---
name: "Lich"
mana_cost: "{B}{B}{B}{B}"
cmc: 4
type_line: "Enchantment"
colors: []
color_identity: ["B"]
keywords: []
set: "ME4"
set_name: "Masters Edition IV"
collector_number: "89"
rarity: "rare"
artist: "Daniel Gelon"
oracle_id: "5b7515f2-7a5a-4e2a-9784-6cbacd768172"
canonical_url: "https://avascry.com/printing/lich-me4"
legalities:
  commander: "legal"
  standard: "not_legal"
  modern: "not_legal"
  pioneer: "not_legal"
  legacy: "legal"
  vintage: "legal"
  pauper: "not_legal"
  penny: "not_legal"
---

# Lich
- **Mana Cost:** `{B}{B}{B}{B}` (CMC: 4)
- **Type:** Enchantment

## Oracle Text
As this enchantment enters, you lose life equal to your life total.
You don't lose the game for having 0 or less life.
If you would gain life, draw that many cards instead.
Whenever you're dealt damage, sacrifice that many nontoken permanents. If you can't, you lose the game.
When this enchantment is put into a graveyard from the battlefield, you lose the game.

## Top 4096-Dim Neural Synergies
1. [Nefarious Lich](/printing/nefarious-lich-ody.md) — Enchantment
2. [Lich's Tomb](/printing/lichs-tomb-dst.md) — Artifact
3. [Lich's Mastery](/printing/lichs-mastery-dom.md) — Legendary Enchantment
4. [Lich's Duel Mastery](/printing/lichs-duel-mastery-mb2.md) — Legendary Enchantment
5. [Forsaken Wastes](/printing/forsaken-wastes-mir.md) — World Enchantment
6. [Liability](/printing/liability-mmq.md) — Enchantment

## Printing Details
- **Set:** Masters Edition IV (ME4) #89
- **Rarity:** Rare
- **Artist:** Daniel Gelon

## Format Legalities
Commander: `legal` | Standard: `not_legal` | Modern: `not_legal` | Pioneer: `not_legal` | Legacy: `legal` | Vintage: `legal` | Pauper: `not_legal` | Penny: `not_legal`

## Official Rulings
- *(2004-10-04)* You can lose life and take damage, and thereby have a negative life total, while Lich is on the battlefield.
- *(2004-10-04)* If you have multiple Lich cards on the battlefield, you must sacrifice a permanent for each damage done to you for each Lich. This is because the sacrifice is a triggered ability. But you only draw one card for each life gained regardless of how many Liches you have. This is because the draw is a replacement effect and not a triggered one. You lose if any one of the Liches leaves the battlefield.
- *(2004-10-04)* If you take more than one damage at a time, sacrifice the permanents for that damage simultaneously. This allows you to sacrifice both a creature and any Aura that is on it all at once.
- *(2004-10-04)* You can't pay life, just like any player at less than one life can't pay life. You can pay zero life if you want.
- *(2004-10-04)* If an opponent steals control of Lich, their life total does not change. The life total changes for a player only when it enters under that player's control.
- *(2004-10-04)* If an opponent steals control of Lich and no other effect prevents you from losing with a life total of zero, you will lose the game due to a zero life total as a State-Based Action before you can take any actions. The last sentence doesn't apply in this case since the Lich didn't leave the battlefield.