Dregs of Sorrow

Dregs of Sorrow was originally released in the 2014 Commander set, a collection specifically engineered for the Magic: The Gathering multiplayer format. It functions as a scalable black sorcery designed to capitalize on large board states by allowing players to draw cards equal to the number of non-black creatures on the battlefield, typically at the cost of significant life. The card serves as a thematic continuation of black’s philosophy of paying health for resources, fitting into the 'Sworn to Darkness' deck which was centered around the black mono-colored commander, Ob Nixilis of the Black Oath.

The illustration was crafted by artist Kev Walker, a prolific and long-standing contributor to the game’s aesthetic. Walker’s design for this piece focuses on a grim, atmospheric depiction of dark magic, leaning into the gothic horror sensibilities common to the plane of Dominaria where the card's lore is situated. Upon its release, the card was received as a situational but powerful utility piece, valued by players for its ability to refill a hand during the late-game stages of a Commander match where the density of creatures on the table is high.