Art by Chris Rahn
Commander deckBG
Dina, Soul Steeper
Trigger frequent instances of lifegain through creatures and spells to rapidly drain each opponent's life total with Dina and Sanguine Bond effects.
Asked for“use lifegain to burn opponents”
Deck anatomy
What this list actually runs on: how cheaply it casts things, and whether it has enough ramp, card draw and interaction to keep up at the table. Each block is one card — hover for its name.
Mana curve · 61 nonland cards
The working parts
Counted from Scryfall’s community card tags, not from the builder’s own labels. A card that does two jobs counts twice, so these add up to more than the deck. The hatched band is a common rule of thumb, not a law — combo decks run leaner, battlecruiser decks heavier.
Colored mana symbols
Commander
1Dina, Soul Steeper
BGLegendary Creature — Dryad Druid
Chosen commander for the requested strategy.
Ramp
10
Sakura-Tribe Elder
1GCreature — Snake Shaman
creature ramp that triggers death drains
Card Draw
10
Well of Lost Dreams
4Artifact
turns lifegain triggers into massive card advantage
Morbid Opportunist
2BCreature — Human Rogue
draws cards off repeated creature deaths
Erebos, God of the Dead
3BLegendary Enchantment Creature — God
draw engine that stops opponents from gaining life
Shamanic Revelation
3GGSorcery
draws cards and gains life based on creature count
Moldervine Reclamation
3BGEnchantment
replaces dying creatures and triggers lifegain
Removal
10
Culling Ritual
2BGSorcery
board wipe for cheap permanents that generates huge mana
Threats/Wincons
23
Vito, Thorn of the Dusk Rose
2BLegendary Creature — Vampire Cleric
redundancy for Sanguine Bond life-drain burn
Marauding Blight-Priest
2BCreature — Vampire Cleric
burns all opponents whenever life is gained
Sanguine Bond
3BBEnchantment
classic combo engine that turns lifegain into lethal damage
Epicure of Blood
4BCreature — Vampire
drains all opponents on every lifegain instance
Defiant Bloodlord
5BBCreature — Vampire
large flying body with built-in Sanguine Bond effect
Bloodletter of Aclazotz
1BBBCreature — Vampire Demon
doubles all life lost by opponents on your turn
Gray Merchant of Asphodel
3BBCreature — Zombie
massive life drain and burst of life gained
Creeping Bloodsucker
1BCreature — Vampire
guaranteed upkeep drain and lifegain trigger
Essence Warden
GCreature — Elf Shaman
cheap Soul Sister generating constant life and burns
Prosperous Innkeeper
1GCreature — Halfling Citizen
ramps with Treasure and gains life on creature entry
Ayara, First of Locthwain
BBBLegendary Creature — Elf Noble
drains opponents upon black creatures entering play
Zulaport Cutthroat
1BCreature — Human Rogue Ally
drains the table on every friendly creature death
Blood Artist
1BCreature — Vampire
burns a target and gains life when any creature dies
Bastion of Remembrance
2BEnchantment
hard-to-remove enchantment version of Zulaport Cutthroat
Beledros Witherbloom
5BGLegendary Creature — Elder Dragon
generates Pest tokens that gain life upon dying
Blossoming Bogbeast
4GCreature — Beast
overrun finisher scaling with life gained that turn
Scavenging Ooze
1GCreature — Ooze
graveyard hate that repeatedly gains life on demand
Sheoldred, the Apocalypse
2BBLegendary Creature — Phyrexian Praetor
punishes opponent draws and gains life on own draws
Dread Presence
3BCreature — Nightmare
turns Swamp land drops into direct damage and lifegain
Marionette Apprentice
1BCreature — Human Artificer
drains opponents whenever artifacts or creatures perish
Deathgreeter
BCreature — Human Shaman
one-drop trigger whenever any creature dies
Utility
8
Aetherflux Reservoir
4Artifact
snowballs lifegain and snipers opponents directly
Bolas's Citadel
3BBBLegendary Artifact
casts spells off top of library using life buffer
Alhammarret's Archive
5Legendary Artifact
doubles both lifegain instances and card draw
Lightning Greaves
2Artifact — Equipment
protects Dina from spot removal with shroud
Swiftfoot Boots
2Artifact — Equipment
provides hexproof and haste for utility creatures
Whip of Erebos
2BBLegendary Enchantment Artifact
grants entire team lifelink and reanimates threats
Shadowspear
1Legendary Artifact — Equipment
gives lifelink, trample, and strips opposing protections
