Live Fast MTG Card
2016-09-30 - Number 87
2020-11-12 - Number 95
| Card sets | Released in 2 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 3 |
| Rarity | Common |
| Type | Sorcery |
Text of card
You draw two cards, lose 2 life, and get (two energy counters).
"When you have the chance, take it. Laugh, sing, dance. Don't allow the night to end."
Cards like Live Fast
Live Fast is an intriguing piece within the arsenal of black card draw spells in Magic: The Gathering. It finds cousins in spells like Read the Bones. Both cards provide you two cards in exchange for some life, pointing to a fundamental black magic principle: power at a price. Live Fast, however, adds an edge by offering Energy counters, a versatile resource in the game’s ecosystem.
Alters reap is another card often brought up in this context. Embodying the essence of black magic’s sacrificial theme, Alters reap costs less and offers an immediate two-card draw but requires a creature sacrifice, distinguishing it from Live Fast’s straightforward approach. Then consider Night’s Whisper, offering a similar two-card advantage for one less mana but without the added Energy counters benefit.
While Analyzing the utilities and costs, it’s evident that Live Fast provides MTG players with more than just card drawing—it opens doors to the synergetic potentials that Energy counters can unlock, making it a card of notable versatility in the MTG realm.
Cards similar to Live Fast by color, type and mana cost
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Live Fast offers the ability to draw two additional cards, bolstering your hand and opening the door to more strategic options throughout the game. This can be a game-changer in terms of maintaining the momentum or catching up when behind.
Resource Acceleration: Besides the card draw, Live Fast provides an immediate boost to your resources by generating two Energy counters. These counters can be a versatile asset, fuelling a variety of energy-dependent mechanics or card abilities that could swing the game in your favor.
Instant Speed: The flexibility of Live Fast is further enhanced by its nature of being an instant. This allows savvy players to utilize their mana efficiently, keeping their options open until the most opportune moment to cast it, potentially in response to an opponent’s move or at the end of their turn to maximize the advantage gained.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: When casting Live Fast, you should be mindful of the need to discard cards. This action can set you back in the game, particularly if your hand is already running low on playable options. Balancing the advantage of the immediate draw against the potential setback of losing a card is crucial.
Specific Mana Cost: The casting cost for Live Fast is not only specific but also a bit steep, needing both generic and black mana. This makes it a card that fits primarily into black or black-inclusive decks, reducing its versatility across the broader spectrum of MTG deck types.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a casting requirement of three mana, including two which must be black, Live Fast falls into the category of spells where mana investment needs to be carefully considered, especially against other cards with similar effects that might be more mana-efficient. Ensuring you get ample return on this investment is key to making the most out of Live Fast.
Reasons to Include Live Fast in Your Collection
Versatility: This card effortlessly integrates into numerous deck archetypes. Thoughtfully designed for decks seeking to enhance their card advantage while also craving energy counters, Live Fast offers strategic flexibility in gameplay.
Combo Potential: By delivering both card draw and energy counters, this spell can synergize seamlessly with mechanisms that capitalize on energy accumulation. Build powerful combos leveraging these counters to activate abilities, summon creatures, or fuel other potent effects.
Meta-Relevance: In a game where staying ahead of the curve is key, the relevance of Live Fast can ebb and flow with the meta. Especially in environments that favour sustained pressure and resource advantage, this card’s contribution to your cache of resources can turn the tides in your favor.
How to beat
“Live Fast” can be quite a powerful spell in a Magic: The Gathering match, offering both card advantage and energy counters. This enables players to power up their game by drawing cards and energizing their strategies. The key to outmaneuvering an opponent who plays “Live Fast” involves hindering their energy counter accumulation and card draw capabilities. Strategies might include using discard effects to deplete the cards they gain or countering the spell outright to prevent its execution.
Efficiently dealing with the aftermath of “Live Fast” entails leveraging your removal spells on the creatures or artifacts that benefit from the energy counters. You can also deploy graveyard disruption to get rid of the cards before they can be used with energy-based abilities. Another angle to consider is to increase the pressure with aggressive plays, forcing the opponent into a defensive position where they can’t afford the tempo loss of a four-mana draw spell.
Taking these approaches into account can significantly reduce the effectiveness of “Live Fast” and tilt the match in your favor. Focus on disrupting their plan while advancing your board presence, and this strategy card will become less of a threat.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Live Fast MTG card by a specific set like Kaladesh and Kaladesh Remastered, 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 Live Fast and other MTG cards:
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- eBay
- 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 Live Fast Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2016-09-30 and 2020-11-12. Illustrated by Ryan Yee.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2016-09-30 | Kaladesh | KLD | 87 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Ryan Yee | |
| 2 | 2020-11-12 | Kaladesh Remastered | KLR | 95 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Ryan Yee |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Live Fast has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Historicbrawl | Legal |
| Historic | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Paupercommander | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Gladiator | Legal |
| Pioneer | Legal |
| Commander | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Pauper | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Explorer | Legal |
| Penny | Legal |
| Timeless | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Live Fast card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2017-02-09 | Energy counters are a kind of counter that a player may have. They're not associated with specific permanents. (Other kinds of counters that players may have include poison and experience.) |
| 2017-02-09 | Energy counters aren't mana. They don't go away as steps, phases, and turns end, and effects that add mana “of any type” to your mana pool can't give you energy counters. |
| 2017-02-09 | If an effect says you get one or more , you get that many energy counters. To pay one or more , you lose that many energy counters. Any effects that interact with counters a player gets, has, or loses can interact with energy counters. |
| 2017-02-09 | Keep careful track of how many energy counters each player has. You may do so by keeping a running count on paper, by using a die, or by any other clear and mutually agreeable method. |
| 2017-02-09 | You can't pay more energy counters than you have. |
| 2017-02-09 | is the energy symbol. It represents one energy counter. |