Lier, Disciple of the Drowned — ruling 1

Lier's last ability allows you to cast adventurer cards in your graveyard as Adventures and omen cards in your graveyard as Omens using the flashback it grants. This is because the alternative characteristics of those cards are considered when determining whether or not those spells can legally be cast. Note that only the Adventure or Omen can be cast this way. For example, if you control Lier and you have Bonecrusher Giant in your graveyard, you can cast Stomp with flashback, but not Bonecrusher Giant.

Lier, Disciple of the Drowned — ruling 2

A spell cast using flashback will always be exiled afterward, whether it resolves, is countered, or leaves the stack in some other way.

Lier, Disciple of the Drowned — ruling 3

If a card with no mana cost gains flashback, it has no flashback cost. It can't be cast this way.

Lier, Disciple of the Drowned — ruling 4

If you cast an instant or sorcery with {X} in its mana cost this way, you still choose the value of X as part of casting the spell and pay that cost.

Lier, Disciple of the Drowned — ruling 5

If you cast a spell with flashback, you can't pay any alternative costs such as overload costs. You can pay additional costs such as kicker costs. If the spell has any mandatory additional costs, you must pay those to cast the spell with flashback.

Lier, Disciple of the Drowned — ruling 6

You can cast a spell using flashback even if it was somehow put into your graveyard without having been cast.

Lier, Disciple of the Drowned — ruling 7

If a card has multiple instances of flashback, you may choose any of its flashback costs to pay.

Lier, Disciple of the Drowned — ruling 8

You must still follow any timing restrictions and permissions, including those based on the card's type. For instance, you can cast a sorcery using flashback only when you could normally cast a sorcery.

Lier, Disciple of the Drowned : règles, fonctionnement et interactions (MTG)

Lier, Disciple of the Drowned 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

Spells can't be countered. Each instant and sorcery card in your graveyard has flashback. The flashback cost is equal to that card's mana cost.

Complete guide

Lier, Disciple of the Drowned is a powerful Legendary Human Wizard that changes how you interact with the stack and your graveyard. By removing the ability for spells to be countered and granting every instant and sorcery in your graveyard flashback, Lier turns your discard pile into a second hand that your opponents cannot stop.

What Lier Does

Lier, Disciple of the Drowned provides two distinct effects. First, it prevents any spell on the stack from being countered, which applies to both your spells and your opponents' spells. Second, it gives every instant and sorcery card in your graveyard a flashback cost equal to its mana cost, allowing you to cast them one final time from your graveyard.

How Flashback Resolves

When you cast a spell using the flashback ability granted by Lier, you pay its mana cost as the flashback cost. You must still follow all normal timing rules; for example, you can only cast a sorcery from your graveyard during your main phase while the stack is empty. Once a spell cast with flashback leaves the stack—whether it resolves successfully or is removed in some other way—it is exiled instead of returning to the graveyard or going anywhere else.

Common Mistakes

A common point of confusion involves alternative costs. If you cast a spell with flashback, you cannot pay other alternative costs, such as Overload. However, you can pay additional costs like Kicker, and you must pay mandatory additional costs. Additionally, Lier's 'spells can't be countered' ability is universal; if you try to use a counterspell while Lier is on the battlefield, the counterspell will resolve but the target spell will remain on the stack.

When to Play Lier

Lier is best played when you have already stocked your graveyard with powerful utility spells or removal. Because Lier protects your own spells from being countered, it is an excellent finisher for control decks looking to resolve high-impact sorceries without fear of blue disruption from the opponent.

Interaction examples

Double the Value

Solemn Simulacrum

If you cast a sorcery like 'Divination' while Lier is on the battlefield, and then cast it again from your graveyard using flashback, you are gaining massive card advantage. If you also have Solemn Simulacrum on the field, Lier helps ensure that any spells you use to protect your creatures or find more lands cannot be stopped by your opponent's countermagic.

Protective Presence

Roaming Throne

If you have Roaming Throne on the battlefield and chose 'Human' or 'Wizard' as it entered, Lier gains protection from the Throne's Ward {2} ability. While Lier does not have triggered abilities for Roaming Throne to double, Lier's static ability ensures that the Roaming Throne itself—and any other spells you cast—cannot be countered by spells like Essence Scatter or Negate.

Guide written with AI from the official text and rulings. Official English text prevails.

How it works : Lier, Disciple of the Drowned

Original English text — Wizards of the Coast / Scryfall

#1October 2, 2025· Wizards of the Coast
Lier's last ability allows you to cast adventurer cards in your graveyard as Adventures and omen cards in your graveyard as Omens using the flashback it grants. This is because the alternative characteristics of those cards are considered when determining whether or not those spells can legally be cast. Note that only the Adventure or Omen can be cast this way. For example, if you control Lier and you have Bonecrusher Giant in your graveyard, you can cast Stomp with flashback, but not Bonecrusher Giant.
No other card is named in this ruling.
#2June 6, 2025· Wizards of the Coast
A spell cast using flashback will always be exiled afterward, whether it resolves, is countered, or leaves the stack in some other way.
No other card is named in this ruling.
#3June 6, 2025· Wizards of the Coast
If a card with no mana cost gains flashback, it has no flashback cost. It can't be cast this way.
No other card is named in this ruling.
#4June 6, 2025· Wizards of the Coast
If you cast an instant or sorcery with in its mana cost this way, you still choose the value of X as part of casting the spell and pay that cost.
No other card is named in this ruling.
#5June 6, 2025· Wizards of the Coast
If you cast a spell with flashback, you can't pay any alternative costs such as overload costs. You can pay additional costs such as kicker costs. If the spell has any mandatory additional costs, you must pay those to cast the spell with flashback.
No other card is named in this ruling.
#6June 6, 2025· Wizards of the Coast
You can cast a spell using flashback even if it was somehow put into your graveyard without having been cast.
No other card is named in this ruling.
#7June 6, 2025· Wizards of the Coast
If a card has multiple instances of flashback, you may choose any of its flashback costs to pay.
No other card is named in this ruling.
#8June 6, 2025· Wizards of the Coast
You must still follow any timing restrictions and permissions, including those based on the card's type. For instance, you can cast a sorcery using flashback only when you could normally cast a sorcery.
No other card is named in this ruling.
#9June 6, 2025· Wizards of the Coast
If a split card gains flashback, you pay only the cost of the half you're casting.
No other card is named in this ruling.
#10June 6, 2025· Wizards of the Coast
If a card with flashback is put into your graveyard during your turn, you can cast it if it's legal to do so before any other player can take any actions.
No other card is named in this ruling.
#11June 6, 2025· Wizards of the Coast
"Flashback [cost]" means "You may cast this card from your graveyard if the resulting spell is an instant or sorcery spell by paying [cost] rather than paying its mana cost" and "If the flashback cost was paid, exile this card instead of putting it anywhere else any time it would leave the stack."
No other card is named in this ruling.
#12June 6, 2025· Wizards of the Coast
To determine the total cost of a spell, start with the mana cost or alternative cost (such as a flashback cost) you're paying, add any cost increases, then apply any cost reductions. The mana value of the spell is determined only by its mana cost, no matter what the total cost to cast the spell was.
No other card is named in this ruling.