Drain Life

Sorcery

Spend only black mana on {X}.

Drain Life deals X damage to any target. You gain life equal to the damage dealt, but not more life than the player’s life total before the damage was dealt, the planeswalker’s loyalty before the damage was dealt, or the creature’s toughness.

Legality

Format	Legality
1v1 Commander	Legal
Archenemy	Legal
Canadian Highlander	Legal
Casual	Legal
Commander / EDH	Legal
Commander: Rule 0	Legal
Custom	Legal
Duel Commander	Legal
Highlander	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Leviathan	Legal
Limited	Legal
Oathbreaker	Legal
Oldschool 93/94	Legal
Pauper	Legal
Pauper Duel Commander	Legal
Pauper EDH	Legal
Planechase	Legal
Premodern	Legal
Quest Magic	Legal
Tiny Leaders	Legal
Vanguard	Legal
Vintage	Legal

Discussion (50)

SilencedDax on Phylactery lich: a Rule 0 …

4 months ago

Hiiiiiii!!

I bring you the title's idea 'cause I talked with my playgroup to see if they would be fine with Phylactery Lich as a commander.

The advice I ask for is: What would you think it would be a great topic for this deck?

I have some ideas that I would like to shere with you:

• A lot of Black pips theme {B}{B}{B}{B}{B}{B}{B}{B}{B}{B}, try to find a cohesive deck between cards with a lot of them, at least {B}{B} and more, like Phyrexian Obliterator, Necropotence and so on... and then Gray Merchant of Asphodel

• Creature cards that have a special bond with an artifact, enchantment, creature or whatever to keep the Phylactery theme. This seems the most difficult to find!!!

• Cards that destroy everything except the Phylactery Lich and it's totem, to remark the flavour that it is no easy to kill.

• Some zombie synergies with our commander would be great, with out be a zombie deck, like Lord of the Undead or Call to the Grave.

• permanents that start as artifacts and then flip, thanks to ruusuv, like Treasure Map  ^Flip, Mirror of the Forebears, or Mirage Mirror

• I dont want a Lich theme deck aroud the 3 Lich enchantments, even though it'd be really flavorfull, it's not the kind of game I enjoy the most. But some lich cards 'd be great like Lich's Mirror, Lich's Tomb and some lich creatures. And some card that do what liches does, like Drain Life, or Consume Spirit.

• I try to avoid Exsanguinate and Torment of Hailfire 'cause I seen them many times, as well as any open enden black tutor.

What do you think? any other idea or card?

I'll do a public deck with this ideas and the ideas you give me so it could be a deck made by everyone!

Thank you!

All the ideas that we have share until now:

https://tappedout.net/mtg-decks/phylactery-lich-on-command/?cb=1676304818

amarthaler on EDH Rakdos Group Slug

8 months ago

Update!

Out: Drain Life and Fireball

In: Cut / Ribbons and Pain's Reward

Drain Life wasn't really doing much for me and, although Fireball is very nostalgic for me and the art is wonderful, wasn't strong enough. Cut/Ribbons will be nice removal for low CMC and later hit the table with life loss. Pain's Reward just looks super fun!

RockIV on (HELP) monoblack removal casual need …

8 months ago

hi all, im RockIV and im new in the forum. i recently returned into magic again. Im in need of some advice with my control/removal deck

Rocks Monoblack creature removal

my review : in the past i use to play with more creatures like Vampire Nighthawk, Gatekeeper of Malakir and Geralf's Messenger. Recently i changed it to be more removal oriented, and i tried a lot of diferent combinations, for example with Drain Life. what i am looking is a more optimal build for the deck with both creatures an enought removal to combat any deck. The problem is that i feel that i cant have both, I will need to choose creatures or removal. in another note, There are some creatures that i didnt add to the deck and always felt that would be great like Bonehoard and Wight of Precinct Six. so what do you guys think ? any advice will be deeply apreciated , thx to everyone for reading :D

bushido_man96 on Jeff Goldblum, Warlock

9 months ago

No Gray Merchant of Asphodel? I also think if any deck could run an old fashioned Drain Life, it's this one.

amarthaler on EDH Rakdos Group Slug

9 months ago

Update!

Out: Sarevok, Deathbringer and Popular Entertainer

In: Rakdos Charm and Drain Life

Swapped out Sarevok and the background as commander to have Obosh, the Preypiercer come in and give it a shot.

legendofa on Double Life Gain Combo?

1 year ago

Short answer: The current wording for Drain Life doesn't have lifelink, so it would gain lifelink from Soulfire Grand Master and you would gain X life twice.

Droolz on Double Life Gain Combo?

1 year ago

Things have been adapted retroactively such as "Walls have 'Defender'" Do spells that do damage + gain that much life automatically have "Lifelink"?

The specific combo is: Drain Life and Soulfire Grand Master

Double Lifelink would be redundant. Does this combo make me gain life twice?

Thanks

EnbyGolem on Black Burn Torment Of Black Fire

1 year ago

Wow, I love this idea! I don't know many Modern creatures but I think Highway Robber and Cuombajj Witches have newer printings which should make them legal! They are pretty fun but might be too expensive for the effect they provide.

If for what ever reason you make a Vintage version of this theme, Urborg Stalker, Rathi Fiend, Dakmor Ghoul, The Fallen, Choking Sands, Drain Life, and Famine are some of my favorite old-school direct damage cards :)