Liliana's TalentHow it works & interactions with other cards

A Deadly Gift

Liliana's Talent attaches specifically to a planeswalker. Once enchanted, the planeswalker gains a new loyalty ability: [-8]: Put all creature cards from all graveyards onto the battlefield under your control. Additionally, it gains a triggered ability that acts like a specialized form of Deathtouch; whenever a creature deals damage to the enchanted planeswalker, that creature is destroyed immediately after the damage is dealt.

Resolution and Timing

The destruction ability is a triggered ability that goes on the stack after damage has been dealt. This includes both combat damage and any non-combat damage dealt by a creature's ability. The [-8] ability follows standard loyalty ability rules: you can only activate it during your main phase when the stack is empty, and only if you haven't activated another loyalty ability of that planeswalker this turn.

Common Pitfalls

Players often forget that the destruction trigger doesn't prevent the damage from happening; the planeswalker will still lose loyalty counters before the attacking creature is destroyed. Also, keep in mind that if the planeswalker is destroyed or leaves the battlefield, Liliana's Talent is put into its owner's graveyard as a state-based action because it is no longer enchanting a valid permanent.

Strategic Implementation

This card is best used in 'Superfriends' decks or control shells where you can reliably protect a planeswalker long enough to reach 8 loyalty. Because it destroys any creature that touches your planeswalker, it serves as a powerful deterrent, forcing opponents to either use non-creature removal or sacrifice their board just to lower your planeswalker's loyalty.

Interaction examples

Building a Resource Engine

Phyrexian ArenaBlack Market Connections

While Liliana's Talent protects your planeswalker from creatures, you need cards like Phyrexian Arena and Black Market Connections to ensure you hit your land drops and find your planeswalkers. Using the Treasure tokens from Black Market Connections can help you cast your planeswalker and Liliana's Talent on the same turn, preventing your opponent from having a window to attack an unprotected walker.

The Ultimate Graveyard Theft

Black Market Connections

If you use the 'Hire a Mercenary' mode of Black Market Connections, you create a 3/2 Shapeshifter to block for your planeswalker. If your opponent manages to kill that Shapeshifter and other creatures, they all go to the graveyard. Once you activate the [-8] ability granted by Liliana's Talent, that Shapeshifter and every other creature card in every graveyard will return to the battlefield under your command.