Jarad, Golgari Lich Lord is one of those cards players keep asking about. Here is, in plain words, what its official text says, the rulings published by Wizards of the Coast, and the combos players actually run.
Official card text
Jarad gets +1/+1 for each creature card in your graveyard., Sacrifice another creature: Each opponent loses life equal to the sacrificed creature's power. Sacrifice a Swamp and a Forest: Return this card from your graveyard to your hand.
Complete guide
Jarad, Golgari Lich Lord is a powerhouse of the Swarm, growing stronger as your graveyard fills with fallen allies. This Legendary Zombie Elf serves as both a massive threat and a dangerous reach tool, allowing you to drain your opponents' life directly by sacrificing your own creatures.
A Grave Growth
Jarad's first ability is a static effect that grants him +1/+1 for every creature card currently in your graveyard. Note that this only functions while he is on the battlefield; while in the graveyard or your hand, he is a 2/2. This power scales dynamically as the game progresses and your graveyard grows.
Sacrificing for the Win
Jarad's activated ability allows you to pay one black, one green, and one generic mana while sacrificing another creature. When this resolves, every opponent loses life equal to the sacrificed creature's power. The game looks at the creature's power as it last existed on the battlefield to determine how much life is lost.
Returning from the Depths
Jarad is difficult to keep down thanks to his final ability. By sacrificing one Swamp and one Forest, you can return Jarad from your graveyard to your hand. These do not have to be basic lands; any land with the appropriate subtype, such as a Dual Land or a Triome, will satisfy the requirement. Note that even if a land is both a Swamp and a Forest, you must still sacrifice two separate land permanents to activate the ability.
When to Activate
Jarad is best used as a finisher. You should typically hold his sacrifice ability for when an opponent attempts to exile your creatures, or when you have a creature with high power that cannot successfully attack. Because it causes life loss rather than damage, it bypasses effects like 'Prevent all damage.'
Interaction examples
Solemn SimulacrumYou have Solemn Simulacrum on the battlefield. You activate Jarad, Golgari Lich Lord's ability, sacrificing the Golem as the cost. The Golem's 'dies' ability triggers alongside Jarad's ability. You will draw a card, and then each opponent will lose 2 life (the Golem's power on the battlefield).
Eternal WitnessIf Eternal Witness is in your graveyard, Jarad gets +1/+1. If you sacrifice Eternal Witness to Jarad's ability, opponents lose 2 life. While Eternal Witness is in the graveyard, you could potentially return Jarad to your hand by sacrificing lands, then later use another effect to bring the Witness back, creating a cycle of utility and life loss.
Guide written with AI from the official text and rulings. Official English text prevails.
How it works : Jarad, Golgari Lich Lord
Original English text — Wizards of the Coast / Scryfall
- #1· Wizards of the Coast
Jarad's first ability applies only when Jarad is on the battlefield.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #2· Wizards of the Coast
The life loss is based on the power of the sacrificed creature as it last existed on the battlefield.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #3· Wizards of the Coast
To activate Jarad's last ability, you must sacrifice two lands. It doesn't matter what other land types the two lands have, as long as one is a Swamp and one is a Forest. Even if one of the lands you sacrifice is both a Swamp and a Forest, you have to sacrifice another land that is a Swamp or a Forest.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #4· Wizards of the Coast
You can sacrifice any land with the land type Swamp or Forest, not just ones named Swamp or Forest. For example, you could sacrifice two Overgrown Tombs.
No other card is named in this ruling.
Popular combos
Real combos played by the community, sorted by popularity.
Jarad, Golgari Lich Lord + Jumbo Cactuar
- 1Declare Jumbo Cactuar as an attacker, triggering its ability, giving it +9999/+0 until end of turn.
- 2Activate Jarad by paying
and sacrificing Jumbo Cactuar, causing each opponent to lose 10,000 life.
Jarad, Golgari Lich Lord + Wall of Blood
- 1Activate Wall of Blood by paying 1 life, causing it to get +1/+1 until end of turn.
- 2Repeat step 1 until Wall of Blood's power is equal to the highest life total among your opponent.
- 3Activate Jarad by paying and sacrificing Wall of Blood, causing each opponent to lose life equal to Wall of Blood's power.
- 4Each opponent loses the game due to having zero or less life.
Jarad, Golgari Lich Lord + Phyrexian Devourer
- 1Activate Phyrexian Devourer's second ability by exiling the top card of your library, causing you to put a number of +1/+1 counters on Phyrexian Devourer equal to that card's mana value.
- 2Repeat step 1 until Phyrexian Devourer's power is greater than each opponent's life total.
- 3Phyrexian Devourer's first ability triggers.
- 4Holding priority, activate Jarad by paying and sacrificing Phyrexian Devourer, causing each opponent to lose life equal to Phyrexian Devourer's power.
Jarad, Golgari Lich Lord + Hatred
- 1Cast Hatred by paying
and by paying life equal to the highest life total among your opponent, causing any other creature you control to get +X/+0 until end of turn, where X is the life paid this way. - 2Activate Jarad by paying and sacrificing the creature, causing each opponent to lose life equal to the creature's power.
- 3Each opponent loses the game due to having zero or less life.
Jarad, Golgari Lich Lord + Cosmogoyf + Demonic Consultation
- 1Cast Demonic Consultation by paying , naming a card not in your library and exiling your library.
- 2Activate Jarad by paying and sacrificing Cosmogoyf, causing each opponent to lose life equal to Cosmogoyf's power.
Jarad, Golgari Lich Lord + Serra Avatar
- 1Activate Jarad by paying and sacrificing Serra Avatar, causing each opponent to lose life equal to Serra Avatar's power.
- 2Each opponent loses the game due to having zero or less life.
Jarad, Golgari Lich Lord + Soul of Eternity
- 1Activate Jarad by paying and sacrificing Soul of Eternity, causing each opponent to lose life equal to Soul of Eternity's power.
- 2Each opponent loses the game due to having zero or less life.
Jarad, Golgari Lich Lord + Cosmogoyf + Phyrexian Devourer
- 1Activate Phyrexian Devourer by exiling the top card of your library.
- 2Repeat step 1 until your library is empty or the number of cards you own in exile is equal to or greater than each opponent's life total.
- 3Activate Jarad by paying and sacrificing Cosmogoyf, causing each opponent to lose life equal to Cosmogoyf's power.
- 4Activate Phyrexian Devourer's second ability by exiling the top card of your library, causing you to put a number of +1/+1 counters on Phyrexian Devourer equal to that card's mana value.
- 5Repeat step 1 until Phyrexian Devourer's power is greater than each opponent's life total.
- 6Phyrexian Devourer's first ability triggers.
- 7Holding priority, activate Jarad by paying and sacrificing Phyrexian Devourer, causing each opponent to lose life equal to Phyrexian Devourer's power.
Legal formats
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