<p style="text-align: right;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><em><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Gray Merchant of Asphodel|dsc|142" href="#" target="_blank">Gray Merchant of Asphodel</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://www.murphyillustration.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Scott Murphy</a></em></span></p>
<p>Each player starts a Commander game with 40 life points, and games most often end when all but one players' life totals have been reduced to zero. By adding to our life total, we can make it much harder for our opponents to take us out of the game.</p>
<p>How can we best take advantage of gaining extra life, though? And how can we turn those life points into victory?</p>
<p>This EDHREC Guide is here to answer those questions and more.</p>


<p>Players have been gaining life since <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Healing Salve" href="#" target="_blank">Healing Salve</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> was printed in <em>Alpha</em>. This spell let us gain three life or prevent three damage from being dealt to a given target. While it's a fun concept, Healing Salve pales in comparison to the lifegain cards we have access to nowadays.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Healing Salve"></div></div>
<p>We've got some fantastic ways to gain life in Commander. We get a few life points stapled on to removal spells (like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Grapple with Death" href="#" target="_blank">Grapple with Death</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>), powerful creatures that let us gain life when they deal damage (like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kinscaer Sentry" href="#" target="_blank">Kinscaer Sentry</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>), and even dedicated ways to gain tons of life, like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Caduceus, Staff of Hermes" href="#" target="_blank">Caduceus, Staff of Hermes</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Grapple with Death"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Kinscaer Sentry"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Caduceus, Staff of Hermes"></div></div>
<p><a href="https://mtg.wiki/page/Life#Life_gain">However, the five colors don't all have the same access to lifegain</a>. <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-w" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span> is the best at gaining life, <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-g" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span> is second best, and <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-b" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span> is third best. White's life gain comes in all card types, while green's life gain is mostly restricted to creatures and sorceries, and black's life gain is largely limited to <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Drain Life" href="#" target="_blank">Drain Life</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>-type effects.</p>
<p><span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-r" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span> and <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-u" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span> don't allow players to gain much life at all. In fact, red is more known for <em>preventing</em> life gain, with cards like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Leyline of Punishment" href="#" target="_blank">Leyline of Punishment</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Rampaging Ferocidon" href="#" target="_blank">Rampaging Ferocidon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>


<h3>Develop a Long-Term Plan</h3>
<p>Gaining a lot of life doesn't just let us increment the counter on whatever app we're using to track the Commander game on. It also gives us the flexibility to play the long game.</p>
<p>If we're able to survive through opposing combat steps and noncombat damage, we can afford to play with slower, clunkier cards. Gaining life gives us the luxury of time. That's why it's such an effective way to counter aggressive decks!</p>
<p>With time on our side, we can reliably cast multiple spells each game that cost five or more mana. We'll also get to draw more cards than our opponents who get knocked out of the game early.</p>
<h3>Life Is a Resource</h3>
<p>We're able to let opposing attackers through without worrying as much. If our life total is high enough, we don't need to throw our valuable creatures in front of our opponents' attacking creatures and risk losing them in combat. When a Lifegain deck lands a powerful creature, it'll often stick to the board for a long time.</p>
<p>Additionally, many cards these days ask for some sort of life payment to achieve a powerful effect. We can turn life into card advantage with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Necropotence" href="#" target="_blank">Necropotence</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, into board control with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Toxic Deluge" href="#" target="_blank">Toxic Deluge</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, or into any number of things with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Black Market Connections" href="#" target="_blank">Black Market Connections</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<p>The life point cost on these cards can be staggering, but Lifegain decks are able to cover those costs without an issue.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Necropotence"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Toxic Deluge"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Black Market Connections"></div></div>


