This card won me many a prerelease game facing down a wall of blockers with my Blessing of Nature 'd Demonlord Ashmouth.
ToAsTy42o
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(5 votes)
great common. even if you have JUST a vanilla 2/2 on the board, that's still a 4 life difference for only 3.... GREAT if you have a late-game monster in play. won me a couple games at pre-release.
DarthParallax
★☆☆☆☆ (1.6/5.0)(4 votes)
Gisela breaks this. Kaalia breaks Gisela. It's not my fault Wizards made this set 'broken with Kaalia'. I am merely stating facts.
DoragonShinzui
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(2 votes)
Potentially very hefty, especially with all those fancy demons around.
Voriki
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(2 votes)
Demon decks. Come on people. A tribal that will almost always net a 12 life difference minimum. Plus, look at the flavor. :D
Tsuichoi
★★★☆☆ (3.0/5.0)(1 vote)
An interesting possible addition to my Orzhov deck, although unfortunately, there isnt a large number of particularly beefy creatures in my deck that would benefit from this- if only it was dependent on a different variable then Power...
Oh well, still interesting, has potential, i seem a bit more optimistic about this one then most...
shotoku64
★★★★☆ (4.8/5.0)(2 votes)
This is the stupidest card in the set (in the good way). It is far too easy to break. I was easily hit with 10 by this at the prerelease with renegade demon and rush of blood. I kicked myself the rest of the night for not putting these in my deck
Taxiarchos
★★★★☆ (4.0/5.0)(1 vote)
Have Bloodflow Connoisseur out and dual cast a Thatcher Revolt and sac them all, pull this out next turn and duel cast it. Even better if you have a Blood Artist all the while ;D hey a guy can dream..
Raszero
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
My Kresh, the Bloodbraided deck is going to really enjoy using this in Commander when he hits those big numbers :D
CrazyBlindMonk
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I like this common card in my Mono-Black deck. Equip Phyrexian Obliterator with a Lashwrithe have him at 10/10. Then play Essence Harvest gain ten have the opponent lose ten, then attack with Obliterator. This combo saved me a few games against some friends.
The_Craft
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
People just don't like life gain, if this just did damage it would be rated around 4 haha, 5/5
InfernalPyre
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Charmbreaker Devils anyone? Artful Dodge + Essence Harvest makes it 12 burn damage, 12 life gain and 12 Unblockable for 4 Mana and not too hard to set up.
WoWbolt17
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
This card is basically "the most powerful creature you control gains double strike and you gain life equal to that creatures power"
P.S. Just for the turn you play it though, but still very good
AshToMoutHound
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
So far it's worked well for me. I kinda see this as an upgrade for Consume Spirit, it's much more flexible even though it doesn't target creatures. Finishers anyway, and black has a lot of ways to kill creatures, with or without the lifegain.
EDIT: Oh, and today I realized too late that this would've combo'ed well with Trepanation Bladed creature.... oh well.
Lash_of_Dragonbreath
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(1 vote)
@DarthParralax: RTFC. Gisela doubles damage, not loss of life. Unless you meant that casting this for X=5 is broken, which it isn't. Now, saccing The Mimeoplasm when he's a 20/20... Would be enough to make me giggle if there wasn't already Greater Good.
Running a black white exalt. Put a Spirit Mantle on a creature (preferably a Nighthawk, my preferred attacker). Swing with the Nighthawk, typically gain a 5+ exalted bonus by the time I get this combo ready. That's a 8/9 unblockable lifelink, and then since Exalt lasts until end of turn, Essence Harvest for a total life difference of 32.
With Volrath the Fallen as one of my EDH commanders, when used well this can help me take out two players in one turn (including Volrath swinging) and give me over twenty life back. The mana for this curves nicely if discarding 2 creatures with Volrath, as is usually the case with the large size of black creatures I use.
oh you just tapped my Desecration demon? Geuss I'll do this.
Emperorerror
★★★☆☆ (3.5/5.0)(1 vote)
If it only it were an instant... Maybe next time, exalted.
