Lifelink MTG Card

Magic 2010 (M10)
2009-07-17 - Number 18

Magic 2012 (M12)
2011-07-15 - Number 24

Card sets	Released in 2 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost	1
Rarity	Common
Type	Enchantment — Aura
Abilities	Enchant

Key Takeaways

Lifelink fuels a two-fold advantage, aiding both defense and offense during gameplay.
Instant speed lifelink actions can surprise opponents and turn combats favorably.
Smart removal and deathtouch can counter lifelink’s game-sustaining capability.

Text of card

Enchant creature Enchanted creature has lifelink. (Damage dealt by the creature also causes its controller to gain that much life.)

The spoils of war are not measured only in gold and silver.

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Lifelink cards often come attached to creatures that can change the tide of the game by providing both offensive and defensive utility. Each successful attack or block with a lifelink creature not only depletes your opponent’s life but also bolsters your own, effectively creating a two-fold shift in life totals, and thus, advantage.

Resource Acceleration: While Lifelink itself doesn’t directly accelerate resources in the form of mana or cards, it contributes to a prolonged game state, offering more turns and thus more land drops and draw steps. Indirectly, maintaining a higher life total can grant you the luxury of using life as a resource for other powerful effects that require life payment without jeopardizing your position.

Instant Speed: Some spells with lifelink can be cast at instant speed, allowing players to surprise opponents during combat by either boosting their own creatures or by creating new lifelinking blockers. This not only disrupts the opponent’s strategy but also grants immediate life gain which can be pivotal in tight races or against aggressive decks.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Certain lifelink cards need you to discard as part of their activation cost or ability triggers. This can be detrimental when your hand is already depleted or when every card plays a pivotal role in your strategy.

Specific Mana Cost: Many powerful lifelink cards demand precise mana, often white or black. This can constrain deck building and reduce flexibility, as you may need to skew your mana base towards those colors, potentially straining your deck’s overall mana stability.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Lifelink abilities can come with a steep mana investment, especially for creatures with substantial power and toughness. This can slow down your game plan, as you might spend crucial turns casting one big creature while opponents develop their board or disrupt your position with less costly spells.

Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Lifelink cards offer a dual advantage by not only increasing your health pool but also chipping away at the opponent’s. They can be a game-changer in various deck archetypes, from aggressive builds that want to stay ahead in the race to more defensive strategies that seek to outlast the opponent.

Combo Potential: Lifelink works wonders in synergy with effects that trigger upon gaining life or dealing damage. It can fuel powerful card abilities, enhancing your board presence and turning the tide in your favor through various card interactions.

Meta-Relevance: As a frequent presence on the battlefield, lifelink remains a consistent counter to aggressive strategies that rely on reducing life totals quickly. Including lifelink cards in your collection means being prepared to face a range of opponents, with a reliable tool that has proven its worth across numerous metas.

How to beat

Confronting a lifelink MTG card on the battlefield can be a pivotal moment in the game, shifting the tides of health advantage. Lifelink, a stalwart ability, allows the creature to turn damage into a life-giving force for the player, making each attack a dual edge—hurting the opponent while healing themselves.

To tackle this mechanic effectively, players should consider removal spells that can take out a lifelink creature before it becomes too much of a threat. Enchantment-based removal or instant-speed spells that can disrupt play during the opponent’s turn are particularly valuable tools. Countering lifelink can also be achieved by using cards with deathtouch to create a lethal deterrent or by setting up blockers that prevent the lifelink creature from dealing damage in the first place.

While lifelink presents a robust challenge, with careful planning and strategic use of resources, players can overcome the healing hurdle it imposes. By prioritizing the threat and choosing the right moment to strike, the seemingly endless lifegain can be halted, maintaining the balance of power on the battlefield.

Cards like Lifelink

Lifelink is a key ability present on various creatures and spells in Magic: The Gathering, and it’s one that often tips the balance in favor of strategic and resilient decks. Card by card analysis reveals a close sibling in the form of Absorb Vis, known for transferring life totals between opponents and the caster. Lifelink, however, is a more versatile mechanic that continues to trigger as long as the creature or equipped creature is dealing damage. This enduring effect is seen in its ever-popular cousin, Vampire Nighthawk.

Another companion in this space is the enchantment Sanguine Bond. While it doesn’t give lifelink, it operates on a similar wavelength, where the life gained becomes a weapon to drain the opponent’s vitality. The distinctive characteristic of Lifelink is its straightforward, damage-based life conversion, in contrast to Sanguine Bond’s conditional trigger. Moreover, Lifelink imbues the creature with a powerful survival advantage, something that Echo Circlet or even the straightforward Elixir of Immortality can’t duplicate, despite their life-gaining capabilities.

Scrutinizing the nuances and effects across different cards, Lifelink establishes itself as a prime choice for players aiming for resilience and steady life increases throughout the game.

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Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Lifelink MTG card by a specific set like Magic 2010 and Magic 2012, 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 Lifelink and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Lifelink Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2009-07-17 and 2011-07-15. Illustrated by Terese Nielsen.

#	Released	Name	Code	Symbol	Number	Frame	Layout	Border	Artist
1	2009-07-17	Magic 2010	M10		18	2003	Normal	Black	Terese Nielsen
2	2011-07-15	Magic 2012	M12		24	2003	Normal	Black	Terese Nielsen

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Lifelink has restrictions

Format	Legality
Commander	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Paupercommander	Legal
Modern	Legal
Oathbreaker	Legal
Pauper	Legal
Vintage	Legal
Duel	Legal
Predh	Legal

Rules and information

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