Combo's nicely as a finisher to Sorin Markov's -3. Combos very expensively, but combos none the less.
A0602
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Will probably win you the game.
Compared to Corrupt, you have to wait another turn to cast it, but the reward is greater. Also, you don't have to go mono-swamp in your deck so non-basic lands can be used more. In a ramp deck, this could be VERY scary.
HairlessThoctar
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
There's only so many parallels between this and Corrupt.
Corrupt hits creatures, and more importantly can only be run in mono-black decks. This let's B/X control decks get in on the Corrupt style shenanigans.
Lash_of_Dragonbreath
★★★★☆ (4.2/5.0)(8 votes)
10 life lost sure is a lot. Not sure what good the lifegain part will do, 10 damage in late game is usually expected to kill a player. On comparisons between this and corrupt, I like this one better, because it doesn't require mono-black and will almost always be bigger than Corrupt.
And did I say I love the flavor? After a long struggle, you simply put a sword through your opponent's body and drain his life. In Sorin's words, it is indeed a glorious end.
ThisisSakon
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I was wondering how they would fit the planeswalker cards for Sorin and Gideon.
I must say, they did a much better job with Gideon's cards...
Kyzar
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.5/5.0)(3 votes)
sorin needed a creature
WateryMind
★★★★☆ (4.2/5.0)(11 votes)
Sorin works alone. Its sorta fitting that he doesn't have any creatures.
Also, these two artists are sooooo bloody (heh) good! Seriously WoTC, let them do more art!\
As for the card... Wow. Great finisher.
Deco_y
★★★★☆ (4.7/5.0)(33 votes)
FINISH HIM
TheSwarm
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.5/5.0)(4 votes)
Say Wha? Turn seven insta win with Sorin? Yes Please? If Monoblack dont get off the gorund in standard now it never will.
Corrupt in MBC was usually to the dome anyways. This seems slightly better on average, and doesn't require you to play mono-black. Say, you could play green ramp and finish with this.
Revelation666
★★★☆☆ (3.9/5.0)(5 votes)
I don't see how anyone can say this isn't that good, this is the perfect finisher for MBC. 20 point life swing for 7? If it resolves I don't see how you could lose, and that's worth paying 7 if you ask me.
"Oooh it costs 7 mana, thats too much for standard now you shouldnt play anything more than 6 that doesnt win you the game instantly."
Well it pretty much does.
In standard today, what deck would you have to play against to NOT turn the game completely around by playing this card?? Not only do they lose 10 life, but you GAIN 10 life on top of that. FOR 7 MANA.
If that's not mana-efficient, I dont know what is.
Mike-C
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Phyrexian Unlife + this = insta kill. True or False??
mutantman
★★★☆☆ (3.5/5.0)(3 votes)
FINISH HIM
SORIN WINS! FATALITY!
Alsebra
★★★☆☆ (3.5/5.0)(2 votes)
@TwoStars - I see it as his foyer, actually...most entryways in castles have a greeting area that has a marble/tiled floor.
@Polychromatic - Unless you're taking a slight liberty with the lyrics, you're off...
"Shot through the heart and you're to blame You give love a bad name."
HippyRei
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
It's kinda like "Win the game. If you didn't win the game, here's some life! Good luck!"
PrimordialLiege
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I love this card it took me all the way to 2st place at the launch party and i cast it every game but the last match against some one who drafted blood-thirst. there is no was this card is bad and any one who says so is dead worng.
Megapossum
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I might just have to make my U/B control deck run this. soooooooooo good.
KitaFer
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
... I hate to be "that guy"... but I'd REALLY hate to be THAT guy...
SleetFox
★★★★☆ (4.0/5.0)(3 votes)
This is basically Cruel Ultimatum. If it doesn't kill you, you'll be so behind that it doesn't matter much.
It's probably the weaker card, but it's a lot easier to cast.
Axelle
★★☆☆☆ (2.8/5.0)(2 votes)
That is one hardcore death.
Hayw00d0909
★★★★☆ (4.2/5.0)(2 votes)
Got three of these as the main finishers for a casual mono black artifact deck with Dark Ritual and Everflowing Chalice.
Solid finisher, and at worst, you gain 10 life and badly damage your foe.
ObsceneMartyr
★★★★☆ (4.0/5.0)(2 votes)
this definately combos nicely w/ Sorin's ability. Costs only one more than blood tribute, minus the tapped vamp. I was pleased to see this one in the mix.