<h3>A Target on Your Back</h3>
<p>Commander is a very political format, due to its multiplayer nature. When the goal of the game is to kill multiple opponents, instead of taking out just one, players frequently make deals with each other and gang up on whichever player looks the scariest.</p>
<p>Commander board states can be very hard to decipher. With four players each developing their own distinct game plan, it's tricky to understand which player is truly a threat. But having a higher life total than all the other players certainly stands out. If a player is unsure who to point their attackers at, or unsure where they should point their removal spells, having the most life makes us (and our permanents) juicy targets.</p>
<p>This may not be fair, but it's the way that many Commander games unfold. Threat assessment is hard! Players often point their ire at whoever seems to be in the most advantageous position at a glance, and that's often the Lifegain player.</p>
<h3>"Durdling"</h3>
<p>For the uninitiated, "durdling" refers to taking game actions that have little meaningful impact on the progress of the game. This could include drawing cards without a payoff for doing so, manipulating the top of one's library without reason, or gaining life without advancing our game plan.</p>
<p>This isn't necessarily a bad thing, as each of these game actions increases our odds of victory in some minor way.</p>
<p>But gaining tons of life without a payoff can elicit complaints from opposing players and be frustrating for us. Players often want to play quicker games, and don't feel like whittling down our life total over several turns.</p>
<p>Plus, in Commander, there are ways that we can lose beyond having our life total turned into a goose egg. If an opponent hits us for 21 commander damage, resolves an infinite combo, or just wins the game with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Thassa&#039;s Oracle" href="#" target="_blank">Thassa&#039;s Oracle</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, our life total won't matter.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Thassa&#039;s Oracle"></div></div>
<p>Durdling isn't always the worst thing to do as a Lifegain deck, but it'll draw out some annoyance from our opponents and doesn't protect us from losing the game in any one of several alternative fashions.</p>


<h2><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Frodo, Adventurous Hobbit" href="#" target="_blank">Frodo, Adventurous Hobbit</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sam, Loyal Attendant" href="#" target="_blank">Sam, Loyal Attendant</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Frodo, Adventurous Hobbit"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Sam, Loyal Attendant"></div></div>
<p>This partner pairing is the most popular way to helm a Lifegain deck, leading 22,913 decks on EDHREC at the time of writing.</p>
<p>This pair lets us make Food tokens, draw cards, and gain tons of life throughout the game. They also fit very neatly on our mana curve, giving us a great early game.</p>
<p>Frodo and Sam provide us access to all three of the best colors for lifegain in Commander. That fact, combined with their release as the leaders of a <a href="https://edhrec.com/precon/food-and-fellowship" target="_blank" rel="noopener">popular precon</a>, have likely led to their immense popularity</p>
<h2><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Oloro, Ageless Ascetic" href="#" target="_blank">Oloro, Ageless Ascetic</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Oloro, Ageless Ascetic"></div></div>
<p>Oloro is another super popular commander, sitting with 20,038 decks in EDHREC's database. His Esper (<span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-w" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-u" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-b" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span>) color identity gives us access to two of the best lifegain colors, and lets us access some interesting multicolor cards like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Drogskol Reaver" href="#" target="_blank">Drogskol Reaver</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<p>This Giant Soldier also led a <a href="https://edhrec.com/precon/eternal-bargain" target="_blank" rel="noopener">preconstructed deck</a>, but it came out quite a while ago and likely isn't contributing too much to his ongoing popularity.</p>
<p>Oloro lets us gain a steady stream of life on each turn. This means that once-per-turn effects like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Exemplar of Light" href="#" target="_blank">Exemplar of Light</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Nykthos Paragon" href="#" target="_blank">Nykthos Paragon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> get supercharged. The lifegain that he provides can really add up over the course of a match, and we can reach a triple-digit life total before anyone realizes just how far out of reach we've become.</p>
<h2><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Liesa, Shroud of Dusk" href="#" target="_blank">Liesa, Shroud of Dusk</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Liesa, Shroud of Dusk"></div></div>
<p>Liesa leads 12,062 decks at the time of writing. She's a 5/5 lifelinker, but won't be gaining us much life outside of combat.</p>
<p>Her strength comes from the way she lowers life totals. When every player at the table is losing life rapidly, Lifegain players that can outlast their opponents can find their way to victory. She also lets us skirt around paying commander tax, which is very helpful given how frequently she'll draw out opposing removal spells.</p>
<h2><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dina, Soul Steeper" href="#" target="_blank">Dina, Soul Steeper</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Dina, Soul Steeper"></div></div>
<p>Dina leads 8,967 decks. She's one of the most popular Lifegain commanders because of her combo potential. She drains our opponents life total whenever we gain life, which <a href="https://commanderspellbook.com/combo/2973-3966/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">lets us win the game on the spot</a> with a copy of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Exquisite Blood" href="#" target="_blank">Exquisite Blood</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> or <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Bloodthirsty Conqueror" href="#" target="_blank">Bloodthirsty Conqueror</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<p>While Dina pilots often generate value throughout the game by gaining life incrementally, they'll usually go for a combo finish.</p>


