Life Is a Joke

stretch

Spend your life total like pocket change, drain the table with the punchline, and laugh last.

Pay life×1Drain×0.7Card draw×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 476 cards that fit

View All High Impact Cards

Card drawPay life
EDHREC #1,051 · $0.23 · art Frank Frazetta
DrainCard draw
EDHREC #1,392 · $0.59 · art Zack Stella
Hidden gemCard drawPay lifeDrain
EDHREC #8,100 · $2.18 · art Justyna Dura
Card drawPay life
EDHREC #1,720 · $0.26
Card drawDrainPay life
EDHREC #4,392 · $0.26 · art Thomas M. Baxa

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

#	card	score	fit	cmd	q	pop	art	rank	matched
1	Sorin the Mirthless	1.426	0.60	1.07	0.85	2.08	1.35	8100	Card draw, Pay life, Drain
2	The Speed Demon	1.272	0.75	1.16	0.70	1.99	1.25	6339	Pay life, Card draw, Drain
3	Necropotence	1.261	1.13	1.03	0.85	1.23	1.13	518	Pay life, Card draw
4	Ob Nixilis Reignited	1.178	0.60	1.07	0.85	1.85	1.25	4392	Card draw, Drain, Pay life
5	Ob Nixilis of the Black Oath	1.089	0.59	1.07	0.70	2.15	1.35	9658	Drain, Pay life, Card draw
6	Preacher of the Schism	1.026	0.50	1.03	0.85	1.87	1.35	4697	Card draw, Pay life
7	Ad Nauseam	0.973	1.03	1.03	0.65	1.40	1.25	1352	Pay life, Card draw
8	Professor Onyx	0.948	0.78	1.19	0.68	1.60	1.13	2403	Drain, Card draw, Pay life
9	Meathook Massacre II	0.913	0.50	1.20	0.85	1.73	1.13	3058	Pay life
10	Bolas's Citadel	0.899	1.19	1.07	0.75	1.08	1.00	271	Pay life, Card draw, Drain
11	Doom Whisperer	0.756	0.60	1.03	0.78	1.57	1.13	1851	Pay life
12	Gix, Yawgmoth Praetor	0.749	0.70	1.15	0.70	1.59	1.00	1999	Pay life, Card draw
13	Unholy Annex // Ritual Chamber	0.732	0.69	1.06	0.70	1.71	1.00	2892	Card draw, Pay life, Drain
14	Tenacious Underdog	0.721	0.50	1.06	0.72	2.22	1.00	11419	Pay life, Card draw
15	Vilis, Broker of Blood	0.716	0.80	1.11	0.60	1.29	1.35	1121	Pay life, Card draw
16	Savanti Romero, Time's Exile	0.705	0.71	1.03	0.60	1.82	1.13	14218	Pay life, Card draw
17	Phyrexian Gargantua	0.704	0.55	1.03	0.65	2.09	1.13	15784	Card draw, Pay life
18	Bloodgift Demon	0.699	0.60	1.06	0.68	1.72	1.13	3600	Card draw, Pay life, Drain
19	Dark Confidant	0.683	0.81	1.03	0.65	1.37	1.13	1235	Pay life, Card draw
20	Midnight Reaper	0.671	0.50	1.16	0.72	1.40	1.35	1051	Card draw, Pay life
21	Pointed Discussion	0.659	0.60	1.03	0.60	1.69	1.35	8209	Card draw, Pay life
22	Minions' Murmurs	0.650	0.65	1.03	0.60	1.84	1.13	15396	Card draw, Pay life
23	Priest of Forgotten Gods	0.638	0.40	1.14	0.78	1.48	1.35	1392	Drain, Card draw
24	Stinging Study	0.632	0.65	1.03	0.60	1.50	1.35	3384	Card draw, Pay life
25	Dread Presence	0.627	0.54	1.07	0.75	1.67	1.00	2578	Card draw, Drain, Pay life
26	K'rrik, Son of Yawgmoth	0.624	0.90	1.03	0.60	1.28	1.13	1077	Pay life
27	Painful Truths	0.609	0.65	1.03	0.70	1.54	1.00	1720	Card draw, Pay life
28	Champion of Dusk	0.599	0.60	1.03	0.68	1.72	1.00	3581	Pay life, Card draw
29	Sheoldred, the Apocalypse	0.593	0.48	1.15	0.93	1.20	1.00	460	Drain, Card draw
30	Lord Skitter's Blessing	0.580	0.67	1.04	0.60	1.63	1.10	6247	Pay life, Card draw, Drain
31	Phyrexian Processor	0.572	0.70	1.03	0.60	1.70	1.00	8501	Pay life
32	Yawgmoth, Thran Physician	0.566	0.55	1.07	0.80	1.34	1.00	834	Pay life, Card draw
33	Dark Prophecy	0.565	0.55	1.16	0.65	1.69	1.00	4338	Card draw, Pay life
34	Arguel's Blood Fast // Temple of Aclazotz	0.539	0.77	1.06	0.50	1.37	1.35	8431	Pay life, Card draw
35	The One Ring	0.529	0.60	1.03	0.90	0.88	1.13	95	Card draw, Pay life
36	Sephiroth, Fabled SOLDIER // Sephiroth, One-Winged Angel	0.527	0.47	1.18	0.75	1.45	1.00	1257	Drain, Card draw
37	Rise of the Deathbringer	0.520	0.47	1.04	0.60	2.00	1.13	27993	Card draw, Pay life
38	Archon of Cruelty	0.519	0.40	1.13	0.80	1.41	1.13	1086	Drain, Card draw
39	Lorcan, Warlock Collector	0.515	0.60	1.03	0.60	1.79	1.00	12156	Pay life
40	The Last Ride	0.514	0.77	1.03	0.50	1.45	1.25	15579	Pay life, Card draw

