Ajani's Pridemate

Creature — Cat Soldier

Whenever you gain life, put a +1/+1 counter on this. (For example, if an effect causes you to gain 3 life, put one +1/+1 counter on this creature.)

Legality

Format	Legality
1v1 Commander	Legal
Arena	Legal
Block Constructed	Legal
Canadian Highlander	Legal
Commander / EDH	Legal
Commander: Rule 0	Legal
Duel Commander	Legal
Gladiator	Legal
Highlander	Legal
Historic	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Leviathan	Legal
Limited	Legal
Modern	Legal
Oathbreaker	Legal
Pioneer	Legal
Tiny Leaders	Legal
Vintage	Legal
Casual	Legal
Custom	Legal
Quest Magic	Legal

Discussion (49)

lhetrick13 on Life Gain

2 weeks ago

Call me crazy but it feels odd to see a lifegain deck that does not have Soul Warden or Soul's Attendant in it. They just provide a consistent cheap flow of life as it triggers for both the opponent and your own creatures.

I would also swap out Ajani's Pridemate for Voice of the Blessed due to its greater upside.

Archangel of Thune would be a good addition considering you will likely have the time to cast it with the ample life your opponent will need to eat away at.

Lastly, with the number of big lifegain spells you are running, I feel like Aetherflux Reservoir might be a better wincon that Felidar Sovereign given you can drop it and immediately trigger its ability for a win compared to dropping Felidar Sovereign and hoping it does not get removed for a full turn.

golgarigirl on Life Gain Voltron (Trelasarra)

1 month ago

I always loved Trelissara's design. Sadly, my lifegain deck is Esper, so she didn't really fit! I don't know if this helps at all, but I think of my deck in terms of lifegain enablers (our Soul Warden and friends that gain us life) and payoffs (things that benefit us when we gain life, like Trudge Garden).

I would pay special attention to one thing with life gain payoffs: a lot of the cards care about one of 2 things...either 'instance of life gain' (the ones worded 'whenever'...they do not care how much life you gain, just if you do or not), and the ones that care about quantity (the ones worded 'if you gained X or more life).

You're going to want to sculpt your life gain enablers in the deck around what of those you have, and how much life gain they want you to have in a turn, to make sure they can hit your X.

I would consider that a little more next time you play, pay attention to what cards want what effects.

For example, my deck is built entirely around the 'instance of life gain effects', so I seldom need to worry about how much I gain.

That said, some weak spots I noticed: Benevolent Bodyguard, Ilysian Caryatid, Soulmender, From Beyond, Indomitable Might, Hedgewitch's Mask. These are excellent places to start with upgrades! They're not bad on their own, but we can do better!

Note on Aetherflux Reservoir: There are some playgroups that playing this will just get you ganged up on. I always caution people about that. If that's fine with you, it's a strong card. I didn't find it could gain enough life to make it worth it in my deck.

Some possible (not too expensive) upgrades that I enjoy:

Good in an 'instance of life gain' deck: Linden, the Steadfast Queen, Sunscorch Regent, Suture Priest, Gideon's Company, Twinblade Paladin, Omen of the Sun, Ajani's Pridemate, Oketra's Monument, Regna, the Redeemer

Good in a 'gain X or more life' deck: Nykthos Paragon, Gideon Blackblade

Good in both: Dusk / Dawn, Austere Command, Dawn of Hope, Shamanic Revelation

Spotos on I Thought You Were Selesnyan

2 months ago

For a lifegain Strategy, I always love to see Aetherflux Reservoir, which may a bit pricy, around 20 or so dollars, but can kill most opponents if there not playing life gain. I think a problem in this deck is that there are a lot of cards in here like Bulette and Green Dragon where their effects can be useful, but don't contribute to the Life gain/Ramp strategy. Ageless Entity and cards like Ajani's Pridemate can also help out with getting creatures big by gaining life. I'll just put a list of cards that benefit from having lands enter the battlefield and by gaining life Sproutback Trudge, Ezzaroot Channeler, Verdant Sun's Avatar, Pulse of Murasa, Venser's Journal, Emeria Shepherd, Beast Whisperer, Nissa, Voice of Zendikar, Scute Swarm, Ajani, Mentor of Heroes, Ajani, Wise Counselor. Hopefully this helps in making this deck have a better win % and making it more fun and a bit more aggresive. If you still have any questions, just comment on this and i'll try to reply to it.

Guerric on No Pain No Lifegain

3 months ago

Some more thoughts. First, if you like Ajani's Pridemate, what about a planeswalker that makes them and can also help with lifegain? Ajani, Strength of the Pride does both.

Also, I might consider some more token generators as tokens are a thing white does well which can also support your lifegain cards. Adeline, Resplendent Cathar is very good, as are Hero of Bladehold, Brimaz, King of Oreskos, and Leonin Warleader, which makes tokens with lifegain. More tokens equals more triggers from your soul sisters or fuel for powerhouses like Eldrazi Monument.

austintayshus on Heaven & Heck

3 months ago

Hey looks like a fun life gain deck! I believe this is historic legal, did you mean to make this a historic deck?

