Liliana's Contract MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 4 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost5
RarityRare
TypeEnchantment

Key Takeaways

  1. Casting Liliana’s Contract rewards you with four cards, bolstering your hand for strategic depth.
  2. Aligning this card with a demon-focused deck can bring about a swift and unexpected victory.
  3. Managing the mana cost and board state effectively is essential to maximize its game-altering potential.

Text of card

When Liliana's Contract enters the battlefield, you draw four cards and you lose 4 life. At the beginning of your upkeep, if you control four or more Demons with different names, you win the game.

Immortality is worth any price.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Liliana’s Contract offers a significant draw mechanism by allowing you to draw four cards upon entering the battlefield. This effect can be a game-changer, replenishing your hand and giving you the tools needed to outmaneuver opponents.

Resource Acceleration: While the card doesn’t directly produce mana or tokens, it does accelerate your resources indirectly. By drawing four cards, you’re more likely to draw into additional lands or mana sources, which in turn can speed up your gameplay and give you a position of power.

Instant Speed: Although Liliana’s Contract does not operate at instant speed, its ability to award victory under certain conditions can force opponents to play as though it does. Their need to respond to the looming threat of the Contract’s alternative win condition can lead to preemptive or rash decisions, which you can capitalize on during your turn.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Although Liliana’s Contract can pave the way to victory with its dark pact, it requires players to navigate around a condition that involves having a number of demons on the battlefield. Without these creatures, the promise of triumph can remain unfulfilled, leaving you waiting for the perfect moment to capitalize on the card’s full potential.

Specific Mana Cost: Liliana’s Contract demands a precise combination of mana to cast—having two black mana in its cost means it fits best in mono-black or black-heavy decks. This restricts flexibility and can challenge deck building, especially for those looking to integrate the card into a multi-color strategy.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a mana value of five, Liliana’s Contract is not the quickest card off the draw. In fast-paced games or against decks built for speed, the time taken to bring this powerful enchantment into play can be a critical delay, potentially leaving you vulnerable to your opponent’s strategy while waiting to assemble your demonic quartet.


Reasons to Include Liliana’s Contract in Your Collection

Versatility: Liliana’s Contract is a dynamic card that can slide into multiple black-centered decks, providing a strong card draw upon entry with the potential for a game-ending effect. It’s not simply a win condition; it’s a source of strategic depth and resource advantage.

Combo Potential: This card shines in decks where there’s a synergy with Demons or if there is a focus on alternative win conditions. Coupled with Demon creatures, it can set up a scenario where you can triumph without reducing your opponent’s life to zero, presenting a tricky challenge for your adversary to navigate.

Meta-Relevance: In an environment where long-term strategies prevail, Liliana’s Contract grants staying power by refilling your hand. It’s an especially pertinent pick in Commander, where its unique win condition can catch opponents off-guard and where games tend to stretch longer, allowing more time to fulfill its lethal pact.


How to beat

Liliana’s Contract is a compelling card that presents both an opportunity and a challenge in MTG. With its powerful ability to draw multiple cards and its potential to win the game if a player controls four Demons with different names, it’s clear why this card has garnered attention. To counteract Liliana’s Contract, players need to disrupt their opponent’s board presence, specifically targeting their Demon creatures. Removal spells are of essence here. Efficient removal like Path to Exile or Assassin’s Trophy can help dismantle the array of Demons before the contract’s condition is fulfilled.

Moreover, enchantment removal plays a critical role. Directly countering Liliana’s Contract with cards like Disenchant or timely played Naturalize can prevent an early game loss. It’s also wise to keep the pressure on, making it difficult for your opponent to stabilize with their Demons. By strategically planning your plays, deploying removals, and maintaining board control, you can neutralize the imminent threat posed by Liliana’s Contract and steer the game in your favor.


BurnMana Recommendations

Delving into the nuances of Liliana’s Contract reveals how it can significantly shift game dynamics, granting both card advantage and a thrilling alternate win condition. For players who cherish complex strategies and thematic deck building centered around the Demon tribe, this card is both an asset and a centerpiece. To fully wield its potential, reinforcing your collection with diverse Demons and considering enchantment protection is vital. Are you ready to harness the dark pacts and command the battlefield with Liliana’s Contract? We welcome you to further explore the strategic depths of MTG and enhance your gameplay with this enigmatic enchantment.


