Murkfiend Liege MTG Card


Murkfiend Liege offers card advantage by boosting creatures, ensuring readiness for threats and enhancing board presence. Resource acceleration from untapping abilities speeds up gameplay, allowing for powerful, game-altering spells. Its unique untapping feature supports instant-speed responses, maintaining adaptability and a robust defense.
Card setsReleased in 7 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost5
RarityRare
TypeCreature — Horror
Power 4
Toughness 4

Text of card

Other green creatures you control get +1/+1. Other blue creatures you control get +1/+1. Untap all green and/or blue creatures you control during each other player's untap step.


Cards like Murkfiend Liege

Murkfiend Liege is an intriguing powerhouse within the creature buffs of Magic: The Gathering. It shares the stage with formidable cards like Wilt-Leaf Liege, which also grants +1/+1 to other creatures you control. However, Murkfiend Liege’s unique selling point is the untapping of all green and/or blue creatures during each player’s untap step, something Wilt-Leaf Liege cannot boast about. This untap ability could potentially double the usability of your creatures each turn cycle, adding depth to your strategic plays.

Furthermore, we find Seedborn Muse, a classic card that untaps all your permanents on each player’s turn. Although not providing the stat boost like Murkfiend Liege, Seedborn Muse can lead to an enormous advantage over the course of a few rounds. Lastly, we have Quest for Renewal which, once activated, has somewhat of a similar function, albeit only for creatures and with a requirement to build up quest counters first, but with the added benefit of being less vulnerable as an enchantment compared to a creature.

Analyzing their utilities and impact on the game’s dynamics, Murkfiend Liege emerges as a multifaceted option capable of empowering your board presence while granting flexibility in your creature’s availability. Such a combination makes it an attractive choice for decks leveraging green and blue creatures.

Wilt-Leaf Liege - MTG Card versions
Seedborn Muse - MTG Card versions
Quest for Renewal - MTG Card versions
Wilt-Leaf Liege - MTG Card versions
Seedborn Muse - MTG Card versions
Quest for Renewal - MTG Card versions

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Prophet of Kruphix - MTG Card versions
Tanazir Quandrix - MTG Card versions
Momir Vig, Simic Visionary - MTG Card versions
Overbeing of Myth - MTG Card versions
Sages of the Anima - MTG Card versions
Species Gorger - MTG Card versions
Fleetfeather Cockatrice - MTG Card versions
Tatyova, Benthic Druid - MTG Card versions
Galloping Lizrog - MTG Card versions
Bioessence Hydra - MTG Card versions
Keruga, the Macrosage - MTG Card versions
A-Tanazir Quandrix - MTG Card versions
Wavesifter - MTG Card versions
Roalesk, Apex Hybrid - MTG Card versions
Gale, Primeval Conduit - MTG Card versions
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Card Pros

Card Advantage: Murkfiend Liege uniquely fortifies your hand by empowering your creatures during your turn and during each opponent’s turn. This versatility ensures that you are always prepared for threats and enables continuous pressure on your opponents, bolstering your board presence and tactical advantage.

Resource Acceleration: This card provides a substantial spike in resource acceleration especially for decks that capitalize on blue and green mana. The untapping ability of Murkfiend Liege effectively doubles the usability of your creatures’ mana abilities, hastening your gameplay and unlocking the potential for larger, game-changing spells at critical moments.

Instant Speed: Although Murkfiend Liege itself does not have instant speed, its continuous untapping ability can indirectly empower your instant-speed spells. By untapping your creatures each turn, you maintain a fluid stance, ready to respond with counterspells or tricks without compromising the development of your own board.


Card Cons

Specific Mana Cost: Murkfiend Liege demands a very particular mana arrangement with its hybrid mana cost, which might constrain deck-building options and be a hurdle in multicolor decks not heavily focused on blue and green.

Discard Requirement: While Murkfiend Liege itself does not require a discard, its usefulness in specific decks could influence card choices that necessitate discarding, making it less valuable in cases where hand maintenance is crucial.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a casting cost of five mana, Murkfiend Liege may be considered high for aggressive strategies aiming to deploy threats earlier in the game. This can be a potential drawback in fast-paced matches where tempo is key.


