Foundations Lifegain by user4463969

Format: Commander

Commander: Elas il-Kor, Sadistic Pilgrim

Bracket: 3

Deck overview

This is a classic Orzhov aristocrats/lifegain drain deck helmed by Elas il-Kor, Sadistic Pilgrim, who conveniently provides both halves of the engine at once: life gain on every creature ETB and a drain on every creature death. The deck floods the board with cheap clerics, vampires, and cats, then converts the life it gains into cards (Well of Lost Dreams, Dawn of Hope, Exemplar of Light), counters (Ajani's Pridemate, Fiendish Panda), and more drain (Vito, Thorn of the Dusk Rose, Marauding Blight-Priest, Lunar Convocation). Wins come from incremental aristocrats drain looped through recursion, a big Exsanguinate, or combat with lifelinkers like Lyra Dawnbringer. It is a grindy, value-oriented midrange deck that out-values opponents over time rather than racing.

Decklist (100 cards)

  • 1 Ajani's Pridemate
  • 1 Angel of Finality
  • 1 Angel of Vitality
  • 1 Arcane Signet
  • 1 Blood Artist
  • 1 Bojuka Bog
  • 1 Bolas's Citadel
  • 1 Burnished Hart
  • 1 Castle Locthwain
  • 1 Caves of Koilos
  • 1 Charming Prince
  • 1 Command Tower
  • 1 Crusader of Odric
  • 1 Dawn of Hope
  • 1 Demolition Field
  • 1 Diamond Mare
  • 1 Disenchant
  • 1 Divine Resilience
  • 1 Dread Summons
  • 1 Elas il-Kor, Sadistic Pilgrim
  • 1 Evolving Wilds
  • 1 Exemplar of Light
  • 1 Exsanguinate
  • 1 Feed the Swarm
  • 1 Felidar Cub
  • 1 Felidar Retreat
  • 1 Fetid Heath
  • 1 Fiendish Panda
  • 1 Fireshrieker
  • 1 Fumigate
  • 1 Gatekeeper of Malakir
  • 1 Godless Shrine
  • 1 Hero's Downfall
  • 1 High Market
  • 1 Hinterland Sanctifier
  • 1 Inspiring Overseer
  • 1 Isolated Chapel
  • 1 Kalastria Highborn
  • 1 Kambal, Consul of Allocation
  • 1 Linden, the Steadfast Queen
  • 1 Lunar Convocation
  • 1 Lurrus of the Dream-Den
  • 1 Lyra Dawnbringer
  • 1 Make a Stand
  • 1 Marauding Blight-Priest
  • 1 Mazemind Tome
  • 1 Mentor of the Meek
  • 1 Midnight Reaper
  • 1 Midnight Snack
  • 1 Mortify
  • 1 Nullpriest of Oblivion
  • 1 Orzhov Guildgate
  • 1 Phyrexian Tower
  • 11 Plains
  • 1 Regal Caracal
  • 1 Rogue's Passage
  • 1 Scoured Barrens
  • 1 Sol Ring
  • 1 Soul Warden
  • 1 Soul's Attendant
  • 1 Stasis Snare
  • 1 Stroke of Midnight
  • 1 Suture Priest
  • 10 Swamp
  • 1 Swiftfoot Boots
  • 1 Tainted Field
  • 1 Temple of Silence
  • 1 Teysa Karlov
  • 1 Undying Malice
  • 1 Valorous Stance
  • 1 Vampire Nighthawk
  • 1 Vampiric Rites
  • 1 Vengeful Bloodwitch
  • 1 Vito, Thorn of the Dusk Rose
  • 1 War Room
  • 1 Welcoming Vampire
  • 1 Well of Lost Dreams
  • 1 Wishclaw Talisman
  • 1 Witch's Cottage
  • 1 Zombify
  • 1 Zulaport Cutthroat