Guest742242900
★★★★☆ (4.0/5.0)(2 votes)
sorin is badass
TherealphatMatt
★★★★☆ (4.0/5.0)(3 votes)
Let me put it this way.
You just put a 20-point gap between you and the other guy. If this doesn't win you the game, god help you if you can't finish them after that.
DacenOctavio
★★★★☆ (4.2/5.0)(2 votes)
A brief history of Drain spells.
Drain Life - A classic case of Black getting the powers of other colors, albeit at higher cost overall. In this case, Drain Life combined the sheer damage output of Fireball with the replenishing effects of Stream of Life. Also the first spell in this tradition to require lots of black mana. Succeeded by Consume Spirit, which places no limit on the life drained from the target.
Urborg Syphon-Mage - Ah! Spellshapers! They work so well with madness, and this particular one is quite the MVP in multiplayer.
Essence Drain - Splashable, though limited. Always deals 3 and you always gain 3.
Feast of Flesh - Useful in the early game, much more useful in the later game if you drew the other 3 copies.
Soul Spike - Nothing's quite as powerful as 4 damage for free at instant speed. Ask Fireblast. Fewer things are more powerful than 4 damage/drain at instant speed!
Tendrils of Agony - Ahh. . . say it with me: STORM! This little number is the premier kill card for quite a few potent legacy decks. Even if the storm doesn't finish them off, they'll be so far behind it's usually game over.
Tendrils of Corruption - Ridiculously powerful if your deck runs on mono swamps, and let's face it, a ton of decks do. Replaced in standard by Corrupt for the decks that desire this sort of scaled effect.
Exsanguinate - Much like the Urborg Syphon-Mage, although much more devastating if you don't get it countered in multiplayer. Also works around pesky things like Leyline of Sanctity.
Cruel Ultimatum - One of the most cherished cards on this list, this was considered the pinnacle of what kind of value a 7 mana spell could give you: 10-life swing, an edict, recursion, discard, and card draw! This is the Cadillac of the Ultimatum cycle for sure.
And now we get this rich history of black drain spells followed up by this little beauty. Look at that. 10 damage. 10 damage! 10 life! For just a little over the converted mana cost of a Titan, you get the ability to very easily one-shot your opponent if you've been applying the right pressure. Take this glorious finisher and use it well. Make Sorin proud.
Angrynord
★★★★☆ (4.8/5.0)(6 votes)
Don't count this card out. It makes for an excellent "one of". Shouta Yasooka won a game against Tomya Fujimoto with it at the recent Japan Nationals.
Asmodi0000
★★★★☆ (5.0/5.0)(23 votes)
List of things to do:
1. Not pìss off Sorin.
JaxsonBateman
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Goes well with Pyromancer's Ascension. Probably not well enough to break into standard, given that you can just include umpteen burn spells instead, but it's pretty fun in a casual setting. It's almost like 'ending too early', if you know what I mean. ^_-
Turn 4: cast last spell to get Ascension active. Turn 5: Time Warp x 2. Turn 6: play land. Turn 7: Sorin's Vengeance x 2, taking opponent from 20 to 0. "Oh, is it over already?". A 40 point life swing in the space of a single turn is pretty huge in anyone's books. =P
I like it! Do you know what is easier though? Tezzeret, agent of bolas using his -4 with enough artifacts out to overpower this. But hey, they might work well together. Make a kinky little life-drain deck with all these and sanguine bond and exsanguinate
Ladnarud
★☆☆☆☆ (1.5/5.0)(7 votes)
Of course it's a good card, maybe even too overpowered, but it's just so monumentally boring. 10 damage, 10 life. 7 mana.
Amazing card, combos very well with Sorin's -3. a great finsher in my Mono-Black deck and even when the opp is higher like a game i was playing today were he was at 40, it still gives you 10 life and thats a huge jump and advantage and its a perfect card to pick up when you have nothing to do that turn. 4.5/5 it could cost 1-2 mana less.
Jmcdg
★★☆☆☆ (2.5/5.0)(3 votes)
What the hell... I just dont understand how NOBODY thought about *****SANGUINE BOND***** the SUPER
enchantment that make your opponent lose life equal to the life you've gained this turn... HUM HELLO? A
clear, plane and simple, one, shot, kill. (at 20-point that is)
It has been made to combo with this card that is, HOW FORTUNATE, a vampire theme card.
Ninjakraken
★★☆☆☆ (2.0/5.0)(4 votes)
@Deco_y I was gonna say that!
