Oath of Lim-Dûl MTG Card


Oath of Lim-Dûl - Ice Age
Mana cost
Converted mana cost4
RarityRare
TypeEnchantment
Released1995-06-03
Set symbol
Set nameIce Age
Set codeICE
Number156
Frame1993
Layoutnormal
Borderblack
Illustred byDouglas Shuler

Key Takeaways

  1. Boosts hand options each turn by retrieving cards from the graveyard, greatly impacting drawn-out games.
  2. Enhances deck versatility, has combo potential, and remains meta-relevant through cards’ graveyard interaction.
  3. Discard and specific mana requirements need strategic deck building to mitigate potential drawbacks.

Text of card

For each 1 damage dealt to you or 1 life you lose, sacrifice a permanent you control or choose and discard a card from your hand. You cannot sacrifice Oath of Lim-Dûl in this way. Ignore this effect if you control no permanents other than Oath of Lim-Dûl and have no cards in hand. o Bo B: Draw a card.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: The Oath of Lim-Dûl increases your hand options by enabling you to pull additional cards from your graveyard during each of your turns. This continuous source of card replenishment can be a game-changer during prolonged battles.

Resource Acceleration: By providing a method to utilize the cards in your graveyard as resources, you effectively widen the pool of available options. This inherent resource acceleration ensures you’re never at a loss for actions, even if your hand is empty.

Instant Speed: The flexibility offered by the Oath’s instant speed activation is critical. It allows for reactionary plays and strategic depth, as you can wait to activate its ability until the most opportune moment, potentially outmaneuvering opponents who might not anticipate your graveyard interaction during their turn.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: The Oath of Lim-Dûl requires a player to discard a card to activate one of its abilities. This can be a strategic setback, particularly in scenarios where your hand is already depleted and every card matters.

Specific Mana Cost: This card necessitates both black and red mana to play, which can constrain its inclusion exclusively to decks that support these colors. Players running mono-colored or other color combinations may find it burdensome to accommodate the mana base for Oath of Lim-Dûl.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a total cost that includes three mana of any color and one black mana, some players may find Oath of Lim-Dûl costly compared to alternatives. Other cards might deliver similar or greater value at a lower mana investment, influencing deck builders to opt for more mana-efficient choices.


Reasons to Include Oath of Lim-Dûl in Your Collection

Versatility: Oath of Lim-Dûl stands as a multifaceted tool in various deck archetypes. Its ability to offer both creature recovery and card draw on a single enchantment allows for strategic depth in gameplay, providing value in multiple phases of the game.

Combo Potential: This card creates opportunities to devise potent combinations, especially in decks that leverage graveyard mechanics. By recurring creatures, it seamlessly integrates with the synergy of sacrifice and reanimation strategies to set the stage for powerful plays.

Meta-Relevance: Given its dual nature and alignment with enduring graveyard-based strategies, Oath of Lim-Dûl can earn its place within ever-evolving metagames. With graveyard interaction always a pertinent element in competitive play, this card provides consistent relevance and utility.


How to beat

Oath of Lim-Dûl is a potentially tricky enchantment to navigate in MTG. The card allows a degree of flexibility and resilience to the player who wields it, providing card advantage at the cost of life. To effectively counteract Oath of Lim-Dûl, the strategy revolves around life total management and enchantment removal. Approaches such as employing enchantment destruction spells or using cards that prevent life payment can disrupt the advantage Oath of Lim-Dûl offers.

Tactics such as using cards with lifelink to offset the life paid for the card draw or directing damage spells at the opponent to pressure their life total can also be effective. Attacking a player’s resources by forcing them to discard or countering key spells they attempt to draw with Oath of Lim-Dûl disrupts their game plan. Moreover, incorporating cards that can exile enchantments might be highly beneficial. Overall, the key to overcoming Oath of Lim-Dûl lies with preemptive disruption and maintaining pressure on the opponent’s life total and resources.


Cards like Oath of Lim-Dûl

Oath of Lim-Dûl is an intriguing enchantment in the Magic: The Gathering roster, especially when compared to its counterparts in the same space. It bears resemblance to Greed, which allows players to pay life in exchange for drawing cards, offering a reliable source of card advantage albeit at a life cost. However, Oath of Lim-Dûl provides a broader utility by enabling the ability to draw cards and grant swampwalk under certain conditions.

Examining Dark Deal, another card with a distinct draw mechanism, we notice a one-time forced discard and draw effect for all players, which is less controllable yet can affect the game’s state significantly. Unlike Dark Deal, Oath of Lim-Dûl gives the controller continuous access to card advantage without impacting other players’ hands directly. Moreover, Erebos, God of the Dead also allows players to trade life for cards while denying opponents any life gain. Unlike Erebos, Oath of Lim-Dûl doesn’t have that life-gain denial but comes at a potentially lower mana cost.

Therefore, Oath of Lim-Dûl holds its grounds in the domain of card advantage tools with unique flexibilities, making it an enticing selection for players looking to balance risk with strategic depth in their Magic: The Gathering gameplay.

Greed - MTG Card versions
Dark Deal - MTG Card versions
Erebos, God of the Dead - MTG Card versions
Greed - Legends (LEG)
Dark Deal - Fate Reforged (FRF)
Erebos, God of the Dead - Theros (THS)

Cards similar to Oath of Lim-Dûl by color, type and mana cost

Cursed Land - MTG Card versions
Pestilence - MTG Card versions
Lich - MTG Card versions
Nether Void - MTG Card versions
Breeding Pit - MTG Card versions
Greed - MTG Card versions
Takklemaggot - MTG Card versions
Feast of the Unicorn - MTG Card versions
Koskun Falls - MTG Card versions
Grave Pact - MTG Card versions
Diabolic Servitude - MTG Card versions
Vampiric Embrace - MTG Card versions
Vile Requiem - MTG Card versions
Parasitic Bond - MTG Card versions
Brink of Madness - MTG Card versions
Death Pit Offering - MTG Card versions
Tainted Aether - MTG Card versions
Strands of Night - MTG Card versions
Patriarch's Desire - MTG Card versions
Nefarious Lich - MTG Card versions
Cursed Land - 30th Anniversary Edition (30A)
Pestilence - Mystery Booster (MB1)
Lich - Masters Edition IV (ME4)
Nether Void - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Breeding Pit - The List (PLST)
Greed - Commander 2021 (C21)
Takklemaggot - Chronicles (CHR)
Feast of the Unicorn - Classic Sixth Edition (6ED)
Koskun Falls - Homelands (HML)
Grave Pact - Wilds of Eldraine: Enchanting Tales (WOT)
Diabolic Servitude - Urza's Saga (USG)
Vampiric Embrace - Urza's Saga (USG)
Vile Requiem - The List (PLST)
Parasitic Bond - Urza's Saga (USG)
Brink of Madness - Urza's Legacy (ULG)
Death Pit Offering - Salvat 2005 (PSAL)
Tainted Aether - Seventh Edition (7ED)
Strands of Night - Seventh Edition (7ED)
Patriarch's Desire - Odyssey (ODY)
Nefarious Lich - Odyssey (ODY)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Oath of Lim-Dûl MTG card by a specific set like Ice Age, 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 Oath of Lim-Dûl and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Oath of Lim-Dûl has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
OathbreakerLegal
PremodernLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal

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