Liliana of the Dark Realms MTG Card


Liliana provides consistent card advantage, allowing for more strategic plays and consistent land drops. Her ability to boost creatures using swamps offers significant tempo and a tactical edge. Liliana’s emblem empowers instant speed capabilities, enhancing mana availability and game control.
Card setsReleased in 4 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost4
RarityMythic
TypeLegendary Planeswalker — Liliana
Loyalty 3

Text of card

+1: Search your library for a Swamp card, reveal it, and put it into your hand. Then shuffle your library. -3: Target creature gets +X/+X or -X/-X until end of turn, where X is the number of Swamps you control. -6: You get an emblem with "Swamps you control have ‘: Add to your mana pool.'"


Cards like Liliana of the Dark Realms

Liliana of the Dark Realms stands out in the vast pantheon of planeswalker cards within MTG. She finds her closest kin in planeswalkers like Liliana Vess, who also specializes in manipulating dark mana and commanding the dead. But, Liliana of the Dark Realms focuses explicitly on enhancing your command over Swamps, bolstering your mana reservoirs, which gives her a unique position among her counterparts.

Another similar card, Ob Nixilis Reignited, echoes some of her abilities by offering both card draw and creature destruction. However, Liliana of the Dark Realms tailors her power more towards land synergy and resource ramping rather than the all-around utility that Ob Nixilis Reignited presents. In addition, Ob Nixilis Reignited’s ultimate ability impacts the whole board, contrasting the targeted nature of Liliana’s overwhelming single-threat removal.

Analyzing Liliana of the Dark Realms alongside her contemporaries, her capability to consistently ramp and shape the battlefield with targeted creature removal gives her a distinct role in decks geared towards mana-intensive strategies and establishing a formidable presence in the MTG landscape.

Liliana Vess - MTG Card versions
Ob Nixilis Reignited - MTG Card versions
Liliana Vess - MTG Card versions
Ob Nixilis Reignited - MTG Card versions

Cards similar to Liliana of the Dark Realms by color, type and mana cost

Liliana, Untouched by Death - MTG Card versions
Liliana, Waker of the Dead - MTG Card versions
Sorin the Mirthless - MTG Card versions
Davriel, Soul Broker - MTG Card versions
Liliana, Untouched by Death - MTG Card versions
Liliana, Waker of the Dead - MTG Card versions
Sorin the Mirthless - MTG Card versions
Davriel, Soul Broker - MTG Card versions

Decks using this card

MTG decks using Liliana of the Dark Realms. Dig deeper into the strategy of decks, sideboard cards, list ideas and export to play in ARENA or MOL.

#NameFormatArchetypeEvent
Mono-Black DiscardMono-Black Discard PioneerMono-Black DiscardPioneer Challenge 32 2024-04-15

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Liliana of the Dark Realms shines when it comes to increasing your hand options. By using her +1 ability, you can search your library for a Swamp card and add it to your hand each turn. This consistent card advantage enables a stronger grip over the course of the match, enhancing your strategic possibilities and ensuring you never miss a land drop.

Resource Acceleration: Resource management is crucial in MTG, and Liliana excels at this with her -3 ability. She can provide a robust acceleration by granting you a +X/+X boost to a creature until end of turn, where X is the number of Swamps you control. This not only makes one of your creatures a formidable threat but also lets you use your lands as a resource to influence the board state dramatically.

Instant Speed: Though not an instant herself, Liliana facilitates instant speed plays. Her ultimate ability grants you an emblem with “Swamps you control have ‘Tap: Add BBBB to your mana pool’.” This influx of mana allows you to deploy your spells at instant speed with greater ease, broadening your reactive capabilities and putting you in a commanding position to control the game’s pace.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: A notable drawback comes in the necessity to discard a card when Liliana of the Dark Realm’s third ability is activated. This can be a steep price, particularly in games where maintaining card advantage is crucial, potentially leaving you vulnerable if your hand is already depleted.