JFM2796
★☆☆☆☆ (1.5/5.0)(3 votes)
Ouch. If this is not enough to kill your opponent, there is a serious problem with your deck.
EDIT: Got one at a draft. I finished off three games with it in a blue/black deck. I ended up placing second.
EDIT: Got another one at a draft. I finished off three games with it in a blue/black deck. I ended up placing third.
SorianSadaskan
★★☆☆☆ (2.8/5.0)(4 votes)
@ Deco_y
"FATALITY"
Dr_Fletchers
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Mono Black here I come.....A possible game ender but this card runs a massive risk from Reverberate and Redirect.
@Lash_of_Dragonbreath Not sure what good the lifegain part will do, 10 damage in late game is usually expected to kill a player.
I've been at 10 life with my opponent at 20 and they've conceded after this gets played. The 10 life gain is the other half of the spell. Otherwise, in that scenario, they'd only be brought down to my level. For 7 mana I would expect a lot more than that. Sure, this is awesome when they have 10 life and I finish them, but this doesn't get played only in those scenarios.
NeoKoda
★★★★☆ (4.4/5.0)(7 votes)
Seems quite good considering everyone uses Dismember outside of Black, these days.
And I'd like to think that Sorin was dueling an obnoxious Blue mage, who kept countering all of his spells, so Sorin just walked up and ran him through.
whitedeck
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
amazing, especially in FNM, if you played sorin first bam opponent already to ten, play this next and thats game.
dontmess17
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
yeah, he's stabbing the guy who just tried to use Absorb Vis on him
Okuu-chan
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(3 votes)
I don't know if anyone has mentioned this, but Sorin is pinning that guy to the wall at least 20 feet up off the floor. Look at the carpet and stairs below them.
EDIT: Or not. The perspective's way off. Sorin's foot is on the floor, casting a shadow. o_O
Kirbster
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
FATALITY.
Helluminatus
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
A strong card, a great finisher and a worthy last-ditch effort. It may be expensive (mana wise), but it puts a pretty big dent in a player. And if you happen to have Sorin out... well that's just fine
DarthParallax
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Gandalf vs. Balrog: ''Swords are no more use here! Fly, you fools!''
Sorin Markov, Lord of Innistrad vs. Balrog: ''Mine's bigger. Bring it, b*tch.''
TheWrathofShane
★★★☆☆ (3.5/5.0)(3 votes)
Yall are extremely spoiled. Its 7 mana for a 20 point life swing. I built a standard deck around this card, its my only win condition. I win allot of games. And guess how much this baby costs online? 5 freaking cents. Hilarious how now of days cards like these are considered trash rares.
@paleopaladin This of course. Only costs 1 more then blood tribute, and if you dealt any kind of damage this ends up being better, and can finish. Only exception would be if they gain massive ammounts of life. So blood tribute might be a sideboard option.
@ignite Name a card that can do {10} damage off the bat for 7 mana. {X} type spells u usally would need {11}. Shavian meteor can only target creatures, and needs another card to hit the player. Even if you dont utilize the life gain, its 2 lava axes rolled into 1 for {2} more cc. The life gain puts this way over the top. In ramp you get this out fast, and are not going to kill them with it.
One impossible hand i got I won on turn 5. x3 sphere of the suns x2 sorin's vengeance x2 swamps
Considering all the cheaper mana accell in green, and the other {2}cc arftifact creatures that can ramp, this situation isnt hard to pull off. I run 4 in my ramp deck.
Tzaph
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
VAE VICTIS! Because whenever I read Sorin's flavour text, it's in Kain's voice.
Having this Canceled = biggest dumbass feeling on Earth
GlassJoetheChamp
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Love surprising my opponent with this in mono-black control. Ping him slowly throughout the game with Geth's Verdicts and Falkenrath Nobles, then BAM. Wincon out of nowhere. ;)
dlgn
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
If Sorin's killing him with a sword, then where does the "Gain Life" clause come in? I mean, they said that Innistrad vampires don't drink the blood of dead people...
Raubhautz
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Great card! 10 damage should end the game in late-game, and if not, the 10 life will give you a lift. The only caveat I see is the 7 cost, though I don't expect this card to be played early, so that is acceptable.
I really like this card I just love using it as a finisher or a table flipper This and Sanguine Bond were my first rares and I usually kept them together for a 20 damage win.
I also play this with 4x Diabolic Tutor, throw in a Consume Spirit or 2 and you have some good win conditions with ways to get them in your hand.
atemu1234
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(3 votes)
VAMPIRES! DO! NOT! SPARKLE! That's what you get for telling Sorin that Edward Cullen is a better vampire.