<h2><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Aurelia, the Law Above" href="#" target="_blank">Aurelia, the Law Above</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Aurelia, the Law Above"></div></div>
<p>While <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-r" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span> isn't known for gaining life well, this Boros (<span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-r" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-w" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span>) commander sure is. We can flood the board with small creatures using cards like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Krenko, Mob Boss" href="#" target="_blank">Krenko, Mob Boss</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and attach a super-charged <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Lightning Helix" href="#" target="_blank">Lightning Helix</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> to each of our attacks.</p>
<p>The best part is that Aurelia triggers on our opponents' big attacks too, making them choose between not attacking and giving us some value. That's a great Commander catch-22!</p>
<h2><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Vraan, Executioner Thane" href="#" target="_blank">Vraan, Executioner Thane</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Vraan, Executioner Thane"></div></div>
<p>Slow and steady wins the race! Vraan has a souped-up <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Blood Artist" href="#" target="_blank">Blood Artist</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>-style ability. Sadly, he only triggers once per turn. But if we manage to trigger him on each of our opponents' turns too, we can drain each opponent for a total of eight life every turn rotation.</p>
<p>Paired with cards like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Viscera Seer" href="#" target="_blank">Viscera Seer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ophiomancer" href="#" target="_blank">Ophiomancer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, Vraan shines as the commander of an Aristocrats deck focused on gaining life.</p>
<h2><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Judith, Carnage Connoisseur" href="#" target="_blank">Judith, Carnage Connoisseur</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Judith, Carnage Connoisseur"></div></div>
<p>Judith is often paired with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="End the Festivities" href="#" target="_blank">End the Festivities</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>-style spells to wipe opposing boards. Getting rid of all our opponents' creatures is super strong, but this combination of cards actually gains us a ton of life too.</p>
<p>While Judith isn't often considered as a Lifegain commander, she does wonderfully in the position. If we cast a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Blasphemous Act" href="#" target="_blank">Blasphemous Act</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> with her on the battlefield, we might very well gain several hundred life.</p>


<h2><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Gray Merchant of Asphodel" href="#" target="_blank">Gray Merchant of Asphodel</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Gray Merchant of Asphodel"></div></div>
<p>"Gary," as this creature is sometimes affectionately called, is a lifegain powerhouse. The Merchant's ability scales extremely well in Commander, and will frequently let us gain scores of life when it enters the battlefield.</p>
<p>Plus, <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-b" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span> decks that use Gary well can loop it in and out of the graveyard repeatedly to maximize its value.</p>
<h2><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Soul Warden" href="#" target="_blank">Soul Warden</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Soul Warden"></div></div>
<p>This is just one of several one-mana creatures that let us gain life whenever <em>any</em> creature enters the battlefield. Soul Warden's effect really stacks up over time, and this simple effect can often let us gain dozens of life over the course of a few turns.</p>
<p>Plus, the incremental nature of this lifegain works very well with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Marauding Blight-Priest" href="#" target="_blank">Marauding Blight-Priest</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>-style cards.</p>
<p>There are <a href="https://scryfall.com/search?q=otag%3Asoul-warden-ability+cmc%3D1&amp;unique=cards&amp;as=grid&amp;order=edhrec" target="_blank" rel="noopener">11 versions of this effect that can hit the board on turn one</a>, and many Lifegain decks will include a few of them to maximize their chances of seeing at least one during a game.</p>


