Liliana, Untouched by Death — ruling 1

Once Liliana’s third ability has resolved, any Zombie cards in your graveyard may be cast this turn, including Zombie cards that enter your graveyard later in the turn.

Liliana, Untouched by Death — ruling 2

In a Two-Headed Giant game, Liliana’s first ability causes the opposing team to lose 4 life and you gain 2 life.

Liliana, Untouched by Death — ruling 3

The value of X is determined only as Liliana’s second ability resolves. If the number of Zombies you control changes later, the target creature’s power and toughness won’t change.

Liliana, Untouched by Death — ruling 4

Casting a Zombie card from your graveyard once Liliana’s third ability has resolved follows the normal rules for casting that card. You must pay its costs, and you must follow all applicable timing rules.

Liliana, Untouched by Death : règles, fonctionnement et interactions (MTG)

Liliana, Untouched by Death 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

+1: Mill three cards. If at least one Zombie card is milled this way, each opponent loses 2 life and you gain 2 life. −2: Target creature gets -X/-X until end of turn, where X is the number of Zombies you control. −3: You may cast Zombie spells from your graveyard this turn.

Complete guide

Liliana, Untouched by Death is a powerful planeswalker specifically designed to lead your undead legions to victory. She offers a blend of self-mill, removal, and unprecedented graveyard recursion for the Zombie subtype. Whether you are draining your opponents' life or flooding the board with ghouls, this Liliana is a staple for any necromancer's toolkit.

Harnessing the Grave

Liliana's first ability mills three cards to fuel your graveyard strategy. If any of those cards are Zombies, each opponent loses 2 life and you gain 2 life, providing a consistent way to stabilize while advancing your board state. Her second ability acts as powerful creature removal, where the debuff is locked in based on the number of Zombies you control at the moment the ability resolves. Finally, her ultimate ability allows you to cast Zombie spells directly from your graveyard for the duration of the turn.

Resolution and Timing

When using the -3 ability, remember that it creates a continuous effect that lasts the entire turn. You still must pay the mana cost of the Zombie spells and follow timing restrictions—typically casting them only during your main phase. If a Zombie card enters your graveyard after the ability has already resolved, you can still cast it that turn. For the -2 ability, if the target creature is legal upon resolution, the -X/-X value is calculated once and will not change even if your Zombies are destroyed later in the turn.

Strategic Considerations

A common mistake is forgetting that Liliana's first ability scales in multiplayer formats like Two-Headed Giant, where each opponent on the team loses 2 life separately. Additionally, ensure you have a high density of Zombies to maximize the -2 removal. Because the -3 ability allows for multiple casts, it is often best to use it when you have excess mana to rebuild your entire board after a sweep.

Interaction examples

Standard Graveyard Utility

You activate Liliana's +1 ability. You mill two lands and one Zombie card. Because at least one Zombie was milled, your opponent loses 2 life and you gain 2 life. The Zombie remains in the graveyard, ready to be recurred later.

Removal and Board Presence

You control three Zombie tokens and activate Liliana's -2 ability targeting an opponent's creature. Upon resolution, the game checks your board, sees three Zombies, and applies -3/-3 to the target. Even if your opponent kills one of your tokens in response to the ability, the calculation only happens as the ability resolves.

Non-Synergy with Artifacts

Tezzeret, Cruel Captain

If you use Tezzeret, Cruel Captain to untap a creature, it does not interact with Liliana's abilities unless that creature is a Zombie. Liliana strictly cares about the Zombie creature type for her -2 and -3 abilities, meaning she cannot assist in casting artifacts from the graveyard that Tezzeret might find.

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

How it works : Liliana, Untouched by Death

Original English text — Wizards of the Coast / Scryfall

#1July 13, 2018· Wizards of the Coast
Once Liliana’s third ability has resolved, any Zombie cards in your graveyard may be cast this turn, including Zombie cards that enter your graveyard later in the turn.
No other card is named in this ruling.
#2July 13, 2018· Wizards of the Coast
In a Two-Headed Giant game, Liliana’s first ability causes the opposing team to lose 4 life and you gain 2 life.
No other card is named in this ruling.
#3July 13, 2018· Wizards of the Coast
The value of X is determined only as Liliana’s second ability resolves. If the number of Zombies you control changes later, the target creature’s power and toughness won’t change.
No other card is named in this ruling.
#4July 13, 2018· Wizards of the Coast
Casting a Zombie card from your graveyard once Liliana’s third ability has resolved follows the normal rules for casting that card. You must pay its costs, and you must follow all applicable timing rules.
No other card is named in this ruling.