Gcrudaplaneswalker
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
THAT. Is one sword I will never get anywhere near.
Kura-san
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I really wish there was an Equip of Sorin's sword. Just look at it pulse and drain the victim of his blood!
Ripping this from a certain popular MOBA game, it might've been named The Bloodthirster or Sanguine Blade.
Pigfish99
★★★★☆ (4.4/5.0)(7 votes)
this is a lifegain you do NOT want to see your oppoment cast. It makes a 20 point gap, and can easily end games. sure, the triple B in it makes it clumsy for black decks, but think about it.
Suicide black is about ripping their own arm off to whack you in the head with it. If they did this, and then Sign in blood, you suddenly realise they can turn that lifegain into draw gain, which can lead to a second one of these.
I've said this before, and I'll say it again: Lifegain is UNDERRATED.
G14N14RI12
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(2 votes)
This card seems designed to be played the turn after Sorin Markov. Sorin uses his -3 ability to take the opponent to 10 life, opponent tramples over Sorin's last loyalty counter, then Sorin exacts vengeance.
Lifegainwithbite
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
@Pigfish99: My name makes me inclined to agree. Except against infect. But everyone hates infect anyway.
tcollins
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
The thing people don't get about the 10 points of life gained is that {B} has lots of channeling that extra life straight into an advantage...card advantage? Sign in Blood, Vault Skirge, Reanimate all sorts of good black spells use life total to grant advantages. Not to mention in a deck that doesn't use that to it's advantage, it can be that saving grace from being at 2 hit points to being at 12.
Wormfang
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
the new orzhovan Blood Baron of Vizkopa likes this card as an assitant for enabling his finishing moves.
Comments (86)
Compared to Corrupt, you have to wait another turn to cast it, but the reward is greater. Also, you don't have to go mono-swamp in your deck so non-basic lands can be used more. In a ramp deck, this could be VERY scary.
Corrupt hits creatures, and more importantly can only be run in mono-black decks.
This let's B/X control decks get in on the Corrupt style shenanigans.
And did I say I love the flavor? After a long struggle, you simply put a sword through your opponent's body and drain his life. In Sorin's words, it is indeed a glorious end.
I must say, they did a much better job with Gideon's cards...
Also, these two artists are sooooo bloody (heh) good! Seriously WoTC, let them do more art!\
As for the card... Wow. Great finisher.
and are those..Stairs to his left?
Is sorin killing someone in a kitchen?
@TwoStars: Well he is a vampire. Maybe it's his kitchen and he's making dinner.
Cast Sorin's Vengeance only if you would win the game.
Can deal the same damage or more, costs less mana and can target creatures.
1/5
You give love... A bad name!
"Oooh it costs 7 mana, thats too much for standard now you shouldnt play anything more than 6 that doesnt win you the game instantly."
Well it pretty much does.
In standard today, what deck would you have to play against to NOT turn the game completely around by playing this card?? Not only do they lose 10 life, but you GAIN 10 life on top of that. FOR 7 MANA.
If that's not mana-efficient, I dont know what is.
SORIN WINS! FATALITY!
@Polychromatic - Unless you're taking a slight liberty with the lyrics, you're off...
"Shot through the heart and you're to blame
You give love a bad name."
It's probably the weaker card, but it's a lot easier to cast.
Also sort of wishing I had a few Chandra, The Firebrand and some Reverberates right about now for the lols...
You just put a 20-point gap between you and the other guy. If this doesn't win you the game, god help you if you can't finish them after that.
Drain Life - A classic case of Black getting the powers of other colors, albeit at higher cost overall. In this case, Drain Life combined the sheer damage output of Fireball with the replenishing effects of Stream of Life. Also the first spell in this tradition to require lots of black mana. Succeeded by Consume Spirit, which places no limit on the life drained from the target.
Urborg Syphon-Mage - Ah! Spellshapers! They work so well with madness, and this particular one is quite the MVP in multiplayer.
Essence Drain - Splashable, though limited. Always deals 3 and you always gain 3.
Feast of Flesh - Useful in the early game, much more useful in the later game if you drew the other 3 copies.
Soul Spike - Nothing's quite as powerful as 4 damage for free at instant speed. Ask Fireblast. Fewer things are more powerful than 4 damage/drain at instant speed!
Tendrils of Agony - Ahh. . . say it with me: STORM! This little number is the premier kill card for quite a few potent legacy decks. Even if the storm doesn't finish them off, they'll be so far behind it's usually game over.
