Liliana's Standard Bearer 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
Flash When this creature enters, draw X cards, where X is the number of creatures that died under your control this turn.
Complete guide
Liliana's Standard Bearer is a powerful tactical tool for black decks, rewarding you for the loss of your own forces. With Flash, this Zombie Knight can turn a disastrous combat phase or a board wipe into a fresh hand of cards. Understanding the timing of its triggered ability is key to maximizing your card draw.
What It Does
Liliana's Standard Bearer has a triggered ability that triggers when it enters the battlefield. It checks how many creatures died under your control throughout the entire turn, not just since the creature was cast. Because it has Flash, you can play it at the end of a turn or in response to spells to ensure you capture every death that occurred.
Step-by-Step Resolution
First, the creature enters the battlefield, putting its triggered ability on the stack. Next, players have a chance to respond with spells or abilities. Finally, as the ability resolves, the game checks the total count of creatures that died under your control this turn. This count includes tokens that died (even though they cease to exist shortly after) and the Standard Bearer itself if it was destroyed while the ability was still on the stack.
Common Mistakes
A frequent error is counting only the creatures that died while the Standard Bearer was already on the battlefield. The ability actually looks back at the whole turn. Another mistake is forgetting that 'died' specifically means 'put into a graveyard from the battlefield'; creatures that were exiled or returned to the hand do not count toward the value of X.
When to Play It
The most effective time to cast Liliana's Standard Bearer is during the end step of a turn where a board wipe occurred, or immediately after a large combat trade. By waiting until the last possible moment, you ensure that X is as large as possible, replenishing your resources for your next turn.
Interaction examples
Solemn SimulacrumIf your Solemn Simulacrum is destroyed during combat, it goes to the graveyard and its own ability triggers to draw you a card. Afterward, you can flash in Liliana's Standard Bearer. When its ability resolves, it counts the Solemn Simulacrum that died earlier, allowing you to draw an additional card for a total of two.
Roaming ThroneIf you control Roaming Throne with 'Knight' or 'Zombie' chosen as the type, and two of your other creatures die, you cast Liliana's Standard Bearer. Roaming Throne causes the 'enters' ability to trigger twice. Each resolution will check the turn's death count (2), resulting in a total of 4 cards drawn.
Guide written with AI from the official text and rulings. Official English text prevails.
How it works : Liliana's Standard Bearer
Original English text — Wizards of the Coast / Scryfall
- #1· Wizards of the Coast
The value of X is determined only as the triggered ability resolves. If Liliana's Standard Bearer dies while that ability's on the stack, it will count itself.
No other card is named in this ruling.
Popular combos
Real combos played by the community, sorted by popularity.
Liliana's Standard Bearer + Mind Over Matter + Eldrazi Displacer
- 1Activate a mana-producing permanent by tapping it, adding at least
. - 2Activate Eldrazi Displacer by paying
, blinking Liliana's Standard Bearer. - 3When Liliana's Standard Bearer enters the battlefield, it triggers, causing you to draw a card for each creature that died under your control this turn.
- 4Activate Mind over Matter by discarding a card, untapping the mana-producing permanent.
- 5Activate the mana-producing permanent by tapping it, adding at least .
- 6Repeat from step 4 until you have at least in your mana pool.
- 7If you had additional creatures die this turn and/or the mana-producing permanent produces at least
, this combo nets near-infinite mana and near-infinite card draw.
Liliana's Standard Bearer + Mind Over Matter + Emiel the Blessed
- 1Activate a mana-producing permanent by tapping it, adding at least .
- 2Activate Emiel the Blessed by paying
, blinking Liliana's Standard Bearer. - 3When Liliana's Standard Bearer enters the battlefield, it triggers, causing you to draw a card for each creature that died under your control this turn.
- 4Activate Mind over Matter by discarding a card, untapping the mana-producing permanent.
- 5Activate the mana-producing permanent by tapping it, adding at least .
- 6Repeat from step 4 until you have at least in your mana pool.
- 7If you had additional creatures die this turn and/or the mana-producing permanent produces at least , this combo nets near-infinite mana and near-infinite card draw.
Liliana's Standard Bearer + Mind Over Matter + Deadeye Navigator
- 1Activate a mana-producing permanent by tapping it, adding at least
. - 2Activate Liliana's Standard Bearer by paying , blinking it.
- 3When Liliana's Standard Bearer enters the battlefield, it and Deadeye Navigator's soulbond ability trigger.
- 4Resolve the Liliana's Standard Bearer trigger, causing you to draw a card for each creature that died under your control this turn.
- 5Resolve the Deadeye Navigator trigger, repairing it and Liliana's Standard Bearer.
- 6Activate Mind over Matter by discarding a card, untapping the mana-producing permanent.
- 7Activate the mana-producing permanent by tapping it, adding at least .
- 8Activate Mind over Matter by discarding a card, untapping the mana-producing permanent.
Legal formats
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Meta decks with Liliana's Standard Bearer
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