Who is Liliana Vess? | Flavor Win! 

Absolutely love the Eva green casting choice. 10/10 sir, she just oozes Liliana.

"Liliana and Her Zombies" sounds like a band name

I want to add my voice to the supporters of Flavor Wins. I love the original lore episodes you started with but the new format you're trying with Flavor Wins is a great showcase of actual magic. It does what everyone working for wizards should be trying to do by actually combining the story and game.

The reason Liliana likely hates angels is because Benalia is historically well established as worshiping Serra in the Lore. Angels probably remind her of her home and past. Maybe even reminding her of how she failed her brother.

MTG needs more of this, more channels that talk about flavor and the joy of appreciation.

I’m running a Zendikar dnd campaign soon, I would love a Zendikar plane study or story run through before Zendikar rising

Was Dying for something to watch. Perfect Timing!

"...It is definitely worth, FIFTY DOLLARS??" Laughs in Modern.

Honestly, zombies just killing your opponent before Liliana even appears seems pretty flavourful to me 😆

Last time I was this early, the Mending hadn't happened yet!

What a great way to start my Friday. Thanks a lot for this. Shoutout to Fantasy Geographic for dropping lore videos.

You having so much fun playing with a deck made only for the flavor is really what I needed to see today, after facing 264638 cats, ovens and Wilderness Reclamations. Thanks a lot and congrats for the awesome content! 🖤

Saw Magic Arcanum on TCGplayer first time and thought it was gone. Glad to see you doing more lore stuff. We all need more Liliana and Vraska Decks!

I definitely agree with the Eva Green pick! My other picks would have been Cate Blanchett or Rose Leslie; I don't see how anyone could see Angelina Jolie as Liliana

Liliana trying to determine her place in the multiverse. Me: Ain't we all? ;P I bought 2 boosters for a Jump start game with my buddy and pulled Tree hugging and Liliana. Treehugging Liliana was a funny deck playing and vorthos wise kept me chuckling the entire game over the thought of Liliana wandering around hugging trees.

Love Liliana, favorite character from Magic’s lore. Currently I own a commander deck with Liliana, Heretical Healer as commander of the deck and it is a Flavored Tribal deck for her, all my Lilianas are Foil, including some extra Liliana related cards. I even bought Box Topper Liliana of the Veil for it, it is my pet deck, would love more cards for her and more storylines centering on her. WE NEED MORE LILIANA CONTENT!

I’d like one on Karn, he seems a lot different than all the other planeswalkers.

My Lady... My Queen... Thank you so much for this video! I'm getting fond of this flavor win series!!! Keep safe and keep up your wonderful videos.

Even thought I've watched all the episodes of Magic Arcanum, I expect to hear "behind the scenes is Nicol Bolas" every single time.

Would love to see you on an episode of the Command Zone podcast or Game Knights!

OMG just got to the explanation of MageZyron, I LOVE a good anagram! You, sir, have the most wonderful name anagram I have ever seen. I melted with happiness when I heard the explanation for your screen name! Although I do have to say that the "Most Anagrammable Name Ever" award still goes out to the wonderful Caitlin Durante, who seems to have an infinite number of wonderful anagrams for her name, including my favorites: "Trained in a Cult", "Ain't a Turd Incel", and "Trained Lunatic". And they just keep going!

Liliana's Triumph is an awesome flavor win, though I was picturing a deck that takes advantage of discarding our own cards by reanimating them with Rise Again. Then again, I realize the problem with finding a reanimation target that is a flavor win, so I will just be extremely happy that you included 4 Stewards.

When you will do chandra, make it "oops all chandras" deck please 😅😂

I definitely liked this video more where it was half about lore half about the gameplay. I did only watch the lore though and so I did enjoy that it had even more lore than the last few episodes.

Liliana, arguably one of the most powerful beings in existence. Can planeswalker, can magic, can necromancer. Realized that the most powerful magic is actually beauty and youth.

Eventually we are going to need to put all these flavor decks against one another and find out who is the most flavorful Planeswalker!

One of my fav EPs so far. Loved you giving the Ajani Pridemate answer you gave me in a previous comment. Loved the game and the Mustache Minute! Please keep up all of the wonderful work. GEAR THE CANDLRSTICK!

I started really playing when Lorwyn came out (more like core 10) but my friends and I basically got a box or two of lorywn and got at least one of each planeswalker. I being the black player drew towards Liliana. Recently got back into magic again and got m21. I can say I own every Liliana planeswalker card, sans special versions like the comicon ones. Still gotta get the borderless/full art Waker of the dead, though.

I know I say something like this every video and I'm sorry. But I REALLY enjoy your content. It's honestly the most fun I've had with magic in a while. It might sound dramatic, but your videos help keep my love of the game.

Fantastic video, I love learning about the lore - especially about my favourite planeswalker. You’ve inspired me to delve deeper into Liliana’s story!

Eva FTW! That is perfect casting man! I do like your Flavor Win decks. That's Magic in it's purest form - FUN!

