Lazav, Dimir Mastermind MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 3 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost4
RarityMythic
TypeLegendary Creature — Shapeshifter
Abilities Hexproof
Power 3
Toughness 3

Key Takeaways

  1. Lazav offers card advantage by transforming into any graveyard creature, enhancing battlefield presence.
  2. Shapeshifting at instant speed allows for tactical reactivity, giving players a strategic edge.
  3. While strong, the card’s effectiveness hinges on graveyard access, revealing a gameplay conditionality.

Text of card

Hexproof Whenever a creature card is put into an opponent's graveyard from anywhere, you may have Lazav, Dimir Mastermind become a copy of that card except its name is still Lazav, Dimir Mastermind, it's legendary in addition to its other types, and it gains hexproof and this ability.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Transforming into any creature card in your graveyard, Lazav Dimir Mastermind ensures you consistently have a threatening presence on the battlefield. This versatility translates directly into card advantage, as Lazav can exploit the abilities of various creatures that have been put into the graveyard, giving you multiple options from a single card.

Resource Acceleration: Despite not directly increasing your mana pool, Lazav’s ability to assume the form of any creature in your graveyard can act as a form of resource acceleration. By copying high-value targets with mana-producing abilities, you indirectly accelerate your resources, offering a strategic edge.

Instant Speed: The ability to transform Lazav at instant speed is a game-changer, allowing reactive play to your opponents’ actions. Whether it’s during combat or in response to a removal spell, the flexibility to adapt to the ever-changing state of the game can put you steps ahead of your opponent.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: To harness Lazav Dimir Mastermind’s copying ability, you need to react when a creature card hits an opponent’s graveyard. While this can be a tactical advantage, it’s reliant on either your opponent’s creatures dying or additional cards to discard them, making the effect conditional and sometimes unreliable.

Specific Mana Cost: With Lazav requiring a mix of blue and black mana, deck building can be restrictive. Inclusion in a deck demands a significant commitment to both colors, limiting Lazav’s utility in multicolored or less mana-flexible builds.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Costing four mana can be a steep price for a commander whose power is dependent on other card interactions. While his abilities are powerful, the initial mana investment can set you back in the early game, especially when compared to other commanders that offer immediate board presence or value.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: The Lazav Dimir Mastermind card adapts to any situation by transforming into any creature card in your opponent’s graveyard. This grants immense flexibility in both offensive and defensive strategies, making it a dynamic addition to decks that thrive on fluid tactics.

Combo Potential: This card’s shapeshifting ability synergizes with various graveyard manipulation and mill strategies. Use it in tandem with cards that fill the graveyard to unlock potent combinations and surprise your opponents with unexpected plays.

Meta-Relevance: In a game that often sees popular creatures across tables, Lazav’s capability to become a copy, complete with abilities, makes it exceptionally powerful. It serves as a strategic counter to prevalent threats while adapting seamlessly to the evolving meta, asserting its relevance in competitive play.


How to beat

Lazav Dimir Mastermind is a shapeshifting force in Magic the Gathering, with the ability to become a copy of any creature card in your opponent’s graveyard for just two mana. This flexibility can present a formidable challenge to face, especially when your opponent has powerful creatures in their graveyard. However, there are effective strategies you can employ to neutralize Lazav’s threats.

One way to combat Lazav is through graveyard management. Cards like Tormod’s Crypt or Relic of Progenitus can exile cards from your opponent’s graveyard, leaving Lazav with fewer options to exploit. Similarly, proactive removal that exiles creatures upon defeat, such as Path to Exile or Swords to Plowshares, keep the graveyard from being stocked with potential targets.

Additionally, countering Lazav before it hits the battlefield is crucial. Counterspells such as Counterspell itself or Dovin’s Veto can ensure Lazav never has the chance to mimic any creature. If Lazav does manage to transform, spot removal or board wipes can clear him away. Remember that Lazav will retain his abilities, so instant speed removal after he shapeshifts but before he becomes hexproof is often necessary.

