Witherbloom Drain Thesis

core

Every life point gained fuels drains and payoffs, while bigger gains return costlier creatures.

Lifegain×1Drain×0.8Death trigger×0.5

Sets your commander and theme, then adds about 25 cards that fit plus 20 lands. You fill in the rest.

High Impact Cards

5 picks from the top 40 of 668 cards that fit

View All High Impact Cards

LifegainDrain
EDHREC #460 · $78.68
DrainLifegainDeath trigger
EDHREC #2,286 · $24.84 · art Slawomir Maniak
Hidden gemLifegainDeath trigger
EDHREC #7,167 · $4.57 · art Todd Lockwood
Lifegain
EDHREC #2,723 · $3.31 · art Volkan Baǵa
LifegainDrainDeath trigger
EDHREC #513 · $24.46

Candidate pool (score = fit × commander × quality × popularity × art)

#	card	score	fit	cmd	q	pop	art	rank	matched
1	Vein Ripper	1.918	1.14	1.30	0.72	1.69	1.25	2732	Drain, Lifegain, Death trigger
2	Kalitas, Traitor of Ghet	1.787	0.75	1.33	0.85	2.03	1.13	7167	Lifegain, Death trigger
3	Ob Nixilis of the Black Oath	1.751	0.84	1.32	0.70	2.15	1.25	9658	Lifegain, Drain
4	Batterskull	1.740	0.70	1.32	0.92	1.90	1.13	4993	Lifegain
5	Falkenrath Noble	1.726	1.17	1.30	0.80	1.59	1.00	2018	Drain, Lifegain, Death trigger
6	Sorin the Mirthless	1.609	0.62	1.27	0.85	2.08	1.25	8100	Lifegain, Drain
7	Revenge of Ravens	1.607	0.98	1.31	0.70	1.71	1.25	2871	Lifegain, Drain
8	Sheoldred, the Apocalypse	1.575	1.12	1.31	0.93	1.20	1.00	460	Lifegain, Drain
9	Epicure of Blood	1.404	1.12	1.30	0.60	1.65	1.25	6974	Lifegain, Drain
10	Professor Onyx	1.377	0.94	1.30	0.68	1.60	1.25	2403	Drain, Lifegain
11	Kokusho, the Evening Star	1.369	0.98	1.30	0.70	1.63	1.13	2286	Drain, Lifegain, Death trigger
12	Sanguine Bond	1.352	1.16	1.30	0.70	1.22	1.25	505	Lifegain, Drain
13	Vito, Thorn of the Dusk Rose	1.260	1.14	1.31	0.68	1.20	1.25	492	Lifegain, Drain
14	Sling-Gang Lieutenant	1.255	0.72	1.22	0.75	1.96	1.13	5948	Drain, Lifegain, Death trigger
15	Palace Siege	1.251	0.84	1.30	0.70	1.96	1.00	5867	Lifegain, Drain
16	Massacre Girl, Most Wanted	1.250	0.88	1.21	0.60	2.01	1.25	29252	Drain, Lifegain, Death trigger
17	South Wind Avatar	1.240	1.13	1.30	0.60	1.61	1.13	5766	Lifegain, Drain, Death trigger
18	Valley Rotcaller	1.215	0.94	1.33	0.70	1.66	1.00	2492	Drain, Lifegain
19	Sephiroth, Fabled SOLDIER // Sephiroth, One-Winged Angel	1.209	1.01	1.27	0.75	1.45	1.00	1257	Drain, Lifegain, Death trigger
20	Exsanguinate	1.202	1.11	1.30	0.72	1.09	1.25	277	Drain, Lifegain
21	Blood Artist	1.194	1.12	1.25	0.80	0.95	1.25	141	Drain, Lifegain, Death trigger
22	Gray Merchant of Asphodel	1.191	1.07	1.30	0.80	1.06	1.13	245	Drain, Lifegain
23	The Meathook Massacre	1.164	0.92	1.26	0.88	1.22	1.00	513	Lifegain, Drain, Death trigger
24	Umezawa's Jitte	1.155	0.50	1.26	0.90	1.71	1.25	2947	Lifegain
25	Graveyard Trespasser // Graveyard Glutton	1.130	0.74	1.26	0.65	2.11	1.10	16749	Lifegain, Drain
26	Vraan, Executioner Thane	1.072	1.14	1.31	0.60	1.55	1.00	4279	Drain, Lifegain, Death trigger
27	Venerated Stormsinger	1.065	1.08	1.33	0.60	1.60	1.00	5471	Lifegain, Drain, Death trigger
28	Bloodthirsty Conqueror	1.063	1.04	1.30	0.70	1.34	1.00	829	Lifegain, Drain
29	Archon of Cruelty	1.062	0.74	1.26	0.80	1.41	1.13	1086	Lifegain, Drain
30	Cosmos Elixir	1.028	0.70	1.30	0.72	1.69	1.10	2723	Lifegain
31	Vengeful Bloodwitch	1.025	1.01	1.27	0.60	1.37	1.25	1761	Drain, Lifegain, Death trigger
32	Whip of Erebos	1.016	0.70	1.43	0.78	1.30	1.13	713	Lifegain
33	Wurmcoil Engine	1.015	0.64	1.32	0.85	1.41	1.10	1062	Lifegain, Death trigger
34	Sorin Markov	1.008	0.88	1.30	0.65	1.68	1.00	4181	Lifegain, Drain
35	Consume Spirit	1.004	0.84	1.30	0.60	1.81	1.10	13242	Lifegain, Drain
36	Twilight Prophet	0.995	0.81	1.25	0.78	1.43	1.00	1135	Drain, Lifegain
37	Phyrexian Fleshgorger	0.986	0.60	1.30	0.70	2.16	1.00	9784	Lifegain
38	Vindictive Vampire	0.957	0.94	1.25	0.60	1.56	1.13	4459	Lifegain, Drain, Death trigger
39	Fell Beast of Mordor	0.928	0.88	1.31	0.60	1.73	1.00	9803	Lifegain, Drain
40	Barrowgoyf	0.922	0.50	1.25	0.80	1.83	1.13	4143	Lifegain