Liliana's manor in Innistrad is refered as Vess Manor, at least in the "Innistrad's Last Hope" story from Eldritch Moon

Dark Realms is so cool as a card, but you are right, it feels not too Liliana. I was able to acquire it when it was about $6. It is still in my Gisa zombie tribal EDH.

This video was great, but what was even better was the MXC reference! 👌

These are awesome guys. I totally made a Bosri deck after your first Flavor Win and having a blast

Ryan, I really wanna to congratulate you for coming up with this idea. Mixing lore with deck building and giving us arena gameplays is just the perfect series for the channel. Many thanks!

Lil is my favorite of the Lorwyn 5, love the video! Edit: in the Dominaria story, she mentions a particular disdain for the Church of Serra, I like to think that that hatred is what fuels the angel spite

Thanks for your good work! Your channel is still the only one I've ever pledged to on Patreon.

Love Liliana, love the deck, Zombie's are probably my favorite Tribe and I love making tribal decks, so I will most likely be trying this one at some point in the VERY near future. Thank you for making videos like these, it's a great way to spend a day.

Love this video so much! Lili is amazing and alwais a win!!! Love the deck! Very fun! Can't wait for more long version of Lore video to come back!!!! Amazing work as usual!!!!

Still waiting on “Phyrexian Storytime” lol

This seriesbis one of the best contents in RU-vid rn ❤

Victory for the flavor deck. It's nice to see a competitive Liliana theme deck.

Man everytime I play casual standard I just found opponents with top tier decks haha.

This was great! It gave a little more depth to her that I didn't understand. Thanks!

Oh also if anyone’s wondering Lily’s crown was taken from an angel like on the card Archangel of Tithes from Magic Origins.

Two things, in order of seriousness: 1- Liliana's origin is basically the same as Tony Chopper, from One Piece. 2- People of Dominaria remember her! Kinda. Per the flavour text from DOM Woodland Cemetery: "They never found the body of young Josu, or that of his murderous sister."

I always learn so much watching this show. Congratulations on your flavor wins!

Not sure if this will ever be revisited as a deck, but when you pitched the concept, I immediately thought Dreadhorde Invasion as a one or two of. Really enjoying the series though, it is a real neat concept.

Just days ago I was searching youtube for a video like this, and here it is! Great video, subbed and looking forward to more!

I don’t know what we did to deserve so many videos lately but I love it. By far my favorite mtg channel

Beautiful Card. Had to order her in Foil. Nice quick recap of her story. Also great choice on the sleeves for the Gamplay;) Keep up the great work Ryan and Nicole^^

Lovely video as Always! it's Always great to delve a little deeper in the lore of our beloevd planeswalkers (cough cough, especially Liliana, cough) Fun fact: that flavour text said that purple was associted with Death. In the XIX century, purple was actually associated with ill fortune (especially for sailors and stage Actors) and has Always represented wealth, since purple was an extremly difficult and expensive dye to create and very few elite families could afford to have purple in their livery

welcome to the comment section ryan, I'm a fellow viewer and on top/under me are also fellow viewers, and we are so glad you are here because we love your vids! :D

I really love this series! The only thing I wish is that since this is a story telling channel that while you play you described the flavor of what’s happening a little more.

You're the only person on RU-vid that I believe when they say that they read every comment. I really appreciate that about you, your team, and your channel. Much love.

I've always understood Liliana more as a terrified person who was less about seizing power by any means (although growing up rich and powerful did teach her to appreciate power) but rather terrified of death, and by extension, aging. We know that she sees her necromancy as something that defiles corpses because it's something she refuses to do to those she respects. Part of her epiphany (and part of why I think it's extremely interesting that her new card doesn't make zombies) is that she actually felt Oketra's consciousness when controlling her, challenging her conception that zombies are mindless trash. Consider what it must be like to live through the mending: suddenly you lose half your abilities and stop being immortal. I think she sought out the contract, not hoping to gain back immense power, but mostly because it was the only way to stop her slow march towards death. Her epiphany in War of the Spark is less "I don't want to be controlled by Bolas anymore" and more her realising that her life isn't worth the millions she was endangering and her accepting her own death.

I love that professor Onyx came out, it answers this question

that deck went so smooth! I liked it!

I love lore and the cards so seeing them work together has been inspiring for my deck building.

Nice flavor wins! There should be a flavor mode on Arena. Love the sleeves. Eva Green would play the perfect Liliana! Love this lore and gameplay.

I saw the notification with the words liliana vess and i was so happy that i watched it immediately, and i love the 3 flavor wins

Falvor win for the Devotee art too! He spots the curly accessory.

Speak of the Devil! Yesterday I tried Jumpstart for the first time and between the six packs I found the Lily one! And so now I have the Purple Swamps and my 3rd copy of Liliana, Waker of the Dead, wondering about a Zombie deck... and ta-da! Perfect timing!

I've been waiting for this so long ❤️

I'm always excited to see a new video from you, this new series is very interesting and informative, thank you!

