Calculating Lich MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 2 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost6
RarityMythic
TypeCreature — Zombie Wizard
Abilities Menace
Power 5
Toughness 5

Key Takeaways

  1. Grants card advantage and accelerates resources, critical for gaining an edge in MTG matches.
  2. Requires strategic deck building due to specific mana costs and high casting expense.
  3. Must-have for decks utilizing life manipulation, adding versatility and combo potential.

Text of card

Menace Whenever a creature attacks one of your opponents, that player loses 1 life.

"We share a common enemy. Does that not make us friends?"


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Calculating Lich from Magic the Gathering serves as a formidable source of recurring card advantage. It allows for selective filtering of cards from the top of your library, enabling a strategic approach to shaping your hand and manipulating what comes next in your game plan.

Resource Acceleration: This potent undead spellcaster can also contribute to resource acceleration. As Calculating Lich enters the battlefield or demonstrates its prowess in battle, you’ll often find yourself with additional assets that propel your gameplay, ensuring you never fall behind in the race for supremacy.

Instant Speed: While the Lich itself may not operate at instant speed, its integrations with instant-speed spells and effects are what make it a powerhouse. By strategically setting up your plays, Calculating Lich affords you the flexibility to maximize your turn while potentially disrupting your opponent’s strategies, maintaining the element of surprise.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Calculating Lich requires players to pitch another card whenever activating its ability. This can put players at a disadvantage, especially in tight game situations where every card in hand is vital.

Specific Mana Cost: With a casting cost that demands both black and generic mana, the Calculating Lich may not always be the easiest card to smoothly integrate into a deck, especially those running three or more colors.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Considering the potency of other creatures and spells in the same mana range, Calculating Lich’s cost may deter some players. The need to conserve mana for other strategic plays could leave it sitting in your hand longer than you’d like.


Reasons to Include Calculating Lich in Your Collection

Versatility: Calculating Lich offers a flexible role in decks that thrive on manipulating life totals and controlling the board. Its ability to become unblockable complements various strategies, from aggressive to defensive approaches.

Combo Potential: This card shines in combinations that capitalize on life exchange mechanics or strategies that trigger on losing life. It serves not just as a powerful creature, but as a linchpin for intricate combos.

Meta-Relevance: Within a meta that favors longer games and substantial life total swings, Calculating Lich’s presence can greatly disrupt opponent strategies and provide you with significant late-game advantages.


How to beat Calculating Lich

Calculating Lich emerges as a unique creature in Magic: The Gathering, a card that can dictate the flow of a match by turning defeated opponents’ creatures into loyal zombies. When assessing your strategy against such a commanding presence, it’s crucial to consider removal options that counter its game-altering abilities. Instant-speed removals like Murder or Hero’s Downfall can be pivotal when it comes to dethroning this Lich before it becomes a substantial threat. Alternatively, exile effects from cards like Path to Exile offer a more permanent solution, ensuring the Lich doesn’t return to haunt your battlefield.

Enchantment based solutions are also effective, such as using Imprisoned in the Moon or Darksteel Mutation, which neutralize the Lich without sending it to the graveyard. This inherent versatility is vital, as it addresses the threat at a fundamental level, preventing any further influence on gameplay. By including such checks in your deck, you create a resilient game plan that can withstand the devious machinations of Calculating Lich, leaving your adversaries with fewer options to regain control and securing your advantage.

Ultimately, overcoming Calculating Lich demands proactive measures and strategic deck building. Including reliable answers ensures you won’t find yourself at the mercy of this formidable foe, guaranteeing you retain the upper hand in your Magic: The Gathering encounters.


BurnMana Recommendations

Mastering the game of MTG means understanding each card’s strengths and weaknesses. Calculating Lich provides a distinct advantage in the form of card advantage and resource acceleration. However, its demand for specific mana and the potential card disadvantage from its discard requirement must be weighed carefully. Whether this undead strategist belongs in your deck depends on your play style and meta considerations. It’s all about assessing the card’s combo potential and versatility against its cons. If Calculating Lich aligns with your strategy, it could be the ace up your sleeve for your next match. Explore its depths with us to optimize your gameplay and refine your deck-building skills. Let’s harness the power of Calculating Lich together.


Cards like Calculating Lich

Calculating Lich offers a unique angle on creature control within the vast library of Magic: The Gathering. It tends to draw comparisons with other cards like the iconic Royal Assassin, which also dictates the battlefield by threatening to destroy tapped creatures. Nonetheless, Calculating Lich introduces a more nuanced approach by not only targeting tapped creatures but also pilfering them temporarily to its owner’s side of the board.

Another card that falls in line with the control style of Calculating Lich is Control Magic. This classic enchantment permanently wrests control of a target creature, though without the specificity of requiring it to be tapped. It’s a direct method and lacks the creature-based interaction that Calculating Lich provides. Meanwhile, Sower of Temptation offers a similar creature control effect upon entering the battlefield but lacks the recurring ability that makes Calculating Lich a recurring threat.

With its potential for repeated control and strategic gameplay, Calculating Lich stands out in MTG as a formidable option for players who enjoy dictating the pace and power on the board through creature manipulation.

Royal Assassin - Limited Edition Alpha (LEA)
Control Magic - Limited Edition Alpha (LEA)
Sower of Temptation - Lorwyn (LRW)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Calculating Lich MTG card by a specific set like Game Night 2019 and Commander Legends: Battle for Baldur's Gate, 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 Calculating Lich and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Calculating Lich Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2019-11-15 and 2022-06-10. Illustrated by Antonio José Manzanedo.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12019-11-15Game Night 2019GN2 32015normalblackAntonio José Manzanedo
22022-06-10Commander Legends: Battle for Baldur's GateCLB 7422015normalblackAntonio José Manzanedo

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Calculating Lich has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
OathbreakerLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal

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