Veinwitch Coven — ruling 1

An ability that triggers "whenever you gain life" triggers just once for each life-gaining event, no matter how much life you gain.

Veinwitch Coven — ruling 2

You may only pay {B} once for each life gain event.

Veinwitch Coven — ruling 3

Each creature with lifelink dealing combat damage causes a separate life-gaining event. For example, if two creatures you control with lifelink deal combat damage at the same time, a "whenever you gain life" ability will trigger twice. However, if a single creature you control with lifelink deals combat damage to multiple creatures, players, and/or planeswalkers at the same time (perhaps because it has trample or was blocked by more than one creature), the ability will trigger only once.

Veinwitch Coven — ruling 4

If you gain an amount of life "for each" of something, that life is gained as one event and the ability will trigger only once.

Veinwitch Coven : règles, fonctionnement et interactions (MTG)

Veinwitch Coven 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

Menace Whenever you gain life, you may pay . If you do, return target creature card from your graveyard to your hand.

Complete guide

Veinwitch Coven is a powerful engine for decks focused on life gain, ensuring your graveyard is never the end of the line for your best creatures. With its Menace keyword and recursion ability, it provides both offensive pressure and late-game inevitability. This Vampire Warlock allows you to trade a small amount of Black mana for the return of your fallen allies every time your life total increases.

What It Does

Veinwitch Coven has a triggered ability that watches for any instance of life gain. When you gain life, the ability goes on the stack and targets a creature card in your graveyard. You choose whether to pay {B} as the ability resolves; if you do, the targeted card returns to your hand.

Step-by-Step Resolution

First, an event occurs that causes you to gain life. Second, Veinwitch Coven's ability triggers and you choose a legal target creature card in your graveyard. Third, as the ability resolves, you decide whether to pay {B}. If you pay, the card moves from the graveyard to your hand. If the targeted card leaves the graveyard before the ability resolves, you cannot pay the mana and the ability does nothing.

Common Mistakes

A common misconception is that you can pay multiple Black mana to return multiple creatures during a single life gain event. However, you can only pay {B} once per trigger. Additionally, keep in mind that life gain from multiple creatures with Lifelink dealing damage simultaneously results in multiple separate triggers, whereas a single creature with Lifelink dealing damage to multiple blockers only counts as one life gain event.

When to Play It

Veinwitch Coven is best utilized in mid-to-late game scenarios where you have a consistent way to gain life, such as through Lifelink or spells. Because it requires a target when the ability is put on the stack, it is most effective when you already have high-value creatures sitting in your graveyard ready to be salvaged.

Interaction examples

Basic Recursion

Solemn Simulacrum

If Solemn Simulacrum is in your graveyard and you gain life, Veinwitch Coven triggers. You target the Simulacrum and pay {B}. The Golem returns to your hand, allowing you to cast it again to ramp and eventually draw another card when it dies.

Doubling the Coven

Roaming Throne

If you control Roaming Throne and have chosen 'Vampire' or 'Warlock', gaining life will cause Veinwitch Coven's ability to trigger twice. You can target two different creature cards in your graveyard. As each trigger resolves, you may pay {B} for each, potentially returning two creatures to your hand for a total of {B}{B}.

Menace in Action

Because Veinwitch Coven has Menace, it cannot be blocked except by two or more creatures. This makes it a reliable way to chip away at an opponent's life total while you wait for your life gain triggers to start generating card advantage from your graveyard.

Guide written with AI from the official text and rulings. Official English text prevails.

How it works : Veinwitch Coven

Original English text — Wizards of the Coast / Scryfall

#1April 16, 2021· Wizards of the Coast
An ability that triggers "whenever you gain life" triggers just once for each life-gaining event, no matter how much life you gain.
No other card is named in this ruling.
#2April 16, 2021· Wizards of the Coast
You may only pay once for each life gain event.
No other card is named in this ruling.
#3April 16, 2021· Wizards of the Coast
Each creature with lifelink dealing combat damage causes a separate life-gaining event. For example, if two creatures you control with lifelink deal combat damage at the same time, a "whenever you gain life" ability will trigger twice. However, if a single creature you control with lifelink deals combat damage to multiple creatures, players, and/or planeswalkers at the same time (perhaps because it has trample or was blocked by more than one creature), the ability will trigger only once.
No other card is named in this ruling.
#4April 16, 2021· Wizards of the Coast
If you gain an amount of life "for each" of something, that life is gained as one event and the ability will trigger only once.
No other card is named in this ruling.