By focusing on limiting graveyard resources, utilizing counterspells, and employing timely removal, you can effectively dismantle the threat posed by Lazav Dimir Mastermind and maintain control of the game.


BurnMana Recommendations

Exploring the depth of MTG’s deck-building and gameplay brings us to standout cards like Lazav Dimir Mastermind. With its ability to adapt and transform into any creature card from the graveyard, Lazav ensures your strategies remain fluid and formidable. Interested in untangling the complexities of a Lazav-centric deck or integrating this shapeshifting master into your existing roster? Our detailed insights can guide you through the nuances of deploying such a versatile card. Dive in with us as we break down the strategies, provide expert tips, and explore the card’s full potential to enhance your MTG experience. Let’s uncover and master the art of deception together.


Cards like Lazav, Dimir Mastermind

Lazav, Dimir Mastermind, holds a unique position among legendary creatures in Magic: The Gathering. It’s often likened to other creatures that can mimic or become copies of different cards, such as Clone or the more recent Spark Double. However, Lazav distinguishes itself with its ability to copy any creature card in your opponent’s graveyard, essentially giving you access to your opponent’s best threats while skirting around any legendary restrictions thanks to its hexproof ability.

Phantasmal Image is another comparison that players might draw. It can clone any creature on the battlefield at a lower mana cost, but Lazav’s built-in protection and graveyard interaction offer strategic advantages that Phantasmal Image cannot match. Moreover, the adaptability of Lazav to become a copy of a creature when it hits the graveyard ensures persistent board presence and a surprise element, keeping your opponents guessing.

Ultimately, in a world where reanimation and graveyard manipulation are common strategies, Lazav, Dimir Mastermind shines. Its uniqueness in combining hexproof protection, the flexibility of graveyard targeting, and the ability to circumvent legendary rules places it as a potent tool in any MTG player’s arsenal. The combination of sustainability, versatility, and protection gives Lazav an edge over similar cloning options.

Clone - MTG Card versions
Spark Double - MTG Card versions
Phantasmal Image - MTG Card versions
Clone - Limited Edition Alpha (LEA)
Spark Double - War of the Spark (WAR)
Phantasmal Image - Magic 2012 (M12)

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Evil Twin - Innistrad (ISD)
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Ulamog's Nullifier - Battle for Zendikar (BFZ)
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Gisa and Geralf - Shadows over Innistrad Remastered (SIR)
Duskmantle Seer - Commander 2018 (C18)
Hostage Taker - Forgotten Realms Commander (AFC)
Deadeye Brawler - Rivals of Ixalan (RIX)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Lazav, Dimir Mastermind MTG card by a specific set like Gatecrash and GRN Guild Kit, 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 Lazav, Dimir Mastermind and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Lazav, Dimir Mastermind Magic the Gathering card was released in 3 different sets between 2013-02-01 and 2020-09-25. Illustrated by David Rapoza.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12013-02-01GatecrashGTC 1742003normalblackDavid Rapoza
22018-11-02GRN Guild KitGK1 162015normalblackDavid Rapoza
32020-09-25Zendikar Rising CommanderZNC 922015normalblackDavid Rapoza

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Lazav, Dimir Mastermind has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PioneerLegal
PennyLegal

Rules and information

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

DateText
2013-01-24 Enters-the-battlefield abilities of the creature card Lazav is copying won’t trigger as Lazav is already on the battlefield when it becomes a copy of that creature card.
2013-01-24 If multiple creature cards are put into an opponent’s graveyard at the same time, you choose the order that Lazav’s triggered abilities go on the stack.
2013-01-24 Lazav, Dimir Mastermind becomes a copy of the creature card in the graveyard. If that card is no longer in the graveyard when Lazav’s ability resolves, use the characteristics of that card as it last existed in the graveyard. Notably, copy effects that applied to the creature card when it was on the battlefield won’t be copied by Lazav. For example, if a Clone is put into an opponent’s graveyard from the battlefield and you use Lazav’s ability, it will become 0/0. It won’t become a copy of whatever Clone was copying.
2013-01-24 Token creatures dying won’t cause Lazav’s triggered ability to trigger.

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