How to use Lili, Heretical Healer as commander? + questions
Asked by Exteez 7 years ago
I'm new to the EDH and Tiny leaders formats, so i have multiple questions about those.I'm planning to use Liliana, Heretical Healer Flip as my commander.Let's say, i cast her from the command zone, and something dies on my part of the battlefield. Her transform triggers, and sends her into exile, if i choose her not to go exile but to the command zone, is she going to be transformed or not? If she's gonna be transformed will se get the loyalty counters, and can i use her planeswalker abilities (while she's in the command zone)? If she's a planeswalker in the command zone how much do i have to pay to cast her?If a creature i control dies while Creature Lili is in the command zone does she transform?Let's say I have a planeswalker Lili in my command zone. Can my opponent target het with Imprisoned in the Moon?
Other question: Commander: Geist of Saint TraftI cast him from the command zone, swing in but he would be blocked, so i use Unsummon on him. As far as i know i can choose to send him back to the command zone, if he'd go exile, in my library or in my graveyard. Can i choose him to go to the command zone instead of my hand? If not: Do i have to pay 5 to cast him from my hand? (that would be the second time i cast him). If i cast him from my hand does he goes to the Command zone at the end of the turn? Is there any way to reduce the extra manacost of the commander? For example: I've casted Geist twice, so now i need to pay 7 to cast him. can somehow i reduce the extra 4 mana to a lower number?If i cast my commander do i have to return him to the command zone at the end of the turn or what?Thanks for everything!
Neotrup One last question: Can I choose Lili to return as Defiant Necromancer to the battlefield, i get the 2/2 zombie token, i maybe use her negative X to get back a creature, then when she returns to the command zone and transforms back to human form?
March 12, 2017 2:26 p.m.
Pretty much, except for the part "choose to return Lili Flip." Once her ability triggers from a creature dying, you have to exile her (or send her to the command zone) and then return her transformed, regardless of where you chose to send her. You can certainly use her -X to "sacrifice" her, at which point she will return to the command zone and revert to a creature. You may then recast her, paying the command tax, if you so desire.
Neotrup says... Accepted answer #1
The command zone is not the battlefield. Abilities of permanents do not normally function there, unless the either specifically say so (like Derevi, Empyrial Tactician) or effect how you cast spells (like Akroma, Angel of Fury). With Liliana, Heretical Healer Flip, if she's on the battlefield and another creature you control dies, her ability will trigger and tell you to exile it. You may choose to either exile it or put it in your command zone, but either way it will return to the battlefield as the result of the same ability. Under no circumstance can Liliana, Defiant Necromancer Flip be in your command zone, as sending it there as a planeswalker will just turn it face up again. Even if it could be a planeswalker there, you would not be able to use any of its abilities, as it wouldn't be a permanent, and you wouldn't be able to cast it, because it wouldn't have a casting cost. Nothing can target a card in the command zone, but the only thing you'd be able to do with it anyways would be cast it, so that's not a huge issue.
If your commander would be put into your hand, you may choose to put it in the command zone instead, but you usually shouldn't. The commander tax only applies based on how many times you've cast it from the command zone, and only applies when casting it from there, so casting it from your hand avoids the tax entirely. If you cast it from your hand nothing special happens, you won't have to send it back the the command zone or anything odd. Command tax acts as a normal additional cost, and standard cost reduction can be applied to it. If you've already cast Geist of Saint Traft twice and control an Urza's Incubator set to spirit and a Conduit of Ruin, casting Traft from the command zone will cost as long as it's your first creature spell for the turn.
March 11, 2017 5:25 a.m.