Lurking Evil MTG Card


Provides card advantage by converting life into a substantial aerial threat. Instant speed activation allows for surprise defense or attack tactics. Requires creature sacrifice and specific mana, potentially limiting flexibility.
Card setsReleased in 2 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost3
RarityRare
TypeEnchantment

Text of card

Pay half your life, rounded up: Lurking Evil becomes a 4/4 creature with flying that counts as a Horror.

"Ash is our air, darkness our flesh." —*Phyrexian Scriptures*


Cards like Lurking Evil

Lurking Evil is a unique enchantment from the Urza’s Saga set that offers players a transformative ability in Magic: The Gathering. Its noteworthy comparison begins with Shade’s Form. Both enchantments provide a means to preserve creature cards by turning them into something else; however, Shade’s Form can resurrect the creature it enchants after potential destruction—a feature that Lurking Evil doesn’t share.

Another enchantment worth comparing is Supernatural Stamina. Much like Lurking Evil, it gives a creature the chance to escape death, albeit temporarily and without the transformation aspect. Supernatural Stamina, unlike Lurking Evil, is a one-time-use effect at a lower cost but lacks the ongoing threat that a permanent Horror creature poses. Additionally, we have Skinwing, a card offering resilience through its Living Weapon ability. Similar to Lurking Evil, Skinwing grants longevity on the battlefield, but instead of a sacrifice-based transformation, it attaches to a creature as an equipment, providing a different form of adaptability.

While each card harbors the essence of survivability and adaptability in the world of Magic: The Gathering, Lurking Evil stands out for its ability to instantly transform the game state, adding a layer of strategy around timing and resource management.

Shade's Form - MTG Card versions
Supernatural Stamina - MTG Card versions
Skinwing - MTG Card versions
Shade's Form - MTG Card versions
Supernatural Stamina - MTG Card versions
Skinwing - MTG Card versions

Cards similar to Lurking Evil 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
Megrim - MTG Card versions
Recurring Nightmare - MTG Card versions
Contamination - MTG Card versions
Oppression - 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
Phyrexian Arena - MTG Card versions
Gravestorm - 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
Megrim - MTG Card versions
Recurring Nightmare - MTG Card versions
Contamination - MTG Card versions
Oppression - 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
Phyrexian Arena - MTG Card versions
Gravestorm - MTG Card versions

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Lurking Evil provides a unique way to maintain card advantage, offering a high potential for synergy with deck strategies that benefit from life point manipulation. The ability to transform life points directly into board presence helps stay ahead in the game.

Resource Acceleration: While Lurking Evil itself does not directly accelerate resources in the form of mana, its low-cost activation can effectively function as a resource acceleration tool. It can turn excess life into a potent flying threat without expending other resources.

Instant Speed: Lurking Evil’s activation ability can be used at instant speed, providing dynamic interaction opportunities. This allows players to adapt and respond to the game state, potentially creating a surprise blocker or evasive attacker on an opponent’s turn.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Lurking Evil necessitates the sacrifice of a creature as part of its activation cost. This requirement can be detrimental, especially when your board presence is weak or when you are faced with sacrificing a valuable creature.

Specific Mana Cost: The activation of Lurking Evil’s ability requires a precise mana payment, specifically three black mana. This can be restrictive as it demands a heavy commitment to black mana sources within your deck, potentially limiting deck-building flexibility and options.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Lurking Evil’s initial casting cost is set at three colorless and one black mana. When compared to other enchantments or creatures with similar effects, the total cost of four mana can be seen as steep, making it less appealing when mana efficiency is a crucial factor in your gameplay strategy.


Reasons to Include Lurking Evil in Your Collection

Versatility: Lurking Evil is a unique card that provides flexibility to players. It can swiftly transform from an enchantment into a flying creature, allowing for both defensive and offensive tactics on the fly.

Combo Potential: Its ability to pay life to become a creature synergizes with decks that manipulate life totals, opening up possibilities for various powerful lifelink and life-gain combos.

Meta-Relevance: Against decks relying on sorcery speed removal, Lurking Evil offers the advantage of timing, providing a formidable threat that can evade common forms of control while also serving as a surprise blocker.


How to beat

Lurking Evil is a unique card from Magic: The Gathering that poses quite a challenge on the battlefield. This enchantment can turn into a formidable flying Horror creature that also gives its possessor the ability to pay life to protect their position. To outsmart this card, one of the most effective strategies is to limit the opponent’s life gain mechanisms, thereby putting a cap on the amount of life they can comfortably spend to activate Lurking Evil’s transformation. The use of instant speed removal spells when Lurking Evil becomes a creature can also catch the opposing player off guard, eliminating the threat before it can do any significant damage.

Another tactic involves employing cards that nullify activation abilities or keep enchantments in check. Cards like Pithing Needle can be an excellent insurance policy, preventing the activation of Lurking Evil without having to directly address its creature form. Additionally, enchantment removal like Disenchant or Naturalize should be kept handy, dealing with Lurking Evil efficiently before the opponent can utilize its life-payment feature. Being prepared for these surprise changes in an opponent’s threats is crucial, and with the right spells at the ready, Lurking Evil’s menace can be effectively contained.


Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Lurking Evil MTG card by a specific set like Urza's Saga and Vintage Masters, 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 Lurking Evil and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Lurking Evil Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 1998-10-12 and 2014-06-16. Illustrated by Scott Kirschner.

#ReleasedNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
11998-10-12Urza's SagaUSG 1401997NormalBlackScott Kirschner
22014-06-16Vintage MastersVMA 1272015NormalBlackScott Kirschner

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Lurking Evil has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
OathbreakerLegal
PremodernLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal
PennyLegal

Rules and information

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

Date Text
2004-10-04 If you have zero or negative life, half your life is zero, so it costs nothing to use the ability.
2004-10-04 When it turns into a creature, it is no longer an enchantment.
2008-08-01 A noncreature permanent that turns into a creature can attack, and its abilities can be activated, only if its controller has continuously controlled that permanent since the beginning of their most recent turn. It doesn’t matter how long the permanent has been a creature.