Livewire Lash MTG Card
2010-10-01 - Number 172
2022-07-08 - Number 307
| Card sets | Released in 2 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 2 |
| Rarity | Rare |
| Type | Artifact — Equipment |
| Abilities | Equip |
Key Takeaways
- Livewire Lash transforms spells into dual threats, enhancing card utility and board control strategies.
- Instant-speed spells paired with Livewire Lash produce unexpected damage and opponent disruption.
- Mana cost and deck compatibility are crucial considerations when integrating Livewire Lash into your MTG deck.
Text of card
Equipped creature gets +2/+0 and has "Whenever this creature becomes the target of a spell, this creature deals 2 damage to target creature or player." Equip
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Livewire Lash provides a distinct edge by turning any noncreature spells cast targeting the equipped creature into potential damage sources. This transforms single-purpose spells into dual-threats, allowing for a more efficient use of cards in hand.
Resource Acceleration: By giving creatures an additional ability to deal damage, Livewire Lash accelerates your capacity to diminish your opponent’s life total or control the board. This added functionality can be pivotal, simulating extra card effects without the need for additional resources.
Instant Speed: The real power of Livewire Lash is unlocked when paired with instant-speed spells. This synergy allows players to respond to opponents’ actions by not only disrupting their plays but also dealing unexpected damage, potentially swinging the game in your favor.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: The Livewire Lash’s ability hinges on being equipped to a creature that has an instant or sorcery spell cast on it. In scenarios where your hand is depleted, or your deck isn’t rich in such spells, the power of this artifact can be significantly undercut.
Specific Mana Cost: While the colorless cost of Livewire Lash offers versatility, the initial two mana plus the two to equip can be cumbersome for decks that aim for a quicker pace or those that have mana-intensive strategies, limiting its inclusion to more controlled or specifically tailored builds.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: When evaluating equipment cards within MTG, Livewire Lash has a relatively high total mana investment. With a combined cost of four mana to both cast and equip, it can hinder your board development in the early game, contrasting with other options that might accelerate your deck’s strategy with less investment.
Reasons to Include in Your Collection
Versatility: Livewire Lash is a unique equipment card that offers additional utility to creature-based strategies. Its ability to deal damage when the equipped creature becomes the target of a spell is dynamically useful, fitting in various deck archetypes—from aggressive builds wanting to push extra damage, to more interactive setups looking to leverage spell casting.
Combo Potential: Players looking to capitalize on casting numerous spells will discover that Livewire Lash excels at enhancing these play styles. Its potential combos with cards that trigger upon dealing damage or casting spells can be a game-changer, allowing players to amplify their strategies and control the board.
Meta-Relevance: In game environments where instant and sorcery spells are prevalent, Livewire Lash becomes increasingly important. As decks aim to respond to opponents’ threats or establish their own, this card ensures that every spell cast can double as a direct damage tool, keeping the card relevant in ever-shifting metas.
How to beat Livewire Lash
Livewire Lash is a unique artifact in the MTG realm, known for its ability to endow equipped creatures with the power to deal damage whenever they become targets of spells. This capability can turn the tides of a match, as it effectively dissuades opponents from targeting your creatures. Remarkably, it also allows for clever interactions with spells you cast on your own creatures, potentially unleashing a flurry of damage.
To counter Livewire Lash, it’s critical to focus on removal spells that don’t target or to use board wipes, which skirt around the Lash’s triggered ability. Consider cards like Wrath of God or Damnation which can remove creatures without targeting and therefore bypass the lash’s effect. Another strategy is to employ artifact destruction such as Nature’s Claim or Abrade to directly remove the Livewire Lash from play before its effect becomes a problem.
Strategizing against Livewire Lash involves understanding the importance of your removal timings and the types of removal at your disposal. Whether it’s sweeping the board or targeting the artifact directly, the key is to weaken your opponent’s position while maintaining card efficiency to ultimately outpace the threat posed by Livewire Lash.
Cards like Livewire Lash
Livewire Lash brings a unique twist to the realm of equipment cards in Magic: The Gathering, sharing similarities with cards that boost creatures’ potential. Much like Basilisk Collar, Livewire Lash also provides a strategic advantage—albeit through a different mechanism. While Basilisk Collar grants deathtouch and lifelink, Livewire Lash specialises in dealing damage when the equipped creature becomes the target of a spell, allowing for reactive play and surprise tactics.
Another notable comparison is with Grafted Exoskeleton, an equipment that imbues a creature with infect. What sets Livewire Lash apart is its ability to directly deal damage to any target, not just to creatures or players through combat. This flexibility can be particularly advantageous in certain game scenarios. Also in the mix is Sword of Feast and Famine, which provides not only a stat boost but protection from two colors and an additional effect upon dealing combat damage. Livewire Lash skips the combat phase interaction, focusing instead on leveraging the multitude of spells that target creatures.
Assessing the strategic applications within Magic: The Gathering, Livewire Lash stands out by offering a response-triggered effect, a tool that can be deftly woven into strategies centering around targeting one’s own creatures for beneficial outcomes.
Cards similar to Livewire Lash by color, type and mana cost
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Livewire Lash MTG card by a specific set like Scars of Mirrodin and Double Masters 2022, 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 Livewire Lash 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 Livewire Lash Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2010-10-01 and 2022-07-08. Illustrated by Daniel Ljunggren.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2010-10-01 | Scars of Mirrodin | SOM | 172 | 2003 | Normal | Black | Daniel Ljunggren | |
| 2 | 2022-07-08 | Double Masters 2022 | 2X2 | 307 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Daniel Ljunggren |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Livewire Lash has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Predh | Legal |
| Penny | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Livewire Lash card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2011-01-01 | The equipped creature is the source of both the triggered ability and the resultant damage, not Livewire Lash. For example, you can target and deal damage to a creature with protection from artifacts (assuming the equipped creature isn’t an artifact itself, of course). |
| 2011-01-01 | When the equipped creature becomes the target of a spell, the ability granted to it by Livewire Lash will trigger and go on the stack on top of it. It will resolve before the spell does. |