Reasons to Include Murkfiend Liege in Your Collection

Versatility: Murkfiend Liege’s ability to give a boost to other green and blue creatures makes it a solid addition across a spectrum of decks, especially in Commander where these two colors are prevalent. Its cross-color support can significantly impact board presence, making it a versatile powerhouse.

Combo Potential: This card opens up opportunities for various synergistic plays. With its ability to untap all green and blue creatures during each other player’s untap step, it can lead to unexpected combos and interactions, allowing for defensive maneuvers or untapping key creatures for ability activations.

Meta-Relevance: Given its capability to strengthen creature-based strategies and the current inclination towards creature-heavy play in various formats, Murkfiend Liege’s value may rise when facing decks that can’t handle multiple threats or persistent board states.


How to beat

The Murkfiend Liege is recognized for its strength in Magic: The Gathering, bolstering creatures of green and blue descent. It particularly shines in decks that capitalize on creature abilities, offering a potent boost to both power and toughness while also untapping all green and/or blue creatures you control during your upkeep. This enables strategies that might overwhelm opponents with surprising speed and resilience.

However, triumphing over this multicolored powerhouse requires a strategic approach. Utilizing removal spells that bypass the creature’s color protections can prove effective. Spells like Path to Exile or Terminate offer effective ways to dispatch the Liege without entering combat. Additionally, keeping pace with board-warping spells like Wrath of God or Damnation can clear the field of this creature, along with any allies it might empower. Control tactics such as counterspells can preemptively stop the Liege from ever hitting the battlefield, a preemptive measure to halt the Liege’s influence.

A thorough strategy that leverages timing, using instant speed interaction during the opponent’s turn, is key. Harnessing such spells, an MTG player can ensure that the Murkfiend Liege’s reign is short-lived, maintaining control over the game’s tempo and thus ensuring their creatures are safe from the impressive advantage it provides to the enemy forces.


BurnMana Recommendations

Understanding the ebb and flow of MTG is crucial, and incorporating cards like Murkfiend Liege into your deck could be a game-changer, especially for those favoring blue and green mana pools. This card’s unique abilities not only enhance your creatures but also keep them ready for surprises, offering remarkable synergy and adaptability in your play strategy. With its potential to alter the battlefield dynamics, Murkfiend Liege warrants a second glance. Dive deeper into the synergistic possibilities and ensure your deck is versatile, resilient, and ready to take on any challenge. Explore more with us and add this compelling card to your winning arsenal.


Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Murkfiend Liege MTG card by a specific set like Eventide and Commander 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 Murkfiend Liege and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Murkfiend Liege Magic the Gathering card was released in 6 different sets between 2008-07-25 and 2022-07-08. Illustrated by Carl Critchlow.

#ReleasedNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12008-07-25EventideEVE 1562003NormalBlackCarl Critchlow
22013-11-01Commander 2013C13 2312003NormalBlackCarl Critchlow
32017-06-09Commander AnthologyCMA 2042015NormalBlackCarl Critchlow
42020-09-26The ListPLST EVE-1562003NormalBlackCarl Critchlow
52020-11-20Commander LegendsCMR 4482015NormalBlackCarl Critchlow
62022-07-08Double Masters 20222X2 5292015NormalBlackCarl Critchlow
72022-07-08Double Masters 20222X2 2592015NormalBlackCarl Critchlow

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Murkfiend Liege has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal
PennyLegal

Rules and information

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

Date Text
2008-08-01 All your green and/or blue creatures untap during each other player's untap step. You have no choice about what untaps. Those creatures untap at the same time as the active player's permanents.
2008-08-01 During each other player's untap step, effects that would otherwise cause your green and/or blue creatures to stay tapped don't apply because they only apply during *your* untap step. For example, if you control Nettle Sentinel (a green creature that says "Nettle Sentinel doesn't untap during your untap step"), you untap it during each other player's untap step.
2008-08-01 Multiple Murkfiend Lieges are redundant when it comes to the untap effect. You can't untap your permanents more than once in a single untap step.
2008-08-01 The abilities are separate and cumulative. If another creature you control is both of the listed colors, it will get a total of +2/+2.