Life Gain dilemma
Deck Help forum
Posted on Dec. 27, 2017, 6:38 a.m. by mitomeg
Which choice would be better in your opinion in my Dark Annihilator for life gain between 3xVampiric Link and 1xWhip of Erebos (and so add some more spot removal or hand control)?
Or is there a better, more efficient way of gaining life that prevents me to die from my own Necropotence/Thoughtseize?
Seems like a risky choice... wouldn't it be a dead card in my hand until i'm dangerously low life?
December 27, 2017 6:55 a.m.
Deck should be tweaked bit to hit itself more to use Shadow's but its option. But much more safer way is just to play more removal and hand disruption. Gifted Aetherborn could just go to main deck also if you want lifegain.
December 27, 2017 6:59 a.m.
Well, it really depends on what kind of decks you expect to face; the more aggressive, creature decks you anticipate, the better Vampiric Link gets, more opposing removal and Whip of Erebos is better. In general, I think auras are such vulnerable permanents that you need to have a really good reason to run them (hexproof creatures, for example), so I would definitely lean towards the Whip.
That being said, my preferred choice of life gain in mono-black would just be Vampire Nighthawk or Gifted Aetherborn as versatile, generically powerful creatures that are very rarely dead draws in a match-up.
December 27, 2017 7:25 a.m.
Thanks guys!
The reason i don't run Vampire Nighthawk or Gifted Aetherborn against burn deck is that they would basically die the same turn after a Lightning Bolt... but i think i must try anyway.
Killing Wave is very good, i'll buy it and try it in place of one Drown in Sorrow, also i already have one Damnation and i must try it too sometimes!
I like Whip of Erebos but i find the cons to be: high CMC; having only 1x makes it a little hard to find when i most need it; being an artifact let both the Red and the Green decks to destroy it with absolute ease... but having lifelink available to all the creatures is huge!
Vampiric Links saved me a lot of times and the fact that i can put more then one on just one creature gives me huge life gain! Green can destroy it, but Red can't! I'll stick with them for now
December 27, 2017 7:50 a.m.
The traditional combo with Necropotence is Ivory Tower. 4 of each plus 4 Necropotence means you can draw back up to 7 each turn and actually gain life from it. It's also pretty brutal when played with Reliquary Tower.
For your initial question though, Whip of Erebos hands-down. It makes those Desecration Demons and Phyrexian Obliterators even more obnoxious for your opponent to deal with.
Vixxxx says... #2
Playing Death's Shadow and not even caring about lifegain could be option to think about.
December 27, 2017 6:43 a.m.