Leyline of Lifeforce MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	4
Rarity	Rare
Type	Enchantment
Released	2006-02-03
Set symbol
Set name	Guildpact
Set code	GPT
Number	90
Frame	2003
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Kev Walker

Key Takeaways

Ensures creatures reach the battlefield by nullifying counterspells, enhancing your strategic position.
Acting from game start if in opening hand, it provides a rare advantage accelerating your creature-based game plan.
Leyline’s presence commands respect in decks that focus on creatures, making it a staple in green-based collections.

Text of card

If Leyline of Lifeforce is in your opening hand, you may begin the game with it in play. Creature spells can't be countered.

Where sovereignty and flesh converge.

Card Pros

Card Advantage: The presence of Leyline of Lifeforce on the battlefield can be the equivalent of having an extra card for creature-based strategies. By negating your opponents’ counterspells aimed at your creatures, Leyline ensures that each creature spell you cast is a step towards tipping the scales in your favor.

Resource Acceleration: Although Leyline of Lifeforce doesn’t directly generate additional mana, by starting on the battlefield at the beginning of the game if it’s in your opening hand, it accelerates your game plan. You save resources typically spent on protecting your creatures, thus indirectly speeding up your ability to deploy threats.

Instant Speed: While Leyline of Lifeforce itself does not operate at instant speed, it enables a more fluid and fearless casting of your creatures. Knowing your creatures can’t be countered, you’re free to cast them at the most opportune times without hesitation, making your instant-speed plays even more potent.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Unlike some cards that enhance your creature spells, Leyline of Lifeforce doesn’t necessitate discarding cards but instead has a different form of limitation that could be a setback for players in certain situations.

Specific Mana Cost: While the Leyline itself does not require a specific color of mana to cast normally due to its alternative Leyline ability, those looking to cast it traditionally will need to meet its green mana cost, potentially limiting its use outside of green or multicolored decks.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a regular casting cost of four green mana, Leyline of Lifeforce might prove costly in terms of resources when compared to other creature-support spells, which might fit into the mana curve more efficiently in a fast-paced game.

Reasons to Include Leyline of Lifeforce in Your Collection

Versatility: Leyline of Lifeforce can be a powerhouse in a variety of decks that lean heavily on creature spells. It’s not uncommon to see it included in green-based decks where creatures are the primary focus, ensuring they land on the battlefield without the risk of being countered.

Combo Potential: This card is an enabler for creature-based combo decks. It allows you to reliably play key creatures without interruption, combining with other cards to create powerful engines or infinite loops, safeguarding the combo pieces as they come into play.

Meta-Relevance: In environments where control decks with counterspells are prevalent, Leyline of Lifeforce gains significant value. By nullifying the threat of having your creatures countered, it ensures that your game plan can proceed uninterrupted, an advantage that can be critical in tight matches.

How to beat

Leyline of Lifeforce is a powerful enchantment that can give any player using creature-heavy strategies a significant edge in Magic: The Gathering. It prevents creatures in your hand from being countered, which can be a game-changer. To effectively navigate around this card, the focus should shift away from counter-based control strategies and lean more towards permanent removal solutions. These methods can include board wipes or spot removal spells that can handle creatures once they’ve landed on the battlefield.

Adjusting your deck to include non-countering answers such as Wrath of God, Doom Blade, or Path to Exile can help maintain control over the game despite the presence of Leyline of Lifeforce. Another strategy is to employ card abilities that force your opponent to sacrifice creatures, such as those found on Liliana of the Veil or Diabolic Edict, circumventing the protective layer that Leyline provides. A cleverly tailored sideboard is key when expecting to face such an enchantment, ensuring your deck can adapt to and overcome this powerful obstacle.

Ultimately, the key to outmaneuvering Leyline of Lifeforce lies in versatile deck construction and a prepared strategy that accounts for non-counter-based interaction, ensuring that you’re ready to dismantle your opponent’s defenses effectively.

Cards like Leyline of Lifeforce

Leyline of Lifeforce is a unique enchantment that strengthens creature spells in Magic: The Gathering. It’s akin to Cavern of Souls, as both prevent creature spells from being countered. Cavern of Souls, however, is more selective, applying only to a chosen creature type and also doubling as mana generation. Leyline of Lifeforce, meanwhile, shields all your creatures without such limitation.

Gaea’s Herald is another card that serves a similar function to Leyline of Lifeforce, but as a creature, it is vulnerable to removal unlike the robust enchantment. Then there’s Prowling Serpopard, offering not only uncounterable creature spells but also a solid body to press an attack. However, it doesn’t possess the omnipresence Leyline does, being immediately active if it’s in your opening hand.

Analyzed side by side, Leyline of Lifeforce steadily holds its position. It’s the preemptive counter-spell deterrent and staying power that sets it apart. With the ability to start the game in play, this leyline overrides the others, providing players with a significant tactical advantage from turn zero.

Cards similar to Leyline of Lifeforce by color, type and mana cost

Defense of the Heart - MTG Card versions

Arasta of the Endless Web - MTG Card versions

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Leyline of Lifeforce MTG card by a specific set like Guildpact, 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 Leyline of Lifeforce and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Leyline of Lifeforce 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 Leyline of Lifeforce card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.

Date	Text
2016-06-08	A player’s “opening hand” is the hand of cards the player has after all players have taken mulligans and “scryed” if applicable. If players have any cards in hand that allow actions to be taken with them from a player’s opening hand, the starting player takes all such actions first in any order, followed by each other player in turn order. Then the first turn begins.