Specific Mana Cost: Liliana’s casting cost demands four mana with two of those needing to be black. This specific requirement can potentially make her a difficult fit outside of mono-black or heavy black-based decks, reducing her versatility across various deck archetypes.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: At four mana, Liliana of the Dark Realms comes with a comparatively high investment for her abilities centered on swamp manipulation. Given her narrow focus, other planeswalkers or cards might provide broader utility or impact on the game once the initial mana investment has been made.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Liliana of the Dark Realms offers incredible flexibility across various deck archetypes. Her ability to tutor for Swamps ensures that land-heavy strategies remain consistent, while her other abilities provide strong control elements and late-game advantages.

Combo Potential: With the capacity to ramp up your mana base, Liliana can seamlessly integrate into combos that require significant mana investments.

Meta-Relevance: As decks focus on resource management or long-term value, Liliana of the Dark Realms fits well. Her emblem could shift the tide in matches, especially in environments where attrition and board presence dictate the pace of the game.


How to Beat Liliana of the Dark Realms

Liliana of the Dark Realms is a planeswalker card that can present a challenge with her ability to manipulate swamps, granting you an edge in mana availability. Overcoming this formidable card relies on strategic plays and deck composition tailored to counteract her strengths. A direct approach involves using creature removal spells that target her directly after she is summoned. This can diminish her loyalty counters effectively, constraining her abilities and limiting her impact on the game.

Alternatively, incorporating cards like Pithing Needle into your deck can prevent the activation of her abilities, rendering her essentially powerless. Counter spells also play a crucial role when facing her, preventing Liliana from entering the battlefield in the first place. When constructing your deck, accommodating instant-speed interaction ensures that you can respond to her appearance immediately, maximizing your control over the duel and keeping your opponent’s planeswalkers in check.

Consistency in pressure is key; understanding when to shift focus between attacking your opponent’s life total and their planeswalkers like Liliana. Balancing these tactics can lead you to victory against the mastery of the Dark Realms she brings into play, maintaining a significant advantage throughout your MTG matches.


BurnMana Recommendations

Dive deeper into the tactics and potential of Liliana of the Dark Realms in your MTG gameplay. With her ability to provide consistent card advantage through Swamps, dramatically influence the board with boosted creatures, and facilitate big mana plays, she’s a force to be reckoned with. Understanding her utility within your deck can be a game-changer, particularly if you grasp how to mitigate her cons effectively. Whether you’re honing your current deck or seeking cards with lasting impact, Liliana offers a depth of play worth exploring. Level up your MTG strategy by learning more about integrating Liliana into your winning blueprint.


Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Liliana of the Dark Realms MTG card by a specific set like Magic 2013 and San Diego Comic-Con 2013, 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 Liliana of the Dark Realms and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Liliana of the Dark Realms Magic the Gathering card was released in 4 different sets between 2012-07-13 and 2019-12-02. Illustrated by 3 different artists.

#ReleasedNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12012-07-13Magic 2013M13 972003NormalBlackD. Alexander Gregory
22013-07-18San Diego Comic-Con 2013PSDC 102★2003NormalBlackSteve Prescott
32013-07-19Magic 2014M14 1022003NormalBlackD. Alexander Gregory
42019-12-02Secret Lair DropSLD 11072015NormalBorderlessJack Hughes

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Liliana of the Dark Realms has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PioneerLegal
PennyLegal

Rules and information

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

Date Text
2012-07-01 Liliana’s emblem doesn’t remove any other abilities of Swamps you control.
2012-07-01 When you activate Liliana’s second ability, you choose only the target creature. You choose whether that creature gets +X/+X or -X/-X when the ability resolves. The value of X is determined by the number of Swamps you control when the ability resolves.
2012-07-01 You can activate Liliana’s first ability even if your library contains no Swamp cards (or you don’t want to find one). You’ll still search your library and shuffle it.
2013-07-01 Each of Liliana’s abilities refers to lands (or land cards) with the subtype Swamp, not just ones named Swamp.