Image courtesy of Scryfall.com
Tracking Liliana's Reaver: MTG Secondary Market Trends
If you’re chasing thrill, strategy, and a dash of nostalgia in a single legendary zombie package, Liliana's Reaver is a standout thread in the tapestry of MTG’s secondary market. Released as part of Jumpstart on July 17, 2020, this rare zombie from the jmp set brings a compact, hard-hitting mechanical payload that many players gravitate toward in the long game—and yes, the market has treated its price like a patient, patient ghoul: steady, but rarely soaring. 🧙🔥 For collectors, players, and budget-builders alike, its dual charm—strong stats and a convertible engine for token production—continues to spark discussion on price trends, deck viability, and what makes a card feel “worth it” in a world of ever-shifting meta. 💎⚔️
Card Snapshot: What Liliana's Reaver Brings to the Table
- Mana Cost: {2}{B}{B} — a compact black bundle that fits comfortably into most midrange or aggressive black splashes. Its dark mana curve is friendly for skeletal budgets and can squeeze into superfriends lists that lean on fodder creatures and value plays. 🧙🔥
- Type and Rarity: Creature — Zombie; Rare in Jumpstart’s reprint window. The rarity signals a certain desirability in both modern and EDH scenes, but Jumpstart’s drafting-forward design means it’s often picked up for fun and function rather than pure power creep. 🎨
- Power/Toughness: 4/3 — a sturdy frontline presence that can threaten even well-provisioned boards in the early-mid game. Its deathtouch makes blocking and trading a believable strategy, especially when you’re pressuring the life totals of multi-opponent tables. ⚔️
- Keywords and Abilities: Deathtouch; and a powerful payoff that triggers when it deals combat damage to a player: that player discards a card, and you create a tapped 2/2 black Zombie creature token. It’s a built-in attrition engine that converts aggression into card advantage and board presence. 🧟♂️
- Set and Art: Jumpstart (jmp), illustrated by Karl Kopinski. That art captures a macabre elegance that pairs perfectly with the card’s grim philosophy—kill, drain, and spawn more bodies. The Jumpstart aesthetic—bold, creature-forward, and flavor-rich—remains a magnet for both casual players and collectors. 🎨
Why It Resonates in Gameplay and Across Formats
On the battlefield, Liliana's Reaver plays like a hybrid of control and board presence. Deathtouch makes it a reliable deterrent against larger threats, and the moment it lands damage, you’re rewarded with a ripple effect: your opponent discards a card—about the most visceral form of resource denial in a single swing. And the unmatched cherry on top: you spawn a tapped 2/2 Zombie. In multiplayer Commander and other black-heavy lists, that token can snowball into a menacing swarm, especially when paired with sacrifice outlets or blink effects that reuse the body count for value. 🧙🔥
In Jumpstart’s draft-in-a-box design, this card exemplifies how a single bomb of power can anchor a deck’s strategy. It invites a tempo-to-permanent transition: you frustrate opponents with discard, then flood the field with zombies that demand answers. This dynamic makes Liliana's Reaver a popular pick in zombie-themed shells and in aristocrat-adjacent builds that leverage token generation and incremental pressure. The synergy is simple, but the payoff is deep: every successful hit digs deeper into your opponents’ hands while you accumulate resources on the board. 🎲
Secondary Market Pulse: Price, Availability, and Card Value
Current market signals place Liliana's Reaver in that sweet spot for budget-conscious players who still crave competitive edge. The data shows a USD price hovering around $0.38 and a EUR price near €0.56 for non-foil prints. For a rare from Jumpstart that’s been reprinted, that trajectory makes sense: it’s accessible, frequently reprinted, and not widely demanded as a cornerstone meta piece, but it’s consistently valuable for specific builds and casual play groups. The card is legal in many modern and eternal formats—Historic and Pioneer-adjacent spaces in Arena, and of course EDH/Commander—so demand tends to bounce with broader black-centric strategies rather than one-shot spikes. Collectors will notice the EDHREC ranking sits in the mid-range, which aligns with its status as a solid, but not ubiquitous, commander option. ✨
For traders, the “reprint” flag is a caution and an opportunity. Reprints typically dampen price volatility, but they also create opportunities for new buyers to pick up a playset or two as they explore zombie tribal lists or token-based archetypes. CardMarket and TCGPlayer remain reliable anchors for price discovery, with CardMarket often offering more favorable European pricing and TCGPlayer serving as the primary North American conduit. Whether you’re cashing out to free up space or stocking up for a future budget build, Liliana's Reaver remains a practical, flavorful pick that doesn’t punish your wallet—and it’s a card that can surprise you in late-game scenarios when discard pressure collides with a flood of tokens. 🕯️💎
Deckbuilding Angles: Budget Black Midrange and Commander Ideas
- Budget Black Aggro/Midrange: Lean into a lean curve with removal, tutoring, and consistent blockers. Liliana's Reaver helps you stabilize with a resilient board presence while pressuring opponents through discard. Its body handles small blockers and trades efficiently thanks to deathtouch. 🗡️
- Aristocrat-ish / Sacrifice Shells: Pair with sacrifice outlets to maximize value from the token generation. The more you sacrifice, the more meaningful the payoff—both in terms of board state and the pressure on opponents’ hands. 🧟♀️
- Commander Considerations: In singleton formats, you can slot Liliana's Reaver into black-heavy decks that enjoy discard triggers and token generation. It locates a comfortable space between disruption and inevitability, especially in multi-player tables where every hit compounds your advantage. ⚔️
Where to Find and How to Trade
For price comparison and market context, keep an eye on major outlets like TCGPlayer and CardMarket. The card’s status as a reprint means you can expect steady availability, but savvy shoppers often time purchases around new set rotations or printing waves to optimize price and shipping. When you’re hunting for a copy for a zombie-centric deck or a casual build, you’re often buying into a reliable engine rather than a panic flip—great for long-term investments or casual upgrades. 🧙🔥🎲
Conclusion: A Pocket-Sized Powerhouse Worth Returning To
Liliana's Reaver stands as a compact yet potent reminder of how a single card can tilt the board in your favor while delivering flavor and style. Its deathtouch presence, combined with a rewarding discard-and-token payoff, makes it a memorable piece for both collectors and builders. As Jumpstart continues to be revisited by new players and veterans alike, this zombie’s value lives in its versatility and its ability to quietly outgrind opponents—one perfect swing at a time. If you’re curious to explore a fun, affordable black shell that scales with your board, this is a card you’ll want to have at the ready. 🧙🔥💎