Ragamander
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I kind of want to cast this with Malignus and Serra Avatar under my control, then hit it with Increasing Vengeance or Reverberate. It's not the easiest Malignus combo in Standard/Type-II, but it is elegant in the logical proof of its lethality.
With just Serra Avatar, your opponent loses life (and you gain life) equal to 300% of your current life total. With just Malignus, your opponent loses life (and you gain life) equal to 75% of his/her current life total, rounded up. But with both, your opponent dies. The first Harvest will always drain at least half of your opponent's life, rounded up. Your new life total will exceed your opponent's, making the next Harvest lethal.
Plus, this is yet another card that interacts in odd ways with Death's Shadow. I like that.
resturgence
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Played this with an 18/18 Primordial Hydra under my control. That was fun.
2-Bravo
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I mentioned this card with regards to Consuming Aberration earlier. See, with an Aberration on the table, Essence Harvest will determine X after it resolves. Note that the Aberration forces the opponent to mill until they hit a land card, ensuring that the Aberration is much bigger before spell resolution. If time was taken to set up an opponent's graveyard for a larger Aberration earlier in a game, Essence Harvest could easily end the match.
Another good card to pair this with is Wight of Precinct Six, especially if your opponent has lots of creatures to mill or kill.
Adderbine
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
This card is great for that last little hit to bring your opponent down at the last second, especially if your creatures don't quite cut it and you know you won't survive one more turn. Won me numerous games like that.
blurrymadness
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Excellent way to get your life back from a Demon of Death's Gate. Nail them for 9, gain 9 back.
Works well in reanimator or with many of the high-powered demons/horrors that exist.
somegeek
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Decent for 2nd main phase in an exalted deck.
TowerDefender
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Geist-honored monk do not approve of this card.
VoidLord
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Consuming Aberration
Osprey_93
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
@Emperorerror
Exalted buffs will remain on the creature until the end of turn, making this available to cast in your second main phase. It's a very lethal combo so be wary of your opponents trying to kill your exalted creature prior to the harvest resolving and you would go far with it.
MechaKraken
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Pair this up with Rhox Faithmender to double your life gain for this spell.
Comments (39)
That's it really
Plus, look at the flavor. :D
Oh well, still interesting, has potential, i seem a bit more optimistic about this one then most...
It is far too easy to break. I was easily hit with 10 by this at the prerelease with renegade demon and rush of blood.
I kicked myself the rest of the night for not putting these in my deck
P.S. Just for the turn you play it though, but still very good
EDIT: Oh, and today I realized too late that this would've combo'ed well with Trepanation Bladed creature.... oh well.
Now, saccing The Mimeoplasm when he's a 20/20... Would be enough to make me giggle if there wasn't already Greater Good.
Running a black white exalt. Put a Spirit Mantle on a creature (preferably a Nighthawk, my preferred attacker). Swing with the Nighthawk, typically gain a 5+ exalted bonus by the time I get this combo ready. That's a 8/9 unblockable lifelink, and then since Exalt lasts until end of turn, Essence Harvest for a total life difference of 32.
With just Serra Avatar, your opponent loses life (and you gain life) equal to 300% of your current life total. With just Malignus, your opponent loses life (and you gain life) equal to 75% of his/her current life total, rounded up. But with both, your opponent dies. The first Harvest will always drain at least half of your opponent's life, rounded up. Your new life total will exceed your opponent's, making the next Harvest lethal.
Plus, this is yet another card that interacts in odd ways with Death's Shadow. I like that.
Another good card to pair this with is Wight of Precinct Six, especially if your opponent has lots of creatures to mill or kill.
Works well in reanimator or with many of the high-powered demons/horrors that exist.
Exalted buffs will remain on the creature until the end of turn, making this available to cast in your second main phase. It's a very lethal combo so be wary of your opponents trying to kill your exalted creature prior to the harvest resolving and you would go far with it.
Chandra, the Firebrand can also double the potency of this spell.