Scoring cards for this theme…

Candidate pool (score = fit × commander × quality × popularity × art)

#	card	score	fit	cmd	q	pop	art	rank	matched
1	Vein Ripper	1.918	1.14	1.30	0.72	1.69	1.25	2732	Drain, Lifegain, Death trigger
2	Kalitas, Traitor of Ghet	1.787	0.75	1.33	0.85	2.03	1.13	7167	Lifegain, Death trigger
3	Ob Nixilis of the Black Oath	1.751	0.84	1.32	0.70	2.15	1.25	9658	Lifegain, Drain
4	Batterskull	1.740	0.70	1.32	0.92	1.90	1.13	4993	Lifegain
5	Falkenrath Noble	1.726	1.17	1.30	0.80	1.59	1.00	2018	Drain, Lifegain, Death trigger
6	Sorin the Mirthless	1.609	0.62	1.27	0.85	2.08	1.25	8100	Lifegain, Drain
7	Revenge of Ravens	1.607	0.98	1.31	0.70	1.71	1.25	2871	Lifegain, Drain
8	Sheoldred, the Apocalypse	1.575	1.12	1.31	0.93	1.20	1.00	460	Lifegain, Drain
9	Epicure of Blood	1.404	1.12	1.30	0.60	1.65	1.25	6974	Lifegain, Drain
10	Professor Onyx	1.377	0.94	1.30	0.68	1.60	1.25	2403	Drain, Lifegain
11	Kokusho, the Evening Star	1.369	0.98	1.30	0.70	1.63	1.13	2286	Drain, Lifegain, Death trigger
12	Sanguine Bond	1.352	1.16	1.30	0.70	1.22	1.25	505	Lifegain, Drain
13	Vito, Thorn of the Dusk Rose	1.260	1.14	1.31	0.68	1.20	1.25	492	Lifegain, Drain
14	Sling-Gang Lieutenant	1.255	0.72	1.22	0.75	1.96	1.13	5948	Drain, Lifegain, Death trigger
15	Palace Siege	1.251	0.84	1.30	0.70	1.96	1.00	5867	Lifegain, Drain
16	Massacre Girl, Most Wanted	1.250	0.88	1.21	0.60	2.01	1.25	29252	Drain, Lifegain, Death trigger
17	South Wind Avatar	1.240	1.13	1.30	0.60	1.61	1.13	5766	Lifegain, Drain, Death trigger
18	Valley Rotcaller	1.215	0.94	1.33	0.70	1.66	1.00	2492	Drain, Lifegain
19	Sephiroth, Fabled SOLDIER // Sephiroth, One-Winged Angel	1.209	1.01	1.27	0.75	1.45	1.00	1257	Drain, Lifegain, Death trigger
20	Exsanguinate	1.202	1.11	1.30	0.72	1.09	1.25	277	Drain, Lifegain
21	Blood Artist	1.194	1.12	1.25	0.80	0.95	1.25	141	Drain, Lifegain, Death trigger
22	Gray Merchant of Asphodel	1.191	1.07	1.30	0.80	1.06	1.13	245	Drain, Lifegain
23	The Meathook Massacre	1.164	0.92	1.26	0.88	1.22	1.00	513	Lifegain, Drain, Death trigger
24	Umezawa's Jitte	1.155	0.50	1.26	0.90	1.71	1.25	2947	Lifegain
25	Graveyard Trespasser // Graveyard Glutton	1.130	0.74	1.26	0.65	2.11	1.10	16749	Lifegain, Drain
26	Vraan, Executioner Thane	1.072	1.14	1.31	0.60	1.55	1.00	4279	Drain, Lifegain, Death trigger
27	Venerated Stormsinger	1.065	1.08	1.33	0.60	1.60	1.00	5471	Lifegain, Drain, Death trigger
28	Bloodthirsty Conqueror	1.063	1.04	1.30	0.70	1.34	1.00	829	Lifegain, Drain
29	Archon of Cruelty	1.062	0.74	1.26	0.80	1.41	1.13	1086	Lifegain, Drain
30	Cosmos Elixir	1.028	0.70	1.30	0.72	1.69	1.10	2723	Lifegain
31	Vengeful Bloodwitch	1.025	1.01	1.27	0.60	1.37	1.25	1761	Drain, Lifegain, Death trigger
32	Whip of Erebos	1.016	0.70	1.43	0.78	1.30	1.13	713	Lifegain
33	Wurmcoil Engine	1.015	0.64	1.32	0.85	1.41	1.10	1062	Lifegain, Death trigger
34	Sorin Markov	1.008	0.88	1.30	0.65	1.68	1.00	4181	Lifegain, Drain
35	Consume Spirit	1.004	0.84	1.30	0.60	1.81	1.10	13242	Lifegain, Drain
36	Twilight Prophet	0.995	0.81	1.25	0.78	1.43	1.00	1135	Drain, Lifegain
37	Phyrexian Fleshgorger	0.986	0.60	1.30	0.70	2.16	1.00	9784	Lifegain
38	Vindictive Vampire	0.957	0.94	1.25	0.60	1.56	1.13	4459	Lifegain, Drain, Death trigger
39	Fell Beast of Mordor	0.928	0.88	1.31	0.60	1.73	1.00	9803	Lifegain, Drain
40	Barrowgoyf	0.922	0.50	1.25	0.80	1.83	1.13	4143	Lifegain