<h2><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Whip of Erebos" href="#" target="_blank">Whip of Erebos</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Whip of Erebos"></div></div>
<p>This card could have been placed in a few different categories, but I wanted to talk about it as soon as possible. This four-mana enchantment artifact provides all of our creatures with lifelink, turning every combat step into a huge boost to our life total.</p>
<p>We also get to reanimate any creature from our graveyard for a turn, which is a great ability for Aristocrats decks. The Whip of Erebos shines in <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-b" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span>-based decks that sacrifice creatures to gain life!</p>
<h2><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Great Henge" href="#" target="_blank">The Great Henge</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="The Great Henge"></div></div>
<p>This artifact provides an immense amount of value, and can often be cast for just <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-g" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-g" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span>. We get to make mana, gain life, put +1/+1 counters on our creatures, and draw cards. What more could we ask for from a single card?</p>
<p>The Great Henge may be one of the best artifacts in all of Commander, and it does very well as a passive lifegain engine too.</p>


<h2><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sanguine Bond" href="#" target="_blank">Sanguine Bond</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Sanguine Bond"></div></div>
<p>While this sort of effect is notorious for ending games when played alongside <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Exquisite Blood" href="#" target="_blank">Exquisite Blood</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, it's a fantastic card regardless of <a href="https://commanderspellbook.com/combo/690-3966/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">that combo</a>.</p>
<p>Most <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-b" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span> Lifegain decks try to win the game by lowering opposing life totals as their own life total rises. This five-mana enchantment speeds up the process, and can let us take opponents out with ease.</p>
<h2><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cleric Class" href="#" target="_blank">Cleric Class</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Cleric Class"></div></div>
<p>This enchantment does a little bit of everything. It boosts our lifegain's effectiveness, letting us reach higher life totals with a bit more ease. Cleric Class also puts +1/+1 counters on our creatures, ensuring that we're advancing our board state while we increase our life total.</p>
<p>Finally, this enchantment lets us reanimate a creature and gain a small chunk of life. While that last mode isn't always necessary, this is a solid card that props up our game plan well. It also costs just <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-w" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span>, making it easy to cast even in multicolored decks.</p>


<h2><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Pest Infestation" href="#" target="_blank">Pest Infestation</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Pest Infestation"></div></div>
<p>We'll always need to remove artifacts and enchantments throughout a Commander game. This spell lets us get rid of some powerful permanents while also putting some potent Pests into play!</p>
<p>We'll need to get our Pests to die in order to gain life, but we can do that through combat if we don't have a sacrifice outlet available.</p>
<h2><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Akroma&#039;s Will" href="#" target="_blank">Akroma&#039;s Will</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Akroma&#039;s Will"></div></div>
<p>Whether we're closing out a game or just swinging in for big damage, Akroma's Will allows us to gain a huge amount of life while protecting our creatures from harm.</p>
<p>Protection spells like this are great to include in <a href="https://edhrec.com/guides/edhrec-guide-to-commander-brackets" target="_blank" rel="noopener">lower-Bracket</a> Commander decks, where clogged board states represent ripe opportunities for Akroma's Will.</p>


<h2><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ajani, Strength of the Pride" href="#" target="_blank">Ajani, Strength of the Pride</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ajani, Strength of the Pride"></div></div>
<p>This iteration of Ajani lets us gain life with his <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-loyalty-up" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span>, make a super strong token with his <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-loyalty-down" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span>, and clear the way towards a combat-based victory with his <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-loyalty-zero" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span>.</p>
<p><span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-w" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span> decks that include Ajani will likely also be able to flood the board with creatures, making his <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-loyalty-up" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span> ability stronger and letting us attack for more damage after using his <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-loyalty-zero" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span> ability.</p>
<h2><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Professor Onyx" href="#" target="_blank">Professor Onyx</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Professor Onyx"></div></div>
<p>For decks that include a few extra instant or sorceries, this planeswalker is a fantastic inclusion. All three of her loyalty abilities are powerful, but her ultimate ability can cripple our opponents' chances of willing.</p>
<p>It's also of note that <a href="https://commanderspellbook.com/combo/326-613/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">this card goes infinite</a> with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Chain of Smog" href="#" target="_blank">Chain of Smog</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>! As a consistent way to draw cards, remove problematic creatures, and to gain a few extra points of life, Professor Onyx is a great planeswalker.</p>