I was really hoping that Liliana would return as a black and white planeswalker hehehe Ana Iora

Theres a great explanation of how summoning creatures and casting spells worth mana works in the Ice Age Cycle books. The only thing that doesn't apply anymore is their explanation of mana burn.

Endless Ranks of the Dead is a wonderful card, and fits Liliana quite well.

Hey just want you do know you're doing a killer job, keep up the good work!

I think devotee is just devotion but an adjective, also love these flavor win vids, maybe historic at some point for more Lilianas?

Nice Liliana flavor and anagram Arena name for the double-win!

19:00 I dont know the roots of this pattern, but it has a suffix -ee, that implies that the person is the direct recipient of the action. Like employee, or ski liftee. An employee is someone who has been employed, and a liftee has been given the task of running the ski lift. The same can be said for Devotee.

This was really good. I really enjoy this series.

I love Liliana and been trying to build a modern deck with the pretty purple art cards. I would love to see an historic brawl so you can stick tightly to the Liliana flavor. My bet is on her future arc going black white like she discovers she loved Gideon and tries to raise him from the dead.

Would be awesome to apply this style of videos to specific planes, I know that'd be harder to build a deck around. I know these videos are a lot of work, so I appreciate all your content!

Always fun to watch!

It is impressive that you two managing to record this while traveling the blind eternities

😍LILY😍 great vid, as per usual with the Arcanum. Maybe consider some royalty free background music at low volume during the matches or something? I love your commentary so not too loud, but something to fill the void? P.S. maybe at the end of flavor wins seasons you could play against Nicole where you both use your favorite flavor decks from the season?

So awesome! Story time about my favourite planeswalker! Thank you so much! 😍

I think the "Waker of the dead" Also has to do with the real world Wake Ceremony, in which people mourn for someone that recently passed. The card would get the name because she is mourning for Gideon.

Liliana is my favorite. Love the stories

I would love to see your Flavor Win Decks as Brawl Decks. So you can always cast the Planeswalker or Legend you talked about.

I am glad YOU'RE here.

Good lord, imagine your first planeswalk bringing you to Innistrad of all places. I'd probably think I had a heartattack and died.

i was a bit worried that since flavor win came, that mustache minute would fade out. I'm really glad that wasnt the case.

Flavor Format would be such a cool format! Idk how you make rules for it but I'd love to play it at my LGS!

I really love the Liliana deck and the new show,she is my favorite Planeswalker and I loved seeing her go 3-0 in this episode.

I used to be on the Eva Green bandwagon, but I’ve recently changed to April Bowlby. She’s fantastic on Doom Patrol and fits the Liliana mold I think even better than Green.

I really enjoyed the flavor wins and this one showcasing Liliana in particular as she is one of my favorites as well! do you see her ever mixing with white in the future? Given the direction of her story It would fit.

I appreciate that you made a deck using the new Lilli without making it discard tribal

A couple things my friend! 1. I just started watching penny dreadful and I must say, I heavily enjoy the show so far. I agree with the choice of actress. 2. Was the "my queen" a jon snow reference? Even more bonus points! 3. "Missed it by that much" reminded me of daxter from jak 3 when you're chasing the kangarats. I don't know if that was another reference but it was really funny to me because of how specific that would be. 4. I actually really liked the deck alot more than I thought I would and it inspired me to make a more casual zombie deck with bad moons and diregraft ghouls. It should be fun!

I love your videos and I love Liliana so I may just have to watch this one a few times to get my fill.

A fantastic video! Can't wait to watch more

My favorite planeswaker, my favorite video, my favorite 3 flavor wins, Ryan Gomez you Rock

Love the love for Core 19 Lili, one of my favourites too. I gotta say, the Devotees really weren't selling me, until those 5/2s just kinda grew out of removing an opponent's body -- who woulda thought there's a reasonably real lords & board mono black deck hiding in Core 21?

I absolutely love Flavor Wins

Thanks for all your videos

I 50% agree with Eva Green. The only other person I'd suggest for the role would be Kate Becnkensale (probably messed up spelling that). They both have the figure, look great in black, and could kick ass in their own films but I gotta give Kate the edge because of her facial structure, lips, and most importantly her vocal mannerisms. That and also In my head I imagine Lilliana sounding regal and cultured with an accent like Kate has too.

. Regarding the Steward, I think they just weren't careful enough with the details of lore and just wanted to capture the trope and link it to Lilliana. About Liliana of the Dark Realms, I know some designers think it doesn't fit the character themselves, but I have to disagree. Liliana mechanical identity being zombies is something she evolved to as she grew free of her demonic flavour. She has always been a necromancer in the widest sense, a personification of the most iconic way to shape black mana magic, so I feel that "mana channeling" vibe of the Dark Realms version really fits her. Finally, while I love her last iteration, I think she should have dropped her old name and leave that for the type line. I understand that's maybe too Vorthos for a Core Set, so I still hope they grab the chance to do it next time.