If you have seven lands, you can use the other four for whatever you want. You don't have to tap out to use this.
Not using your lands this turn so that you can still use them next turn is not much different from using them this turn and not being able to use them next turn. You're still only using them once over the course of two turns.
Which can end up being a worthy cause. If you're gaining 25-35 life and saving yourself, that's not bad for a three mana investment which doesn't keep your mana rocks tapped down.
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"I hope to have such a death... lying in triumph atop the broken bodies of those who slew me..."
You don't call "dying to removal" if the removal is more expensive in resources than the creature. If you have to spend BG (Abrupt Decay), or W + basic land (PtE) to remove a 1G, that is not "dying to removal". Strictly speaking Goyf dies to removal, but actually your removal is dying to Goyf.
Not as big of a deal as functionally skipping your next turn
Also, not really very good at all in a format that usually ends with a craterhoof for way-past-lethal or an infinite combo or total control lockdown for the win.
Maybe if you're somehow playing, like, kuro, pitlord in a horrible life payment deck, but for the average white EDH deck this is incredibly unplayable.
Not as big of a deal as functionally skipping your next turn
Also, not really very good at all in a format that usually ends with a craterhoof for way-past-lethal or an infinite combo or total control lockdown for the win.
Maybe if you're somehow playing, like, kuro, pitlord in a horrible life payment deck, but for the average white EDH deck this is incredibly unplayable.
Maybe if you're playing in a meta where you're at 2 or 3 life on Turn 3.
The rest of the time, this is 3 mana, and doesn't stop your mana rocks. There's a difference between "tapping everything" and "tapping 3 lands, and holding up answers".
Obviously this card doesn't make the cut in extreme cutthroat EDH metas, but 99.999% of all cards in every set ever don't make that cut either.
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"I hope to have such a death... lying in triumph atop the broken bodies of those who slew me..."
You don't call "dying to removal" if the removal is more expensive in resources than the creature. If you have to spend BG (Abrupt Decay), or W + basic land (PtE) to remove a 1G, that is not "dying to removal". Strictly speaking Goyf dies to removal, but actually your removal is dying to Goyf.
If you have seven lands, you can use the other four for whatever you want. You don't have to tap out to use this.
Not using your lands this turn so that you can still use them next turn is not much different from using them this turn and not being able to use them next turn. You're still only using them once over the course of two turns.
Which can end up being a worthy cause. If you're gaining 25-35 life and saving yourself, that's not bad for a three mana investment which doesn't keep your mana rocks tapped down.
If you save yourself. That's a big if. As myself and others in this thread have stated, lifegain doesn't always help in EDH. You've got tons of decks that win off of poison, commander damage, mill, or some alternative win card like Laboratory Maniac. And even against decks that actually do win with regular damage, Oketra's Last Mercy has no guarantee of helping. Commander is a format that is won by miles far more often than it is won by inches. Oketra's Last Mercy is sorcery speed, so you have to make it back to your turn alive in order to cast it, so it won't help if you're getting fireballed in the face for lethal, or overrun by a bajillion tokens. Even if you survive the potentially lethal turn, someone might still decide to finish you off before the turn gets back to you.
Oketra's Last Mercy isn't a magical failsafe that going to be there whenever you need it. You've got to make the choice to run it in your deck, which means not running any number of other cards in that slot that can fill the same roll without the drawback, and/or without the potential to be a dead draw. What's in your deck that you'd be willing to cut for this? What card would you be okay with never drawing again, if it meant drawing this instead? And once it's in your deck, you've got to draw it when you need to. It's got to be in your hand when you're low on life, and are in a position where you can afford to not use your lands for a turn. How often do you find yourself in that exact situation? How often would Oketra's Last Mercy be a better topdeck than any number of other cards?
Maybe if you're playing in a meta where you're at 2 or 3 life on Turn 3.
The rest of the time, this is 3 mana, and doesn't stop your mana rocks. There's a difference between "tapping everything" and "tapping 3 lands, and holding up answers".
Obviously this card doesn't make the cut in extreme cutthroat EDH metas, but 99.999% of all cards in every set ever don't make that cut either.
I'm not even talking competitive, combo-oriented metas. I wouldn't even consider this in any 75% metas either.
