Livewire Lash MTG Card


Livewire Lash transforms spells into dual threats, enhancing card utility and board control strategies. Instant-speed spells paired with Livewire Lash produce unexpected damage and opponent disruption. Mana cost and deck compatibility are crucial considerations when integrating Livewire Lash into your MTG deck.
Card setsReleased in 2 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost2
RarityRare
TypeArtifact — Equipment
Abilities Equip

Text of card

Equipped creature gets +2/+0 and has "Whenever this creature becomes the target of a spell, this creature deals 2 damage to target creature or player." Equip


Cards like Livewire Lash

Livewire Lash brings a unique twist to the realm of equipment cards in Magic: The Gathering, sharing similarities with cards that boost creatures’ potential. Much like Basilisk Collar, Livewire Lash also provides a strategic advantage—albeit through a different mechanism. While Basilisk Collar grants deathtouch and lifelink, Livewire Lash specialises in dealing damage when the equipped creature becomes the target of a spell, allowing for reactive play and surprise tactics.

Another notable comparison is with Grafted Exoskeleton, an equipment that imbues a creature with infect. What sets Livewire Lash apart is its ability to directly deal damage to any target, not just to creatures or players through combat. This flexibility can be particularly advantageous in certain game scenarios. Also in the mix is Sword of Feast and Famine, which provides not only a stat boost but protection from two colors and an additional effect upon dealing combat damage. Livewire Lash skips the combat phase interaction, focusing instead on leveraging the multitude of spells that target creatures.

Assessing the strategic applications within Magic: The Gathering, Livewire Lash stands out by offering a response-triggered effect, a tool that can be deftly woven into strategies centering around targeting one’s own creatures for beneficial outcomes.

Basilisk Collar - MTG Card versions
Grafted Exoskeleton - MTG Card versions
Sword of Feast and Famine - MTG Card versions
Basilisk Collar - MTG Card versions
Grafted Exoskeleton - MTG Card versions
Sword of Feast and Famine - MTG Card versions

Cards similar to Livewire Lash by color, type and mana cost

Chaos Orb - MTG Card versions
Winter Orb - MTG Card versions
Ankh of Mishra - MTG Card versions
Amulet of Kroog - MTG Card versions
Nacre Talisman - MTG Card versions
Howling Mine - MTG Card versions
Essence Bottle - MTG Card versions
Emerald Medallion - MTG Card versions
Scrying Glass - MTG Card versions
Cursed Totem - MTG Card versions
Tsabo's Web - MTG Card versions
Millikin - MTG Card versions
Swiftfoot Boots - MTG Card versions
Ark of Blight - MTG Card versions
Surestrike Trident - MTG Card versions
Demon's Horn - MTG Card versions
Energy Chamber - MTG Card versions
Water Gun Balloon Game - MTG Card versions
Angel's Feather - MTG Card versions
Elsewhere Flask - MTG Card versions
Chaos Orb - MTG Card versions
Winter Orb - MTG Card versions
Ankh of Mishra - MTG Card versions
Amulet of Kroog - MTG Card versions
Nacre Talisman - MTG Card versions
Howling Mine - MTG Card versions
Essence Bottle - MTG Card versions
Emerald Medallion - MTG Card versions
Scrying Glass - MTG Card versions
Cursed Totem - MTG Card versions
Tsabo's Web - MTG Card versions
Millikin - MTG Card versions
Swiftfoot Boots - MTG Card versions
Ark of Blight - MTG Card versions
Surestrike Trident - MTG Card versions
Demon's Horn - MTG Card versions
Energy Chamber - MTG Card versions
Water Gun Balloon Game - MTG Card versions
Angel's Feather - MTG Card versions
Elsewhere Flask - MTG Card versions

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Livewire Lash provides a distinct edge by turning any noncreature spells cast targeting the equipped creature into potential damage sources. This transforms single-purpose spells into dual-threats, allowing for a more efficient use of cards in hand.

