRare
TypeEnchantment — Aura Curse
Abilities Daybound,Enchant

Text of card

Enchant player As this permanent transforms into Curse of Leeches, attach it to a player. At the beginning of enchanted player's upkeep, they lose 1 life and you gain 1 life. Daybound (If a player casts no spells during their own turn, it becomes night next turn.)


Cards like Curse of Leeches // Leeching Lurker

Curse of Leeches is an intriguing card that brings a unique twist to the landscape of transformative enchantments in Magic: The Gathering. It bears a resemblance to cards like Accursed Witch, which also have the ability to flip under certain conditions, offering players multiple utility in one card. Accursed Witch, similar to Curse of Leeches, begins as an enchantment and then transforms into a creature, albeit with a different set of abilities.

Another card sharing this duality is Huntmaster of the Fells. While not a curse, this card transitions from a creature to a werewolf alter-ego, presenting adaptability akin to Curse of Leeches. Both cards cater to the strategic play of shifting roles from passive enchantment effects to active creature threats. Despite their differences, the transformative nature of both cards provides a level of depth and complexity to gameplay.

In summary, while there are a select few cards in Magic: The Gathering that exhibit this chameleon-like feature, Curse of Leeches stands out. Its capability to be both an enchantment and a creature makes it a valuable and flexible addition to any deck that leverages its night and daybound transformation mechanic.

Cards similar to Curse of Leeches // Leeching Lurker by color, type and mana cost

Gloom - MTG Card versions
Season of the Witch - MTG Card versions
Tourach's Gate - MTG Card versions
Withering Wisps - MTG Card versions
Necropotence - MTG Card versions
Funeral March - MTG Card versions
Casting of Bones - MTG Card versions
Blanket of Night - MTG Card versions
Hecatomb - MTG Card versions
Krovikan Fetish - MTG Card versions
Megrim - MTG Card versions
Recurring Nightmare - MTG Card versions
Contamination - MTG Card versions
Oppression - MTG Card versions
Lurking Evil - MTG Card versions
Maggot Therapy - MTG Card versions
Murderous Betrayal - MTG Card versions
Noxious Field - MTG Card versions
Tainted Well - MTG Card versions
Scavenged Weaponry - MTG Card versions
Gloom - MTG Card versions
Season of the Witch - MTG Card versions
Tourach's Gate - MTG Card versions
Withering Wisps - MTG Card versions
Necropotence - MTG Card versions
Funeral March - MTG Card versions
Casting of Bones - MTG Card versions
Blanket of Night - MTG Card versions
Hecatomb - MTG Card versions
Krovikan Fetish - MTG Card versions
Megrim - MTG Card versions
Recurring Nightmare - MTG Card versions
Contamination - MTG Card versions
Oppression - MTG Card versions
Lurking Evil - MTG Card versions
Maggot Therapy - MTG Card versions
Murderous Betrayal - MTG Card versions
Noxious Field - MTG Card versions
Tainted Well - MTG Card versions
Scavenged Weaponry - MTG Card versions

Card Pros

Card Advantage: The transformative nature of Curse of Leeches allows it to switch between an enchantment and a creature, offering a persistent threat and a constant source of advantage on the board. When flipped to Leeching Lurker, it grants you an additional asset by becoming an attacking and blocking entity, further tipping the scales in your favor.

Resource Acceleration: In its daybound form, Curse of Leeches can help speed up your game plan by providing an additional body that can contribute to your attack strategy or defensive lineup. As a creature, it represents an extra resource that is both a result of, and contributes to, a more robust battlefield presence.

Instant Speed: Though Curse of Leeches itself is not an instant, its transformation mechanic adheres to the day/night cycle, which can change at instant speed based on players’ actions. This unpredictable shift can catch opponents off guard, allowing you to optimize the timing of your resource allocation and strategic planning.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: While Curse of Leeches doesn’t demand you discard a card, it does have a transform mechanic that requires careful handling. This mechanic can sometimes feel as taxing as a discard, especially in games where timing your spells is crucial to maintain advantage.

Specific Mana Cost: The casting cost confines Curse of Leeches to decks with a black mana source. This can restrict deck building options, making it less versatile compared to colorless or more flexible cards.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a mana cost of three, including two specific black mana, Curse of Leeches is an investment. There are other creature or enchantment options that could be more mana-efficient, offering a quicker strategic advantage or requiring less setup.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Curse of Leeches can adapt to various game scenarios. As a daybound/nightbound card, it shifts forms to offer both offensive and defensive utilities, ensuring it has a role to play throughout the game.

Combo Potential: This card provides life-leeching abilities that can be tactically combined with other life-gain or life-drain strategies, amplifying its impact and enhancing synergies within your deck.

Meta-Relevance: Its ability to transition from an enchantment to a creature makes it less susceptible to removals that target one specific type, keeping it relevant against diverse decks in the current meta.


How to beat Curse of Leeches

When facing Curse of Leeches, a distinctive double-faced card from Magic: The Gathering, tactical shifts are necessary. During daytime, it’s a pesky enchantment that attaches to a player, transforming at night into Leeching Lurker, a creature that can sap strength from their life total. Despite its intimidating lifecycle, there are ways to turn the tide against this vampiric nuisance.

