So this is a piece of garbage. Seriously, would you even run this in Limited? A card that costs five mana and only nets you three damage? You'd run this? Really? And what makes you think you could actually win? Oh, it's your first time and you're just here to have fun? Well. Okay. Fine.
LordOfTheFlies87
★★☆☆☆ (2.8/5.0)(2 votes)
Imagine: this could have been Tendrils Of Corruption.
Arcanoi
★★★☆☆ (3.6/5.0)(4 votes)
Is it good? No. But it IS removal in limited. You can do worse for a 23rd card.
Gruesome-Tree
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Wohooooooooooooooo They did a reprint! I am so happy! It will defeat my enemies!
No.
People are too mean to it though... Lot of worse cards have gotten higher than 0.8!
ereidivh
★★★☆☆ (3.5/5.0)(1 vote)
This card just won me a draft. It's not great, but don't forget that limited tends to be pretty slow. Not only does it blow up a creature (I found myself rarely casting it on a player, except for the win), but the 3 life gain is pretty strong. This, Bloodhunter Bat and Mark of the Vampire.
This is not meant to be a constructed card, but it's a solid common and I wouldn't turn up my nose at if you're drafting black.
2.5/5
Radagast
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
A rather poor example of black's "Drain Life" abllity... definitley needs to be upgraded into something more useful, IMHO. Still, it is removal in Limited, so it could be worse.
Bobth
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
At least it's better than Absorb Vis, though with that one you can pay to throw it out and get a land, so it might just be a toss up.
Lotsofpoopy
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.5/5.0)(2 votes)
This is great card. I am a pro so I use this to nuke people in the face.
DoragonShinzui
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Okay, so they reprint all those scary, broken, Urza's Legacy cards...
This card is obviously unplayable in constructed, but people give it far too little credit here in the comments. In M13 limited, Essence Drain is a completely fine card, and is even first picked by professionals in weaker packs.
Steinhauser
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(1 vote)
Henrietta below me is entirely right. This card is first pickable in certain cases, and should (almost) always make the cut in a black deck. It's expensive, but a fatastic topdeck that changes the race more than most other removal. And combined with Sign In Blood, it can burn out opponents, giving black some welcome reach.
Lavrant
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(2 votes)
Obvious this is contructed unplayable, but removal is removal and this is more than half-decent in limited.
auhosj877
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
This is one of the best cards in m13 limited. It is certainly first pickable and after murder is either the second or third best black common (possibly behind bloodhunter bat). Removal for 5 has always been good in limited.
Continue
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Let me get this straight. Lightning Helix is and an instant. This is and a sorcery.
...Is black seriously that bad at dealing damage and gaining life at the same time? I mean, look at all the vampires they have! This should be a cakewalk for them! At least make it an instant, and have it cost or something. Oh wait, we already have Vampire Nighthawk at that cost. 0.5/5
Ferlord
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Do remember that black isn't the strongest burn colour. Not only that, but this gives your a +6 life difference between your opponent and you. You're also given the option of smashing some pretentious Nighthawk's nose in.
I'd say it's much better than Lava Axe for these reasons. Neither are playable in constructed, but this gives you options. Lava Axe can easily be a dead draw.
Frostraven
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
1 star.
Compare to blightning and lightning helix.
These spells SHOULD have had a 2 black mana cost, and reach deeper into the flavor.
3 damage does not trade with any playable 5 cmc creature, and thus -- this is only useful for killing lower-costed creatures, causing you to lose tempo.
In a monoblack deck, the only decks that would run this under any circumstances, corrupt and Consume Spirit are better cards.
This is essentially a strictly worse Consume Spirit, only made useful in drafts by having limited removal in ... limited.
Wormfang
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
the difference between this and lightning helix is this came out whilst dark ritual was a thing which has impacted the cost of nearly every black spell in the fist 15 years of magic's history.
Otherwise, the effect is identical to a Consume Spirit cast with four mana - which is currently rated 3.5-3.8, depending on the printing - and this is much less color-demanding.
Now if this had been multi-color and had a lower CMC, it would be receiving a higher community rating.
Comments (19)
They did a reprint!
I am so happy!
It will defeat my enemies!
No.
People are too mean to it though...
Lot of worse cards have gotten higher than 0.8!
It's not great, but don't forget that limited tends to be pretty slow. Not only does it blow up a creature (I found myself rarely casting it on a player, except for the win), but the 3 life gain is pretty strong. This, Bloodhunter Bat and Mark of the Vampire.
This is not meant to be a constructed card, but it's a solid common and I wouldn't turn up my nose at if you're drafting black.
2.5/5
And then this.
This card is obviously unplayable in constructed, but people give it far too little credit here in the comments. In M13 limited, Essence Drain is a completely fine card, and is even first picked by professionals in weaker packs.
...Is black seriously that bad at dealing damage and gaining life at the same time? I mean, look at all the vampires they have! This should be a cakewalk for them! At least make it an instant, and have it cost
Not only that, but this gives your a +6 life difference between your opponent and you. You're also given the option of smashing some pretentious Nighthawk's nose in.
I'd say it's much better than Lava Axe for these reasons. Neither are playable in constructed, but this gives you options. Lava Axe can easily be a dead draw.
Compare to blightning and lightning helix.
These spells SHOULD have had a 2 black mana cost, and reach deeper into the flavor.
3 damage does not trade with any playable 5 cmc creature, and thus -- this is only useful for killing lower-costed creatures, causing you to lose tempo.
In a monoblack deck, the only decks that would run this under any circumstances, corrupt and Consume Spirit are better cards.
This is essentially a strictly worse Consume Spirit, only made useful in drafts by having limited removal in ... limited.
Otherwise, the effect is identical to a Consume Spirit cast with four mana - which is currently rated 3.5-3.8, depending on the printing - and this is much less color-demanding.
Now if this had been multi-color and had a lower CMC, it would be receiving a higher community rating.