Lila, Hospitality Hostess MTG Card


Lila’s abilities add cards to your hand and swiftens gameplay by letting you play more spells early. Instant speed deployment offers tactical advantage and flexibility, responding to opponents effectively. Despite pros, cons include a demanding discard requirement and a specific, high mana cost.
Card setsReleased in 4 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost4
RarityMythic
TypeLegendary Creature — Elf Employee
Power 3
Toughness 3
Un-set :-)This card is part of an Un-set

Text of card

You may look at the top card of your library any time. You may cast common spells from the top of your library. Guests you control get +1/+1.

As far as Lila was concerned, all courtesy should be common.


Cards like Lila, Hospitality Hostess

Lila, Hospitality Hostess plays a unique role in Magic: The Gathering’s suite of creature cards. She shares a family resemblance with other cards like Hostage Taker and Barrin, Tolarian Archmage, both offering a twist on interacting with other permanents in play. Yet, Lila stands out with her ability to entice an opponent’s creature each turn, creating a dynamic that not only disrupts your adversary’s board but also adds to your own offensive lineup.

Considering Deputy of Detention, Lila’s ability mirrors the Deputy’s detainment effect, albeit with a significant difference. Deputy of Detention can capture multiple targets if they share a name, while Lila focuses on individual hospitality, inviting single guests at a time. This makes Lila a more strategic choice for players seeking control over their opponent’s key creatures. On the other hand, the Deputy offers a broad sweep, potentially clearing out armies of tokens or copies in one fell swoop.

Cards like Sower of Temptation and Control Magic are also in conversation with Lila, highlighting the power of temporary control in Magic: The Gathering. However, while those control spells are more permanent as long as the enchantment or creature remains on the battlefield, Lila extends an ephemeral invitation that can reshape the battlefield’s diplomacy with each of your upkeeps. This makes her a versatile inclusion in decks that capitalize on continually shifting alliances and control strategies.

Hostage Taker - MTG Card versions
Barrin, Tolarian Archmage - MTG Card versions
Deputy of Detention - MTG Card versions
Sower of Temptation - MTG Card versions
Control Magic - MTG Card versions
Hostage Taker - MTG Card versions
Barrin, Tolarian Archmage - MTG Card versions
Deputy of Detention - MTG Card versions
Sower of Temptation - MTG Card versions
Control Magic - MTG Card versions

Cards similar to Lila, Hospitality Hostess by color, type and mana cost

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Kei Takahashi - MTG Card versions
Asmira, Holy Avenger - MTG Card versions
Charging Troll - MTG Card versions
Ancient Spider - MTG Card versions
Mystic Enforcer - MTG Card versions
Mycoid Shepherd - MTG Card versions
Emiel the Blessed - MTG Card versions
Heron's Grace Champion - MTG Card versions
Lathiel, the Bounteous Dawn - MTG Card versions
Leinore, Autumn Sovereign - MTG Card versions
Sidar Kondo of Jamuraa - MTG Card versions
Wilt-Leaf Liege - MTG Card versions
Sigil Captain - MTG Card versions
Knight of New Alara - MTG Card versions
Leonin Armorguard - MTG Card versions
Prized Elephant - MTG Card versions
Trostani, Selesnya's Voice - MTG Card versions
Grovetender Druids - MTG Card versions
Bronzebeak Moa - MTG Card versions
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Card Pros

Card Advantage: Lila, Hospitality Hostess shines in giving you extra cards, as her ability can consistently replenish your hand, keeping your strategy well-fueled and giving you an edge over opponents with fewer options.

Resource Acceleration: This card is a powerhouse when it comes to stepping up your game’s pace. Lila offers resource acceleration, potentially enabling you to cast more expensive spells ahead of schedule, or simply expanding your ability to play multiple cards per turn.

Instant Speed: Reactivity is crucial in MTG, and being able to deploy Lila’s abilities at instant speed means you’re never caught off-guard. You can respond to your opponents’ actions on their turn, giving you tactical flexibility and allowing you to maximize the potential of each move you make.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Lila, Hospitality Hostess demands a card discard to harness her ability. This could deplete your hand, particularly if you’re already trying to recover from a low number of cards.

Specific Mana Cost: Her casting cost necessitates a precise blend of mana types, which might not align well with decks that have a varied mana base or those that prefer a more flexible mana curve.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a cost that might be deemed steep for what she offers, you may find that Lila is overshadowed by other creatures or spells that provide more value or impact the game sooner.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Lila, Hospitality Hostess can seamlessly adapt to a variety of decks, catering to those that thrive on life gain as well as creature-heavy strategies. Her presence can fortify your board state while providing consistent life boosts that can be critical in prolonged matches.

Combo Potential: With her unique ability to create a creature token that’s a copy of another target creature, Lila unlocks numerous combo possibilities. This synergizes exceptionally well with enter-the-battlefield effects or creatures sporting powerful abilities that you’d want to replicate.

Meta-Relevance: Given that she can hedge against aggressive red decks and other creature-based strategies that are prevalent in many metas, Lila, Hospitality Hostess stands as a strategic inclusion. Her lifegain and token-copying ability can offer significant advantages in the current gameplay environment.


How to beat

Lila, Hospitality Hostess is a versatile powerhouse in the world of Magic: The Gathering, offering players unique strategic advantages. Her ability to transform into an enchantment or a creature depending on the state of the game makes her a formidable card. However, there are strategies to counter her. Cards with exile effects, such as Path to Exile or Vindicate, are particularly effective because they can remove Lila from the game regardless of her form, bypassing her transformative skill.

Another way to counter Lila is by using cards that restrict your opponent’s ability to cast noncreature spells. This thwarts Lila’s ability to flip into an enchantment. Moreover, creature removals remain a steadfast tactic; once Lila is a creature, spells like Doom Blade can target her before she accumulates substantial value for your opponent.

In conclusion, while Lila, Hospitality Hostess offers duelists in Magic: The Gathering flexibility and potential, knowing the right counters and when to deploy them diminishes the impact of her abilities and keeps the game in your favor. Remembering the importance of timing and choosing the correct spell to minimize Lila’s contributions to the battlefield is key to overpowering this adaptive card.


Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Lila, Hospitality Hostess MTG card by a specific set like Unfinity and Unfinity, 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 Lila, Hospitality Hostess and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Lila, Hospitality Hostess Magic the Gathering card was released in 1 different sets between 2022-10-07 and 2022-10-07. Illustrated by 2 different artists.

#ReleasedNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12022-10-07UnfinityUNF 4562015NormalBlackYangtian Li
22022-10-07UnfinityUNF 2622015NormalBlackScooter
32022-10-07UnfinityUNF 1702015NormalBlackYangtian Li
42022-10-07UnfinityUNF 5132015NormalBlackScooter

Rules and information

The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Lila, Hospitality Hostess card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.

Date Text
2022-10-07 Common cards have black expansion symbols. Cards from before Exodus™ don’t have expansion symbols; their rarities can be found on their Gatherer entries. (Cards with the land rarity, including basic lands, also have black expansion symbols, but Lila doesn’t let you play lands, so this hardly seems worth mentioning. Oh, sorry.)
2022-10-07 Lila’s middle ability doesn’t change when you may cast those spells. You still pay all costs for those spells as well.