To remove the curse, one might employ removal spells that can directly target either enchantments or creatures. Cards like Naturalize or Mortify provide an answer, eliminating the threat irrespective of its form. Another strategy includes using instant-speed spells like Cast Down, which can dispose of the Leeching Lurker before it begins to leech, ensuring it never sees the moonlight. Keeping the game at day also prevents the transformation, so playing spells on your turns consistently could be advantageous.

Ultimately, mitigating the impact of Curse of Leeches involves staying one step ahead. Whether that involves removal spells, dictating the day-night cycle, or denying your opponent the triggers they seek, your plan should adapt to the challenges this card presents in Magic: The Gathering’s multifaceted environment.


BurnMana Recommendations

Exploring the ebb and flow of day and night with Curse of Leeches can give your MTG gameplay an intriguing edge. Its transformative quality enriches your strategy, allowing you to adjust to the shifting tides of each match. Combining Curse of Leeches with thoughtful deck building and keen awareness of the game’s day-night cycle can offer a significant boost in both offensive and defensive plays. For more insights on optimizing your use of this enigmatic card and crafting a deck that capitalizes on its dual nature, dive into our in-depth discussions. Your path to vampiric dominance in MTG is just a click away.


Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Curse of Leeches // Leeching Lurker MTG card by a specific set like Magic Online Promos and Innistrad: Midnight Hunt Promos, 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 Curse of Leeches // Leeching Lurker and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Curse of Leeches // Leeching Lurker Magic the Gathering card was released in 4 different sets between 2021-09-24 and 2022-01-28. Illustrated by Uriah Voth.

#ReleasedNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12002-06-24Magic Online PromosPRM 939882015TransformBlackUriah Voth
22021-09-24Innistrad: Midnight Hunt PromosPMID 94s2015TransformBlackUriah Voth
32021-09-24Innistrad: Midnight HuntMID 3452015TransformBlackUriah Voth
42021-09-24Innistrad: Midnight HuntMID 942015TransformBlackUriah Voth
52022-01-28Innistrad: Double FeatureDBL 942015TransformBlackUriah Voth

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Curse of Leeches // Leeching Lurker has restrictions

FormatLegality
StandardLegal
HistoricbrawlLegal
HistoricLegal
LegacyLegal
OathbreakerLegal
GladiatorLegal
PioneerLegal
CommanderLegal
ModernLegal
FutureLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
ExplorerLegal
BrawlLegal
TimelessLegal

Rules and information

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

Date Text
2021-09-24 After Curse of Leeches transforms into Leeching Lurker, it will become unattached from the player it's attached to as a state-based action.
2021-09-24 Attaching Curse of Leeches as it transforms doesn't target a player, so it can be attached to a player with hexproof this way.
2021-09-24 Before a player untaps their permanents during the untap step, the game checks to see if the day/night designation should change.
2021-09-24 Day and night are designations that the game itself can have. The game starts as neither. Once the game becomes day (or less commonly, night), the game will be exactly one of them—day or night—going back and forth for the rest of the game.
2021-09-24 Double-faced permanents with daybound transform to their nightbound faces as it becomes night. Similarly, double-faced permanents with nightbound transform to their daybound faces as it becomes day. This happens immediately and is not a state-based action. It happens any time it becomes day or night, not just during the untap step.
2021-09-24 For more information about Day and Night and the Daybound and Nightbound abilities, please see the Innistrad: Midnight Hunt Mechanics atricle (https://magic.wizards.com/en/articles/archive/feature/innistrad-midnight-hunt-mechanics-2021-09-02).
2021-09-24 If Leeching Lurker is on the battlefield during night, and the active player casts two or more spells during the turn, it will become day as the next turn begins. This will cause Leeching Lurker to transform into Curse of Leeches and become attached to a player. This all happens before that turn's upkeep, so the triggered ability of Curse of Leeches will trigger at the beginning of that turn's upkeep.
2021-09-24 If it is day, and the active player of the previous turn cast no spells during their turn, it becomes night.
2021-09-24 If it is night, and the active player of the previous turn cast two or more spells during their turn, it becomes day.
2021-09-24 If it is night, permanents with daybound that enter the battlefield without being cast will enter with their nightbound faces up.
2021-09-24 If it's neither day nor night, and a creature with daybound and a creature with nightbound somehow appear on the battlefield at the same time, it becomes day. The creature with nightbound will transform.
2021-09-24 If you cast Curse of Leeches while it is night, you must still choose a target player, and that player must be a legal target as Curse of Leeches resolves. It enters the battlefield transformed and is not attached to that player.
2021-09-24 If you cast a spell with daybound during night, that spell will be front face up (that is, daybound face up) on the stack. However, it will enter the battlefield with its back face up (that is, with its nightbound face up). It won't enter with its daybound face up and then transform.
2021-09-24 Permanents with daybound and nightbound can't transform via any means other than their daybound and nightbound abilities. Notably, older cards such as Moonmist that instruct a player to transform permanents don't affect permanents with daybound or nightbound.