Where's Liliana's Reaver?
Standard forum
Posted on May 21, 2014, 2:41 p.m. by Anublet90
It's really odd. He has great effects on par with Lifebane Zombie but I haven't really seen the bastard anywhere. Not that I've looked deeply, but the none of the competitive deck that I have seen featured him. Is it because of the low toughness? I know Lifebane has evasion, but even that is a 'might have evasion'.
It's not more, it's already there, silly!
But okay, thanks, I get the ETB part. Makes all of the Theros block seem a bit when you say "removal-heavy format"... Huh.
May 21, 2014 2:47 p.m.
MinscAndBoo says... #5
I agree that this guy kind of should have been a thing. As others have mentioned, Desecration Demon simply overshadows it. That shouldn't stop you from getting creative with it, though. Gift of Orzhova in a B+W discard deck might be cool...
May 21, 2014 4 p.m.
MinscAndBoo says... #6
Or run him in a deathtouch deck with Lightning Volley . Sweep all their dudes at the end of their turn, then swing in and have fun w/triggers.
May 21, 2014 4:02 p.m.
It's a real pity they pass out of rotation at the same time too, I'd like to see what would happen if they didn't.
May 21, 2014 4:03 p.m.
Wait, what? Deathtouch applies to sniping too? Does the same apply to Lifelink?
May 21, 2014 4:05 p.m.
I've always had a bit of a soft-spot for Liliana's Reaver and (I should've said this earlier) but I actually used one in my Esper sideboard at GP Phoenix this past April. With no real creatures in the maindeck, people would remove their kill-spells in droves and I'd land this on turn-4. People's faces were priceless and it definitely won me a game or two.
May 21, 2014 4:06 p.m.
Lifelink (Damage dealt by this creature also causes you to gain that much life.)
If it deals any damage, you're gaining life.
May 21, 2014 4:07 p.m.
Wow, I could've sworn I read it as combat damage not too long ago. Shows how you need to read the rules, am I right?
What a coincidence! As soon as you said it's mostly because of a lack of an ETB effect I started cooking up all kinds of Esper and Dega ideas!
May 21, 2014 4:22 p.m.
ChrisHansonBiomancin says... #12
Folks, it's all about Chariot of Victory with this guy. BROKEN
May 21, 2014 5:35 p.m.
@Anublet90 it's all about how it's worded. Notice how Lightning Volley says "TAP: THIS CREATURE deals 1 damage..." well that means the damage is being done by the actual creature so any damage modifiers will apply (lifelink, deathtouch, etc.) If Lightning Volley was worded "TAP: deal 1 damage to target creature or player" then the damage modifiers wouldn't apply because the 1 damage isn't being dealt by the creature, it's just happening.
May 21, 2014 5:47 p.m.
Oooh, okay, thanks for clearing that up. That's really cool, I need to remember that.
.... So many ideas!
May 21, 2014 6:05 p.m.
Ultimaodin says... #15
This is why slivers can actually catch people of guard. 4 invincibility spells mainboard - bow of nylea and Thorncaster is stupid. I ran a Naya slivers deck at FNM once because everyone said slivers weren't viable. It was amusing. against control I just saved the charms and ready for supreme verdict and went nuts. against midrange I just Gatling gunned their team. I lost to an aggro deck though... I remember taking out ready for Fogs in that match... only drew one and it wasn't enough to save me.
The Liliana's Reaver though is good in the right build. Seen it played in a Red Black devotion like deck that's entire aim was to beat face and keep the enemies hand empty. I actually wanted to make a RB devotion deck with Gary Fanatic of Mogis and Twinflame . Reaver would be in it since it would have haste most the time anyway and yeah - it can wreck face in the correct build. Red Black is probably the most viable deck for it.
zandl says... #2
Creatures need to either impact the board when they enter it or just be a huge-ass bomb. In such a removal-heavy format, Reaver dies even to Bile Blight . You might as well play Desecration Demon instead.
And it's not like Mono-Black Devotion needs more hand-disruption. It's already playing a set of Thoughtseize , 3-4 Duress , and 2-4 Lifebane Zombie .
May 21, 2014 2:43 p.m.