Sol'Kanar the Tainted wants a deck that gains life over and over and gets rewarded for it. It also suits a deck that deals damage straight to its opponents.
Mana cost
Blue, Black, Red ()
Power / toughness5 / 5
RarityMythic
At the beginning of your end step, choose one that hasn't been chosen —
• Draw a card.
• Each opponent loses 2 life and you gain 2 life.
• Sol'Kanar deals 3 damage to up to one other target creature or planeswalker.
• Exile Sol'Kanar, then return it to the battlefield under an opponent's control.
Picked for what they do in Sol'Kanar the Tainted's deck. When two cards do the same job, the one with the lower comes first. All of them fit Sol'Kanar the Tainted's color identity.Mana ValueThe total amount of mana a card costs, all added up. A card costing two generic and one green has a mana value of three. Wizards renamed this from "converted mana cost" in 2021, so older cards and articles may still use the old name.Open the full glossary
explain how Sol'Kanar the Tainted works in tricky situations. They come from Wizards of the Coast, the company that makes Magic.RulingThe official answer to how a card works in a tricky situation. Most rulings are written by Wizards of the Coast, the company that makes Magic, and a few are notes from Scryfall, the card database Magic players use. A ruling explains a card. It does not change what the card says.Open the full glossary
Wizards of the Coast9 Sep 2022
In a Two-Headed Giant game, Sol'kanar the Tainted's second mode causes the opposing team to lose 4 life. Its controller will still gain only 2 life.
Wizards of the Coast9 Sep 2022
Once Sol'kanar the Tainted is controlled by your opponent, its ability triggers during that player's end step and that player makes all choices for it. That player draws a card for its first mode and gains life for its second mode, that player's opponents lose life for its second mode, and that player chooses one of their opponents for its last mode.
Color identityEvery color of mana symbol on a card, in its cost and in its rules text. Your commander's color identity sets the limit for your whole deck: every other card has to fit inside it. A deck led by a green and white commander cannot play a card with any blue in its color identity.Open the full glossaryUBRPlayers write colors as letters: U for blue, B for black, R for red. Blue is U because B was already taken by black.LifegainLifegain decks gain life over and over and use cards that reward each gain with extra cards, creatures or damage to opponents. Everyone starts at 40 life in Commander, so the extra life also keeps you safe while you set up.Open the Lifegain pageLife DrainAn opponent loses life and you gain that life from the same effect. Blood Artist, Zulaport Cutthroat. It lets Aristocrats decks win without ever attacking. Every drain card is also tagged Life Gain; this tag is the part where the life comes out of somebody.Open the Life Drain pageLife GainGains you life, once or over and over. Soul Warden, The Great Henge. In Commander life is something to spend, not just a cushion, and many of these cards also set off others that reward gaining life.Open the Life Gain pageBurnBurn decks win by dealing damage straight to opponents with spells and abilities, rather than by attacking with creatures. Damage that hits every opponent at once counts three times over at a four-player table.Open the Burn pageBurnDeals damage directly, to creatures or to players. Because it can hit a player as easily as a creature, the same card can remove a blocker or finish off an opponent. Lightning Bolt, Blasphemous ActOpen the Burn pageAristocratsAristocrats decks sacrifice their own creatures on purpose and profit every time one dies, often by draining life from each opponent. A sacrifice outlet, a card that lets you sacrifice whenever you like, decides when that happens.Open the Aristocrats pageDrawDraws you extra cards. More cards means more choices every turn, and in a 100-card deck it is the main way to find the pieces you need. Rhystic Study, SkullclampOpen the Draw page
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