Cards like Liliana's Contract

In the world of Magic: The Gathering, Liliana’s Contract presents a unique appeal for players eager to leverage alternate win conditions. With its closest comparison being Door to Nothingness, both cards offer players a win that’s outside the usual combat and damage strategies. Liliana’s Contract, however, centers around the thematic and powerful Demon tribe, requiring the control of four unique Demons and rewarding the player with a victory at the next upkeep. This differs from Door to Nothingness, which demands a heavy mana investment to outright win the game.

Examining another parallel, Blood Pact also allows drawing cards with the loss of life. However, Liliana’s Contract delivers card draw with the tantalizing possibility of a game win. Additionally, compared to the focused task of amassing Demons, Approach of the Second Sun offers an alternative win condition through successfully casting the spell twice – an approach that relies on spell recursion rather than board presence.

Liliana’s Contract stands out among such cards with its blend of card advantage and a unique path to victory. Its specificity in deck construction encourages a thematic Demon-driven approach, affirmed by its card-drawing clause. This offers a potent concoction of story-driven gameplay and strategic depth for Magic: The Gathering enthusiasts.

Door to Nothingness - MTG Card versions
Blood Pact - MTG Card versions
Approach of the Second Sun - MTG Card versions
Door to Nothingness - Fifth Dawn (5DN)
Blood Pact - Innistrad: Midnight Hunt (MID)
Approach of the Second Sun - Amonkhet (AKH)

Cards similar to Liliana's Contract by color, type and mana cost

Death Pits of Rath - MTG Card versions
Handcuffs - MTG Card versions
Discordant Dirge - MTG Card versions
Subversion - MTG Card versions
Forbidden Crypt - MTG Card versions
Larceny - MTG Card versions
Conspiracy - MTG Card versions
Putrefaction - MTG Card versions
Spreading Plague - MTG Card versions
Traveling Plague - MTG Card versions
Dawn of the Dead - MTG Card versions
Gravebreaker Lamia - MTG Card versions
Doomwake Giant - MTG Card versions
Clutch of Undeath - MTG Card versions
Horror of Horrors - MTG Card versions
Sanguine Bond - MTG Card versions
Call to the Grave - MTG Card versions
Curse of Death's Hold - MTG Card versions
Homicidal Seclusion - MTG Card versions
Dreadbringer Lampads - MTG Card versions
Death Pits of Rath - Eighth Edition (8ED)
Handcuffs - Unglued (UGL)
Discordant Dirge - Urza's Saga (USG)
Subversion - Urza's Legacy (ULG)
Forbidden Crypt - Classic Sixth Edition (6ED)
Larceny - Hachette UK (PHUK)
Conspiracy - The List (PLST)
Putrefaction - Mercadian Masques (MMQ)
Spreading Plague - Invasion (INV)
Traveling Plague - Odyssey (ODY)
Dawn of the Dead - Torment (TOR)
Gravebreaker Lamia - Theros Beyond Death (THB)
Doomwake Giant - The List (PLST)
Clutch of Undeath - Scourge (SCG)
Horror of Horrors - Ninth Edition (9ED)
Sanguine Bond - Commander 2021 (C21)
Call to the Grave - Magic 2012 (M12)
Curse of Death's Hold - Innistrad (ISD)
Homicidal Seclusion - Avacyn Restored (AVR)
Dreadbringer Lampads - Mystery Booster (MB1)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Liliana's Contract MTG card by a specific set like Core Set 2019 and Core Set 2019 Promos, 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 Liliana's Contract and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Liliana's Contract Magic the Gathering card was released in 3 different sets between 2018-07-13 and 2019-12-02. Illustrated by 2 different artists.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12018-07-13Core Set 2019M19 1072015normalblackBastien L. Deharme
22018-07-13Core Set 2019 PromosPM19 107s2015normalblackBastien L. Deharme
32019-12-02Secret Lair DropSLD 161★2015normalblackZIUK
42019-12-02Secret Lair DropSLD 1612015normalblackZIUK

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Liliana's Contract has restrictions

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

Rules and information

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

DateText
2018-07-13 If the second ability does trigger, but you no longer control four Demons with different names as the ability resolves, you won’t win the game.
2018-07-13 If you don’t control four Demons with different names as your upkeep begins, the second ability of Liliana’s Contract won’t trigger. You can’t take any actions during your turn before your upkeep begins.

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