Resource Acceleration: By giving creatures an additional ability to deal damage, Livewire Lash accelerates your capacity to diminish your opponent’s life total or control the board. This added functionality can be pivotal, simulating extra card effects without the need for additional resources.

Instant Speed: The real power of Livewire Lash is unlocked when paired with instant-speed spells. This synergy allows players to respond to opponents’ actions by not only disrupting their plays but also dealing unexpected damage, potentially swinging the game in your favor.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: The Livewire Lash’s ability hinges on being equipped to a creature that has an instant or sorcery spell cast on it. In scenarios where your hand is depleted, or your deck isn’t rich in such spells, the power of this artifact can be significantly undercut.

Specific Mana Cost: While the colorless cost of Livewire Lash offers versatility, the initial two mana plus the two to equip can be cumbersome for decks that aim for a quicker pace or those that have mana-intensive strategies, limiting its inclusion to more controlled or specifically tailored builds.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: When evaluating equipment cards within MTG, Livewire Lash has a relatively high total mana investment. With a combined cost of four mana to both cast and equip, it can hinder your board development in the early game, contrasting with other options that might accelerate your deck’s strategy with less investment.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Livewire Lash is a unique equipment card that offers additional utility to creature-based strategies. Its ability to deal damage when the equipped creature becomes the target of a spell is dynamically useful, fitting in various deck archetypes—from aggressive builds wanting to push extra damage, to more interactive setups looking to leverage spell casting.

Combo Potential: Players looking to capitalize on casting numerous spells will discover that Livewire Lash excels at enhancing these play styles. Its potential combos with cards that trigger upon dealing damage or casting spells can be a game-changer, allowing players to amplify their strategies and control the board.

Meta-Relevance: In game environments where instant and sorcery spells are prevalent, Livewire Lash becomes increasingly important. As decks aim to respond to opponents’ threats or establish their own, this card ensures that every spell cast can double as a direct damage tool, keeping the card relevant in ever-shifting metas.


How to beat Livewire Lash

Livewire Lash is a unique artifact in the MTG realm, known for its ability to endow equipped creatures with the power to deal damage whenever they become targets of spells. This capability can turn the tides of a match, as it effectively dissuades opponents from targeting your creatures. Remarkably, it also allows for clever interactions with spells you cast on your own creatures, potentially unleashing a flurry of damage.

To counter Livewire Lash, it’s critical to focus on removal spells that don’t target or to use board wipes, which skirt around the Lash’s triggered ability. Consider cards like Wrath of God or Damnation which can remove creatures without targeting and therefore bypass the lash’s effect. Another strategy is to employ artifact destruction such as Nature’s Claim or Abrade to directly remove the Livewire Lash from play before its effect becomes a problem.

Strategizing against Livewire Lash involves understanding the importance of your removal timings and the types of removal at your disposal. Whether it’s sweeping the board or targeting the artifact directly, the key is to weaken your opponent’s position while maintaining card efficiency to ultimately outpace the threat posed by Livewire Lash.


Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Livewire Lash MTG card by a specific set like Scars of Mirrodin and Double Masters 2022, 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 Livewire Lash and other MTG cards:

TCGPlayerBUY NOW
BurnMana is an official partner of TCGPlayer
Continue exploring other sealed products in Amazon
See MTG Products

Printings

The Livewire Lash Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2010-10-01 and 2022-07-08. Illustrated by Daniel Ljunggren.

#ReleasedNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12010-10-01Scars of MirrodinSOM 1722003NormalBlackDaniel Ljunggren
22022-07-08Double Masters 20222X2 3072015NormalBlackDaniel Ljunggren

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Livewire Lash has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal
PennyLegal

Rules and information

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

Date Text
2011-01-01 The equipped creature is the source of both the triggered ability and the resultant damage, not Livewire Lash. For example, you can target and deal damage to a creature with protection from artifacts (assuming the equipped creature isn’t an artifact itself, of course).
2011-01-01 When the equipped creature becomes the target of a spell, the ability granted to it by Livewire Lash will trigger and go on the stack on top of it. It will resolve before the spell does.