2011 Magic: The Gathering Innistrad Liliana of the Veil

2011 Magic: The Gathering Innistrad Liliana of the Veil: The Definitive Collector's GuideIf you asked Magic: The Gathering players to name one planeswalker that defined the Modern format for most of a decade, Liliana of the Veil would top a significant number of lists. Released in the original Innistrad set in 2011, she combined three tightly designed abilities with an aggressive mana cost and artwork that captured the Gothic horror tone of the set perfectly. The result was a card that dominated competitive play for years, reached prices exceeding $100 in the singles market multiple times, and became one of the most sought-after collector targets in the Modern era of the game.### The Card: Abilities and DesignLiliana of the Veil is a black planeswalker card printed at Mythic Rare, entering the battlefield with three loyalty counters. Her ability set reads:- [+1]: Each player discards a card.- [-2]: Target player sacrifices a creature.- [-6]: Separate all permanents target player controls into two piles. That player sacrifices all permanents in the pile of their choice.Three mana for a three-loyalty planeswalker with a plus ability that strips cards from both players -- a design that seems almost embarrassingly powerful in retrospect. The +1 symmetrically forces discard, which in practice benefits the controller of Liliana more than the opponent when deployed correctly. Black decks built around Liliana could play cards that were good in the graveyard or simply had fewer cards in hand already, neutralizing the symmetry and turning it into a one-sided advantage.The -2 is even more brutally effective. Forcing an opponent to sacrifice a creature dodges protection abilities, hexproof, and shroud entirely -- making it a highly efficient answer to threats that traditional removal spells can't handle. A player who resolves Liliana of the Veil on turn three and activates the -2 every other turn while keeping her alive with the +1 represents a nearly impossible-to-overcome resource advantage.The ultimate is decisive but largely irrelevant in competitive play. Games involving Liliana rarely reach the point where the -6 is needed. The card wins games through grinding efficiency long before the ultimate becomes relevant.### Innistrad: The Set ContextInnistrad released in September 2011, and it remains one of the most beloved sets in Magic's history. Designed around Gothic horror tropes -- werewolves, vampires, zombies, spirits, and humans fighting for survival against the dark -- it introduced mechanics like double-faced cards (which transform between werewolf and human faces), graveyard-matters themes, and a double-faced card interaction with the day/night cycle.The set pulled Magic design to places it hadn't gone before in terms of tonal commitment. The flavor text, the artwork, the mechanical themes, and even the storytelling all cohered around a genuinely dark atmosphere. Innistrad won significant praise from the player community at release and has maintained its reputation ever since. It was followed by Dark Ascension and Avacyn Restored to complete the original Innistrad block, and the plane returned in 2016 with Shadows Over Innistrad and again in 2021 with Innistrad: Midnight Hunt and Innistrad: Crimson Vow.Within that set, Liliana of the Veil felt like the perfect Mythic Rare. Her artwork, illustrated by Steve Argyle, depicts Liliana Vess in a dramatic pose, her dark costume and flowing elements against a Gothic architectural background. The card became one of the most reproduced images in Magic's history.### A Price History Like No OtherLiliana of the Veil's price trajectory is one of the most discussed in Magic card collecting. At Innistrad's release in September 2011, she was the most expensive card in the set at around $25 -- already a premium for a newly released card. Within weeks, as players at high-level tournaments demonstrated her power in Modern Jund and Abzan strategies, the price began climbing.By mid-2012 she had exceeded $50. By early 2013, buoyed by Modern format growth and consistent tournament placements, she crossed $80. Her peak in the original Innistrad printing reached approximately $100 to $115 for near-mint copies. The announcement of reprints would temporarily suppress prices, but collector and competitive demand for the original Innistrad printing kept it elevated above reprinted versions.Wizards of the Coast has reprinted Liliana of the Veil several times: in Modern Masters 2017, in the Ultimate Masters set, in Innistrad: Double Feature, and in various premium product lines. Each reprint brought the "functional" card to a lower price point for competitive players, but collectors who want the original Innistrad printing have consistently maintained a premium for that specific version.### Value at a Glance| Version | Near Mint | Foil NM | PSA 9 | PSA 10 ||---|---|---|---|---|| Innistrad (2011) Non-Foil | $18 - $30 | -- | $60 - $100 | $200 - $400+ || Innistrad (2011) Foil | -- | $150 - $250 | -- | $500 - $1,000+ || Modern Masters 2017 | $10 - $18 | $40 - $70 | -- | -- || Ultimate Masters | $15 - $25 | $50 - $90 | -- | -- |The Innistrad foil commands a major premium over the non-foil, as is typical for iconic planeswalkers from flagship sets. The Innistrad foiling on cards from 2011 features a distinct rainbow-shift pattern that many players and collectors prefer over later foil treatments, which Wizards changed significantly in subsequent years.### Identification: Which Version Do You Have?With multiple printings in circulation, knowing which version of Liliana of the Veil you own or are considering buying matters a great deal to valuation.Set symbol: The Innistrad set symbol is a crescent moon shape with a droplet or tear hanging from the bottom curve. It appears in the middle-right side of the card, between the card title/type area and the text box. On non-foil Mythic Rare cards, this symbol is orange-red. On foil versions, the symbol is foil.Set code and artist credits: Innistrad non-foil copies show no collector number visible to the naked eye in the same way as more recent cards, but the card was printed as part of the ISD set. The artist credit reads "Illus. Steve Argyle" at the bottom left.Card text comparison: Innistrad copies use the standard card text of the era. Later reprints may show minor updated terminology or reminder text, though Liliana's text is clean enough that changes between printings are minimal.Card stock feel: Collectors with experience handling cards from different eras of Magic production often note that Innistrad-era card stock has a particular feel and rigidity compared to more recent prints, though this requires hands-on comparison rather than described instruction.Foil curling: Original Innistrad foils are known for their tendency to curl due to the foil treatment applied at the time. A heavily curled Innistrad foil is a sign of age and potentially of an original printing, though curling also indicates that the card may grade lower if it cannot be flattened without damage.