Scoring cards for this theme…

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

#	card	score	fit	cmd	q	pop	art	rank	matched
1	Sorin the Mirthless	1.426	0.60	1.07	0.85	2.08	1.35	8100	Card draw, Pay life, Drain
2	The Speed Demon	1.272	0.75	1.16	0.70	1.99	1.25	6339	Pay life, Card draw, Drain
3	Necropotence	1.261	1.13	1.03	0.85	1.23	1.13	518	Pay life, Card draw
4	Ob Nixilis Reignited	1.178	0.60	1.07	0.85	1.85	1.25	4392	Card draw, Drain, Pay life
5	Ob Nixilis of the Black Oath	1.089	0.59	1.07	0.70	2.15	1.35	9658	Drain, Pay life, Card draw
6	Preacher of the Schism	1.026	0.50	1.03	0.85	1.87	1.35	4697	Card draw, Pay life
7	Ad Nauseam	0.973	1.03	1.03	0.65	1.40	1.25	1352	Pay life, Card draw
8	Professor Onyx	0.948	0.78	1.19	0.68	1.60	1.13	2403	Drain, Card draw, Pay life
9	Meathook Massacre II	0.913	0.50	1.20	0.85	1.73	1.13	3058	Pay life
10	Bolas's Citadel	0.899	1.19	1.07	0.75	1.08	1.00	271	Pay life, Card draw, Drain
11	Doom Whisperer	0.756	0.60	1.03	0.78	1.57	1.13	1851	Pay life
12	Gix, Yawgmoth Praetor	0.749	0.70	1.15	0.70	1.59	1.00	1999	Pay life, Card draw
13	Unholy Annex // Ritual Chamber	0.732	0.69	1.06	0.70	1.71	1.00	2892	Card draw, Pay life, Drain
14	Tenacious Underdog	0.721	0.50	1.06	0.72	2.22	1.00	11419	Pay life, Card draw
15	Vilis, Broker of Blood	0.716	0.80	1.11	0.60	1.29	1.35	1121	Pay life, Card draw
16	Savanti Romero, Time's Exile	0.705	0.71	1.03	0.60	1.82	1.13	14218	Pay life, Card draw
17	Phyrexian Gargantua	0.704	0.55	1.03	0.65	2.09	1.13	15784	Card draw, Pay life
18	Bloodgift Demon	0.699	0.60	1.06	0.68	1.72	1.13	3600	Card draw, Pay life, Drain
19	Dark Confidant	0.683	0.81	1.03	0.65	1.37	1.13	1235	Pay life, Card draw
20	Midnight Reaper	0.671	0.50	1.16	0.72	1.40	1.35	1051	Card draw, Pay life
21	Pointed Discussion	0.659	0.60	1.03	0.60	1.69	1.35	8209	Card draw, Pay life
22	Minions' Murmurs	0.650	0.65	1.03	0.60	1.84	1.13	15396	Card draw, Pay life
23	Priest of Forgotten Gods	0.638	0.40	1.14	0.78	1.48	1.35	1392	Drain, Card draw
24	Stinging Study	0.632	0.65	1.03	0.60	1.50	1.35	3384	Card draw, Pay life
25	Dread Presence	0.627	0.54	1.07	0.75	1.67	1.00	2578	Card draw, Drain, Pay life
26	K'rrik, Son of Yawgmoth	0.624	0.90	1.03	0.60	1.28	1.13	1077	Pay life
27	Painful Truths	0.609	0.65	1.03	0.70	1.54	1.00	1720	Card draw, Pay life
28	Champion of Dusk	0.599	0.60	1.03	0.68	1.72	1.00	3581	Pay life, Card draw
29	Sheoldred, the Apocalypse	0.593	0.48	1.15	0.93	1.20	1.00	460	Drain, Card draw
30	Lord Skitter's Blessing	0.580	0.67	1.04	0.60	1.63	1.10	6247	Pay life, Card draw, Drain
31	Phyrexian Processor	0.572	0.70	1.03	0.60	1.70	1.00	8501	Pay life
32	Yawgmoth, Thran Physician	0.566	0.55	1.07	0.80	1.34	1.00	834	Pay life, Card draw
33	Dark Prophecy	0.565	0.55	1.16	0.65	1.69	1.00	4338	Card draw, Pay life
34	Arguel's Blood Fast // Temple of Aclazotz	0.539	0.77	1.06	0.50	1.37	1.35	8431	Pay life, Card draw
35	The One Ring	0.529	0.60	1.03	0.90	0.88	1.13	95	Card draw, Pay life
36	Sephiroth, Fabled SOLDIER // Sephiroth, One-Winged Angel	0.527	0.47	1.18	0.75	1.45	1.00	1257	Drain, Card draw
37	Rise of the Deathbringer	0.520	0.47	1.04	0.60	2.00	1.13	27993	Card draw, Pay life
38	Archon of Cruelty	0.519	0.40	1.13	0.80	1.41	1.13	1086	Drain, Card draw
39	Lorcan, Warlock Collector	0.515	0.60	1.03	0.60	1.79	1.00	12156	Pay life
40	The Last Ride	0.514	0.77	1.03	0.50	1.45	1.25	15579	Pay life, Card draw