A little odd for this to be something other than common in this day and age (previous set pack editions made sense with the initial version being uncommon). I strongly suspect Limited concerns have a role in this.
A3Kitsune
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Or possibly WotC just wanted Common Bond to be a common.
A very solid lifegain card that pros like me will combo with Rhox Faithmender.
steev
★★★☆☆ (3.9/5.0)(4 votes)
@calbob23: Angel's Mercy has been outclassed by this card since Invasion. In fact, pretty much any lifegain is better than Angel's Mercy. @LordRandomness: But at least that gets you 2 life per mana. Angel's Mercy gets you 1.75 life/mana spent, and that number is making me really sad wow that's just not good at all...
While true, Angel's Mercy at least gives you more life for your card. As a similar example, Char is widely considered to be a great burn spell despite offering nowhere near the mana efficiency of Shock.
Barjin-N-Blastum
★★★☆☆ (3.2/5.0)(5 votes)
Sadly, I only came here to see lotsofpoopy's comment.
Radagast
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(4 votes)
Lifegain generally doesn't win games. That being said, at least this is aggressively costed lifegain - it's hard to find any card that will grant you 7 life for 2 mana at instant speed. Almost worth considering play in some sort of deck that would need lifegain; the problem there is that you're better off with Lifelink + dealing damage, which is easy to find in green and white.
BongRipper420
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.5/5.0)(1 vote)
Glad to see this reprinted. Life gain generally isn't to awesome unless on a stick of some sort, but still it's nice to see decent life gain instead of cards like Angel's Mercy.
TheWrathofShane
★★☆☆☆ (2.8/5.0)(2 votes)
Good sideboard against a burn. Someone could maindeck this and I wouldnt blink.
MisterAction
★★☆☆☆ (2.8/5.0)(2 votes)
Uuuggghh... get a load of that flavor text.
Damn hippies.
Emperorerror
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Holy crap they finally did it kind of well!!
SuicidalTendancies
★★★★☆ (4.9/5.0)(4 votes)
This much life for this cheap almost negates the "pure life gain always sucks" argument.
Almost.
In the right meta though, this is nuts. Against RDW, this can cancel out two turns. That's at least worth a 3 of in a sideboard.
GrimjawxRULES
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
White/Green/Black lifegain is pretty good, at least in casual, and especially now with Rhox Faithmender.
richardshort
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I loved playing Chalice of life, did a white metalcraft version. Then rotation started to get close, and I figured it was time to let it go until Orzhov came out. Then I realized they reprinted this. Let's see.... Turn 1 Cathedral Sanctifier turn 2 Heroes Reunion, +10 life in before you even drop the chalice. Add Nearheath Pilgrim, Rhox Faithmender, Elixer of Immortality and all kinds a good ways to pump your lifelinkers. This actually works. Definitely in kitchen table standard anyway. A fun deck that can surprise some people at events too.
sonorhC
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Does anyone know who the two heroes in the art are?
Ryjhan
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
how sad is it that i actually have a deck using this and rhox faithmender, just like lotsofpoopy predicted? It just makes getting to 30 to flip chalice of life so easy!
Moxxy
★★★☆☆ (3.5/5.0)(3 votes)
@Ryjhan
Lotsofpoopy is far from pro but knows the basics. It's sad really, if he wasn't so stuck in his own little "pro" persona he wouldn't get downvoted to oblivion.
azure_drake222222
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(2 votes)
This card gives you life equal to 1/3 of the game, and that's pretty good for 2 mana, as long as you're playing the right colors.
ajolt151
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(2 votes)
Lifegain gets a lot of hate, but combo this with Vizkopa Guildmage and her second ability, and you're draining them for 7 while you're gaining seven. That's more "burn" than red typically gets with that mana with a litle setup. It goes without saying you'll want a Rhox Faithmender out there too to make things even better. Solid card.
Winhert
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
This should be cast in response to defeat by health loss. Am I right?
Lifegainwithbite
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Ehh this is mostly just a noob trap. Gaining life without board presence is a classic trap people fall into. When you understand why lifegain without board presence is bad, that's when you stop being a noob.
@atemu1234 Let me quote him: Lifegain generally doesn't win games.
Life gain at the cost of card advantage is usually bad. The only time it's actually good is against red burn decks that throw everything at you ASAP. Then you are basically counteracting 2 lightning bolts with just this 1 card.
Tamerlein
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(1 vote)
While I do agree that new players to the game overestimate how good lifegain is, older players sometimes underestimate it by immediately considering any card that is pure lifegain to be bad. In the right matchup, this actually is card advantage. If you play a RDW deck, especially in modern, most of the time they will be using their burn on you, not your creatures. By playing this card for two mana you made the last two Lightning Bolt s you took to the face useless, and then some.
4/5
Hussalo
★★★★☆ (4.8/5.0)(2 votes)
Someone mentioned Voracious Worm from M14, with this guy. 9/9 on turn 4 much...?
SirLibraryEater
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(1 vote)
Given that this is a card entirely for lifegain, it still won me games at the prerelease. Centaur Healer was a lot better, but this is nothing to scoff at. 7 life can save you against an aggro deck, or stall against a midrange if you want to play more expensive spells(I'm looking at you, Worldspine Wurm). It's certainly worth using.
Simirror
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Always makes me think of Predator when Dutch and Dillon do that flex/broshake thing.
Dutch: "Dillon!... you son of a b***h!"
Angrypossum
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
The relevant cost here isn't the two mana, but the card itself. Losing a card out of your hand for zero impact on the board state is unforgivable. Outside of fringe sideboard use against burn, this card is terrible.
CoilingOracle
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Mega-Giant-Monster-permanent-instant growth for Ageless Entity, especially with a rox :D
That, or just play it like {U} does Unsummons, for tempo.
GruulicAzorian
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I only have one and also don't play Selesnya yet, its better than Angels Mercy, and its legal in tourneys ^.^
icetiberon
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I never thought in a million years I would play this card, but with Boros Burn heavy in the meta, and with 12 shocks and a set on mana confluences in my brave naya deck; this is surprisingly good.
It is always a 2 for 1 against burn just due to the sheer amount of life gained. Just make sure not to play it into Skullcrack.
Comments (34)
@LordRandomness: But at least that gets you 2 life per mana. Angel's Mercy gets you 1.75 life/mana spent, and that number is making me really sad wow that's just not good at all...
While true, Angel's Mercy at least gives you more life for your card. As a similar example, Char is widely considered to be a great burn spell despite offering nowhere near the mana efficiency of Shock.
Damn hippies.
Almost.
In the right meta though, this is nuts. Against RDW, this can cancel out two turns. That's at least worth a 3 of in a sideboard.
Lotsofpoopy is far from pro but knows the basics. It's sad really, if he wasn't so stuck in his own little "pro" persona he wouldn't get downvoted to oblivion.
Let me quote him:
Lifegain generally doesn't win games.
Life gain at the cost of card advantage is usually bad. The only time it's actually good is against red burn decks that throw everything at you ASAP. Then you are basically counteracting 2 lightning bolts with just this 1 card.
4/5
9/9 on turn 4 much...?
Dutch: "Dillon!... you son of a b***h!"
Lifegain isn't bad. It just needs something to combo with and being instant speed has it's uses too.
Cradle of Vitality
Felidar Sovereign
Ageless Entity
Sanguine Bond
That, or just play it like {U} does Unsummons, for tempo.
It is always a 2 for 1 against burn just due to the sheer amount of life gained. Just make sure not to play it into Skullcrack.