Tendrils of Corruption - Ridiculously powerful if your deck runs on mono swamps, and let's face it, a ton of decks do. Replaced in standard by Corrupt for the decks that desire this sort of scaled effect.
Exsanguinate - Much like the Urborg Syphon-Mage, although much more devastating if you don't get it countered in multiplayer. Also works around pesky things like Leyline of Sanctity.
Cruel Ultimatum - One of the most cherished cards on this list, this was considered the pinnacle of what kind of value a 7 mana spell could give you: 10-life swing, an edict, recursion, discard, and card draw! This is the Cadillac of the Ultimatum cycle for sure.
And now we get this rich history of black drain spells followed up by this little beauty. Look at that. 10 damage. 10 damage! 10 life! For just a little over the converted mana cost of a Titan, you get the ability to very easily one-shot your opponent if you've been applying the right pressure. Take this glorious finisher and use it well. Make Sorin proud.
1. Not pìss off Sorin.
Turn 4: cast last spell to get Ascension active.
Turn 5: Time Warp x 2.
Turn 6: play land.
Turn 7: Sorin's Vengeance x 2, taking opponent from 20 to 0. "Oh, is it over already?". A 40 point life swing in the space of a single turn is pretty huge in anyone's books. =P
/yawn
Also, it makes a VERY easy target for things like Redirect or Reverberate.
3.5/5
4.5/5 it could cost 1-2 mana less.
enchantment that make your opponent lose life equal to the life you've gained this turn... HUM HELLO? A
clear, plane and simple, one, shot, kill. (at 20-point that is)
It has been made to combo with this card that is, HOW FORTUNATE, a vampire theme card.
I was gonna say that!
EDIT: Got one at a draft. I finished off three games with it in a blue/black deck. I ended up placing second.
EDIT: Got another one at a draft. I finished off three games with it in a blue/black deck. I ended up placing third.
"FATALITY"
Not sure what good the lifegain part will do, 10 damage in late game is usually expected to kill a player.
I've been at 10 life with my opponent at 20 and they've conceded after this gets played. The 10 life gain is the other half of the spell. Otherwise, in that scenario, they'd only be brought down to my level. For 7 mana I would expect a lot more than that. Sure, this is awesome when they have 10 life and I finish them, but this doesn't get played only in those scenarios.
And I'd like to think that Sorin was dueling an obnoxious Blue mage, who kept countering all of his spells, so Sorin just walked up and ran him through.
EDIT: Or not. The perspective's way off. Sorin's foot is on the floor, casting a shadow. o_O
Sorin Markov, Lord of Innistrad vs. Balrog: ''Mine's bigger. Bring it, b*tch.''
@paleopaladin
This of course. Only costs 1 more then blood tribute, and if you dealt any kind of damage this ends up being better, and can finish. Only exception would be if they gain massive ammounts of life. So blood tribute might be a sideboard option.
@ignite
Name a card that can do {10} damage off the bat for 7 mana. {X} type spells u usally would need {11}. Shavian meteor can only target creatures, and needs another card to hit the player. Even if you dont utilize the life gain, its 2 lava axes rolled into 1 for {2} more cc. The life gain puts this way over the top. In ramp you get this out fast, and are not going to kill them with it.
One impossible hand i got I won on turn 5.
x3 sphere of the suns
x2 sorin's vengeance
x2 swamps
T1 swamp
T2 swamp sphere
T3 swamp sphere sphere
T4 swamp vengeance
T5 FATALITY
Considering all the cheaper mana accell in green, and the other {2}cc arftifact creatures that can ramp, this situation isnt hard to pull off. I run 4 in my ramp deck.
Because whenever I read Sorin's flavour text, it's in Kain's voice.
T7 This.
^Dream game above
I just love using it as a finisher or a table flipper
This and Sanguine Bond were my first rares
and I usually kept them together for a 20 damage win.
I also play this with 4x Diabolic Tutor, throw in a Consume Spirit or 2 and you have some good win conditions with ways to get them in your hand.
Ripping this from a certain popular MOBA game, it might've been named The Bloodthirster or Sanguine Blade.
Suicide black is about ripping their own arm off to whack you in the head with it.
If they did this, and then Sign in blood, you suddenly realise they can turn that lifegain into draw gain, which can lead to a second one of these.
I've said this before, and I'll say it again: Lifegain is UNDERRATED.
5/5, would BS into play again.
Double check that wording, mate.