<h2><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Radiant Fountain" href="#" target="_blank">Radiant Fountain</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Radiant Fountain"></div></div>
<p>I don't love lands that only produce <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-c" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span>. Decks that utilize more than one color of mana can't afford to run many lands that produce colorless mana. But this land is worth it in Lifegain decks. While two life isn't game-breaking on a land, it does allow something as simple as a land drop to trigger all of our synergy pieces.</p>
<p>As an example, we can get <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ocelot Pride" href="#" target="_blank">Ocelot Pride</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>'s end step trigger without attacking if we've played Radiant Fountain.</p>
<p>This land isn't meant for every deck, but it can do great work in the right Lifegain list.</p>
<h2><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Glasswing Grace" href="#" target="_blank">Glasswing Grace</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards side-by-side"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Glasswing Grace"></div></div>
<p>I'm cheating a bit here, because this MDFC (modal double-faced card) isn't just a land: it's also an Aura that gives one of our creatures flying and lifelink! The land half of this card provides us with two colors of mana, and the spell half lets one of our creatures crash through for some lifegain and damage every turn.</p>
<p>MDFCs are fantastic ways to fill out a Commander deck's mana base, and Glasswing Grace should slot right in to tons of Lifegain decks' 99s.</p>


<h3>White Decks</h3>
<p>Using <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Archangel of Thune" href="#" target="_blank">Archangel of Thune</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, we can suit our creatures up with tons of +1/+1 counters and swing in for victory. We can also hit opponents a few times with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Serra Ascendant" href="#" target="_blank">Serra Ascendant</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, taking big chunks out of their life total each combat.</p>
<p>Finally, we can flood the board with tokens by making use of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Valkyrie Harbinger" href="#" target="_blank">Valkyrie Harbinger</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Archangel of Thune"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Serra Ascendant"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Valkyrie Harbinger"></div></div>
<h3>Black Decks</h3>
<p>We can drain our opponents' life totals out over time using <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Creeping Bloodsucker" href="#" target="_blank">Creeping Bloodsucker</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Or, for a more immediate victory, we can cast a copy of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Exsanguinate" href="#" target="_blank">Exsanguinate</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> with a huge <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-x" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span> value.</p>
<p>Finally, we can turn our lifegain into life loss by using <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Vito, Thorn of the Dusk Rose" href="#" target="_blank">Vito, Thorn of the Dusk Rose</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Creeping Bloodsucker"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Exsanguinate"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Vito, Thorn of the Dusk Rose"></div></div>
<h3>Green Decks</h3>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Blossoming Bogbeast" href="#" target="_blank">Blossoming Bogbeast</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> will buff up all of our creatures when we gain life. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Trudge Garden" href="#" target="_blank">Trudge Garden</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> will let us make a battlefield full of 4/4 tokens.</p>
<p>And, finally, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Accomplished Alchemist" href="#" target="_blank">Accomplished Alchemist</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> will give us enough mana to cast any spell we'd like.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Blossoming Bogbeast"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Trudge Garden"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Accomplished Alchemist"></div></div>


<p>There's tons of other ways to win the game that center around us having a high life total.</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Felidar Sovereign" href="#" target="_blank">Felidar Sovereign</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Angel of Destiny" href="#" target="_blank">Angel of Destiny</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Test of Endurance" href="#" target="_blank">Test of Endurance</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> will each win us the game soon after hitting the battlefield if we've got enough life. These cards are a bit expensive to cast, but we'll be gaining life to buy ourselves time to build up a solid cache of lands.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Felidar Sovereign"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Angel of Destiny"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Test of Endurance"></div></div>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Aetherflux Reservoir" href="#" target="_blank">Aetherflux Reservoir</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is another great choice. This four-mana artifact lets us gain heaps of life throughout the game, and converts that life into a player-killing activated ability.</p>
<p>Fifty life may seem like a lot on its face, but this win condition's triggered ability makes it easier to reach that threshold.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Aetherflux Reservoir"></div></div>


gaining life in commander

EDHREC Guide to Lifegain in Commander