Even if you don't tap anything else on your turn, if you want to use any answers, those lands aren't untapping. You're effectively paying X1WW over 2 turns, where X is your total number of lands, and the ONLY thing you get is lifegain.
The fact that "fair" EDH usually revolves around burst damage, and this is a sorcery, is just a nail in the coffin. If your meta is combo-riddled, this does next to nothing. If your meta is slow, grindy, and fair, then I'd rather have resolute archangel or exquisite archangel. They'll probably effectively cost less since, by the time you want to restore your life, you have more than 7 lands, and at least they actually have a body and affect the board. And I don't usually play either of those, either.
I like this card. A lot. Definitely EDH playable at minimum. Much better Providence.
No, it isn't. Sure, it sets you back to 40, but you're semi-timewalking yourself (lands, but not other permanents). Giving your opponent plenty of time to send you right back down to where you were, or lower. Always remember, lifegain may keep you alive for a turn. That's no guarantee, and I generally assume it doesn't even give you that.
In Commander, this cycle does have an obvious use with mana rocks and (except for the black one, apparently) mana dorks (and a few other cards like Eladamri's Vineyard, or cards like Seedborn Muse that get around the downside), but that's not enough to justify a lifegain spell.
If you do not understand the difference between this and Alabaster Potion, I'm not sure what to say.
There are very few cards in the game that allow you to gain 25-30 life, and none of them cost 3 mana. If you have seven lands, you can use the other four for whatever you want. You don't have to tap out to use this.
You clearly don't know how lifegain in EDH works. It's typically:
Scaling lifegain This is lifegain that, actually would technically include Alabaster Potion (though again, no one plays that), and also things like Spike Feeder. But it's also things like Blood Artist and Suture Priest (where the lifegain is, again, incidental).
Life's actually worth less in EDH than in (say) Standard, because starting life totals are doubled and you have Commander damage to cope with.
A good rule of thumb is, if lifegain produces card disadvantage, don't run it; an Oloro deck might, but how many Whitesun's Passage variants can you play? This produces card disadvantage and semi-Time Walks you. (Yeah, you don't have to tap all your lands, and I could totally see Winter Orb decks exploiting this cycle, but probably not this particular card.)
Card advantage is not the same thing as card draw. Something for 2B cannot be strictly worse than something for BBB or 3BB. If you're taking out Swords to Plowshares for Plummet, you're a fool. Stop doing these things!
Which can end up being a worthy cause. If you're gaining 25-35 life and saving yourself, that's not bad for a three mana investment which doesn't keep your mana rocks tapped down.
"I hope to have such a death... lying in triumph atop the broken bodies of those who slew me..."
Also, not really very good at all in a format that usually ends with a craterhoof for way-past-lethal or an infinite combo or total control lockdown for the win.
Maybe if you're somehow playing, like, kuro, pitlord in a horrible life payment deck, but for the average white EDH deck this is incredibly unplayable.
EDH Primers
Phelddagrif - Zirilan
EDH
Thrasios+Bruse - Pang - Sasaya - Wydwen - Feather - Rona - Toshiro - Sylvia+Khorvath - Geth - QMarchesa - Firesong - Athreos - Arixmethes - Isperia - Etali - Silas+Sidar - Saskia - Virtus+Gorm - Kynaios - Naban - Aryel - Mizzix - Kazuul - Tymna+Kraum - Sidar+Tymna - Ayli - Gwendlyn - Phelddagrif 4 - Liliana - Kaervek - Phelddagrif 3 - Mairsil - Scarab - Child - Phenax - Shirei - Thada - Depala - Circu - Kytheon - GrenzoHR - Phelddagrif - Reyhan+Kraum - Toshiro - Varolz - Nin - Ojutai - Tasigur - Zedruu - Uril - Edric - Wort - Zurgo - Nahiri - Grenzo - Kozilek - Yisan - Ink-Treader - Yisan - Brago - Sidisi - Toshiro - Alexi - Sygg - Brimaz - Sek'Kuar - Marchesa - Vish Kal - Iroas - Phelddagrif - Ephara - Derevi - Glissa - Wanderer - Saffi - Melek - Xiahou Dun - Lazav - Lin Sivvi - Zirilan - Glissa
PDH - Drake - Graverobber - Izzet GM - Tallowisp - Symbiote Brawl - Feather - Ugin - Jace - Scarab - Angrath - Vraska - Kumena Oathbreaker - Wrenn&6
Maybe if you're playing in a meta where you're at 2 or 3 life on Turn 3.