### Competitive Legacy: Why Modern Loved This CardModern is Magic's format built on cards from 8th Edition (2003) forward, excluding the Reserved List and specific cards on the banned list. Liliana of the Veil dominated Modern from her introduction essentially until she was banned in January 2023 -- a period of over eleven years.During that span, she was a cornerstone of Jund (black-red-green midrange), Abzan (black-green-white midrange), and various other midrange and control strategies that aimed to answer threats efficiently while generating incremental advantages. Her +1 ability worked in combination with Thoughtseize and Inquisition of Kozilek to empty opponent's hands early, her -2 ability answered the specific threats that the discard package missed, and her overall three-loyalty starting count meant she could often survive a moderate battlefield on the turn she arrived.Numerous Grand Prix, Pro Tour, and now Mythic Championship/Magic World Championship events saw Liliana in the winning decks' 75-card lists. Her ban in Modern in early 2023, when Wizards determined that black midrange decks had become too dominant partly because of her presence, was a notable moment for the format. The ban also tends to increase collector interest in the card as a historical artifact rather than an active competitive tool.### Collecting the Original Innistrad CopyFor collectors specifically targeting the 2011 Innistrad version, several considerations apply:Condition sensitivity: Mythic Rare planeswalkers from this era frequently circulated in competitive decks, where they were handled extensively. Finding genuinely Near Mint copies of the Innistrad printing requires patience. Many copies grading as "Near Mint" on secondary markets show minor play wear that more rigorous graders would classify as Lightly Played.Foil desirability: The original Innistrad foil is particularly desirable and particularly difficult to find in high condition. The distinctive foiling and the tendency to curl over time means that flat, well-preserved foil copies are legitimately rare, regardless of how many were opened at the time of original printing.Grading considerations: PSA and BGS grading for Magic cards has grown substantially since 2020. Submitting a near-mint Innistrad copy is viable if you have realistic expectations about what grade it will receive. Centering, corner wear, and surface condition are the major factors. The foil treatment means surface evaluation is more demanding for foil copies.Printings to avoid confusing with the original: Modern Masters 2017 Liliana copies have a different set symbol (three diagonal lines) and carry the MMA or MM3 set code. Ultimate Masters copies bear the UMA symbol. Always verify the set symbol before purchasing if the original Innistrad printing matters to you.### Who Collects Innistrad Liliana?The collector base for the original Innistrad printing spans a few distinct groups, each with slightly different motivations.Vintage set collectors building complete sets of Mythic Rares from major Magic sets treat the original Innistrad printing as a necessary acquisition. Innistrad is widely regarded as one of the ten best sets in Magic's history, and completing it at Mythic Rare level requires a copy of Liliana.Planeswalker specialists who focus exclusively on planeswalker cards from across Magic's history typically prioritize the original printing of each major character. Liliana of the Veil is among the most important planeswalkers in the game's canon, making the Innistrad copy a cornerstone of that collection type.Format historians who collect cards that defined specific competitive eras see the original Innistrad copy as an artifact of the 2011 to 2023 Modern era. Much like collecting a vintage sports card from a specific championship season, owning the original printing connects the collector to a documented competitive moment.Graded card hunters who focus on high-grade PSA or BGS copies of key Magic cards have increasingly turned to Innistrad Mythic Rares as a collecting category. PSA 10 copies of the original foil are among the rarest and most expensive Magic collectibles available in the modern graded card market.### The Art: Steve Argyle's VisionMagic: The Gathering cards often have remarkable artwork, and Liliana of the Veil set a high bar. Steve Argyle's depiction of Liliana Vess in her necromancer guise against the Gothic Innistrad backdrop became the defining image of the character, later referenced in merchandise, promotional materials, and community discussions of Magic art.Argyle painted Liliana with a combination of commanding authority and latent menace that fits the card's mechanical identity perfectly. The flowing elements of her costume, the arched Gothic background, and her direct engagement with the viewer communicate the character's personality in a single image. It is one of the cases where artwork and mechanics align so precisely that the card feels like a complete artistic statement beyond its function as a game piece.### Market OutlookReprints have brought the functional price of Liliana of the Veil down substantially from her peak, making her accessible to players who want to use the card competitively. But the original Innistrad printing maintains a collector premium and is likely to continue doing so as the set ages further into vintage territory within Magic's history.The Modern ban removed a direct driver of demand for competitive copies, but it also crystallized the card's legacy status. Players who ran three or four copies of original Innistrad Liliana in their sideboards for a decade remember her competitive impact vividly. That nostalgia has a long tail in the collecting market.Browse all Trading Cards →

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