This deck could definitely use Soul Warden and Daxos, Blessed by the Sun for more life gain triggers. Ajani's Pridemate and Heliod, Sun-Crowned for good life gain pay offs.

BlackoutX on Lathiel's got gains

4 months ago

Lets start with a list of easy cuts from a deck like this, Nearheath Pilgrim, Predator Ooze, Abzan Battle Priest, Archon of Sun's Grace, Oketra the True, and Pounce.

Legion's Landing  ^Flip This card is good in white decks since they need ram, your in green so it doesn't matter nearly as much. Dawn of Hope is another card good in white bad in green (even with the synergy) and the same with Cosmos Elixir.

Some good card draw for your deck would be cards like Greater Good, Rishkar's Expertise, Momentous Fall, and Life's Legacy these all work very well with a big creature strategy and especially well with cards like Ajani's Pridemate or a less budget option Ajani, Strength of the Pride.

Greens most powerful attribute is its land ramp due to it being very hard to interact with. Unless you are running a three-drop commander that you really need out right away you shouldn't be relying on mana dorks. Cards like Harrow, Three Visits, and Primal Growth are exemplary due to getting untapped lands while still being on curve for a four-mana commander. Cards such as Rampant Growth or Roiling Regrowth are still good but come with the downside of getting tapped lands.

I also personally like Wild Growth and Utopia Sprawl although they aren't actually land ramp, they can be used with Arbor Elf (one of the only man dorks that I would still suggest running) to get even more value.

Another thing that you should get for this deck is some protection for your commander, the easiest options for this are Lightning Greaves and Swiftfoot Boots.

Lastly I would suggest running, Daxos, Blessed by the Sun, Nesting Grounds and Karn's Bastion due to the synergy with your deck

IHATENAMES on No Pain No Lifegain

4 months ago

Overall you need focus and tuning still. I think going away from enchantments can be beneficial however you lose the enchantress draw effects like Mesa Enchantress either way is fine just remember you are at your core and lifegain /weenies deck unless you want to change that. Cutting some on theme cards is necessary but I'd still keep in the more impactful ones.

Speaking of impact Doomed Traveler type effects don't do enough for you in my opinion unless you stick it on a permanent like Requiem Angel or a second life effect Luminous Broodmoth.

You definitely want more lifegain payoffs. Crested Sunmare is one of the best in my opinion.Ajani's Pridemate effectively reads when you have your commander. Gain +1+1 for each attacking creature.

Some cards seem like the underperform. A few Doomed Traveler Brave the Sands Call To Serve rather then pious Evangelion Suture Priest is both sides on 1. Also not sure evangelon is not black white identity because of back half tbh. Angelic Overseer Big beefy flyer sometimes. For 5 mana Lyra Dawnbringer would be better.

I'd recommend looking up edhrec for better ideas these are just off the top of my head.

I'll check your list again later when I'm on a computer.

Atm have scrapped and restarted remaking an old deck. It excites and scares me as cards have gotten better and my old list is lost. Jazal Goldmane is difficult to build around. But fun nonetheless.

IHATENAMES on No Pain No Lifegain

4 months ago

On one hand. This is what magic was meant to be. I havent played a few of these cards since i first put a deck together. Crusade. won't even show the image.. That is a discussion for another time...

Suggested additions

Loyal Warhound ramp in white

Skullclamp card draw

Sun Titan recursion

Abzan Falconer can give mass evasion

Some amount of board wipes my favorites atm are Tragic Arrogance Martial Coup Vanquish the Horde Ondu Inversion  ^Flip .

Cathars' Crusade it wins games. You may want to not use this so you focus on lifegain but this cards does work

Crested Sunmare lifegain payoff

Crovax, Ascendant Hero Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite

Soul of Eternity Celestial Mantle Axis of Mortalitykinda slow for my meta but might work for you.

Dawn of Hope card draw and can make tokens

Alseid of Life's Bounty protection w/ lifelink

Well of Lost Dreams card draw

Shattered Angel Angel of Vitality to keep with the angels if u want

Palace Jailer monarch is card draw also fun. and removal

Ajani's Pridemate lifegian payoff. its gets huge here because each attacking creature has its own trigger to grow the pridemate. i think 1 or 2 cards make essentially copies of this card. they might be worth looking for

Blind Obedience staxy and lifegain

Moon-Blessed Cleric you run a lot of enchantments your enchantress sub theme can be supported with this

Akroma's Will protection/ finisher

Noble Purpose unnoticed lifegain card that would be good here maybe

Lunarch Veteran  ^Flip Soul Warden Soul's Attendant Daxos, Blessed by the Sun Suture Priestlifegain dorks

Katilda, Dawnhart Martyr  ^Flip lifegain with enchantment payoff as well

now how do u win? atm you focus on going wide with weenies but have a focus on gaining life. Possible ideas Aetherflux Reservoir Archangel of Thune Felidar Sovereign Serra Avatar Starfield of Nyx Nykthos Paragon True Conviction

this is just some ranting. Its up to you how you want to build your deck! Other areas you should look at it your mana base (use tech lands you have almost all basics), ramp to your bigger stuff and card draw in general.