Drain Life is one of those cards players keep asking about. Here is, in plain words, what its official text says, the rulings published by Wizards of the Coast, and the combos players actually run.
Official card text
Spend only black mana on X. Drain Life deals X damage to any target. You gain life equal to the damage dealt, but not more life than the player's life total before the damage was dealt, the planeswalker's loyalty before the damage was dealt, or the creature's toughness.
Complete guide
Drain Life is a classic black sorcery that embodies the philosophy of the Swamps: what's yours is mine. It allows you to siphon the essence of your enemies to replenish your own health, provided you have enough black mana to fuel the ritual. Mastering this spell requires careful calculation of your available resources and your target's current resilience.
Fueling the Siphon
The most important restriction on Drain Life is its mana requirement. While the spell costs {X}{1}{B}, the rules specifically state you can only spend black mana to pay for the {X} portion. However, there is a loophole for budget-conscious mages: cost reducers can reduce the total cost of the spell, including the {X} value, even if the reduction isn't specifically black mana.
Calculating the Life Gain
When Drain Life resolves, it deals X damage to your chosen target. You then gain life, but there is a limit based on the target's 'capacity.' If you target a player, you cannot gain more life than they had before the damage. If you target a planeswalker, you are limited by their loyalty. If you target a creature, the life gain is capped at that creature's toughness, regardless of any damage it had already taken earlier in the turn.
Strategic Execution
Because this is a sorcery, you must plan your turn around it. It is best used as a finisher to drain the last remaining life from an opponent or as a way to stabilize your life total by targeting a high-toughness creature. Remember that if the target becomes illegal before the spell resolves (for example, if the creature is sacrificed), the entire spell fails and you gain no life at all.
Interaction examples
ReanimateSuppose you used Reanimate to bring back a powerful creature, losing a significant amount of life in the process. You can later cast Drain Life with X=5, spending five black mana plus {1}{B}. If you target a creature with 5 toughness, you deal 5 damage and gain 5 life, effectively undoing the damage you took from your earlier necromancy.
If you cast Drain Life where X is 10, but you target a creature with only 2 toughness, the creature will be dealt 10 damage (and likely die). However, because the life gain is capped at the creature's toughness, you will only gain 2 life. To maximize your healing, always pick targets with high toughness or target a player directly.
Demonic TutorIn the late game, if your opponent is at a low life total, you can use Demonic Tutor to find Drain Life. Once in hand, calculate your total black mana minus two (for the {1}{B} cost). If that remaining mana equals or exceeds your opponent's life total, you can cast it to win the game on the spot while healing yourself.
Guide written with AI from the official text and rulings. Official English text prevails.
How it works : Drain Life
Original English text — Wizards of the Coast / Scryfall
- #1· Wizards of the Coast
Cost reducers can be used to reduce the X part of the mana cost.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #2· Wizards of the Coast
You may gain up to the total toughness of the creature even if it was already damaged.
No other card is named in this ruling.
Interactions with other cards
These cards' text mentions Drain Life.
Legal formats
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