So I've been thinking about doing something irritating and going pure life gain. What are the most efficient cards at gaining life right now? I know Thragtusk is probably #1, but it gets a bit murky after that. Here's my (very tentative) list :
You forgot Sphinx's Revelation, which should be #3 on that list IMO
I'm certainly including it in the deck, it's too good not to have. However I'm just not sure that it's the most efficient card at gaining life. For four mana I gain 1 life, that's not helping me against a field full of zombies. Hmm. Cathedral Sanctifier isn't that great either I guess. I'm just searching for really good options here.
I'm certainly including it in the deck, it's too good not to have. However I'm just not sure that it's the most efficient card at gaining life. For four mana I gain 1 life, that's not helping me against a field full of zombies. Hmm. Cathedral Sanctifier isn't that great either I guess. I'm just searching for really good options here.
tbh it does more work than the other 3, it's a fantastic late game card and excellent with the Faithmenders.
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Current Game: Bioshock: Infinite
Mabbz on MTGO | Demgrinds on Twitch & Twitter | Helpdesk
Scroll of Avacyn seems underrated. You get to cycle a card (for the same price as Azorius Charm) and if you have a Resto Angel, Geist oST or Angel of Serenity in play you gain life as well.
Honestly running Trostani, Thragtusk, Faithmender, Centaur Healer, and Resto Angel you have more lifegain than you need. You can splash blue for Sphinx's as well but don't waste your time running stuff like Cathedral Sanctifiers or Heroes' Reunion.
Don't forget vampire nighthawk. While he is vulnerable to searing spear and ultimate price before he gains any life (since his ability is lifelink not an ETB trigger) he's an amazing creature on his own if he sticks. heros' reunion is absolutely unplayable in constructed, elixir of immortality is a fringe/situational mostly not that good card, and I'm not sure about cathedran sanctifier but personally I wouldn't even play it SB in white weenie. Everything mentioned otherwise seems solid.
I missed Huntmaster, and I wasn't considering lifelink to be life gain since there are a lot of times where creatures don't get to swing before being answered, whereas ETB almost always gains life. I'd also argue the validity of several of those cards as seeing real competitive play, too.
You don't want it for the 1 life it gains, you want it for the five damage it does once you hit 30 life.
And the measly 1 life you get by tapping it isn't enough to get you there... Even then, 4+ turns for a clock is slow considering it can take you 10+ turns to get there unless you're playing Thragtusks, Resto angels, elixirs, Trostani's, Sphinx's Revelations etc.
If you want to play chalices and you think it'll kill someone, good luck. It just doesn't happen that often. The OP needs solid advice and telling him that Chalice of Life is good, wouldn't be true.
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Not playing much these days... hope all is well in the MtG community
EDH:
Zur, The Enchanter
Modern:
Burn
Legacy:
Cheeri0s
Burn
Chalice of Life is not the card you'd play to gain life with. Honestly, when I play it I usually want to tap it once, and then flip it right away, not play it and tap it a bunch of times over and over.
Ideally you can:
t1 Sanctifier, gain 3 life
t2 Heroes Reunion
t3 Chalice, tap, flip.
Now obviously if your Sanctifier dies to slip or chump blocks, but others still get in, this doesn't work as well. But it shows that Reunion can be pretty useful for getting there. Also running four of each card add to consistancy. Obviously you won't get this good of a draw and not run into a problem in every game, but what reason does your opponent have to counter your Heroes Reunion? They're probably saving that counterspell for the Thragtusk they're expecting in a few turns, not some crappy lifegain spell.
Now red has burn spells, so you just answer that with Elixir. I'm willing to bet that you'll outlive their burn spells with reoccuring Elixirs that are endless and virtually unstopable for red short of outracing.
Realistically he should only be unblockable without equipment
Guard 1: There goes a sword floating down the street!
Guard 2: Well, he's unblockable, so ignore it.
Eat your greens kids, omnath does, and it makes him strong....
To post a comment, please login or register a new account.
1. Thragtusk
2. Rhox Faithmender
3. Cathedral Sanctifier
4. Trostani, Selesnya's Voice
5. Elixir of Immortality
How would you guys rate the available life gain cards right now?
Mabbz on MTGO | Demgrinds on Twitch & Twitter | Helpdesk
Cubetutor Link
I'm certainly including it in the deck, it's too good not to have. However I'm just not sure that it's the most efficient card at gaining life. For four mana I gain 1 life, that's not helping me against a field full of zombies. Hmm. Cathedral Sanctifier isn't that great either I guess. I'm just searching for really good options here.
Yeah that definitely belongs somewhere on that list. Not sure I'd play it but it's definitely efficient!
tbh it does more work than the other 3, it's a fantastic late game card and excellent with the Faithmenders.
Mabbz on MTGO | Demgrinds on Twitch & Twitter | Helpdesk
GUB The Mimeoplasm GUB
RGW Mayael the Anima RGW
GGG Seton, Krosan Protector GGG
It wouldn't. I tested 4 in a deck the other day. 1 life, even 2 life per turn was not enough to race aggro.
EDH:
Zur, The Enchanter
Modern:
Burn
Legacy:
Cheeri0s
Burn
.
.
One of the few? You must be kidding.
Fires Rf Salvation
I wasn't. Sphinx's Revelation, Thragtusk, Centaur Healer, and Rhox Faithmender are the only really good ones. Trostani and Elixir are good in the right build, but nothing else comes to mind as constructed playable.
You don't want it for the 1 life it gains, you want it for the five damage it does once you hit 30 life.
Sig by Rivenor
Decks (All Budget)
Modern
WSoul SistersW
RGShamansRG
Huntmaster of the Fells, Vampire Nighthawk, Griselbrand, Vault of the Archangel, Sorin, Lord of Innistrad, Drogskol Reaver, Azorius Charm, Deathrite Shaman, Disciple of Bolas, Blood Artist, Tribute to Hunger, Cathedral Sanctifier, all of which are seen in competitive play.
Fires Rf Salvation
And the measly 1 life you get by tapping it isn't enough to get you there... Even then, 4+ turns for a clock is slow considering it can take you 10+ turns to get there unless you're playing Thragtusks, Resto angels, elixirs, Trostani's, Sphinx's Revelations etc.
If you want to play chalices and you think it'll kill someone, good luck. It just doesn't happen that often. The OP needs solid advice and telling him that Chalice of Life is good, wouldn't be true.
EDH:
Zur, The Enchanter
Modern:
Burn
Legacy:
Cheeri0s
Burn
Ideally you can:
t1 Sanctifier, gain 3 life
t2 Heroes Reunion
t3 Chalice, tap, flip.
Now obviously if your Sanctifier dies to slip or chump blocks, but others still get in, this doesn't work as well. But it shows that Reunion can be pretty useful for getting there. Also running four of each card add to consistancy. Obviously you won't get this good of a draw and not run into a problem in every game, but what reason does your opponent have to counter your Heroes Reunion? They're probably saving that counterspell for the Thragtusk they're expecting in a few turns, not some crappy lifegain spell.
Now red has burn spells, so you just answer that with Elixir. I'm willing to bet that you'll outlive their burn spells with reoccuring Elixirs that are endless and virtually unstopable for red short of outracing.
Come help me make my Pauper cube awsome!