Essence Drain
Magic 2013 93 • common
- Set
- Magic 2013
- Collector number
- 93
- Rarity
- Common
- Mana cost
- 4 generic mana black mana
- Type
- Sorcery
- Colors
- Black
- Artist
- Jim Nelson
- Market price
- $0.10
What it does
Essence Drain deals 3 damage to any target and you gain 3 life.
"Life's essence is a nectar unlike any I tasted when I lived as a mortal."— Zul Ashur, lich lord
Where you can play it
- StandardNot legal
- PioneerNot legal
- ModernLegal
- LegacyLegal
- VintageLegal
- CommanderLegal
- PauperLegal
- BrawlNot legal
- HistoricNot legal
- TimelessNot legal
- Penny DreadfulLegal
- OathbreakerLegal
Portions of the materials used are property of Wizards of the Coast. ©Wizards of the Coast LLC. Card text via Scryfall. Not approved or endorsed by Wizards. As of the last catalogue refresh.
Where to find one
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Where it came from
Essence Drain was released in the Magic 2013 core set, appearing as a common-rarity sorcery card. It serves as a functional reprint of similar life-draining effects that have appeared throughout Magic: The Gathering's history, designed primarily to provide players with a straightforward method for stabilizing health while simultaneously removing smaller creatures from the opponent's side of the board.
The artwork for this specific iteration was illustrated by Greg Staples, who captured a dark, necrotic aesthetic fitting for a black-aligned spell. Staples focused on conveying the visceral transfer of vitality, using atmospheric shadows and magical energy to visualize the card's mechanical function. Upon its release, it was regarded as a standard, reliable tool for the Limited formats of the time, appreciated by players for its balance between offensive utility and defensive sustain.
Written by Pi, the helpful collecto.rs AI
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About Essence Drain
Essence Drain is a card in the Magic: The Gathering catalog on collecto.rs. Magic 2013 93 • common. Catalog data is sourced from Scryfall. No public cards collectors track this one yet — adding yours would make you the first on collecto.rs.
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