Custodi Lich MTG Card

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Upon entering the battlefield, Custodi Lich ensures immediate impact by allowing its controller to become the monarch. This unique ability can lead to drawing an additional card at the end of your turn, thereby providing a steady flow of new options and maintaining or increasing card advantage.

Resource Acceleration: While Custodi Lich itself does not directly provide mana, it indirectly accelerates your resources. As the monarch, the additional cards you draw can lead to more land plays or access to spells earlier than usual. Additionally, if an opponent takes the crown, the political aspect of Custodi Lich forces them to lose a valuable creature, potentially disrupting their own plays and accelerating your board state advantage.

Instant Speed: Custodi Lich operates at sorcery speed, but the ability to become the monarch can have an instantaneous effect on the game’s pace. The threat of extra card draw applies pressure on opponents to act quickly, often resulting in hasty and less optimal decisions. Moreover, with the monarch mechanic in play, every spell you cast afterward can potentially offer an immediate return through the end-of-turn draw, akin to the benefits of instant-speed interactions.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: While Custodi Lich ensures a monarch shift in your favor, it mandates that each opponent discards a card whenever you become the monarch, which can backfire if opponents manipulate this to their advantage or if you face a deck designed to benefit from discarding.

Specific Mana Cost: With its strict casting cost requiring both black and white mana, it can be a challenge to slot into decks that aren’t specifically designed to cater to these colors, reducing its flexibility and increasing the likelihood of it being a dead card in hand.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Costing five mana may hinder its playability in faster-paced games where lower-cost creatures can offer similar or greater immediate board presence and impact. Additionally, in the five mana slot, there may be other options that provide more immediately tangible benefits without the reliance on the monarch mechanic.

Reasons to Include Custodi Lich in Your Collection

Versatility: Custodi Lich presents a unique advantage as it easily slots into Commander and Cube Draft formats. Its ability to become the monarch upon entering the battlefield can reshape the game’s dynamics, offering a consistent card draw for a player who can maintain the crown.

Combo Potential: The lich offers synergy with sacrifice strategies and cards that capitalize on opponent’s sacrifices, making it a power-play in decks that exploit those mechanisms. Also, it furthers strategies that revolve around the monarch mechanic, allowing for intricate combo developments in your gameplay.

Meta-Relevance: In gaming circles where the monarch mechanic is underutilized or not properly countered, Custodi Lich can give you an advantage by providing card advantage and forcing opponents to alter their plans to regain the monarchy, potentially leading to unfavorable trades on their part.

How to beat

Custodi Lich presents a unique challenge in Magic: The Gathering, offering a powerful combination of abilities that can shift the monarchy in your favor while forcing opponents to make difficult choices. The key to overcoming this card lies in avoiding the monarch mechanic from becoming too advantageous for the opponent. Creature control spells, such as Murder or Doom Blade, can swiftly take out Custodi Lich before its influence grows. Alternatively, countering it upon casting with spells like Counterspell or Mana Leak prevents it from affecting the board at all.

Enchantment-based removals, like Banishing Light or Oblivion Ring, offer another effective solution, sidelining Custodi Lich without triggering death-related effects. Board wipes, such as Wrath of God or Damnation, can also reset the playing field, but it’s imperative to remove the monarchy to prevent the Lich’s controller from drawing extra cards. Lastly, cards that protect your creatures or yourself from being targeted, like Swiftfoot Boots or Leyline of Sanctity, can nullify Custodi Lich’s secondary ability, helping you maintain a strong board presence despite the power struggle for the crown.

Approaching battles with Custodi Lich requires a mix of preemptive control and reactive tactics. With strategic planning and the right spells, you can dismantle the advantages it brings and maintain the upper hand in your matches.

BurnMana Recommendations

Grasping the subtle intricacies of Custodi Lich in MTG is akin to mastering a tactical chess move. As you navigate the shifting landscape of monarchy within the game, the advantages of card draw and opponent disruption this card offers can be game-changing. For those looking to enrich their collection with versatility and strategic depth, Custodi Lich stands as a worthwhile addition. To truly capitalize on its potential, weaving this card into strategies that bolster your deck’s power while keeping the monarch in your grasp is key. Elevate your gameplay by leveraging the insights we’ve shared and discover how Custodi Lich can turn your matches into a kingdom where you rule supreme. Continue your journey with us to unearth more hidden gems and strategies that will define your path to victory.