Lantern Bearer // Lanterns' Lift MTG Card
2021-11-19 - Number 66
2022-01-28 - Number 333
| Card sets | Released in 2 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 1 |
| Rarity | Common |
| Type | Creature — Spirit |
| Abilities | Disturb,Flying,Transform |
| Power | 1 |
| Toughness | 1 |
Key Takeaways
- Lantern Bearer transforms into Lanterns’ Lift for versatility, acting as a creature and an aura.
- Instant speed activation of Lanterns’ Lift offers tactical advantages in MTG gameplay.
- Discarding for transformation could be a downside, but strategic use maximizes value.
Text of card
Flying Disturb (You may cast this card from your graveyard transformed for its disturb cost.)
Val didn't know what the silent geist was offering . . .
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Lantern Bearer offers a strategic layer to gameplay by transforming from a creature into an Aura with Lanterns’ Lift, providing versatility and potential card benefit. This dual utility can equate to a two-for-one scenario, particularly if the creature aspect has already served its purpose in obtaining board presence or applying early game pressure.
Resource Acceleration: This card can efficiently accelerate your resources through evasive chip damage in its creature form. Once transformed into Lanterns’ Lift, it continues to provide value by enhancing another creature without requiring additional mana investment, allowing you to allocate resources elsewhere and keep up the momentum.
Instant Speed: The ability to activate Lanterns’ Lift at instant speed provides a significant tactical advantage. This flexibility lets you adapt to the unfolding game, potentially saving a creature from removal or surprising an opponent with an unexpected blocker. The agility offered by instant speed interaction allows for smarter resource management and can often lead to advantageous board states.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Although Lantern Bearer offers versatility, players must be wary since transforming it into Lanterns’ Lift entails discarding a card. This can be especially detrimental in a tight game where card advantage is crucial.
Specific Mana Cost: To gain the benefits of Lanterns’ Lift, players must pay a specific mana cost including blue mana. This aligns it strictly with blue-centric or multicolored decks, potentially limiting its inclusion in decks that cannot consistently produce blue mana.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: While enchanting a creature with Lanterns’ Lift can provide valuable evasion and a slight boost in power, the cumulative mana cost for both casting Lantern Bearer and its later transformation is notably high. This total investment might be seen as steep compared to other low-cost creatures or auras that affect the board more immediately.
Reasons to Include Lantern Bearer // Lanterns’ Lift in Your Collection
Versatility: Lantern Bearer shines by offering early game momentum and late-game utility. As a one-drop with flying, it can start chipping away at your opponent’s life total early on. Plus, its Disturb ability morphs it into Lanterns’ Lift, an Aura that can turn any creature into a flying threat.
Combo Potential: This card has a synergistic edge in decks that focus on graveyard play or those that benefit from evasive creatures. When its second life as Lanterns’ Lift comes into play, it can be a key piece in a combo, enabling surprise wins in both Limited and Constructed formats.
Meta-Relevance: In an ever-shifting meta, the adaptability of Lantern Bearer // Lanterns’ Lift keeps it relevant. Its ability to enlist as an early aggressor or enhance a more powerful creature in the later stages of the game makes it a versatile tool against a wide array of decks.
How to beat
Lantern Bearer // Lanterns’ Lift is a versatile creature and aura card that can be a subtle yet powerful threat in Magic: The Gathering. It’s not just a one-drop blue Faerie with flying, but its Disturb ability allows it to return from the graveyard with a twist—it transforms into an aura that can give another creature flying and a power boost. Against such utility, employing strategic removal is key.
To effectively counter this card, consider instant-speed removal options that can disrupt it before it gives an advantage, such as Fatal Push or Path to Exile. Sweeper spells like Wrath of God or Supreme Verdict can also be helpful to clear the board, including Lantern Bearer, before it can come back as Lanterns’ Lift. Additionally, graveyard hate cards like Rest in Peace can prevent the creature from returning as an aura, eliminating its second life and ensuring your opponent doesn’t gain that aerial edge.
Keeping in mind that controlling Lantern Bearer early can prevent compounding threats from taking over the game, a player should be tactical and prompt in their response to this seemingly innocuous flyer. Preventing it from lifting an opponent’s spirits, along with their creatures, is crucial to maintaining dominance on the battlefield.
Cards like Lantern Bearer // Lanterns' Lift
Lantern Bearer // Lanterns’ Lift finds its niche in the array of enchant creature spells in Magic: The Gathering. It draws easy comparison to another aura, Spectral Flight, as both bestow flying upon the enchanted creature. However, Lantern Bearer edges ahead with its additional ability – when enchanted creature dies, it returns to the battlefield transformed, continuing to impact the game as an evasive Spirit creature.
Looking at transformative cards, Delver of Secrets shares the spotlight. Both establish a precedent of permanents that change forms, but Lantern Bearer offers a repeat utility even after its initial host has perished. Contrastingly, Tattered Haunter is a Spirit that inherently has flying and can’t be blocked except by spirits. While Tattered Haunter is always ready for aerial combat, Lantern Bearer’s versatility in its dual forms and reusability even after a creature’s demise gives it a distinct tactical advantage.
Ultimately, Lantern Bearer // Lanterns’ Lift holds its own in MTG. It not only augments creatures with flight but guarantees its presence on the field in two valuable capacities, making it a multifaceted addition to decks seeking persistent aerial dominance.
Cards similar to Lantern Bearer // Lanterns' Lift by color, type and mana cost
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Lantern Bearer // Lanterns' Lift MTG card by a specific set like Innistrad: Crimson Vow and Innistrad: Double Feature, 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 Lantern Bearer // Lanterns' Lift 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 Lantern Bearer // Lanterns' Lift Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2021-11-19 and 2022-01-28. Illustrated by Zoltan Boros.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2021-11-19 | Innistrad: Crimson Vow | VOW | 66 | 2015 | Transform | Black | Zoltan Boros | |
| 2 | 2022-01-28 | Innistrad: Double Feature | DBL | 333 | 2015 | Transform | Black | Zoltan Boros |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Lantern Bearer // Lanterns' Lift has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Standard | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Paupercommander | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Gladiator | Legal |
| Pioneer | Legal |
| Commander | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Pauper | Legal |
| Future | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Explorer | Legal |
| Brawl | Legal |
| Timeless | Legal |