The rest of the time, this is 3 mana, and doesn't stop your mana rocks. There's a difference between "tapping everything" and "tapping 3 lands, and holding up answers".
Obviously this card doesn't make the cut in extreme cutthroat EDH metas, but 99.999% of all cards in every set ever don't make that cut either.
"I hope to have such a death... lying in triumph atop the broken bodies of those who slew me..."
Oketra's Last Mercy isn't a magical failsafe that going to be there whenever you need it. You've got to make the choice to run it in your deck, which means not running any number of other cards in that slot that can fill the same roll without the drawback, and/or without the potential to be a dead draw. What's in your deck that you'd be willing to cut for this? What card would you be okay with never drawing again, if it meant drawing this instead? And once it's in your deck, you've got to draw it when you need to. It's got to be in your hand when you're low on life, and are in a position where you can afford to not use your lands for a turn. How often do you find yourself in that exact situation? How often would Oketra's Last Mercy be a better topdeck than any number of other cards?
Selling some cards I don't want.
Generally less than tcg mid.
Stay reasonable, be mindful of your expectations and don't feed the trolls.
Doomsdayin'
Even if you don't tap anything else on your turn, if you want to use any answers, those lands aren't untapping. You're effectively paying X1WW over 2 turns, where X is your total number of lands, and the ONLY thing you get is lifegain.
The fact that "fair" EDH usually revolves around burst damage, and this is a sorcery, is just a nail in the coffin. If your meta is combo-riddled, this does next to nothing. If your meta is slow, grindy, and fair, then I'd rather have resolute archangel or exquisite archangel. They'll probably effectively cost less since, by the time you want to restore your life, you have more than 7 lands, and at least they actually have a body and affect the board. And I don't usually play either of those, either.
EDH Primers
Phelddagrif - Zirilan
EDH
Thrasios+Bruse - Pang - Sasaya - Wydwen - Feather - Rona - Toshiro - Sylvia+Khorvath - Geth - QMarchesa - Firesong - Athreos - Arixmethes - Isperia - Etali - Silas+Sidar - Saskia - Virtus+Gorm - Kynaios - Naban - Aryel - Mizzix - Kazuul - Tymna+Kraum - Sidar+Tymna - Ayli - Gwendlyn - Phelddagrif 4 - Liliana - Kaervek - Phelddagrif 3 - Mairsil - Scarab - Child - Phenax - Shirei - Thada - Depala - Circu - Kytheon - GrenzoHR - Phelddagrif - Reyhan+Kraum - Toshiro - Varolz - Nin - Ojutai - Tasigur - Zedruu - Uril - Edric - Wort - Zurgo - Nahiri - Grenzo - Kozilek - Yisan - Ink-Treader - Yisan - Brago - Sidisi - Toshiro - Alexi - Sygg - Brimaz - Sek'Kuar - Marchesa - Vish Kal - Iroas - Phelddagrif - Ephara - Derevi - Glissa - Wanderer - Saffi - Melek - Xiahou Dun - Lazav - Lin Sivvi - Zirilan - Glissa
PDH - Drake - Graverobber - Izzet GM - Tallowisp - Symbiote Brawl - Feather - Ugin - Jace - Scarab - Angrath - Vraska - Kumena Oathbreaker - Wrenn&6
You clearly don't know how lifegain in EDH works. It's typically:
Life's actually worth less in EDH than in (say) Standard, because starting life totals are doubled and you have Commander damage to cope with.
A good rule of thumb is, if lifegain produces card disadvantage, don't run it; an Oloro deck might, but how many Whitesun's Passage variants can you play? This produces card disadvantage and semi-Time Walks you. (Yeah, you don't have to tap all your lands, and I could totally see Winter Orb decks exploiting this cycle, but probably not this particular card.)
On phasing: