Varina, Lich Queen MTG Card
2016-11-16 - Number 70741
2018-08-09 - Number 48
2022-07-08 - Number 291
2022-07-08 - Number 549
2019-12-02 - Number 1355
| Card sets | Released in 5 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 4 |
| Rarity | Mythic |
| Type | Legendary Creature — Zombie Wizard |
| Power | 4 |
| Toughness | 4 |
Key Takeaways
- Varina enhances Zombie decks with card drawing each attack, fostering a full and versatile hand.
- Generates Zombie tokens through discarding, accelerating your presence on the battlefield.
- Flexibility during combat phase with draw and discard capability responds swiftly to opponents.
Text of card
Whenever you attack with one or more Zombies, draw that many cards, then discard that many cards. You gain that much life. , Exile two cards from your graveyard: Create a tapped 2/2 black Zombie creature token.
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Varina, Lich Queen provides consistent card draw each time you attack with one or more Zombies. This helps you maintain a full hand, giving you more options and keeping the pressure on your opponents throughout the match.
Resource Acceleration: By discarding a card, you generate a 2/2 black Zombie creature token, effectively converting one resource into another and potentially accelerating your board presence, which can be critical for commanding the game early on.
Instant Speed: While Varina herself doesn’t function at instant speed, the ability to activate her discard and draw mechanism during the combat phase allows for immediate responses to an opponent’s actions. This strategic flexibility can be instrumental in navigating complex battlefield situations, keeping opponents guessing, and enabling surprise combat tricks.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: When it comes to Varina, Lich Queen, one downside surfaces during her triggered ability. Each time you attack with one or more Zombies, you must discard a card for each attacking Zombie, if you wish to draw a card and gain life. For players who may be running low on hand resources, this could be more a curse than a blessing, potentially depleting your hand more than you’d like.
Specific Mana Cost: Deploying Varina, Lich Queen onto the battlefield requires a precise combination of mana: one white, one blue, one black, and one generic. This specific requirement means that she fits predominantly in an Esper-colored deck, potentially limiting her versatility in a broader range of deck archetypes that may not comfortably support a three-color mana base.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a mana value of four, Varina’s cost is relatively steep, especially considering other commanders or creatures that may provide more immediate impact on the game. Players must weigh if her abilities justify the mana investment, and whether that slot in their deck could be better served by lower-cost options that offer faster, potentially more impactful plays in a game’s early stages.
Reasons to Include in Your Collection
Versatility: Varina, Lich Queen effortlessly integrates into any Zombie tribal deck and Esper control strategies, providing a dynamic edge with her ability to draw cards, manage hand quality, and sculpt the battlefield.
Combo Potential: She sets the stage for powerful synergies with cards that benefit from cycling and graveyard interaction, unlocking potentially unlimited gains with the right combination of effects.
Meta-Relevance: Given the consistent presence of graveyard and tribal strategies across various metas, Varina offers a solid option against a vast range of decks, making her a timely and potent addition to any deck builder’s arsenal.
How to Beat
Varina, Lich Queen presents a unique challenge in Magic: The Gathering. Steering the deck of the undying, Varina specializes in amassing an army of Zombies and presents both card advantage and life manipulation to the player who wields her. To dismantle Varina’s reign, one effective strategy includes leveraging graveyard hate cards like Rest in Peace, which can exile cards from graveyards, preventing the triggered abilities of Zombies from generating copious advantages.
Similarly, utilizing board wipes such as Wrath of God can clear the battlefield of Zombie swarms before Varina can draw cards or gain life. The key lies in timing—act swiftly before Varina’s loyal subjects become overwhelming. Furthermore, direct removal spells capable of targeting her, like Doom Blade or Path to Exile, prove crucial in thwarting an early or resurrected Varina from taking control.
Ultimately, maintaining pressure and a clean battlefield will keep Varina’s potency in check. Strategic planning and judicious use of resources will ensure that the Lich Queen does not establish dominance with her undead horde on the battlefield.
Cards like Varina, Lich Queen
Varina, Lich Queen brings a unique dimension to the Zombie tribal archetype in Magic: The Gathering. When delving into cards with a similar impact, The Scarab God emerges as a notable comparison. Like Varina, it offers both a sturdy body and a way to exploit Zombie synergy. While Varina allows for card filtering and life manipulation each time you attack with Zombies, The Scarab God gives you the power to reanimate creatures with a Zombie twist.
Glancing over to Gisa and Geralf, another pair famed for their Zombie tribal support, we find more subtle differences. While Varina encourages an aggressive, swarm-based strategy, Gisa and Geralf focus on recursion, casting Zombies directly from the graveyard. This distinction emphasizes Varina’s role in drawing and attacking rather than dredging through the graveyard.
Assessing Varina, Lich Queen’s unique abilities within the Zombie theme, it’s clear she carves out a distinct identity. Her combined potential for large-scale attacks, card advantage, and life management positions her as a formidable commander in MTG’s multiplayer format, bridging aggression with sustainability.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Varina, Lich Queen MTG card by a specific set like Treasure Chest and Commander 2018, 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 Varina, Lich Queen and other MTG cards:
- eBay
- TCG Player
- Card Kingdom
- Card Market
- Star City Games
- CoolStuffInc
- MTG Mint Card
- Hareruya
- Troll and Toad
- ABU Games
- Card Hoarder Magic Online
- MTGO Traders Magic Online
See MTG Products
Printings
The Varina, Lich Queen Magic the Gathering card was released in 4 different sets between 2016-11-16 and 2022-07-08. Illustrated by 2 different artists.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2016-11-16 | Treasure Chest | PZ2 | 70741 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Igor Kieryluk | |
| 2 | 2018-08-09 | Commander 2018 | C18 | 48 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Igor Kieryluk | |
| 3 | Secret Lair Drop | SLD | 1355 | 2015 | Normal | Borderless | Fay Dalton | ||
| 4 | 2022-07-08 | Double Masters 2022 | 2X2 | 291 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Igor Kieryluk | |
| 5 | 2022-07-08 | Double Masters 2022 | 2X2 | 549 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Igor Kieryluk |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Varina, Lich Queen has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Varina, Lich Queen card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2018-07-13 | The number of cards you discard and the amount of life you gain are both equal to the number of Zombies you attack with, even if you draw a different number of cards somehow. |
| 2018-07-13 | Varina’s first ability counts the number of Zombies you attacked with, even if some of those Zombies leave combat before the triggered ability resolves. |
