Lampad of Death's Vigil MTG Card


Lampad of Death's Vigil - Theros Beyond Death
Mana cost
Converted mana cost2
RarityCommon
TypeEnchantment Creature — Nymph
Released2020-01-24
Set symbol
Set nameTheros Beyond Death
Set codeTHB
Power 1
Toughness 3
Number103
Frame2015
LayoutNormal
BorderBlack
Illustred byJason Felix

Key Takeaways

  1. Leverages creatures for card advantage and disrupts opponent’s plays with its instant speed sacrifice ability.
  2. Provides versatility in decks focused on creature control, with potential for combos and interaction with the graveyard.
  3. Requires keen board management to beat, including board wipes and graveyard hate to limit its effectiveness.

Text of card

, Sacrifice a creature: Each opponent loses 1 life and you gain 1 life.

"Grief-struck, she weeps for each mortal's final death." —Psemilla, Meletian poet


Card Pros

Card Advantage: The Lampad of Death’s Vigil grants the ability to leverage creatures for card advantage. By sacrificing an unnecessary creature, you can apply pressure on your opponent by making them lose life while staying ahead in resources.

Resource Acceleration: Though not direct mana acceleration, this creature’s sacrifice ability can pave the way for other resource acceleration by continually thinning the board, potentially making room for more impactful spells or creatures.

Instant Speed: The Lampad’s ability can be activated at instant speed, offering versatility in your strategy. Use it during your opponent’s turn to disrupt their calculations or in response to removal, ensuring you reap value from a creature that would otherwise be lost.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Lampad of Death’s Vigil asks you to sacrifice another creature as part of its ability to function, which could set you back if your board presence is already low.

Specific Mana Cost: Requiring both black and colorless mana, Lampad of Death’s Vigil’s casting cost can be restrictive, making it less flexible for multicolored or splashable deck inclusions.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: While the ability to help undying creatures or generate incremental advantages is valuable, a combined cost of three mana (two colorless, one black) may be considered steep for a 1/3 creature, especially when options exist for lower-cost creatures with similar or more impactful abilities.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Lampad of Death’s Vigil offers a flexible role within various deck archetypes due to its ability to both provide a consistent sacrifice outlet and chip in for life point adjustments, making it a welcome addition in decks that capitalize on creature control or undergrowth synergies.

Combo Potential: This card shines when combined with recurring creatures or undying mechanics, allowing for an engine that gets value every time a creature dies. It also pairs well with token generators, setting up potential for infinite combos in the right build.

Meta-Relevance: In a meta where graveyard interactions are prevalent, Lampad of Death’s Vigil holds a valuable place. As graveyard-based strategies vary in presence from season to season, this card can be a sleeper hit, disrupting opponent’s strategies while advancing your own board state.


How to beat

Lampad of Death’s Vigil brings a unique dynamic to the battlefield in Magic: The Gathering, operating as a versatile asset for players who capitalize on creatures dying. Famed for its sacrifice ability, the Lampad allows you to trade creatures for life point dents on opponents, making it a persistent threat throughout the game. However, the card’s impact can be mitigated by employing a few strategic moves.

Firstly, controlling the board is key. By limiting creatures on your opponent’s board, you reduce the fuel for Lampad’s ability. Board wipes or spot removal can efficiently deal with both the Lampad and potential sacrifice targets. Also, graveyard hate cards can prevent the recurrence of creatures that Lampad might use to its advantage. Understanding when to disrupt your opponent’s board will turn the tides in your favor.

It is also worth considering the adoption of exile effects. These hinder the Lampad’s strategy by ensuring that creatures do not hit the graveyard, hence they cannot trigger its effect. Keeping card advantage and maintaining a robust line of defense are your best chess moves against creatures like the Lampad of Death’s Vigil. Ultimately, the card demands respect, but with the right plan, overcoming it is well within reach.


BurnMana Recommendations

Understanding the strengths and strategic uses of Lampad of Death’s Vigil can give players an edge in MTG gameplay. It offers the dual utility of manipulating life totals and refining your deck through sacrifice. For those seeking to optimize their gameplay with sacrifice mechanics or looking for ways to disrupt common strategies, adding Lampad of Death’s Vigil to your repertoire can be a wise move. Embrace the depth of MTG’s mechanics with cards like Lampad and enhance your deck’s performance. Unlock new combos, refine your resource management, and adapt to the ever-evolving MTG landscape. We welcome you to explore the nuances of such intricate cards and further your journey as a skilled MTG player with us.


Cards like Lampad of Death's Vigil

Lampad of Death’s Vigil is a card that offers Magic: The Gathering players a unique blend of creature advantage and sneaky life point manipulation. It draws a nice parallel to Falkenrath Noble, as both cards possess the ability to chip away at an opponent’s life total while gaining you life whenever another creature dies. Lampad’s enchantment abilities make it stand out by requiring a mere one mana and a creature sacrifice, enabling a more immediate impact in comparison to Falkenrath’s four mana cost.

Then there’s Zulaport Cutthroat, another card that seems to mirror Lampad’s effect of draining life upon creature deaths. While Zulaport impacts the board passively and provides an effect even when it dies, Lampad needs to actively participate in the sacrifice to demonstrate its power. Comparatively, Blood Artist offers a similar functionality but benefits you and harms your opponent whenever any creature dies—not just your own—granting a broader reach in affecting the game state.

By weighing the nuances and strategic applications of these cards, Lampad of Death’s Vigil emerges as a versatile option in the constellation of MTG sacrifice-themed cards, marking its territory through cost-effective creature control and life manipulation tactics.

Falkenrath Noble - MTG Card versions
Zulaport Cutthroat - MTG Card versions
Blood Artist - MTG Card versions
Falkenrath Noble - MTG Card versions
Zulaport Cutthroat - MTG Card versions
Blood Artist - MTG Card versions

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Lampad of Death's Vigil MTG card by a specific set like Theros Beyond Death, 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 Lampad of Death's Vigil and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Lampad of Death's Vigil has restrictions

FormatLegality
HistoricbrawlLegal
HistoricLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderLegal
OathbreakerLegal
GladiatorLegal
PioneerLegal
CommanderLegal
ModernLegal
PauperLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
ExplorerLegal
PennyLegal
TimelessLegal

Rules and information

The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Lampad of Death's Vigil card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.

Date Text
2020-01-24 In a Two-Headed Giant game, each opposing team loses 2 life and you gain 1 life.
2020-01-24 Lampad of Death’s Vigil can be sacrificed to pay the cost of its own ability.
2020-01-24 You gain only 1 life, no matter how many opponents lose life.

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