Card
Valentin, Dean of the Vein // Lisette, Dean of the Root
Mana cost {B} // {2}{G}{G}
Legendary Creature — Vampire Warlock // Legendary Creature — Human Druid
Menace, lifelink If a nontoken creature an opponent controls would die, exile it instead. When you do, you may pay {2}. If you do, create a 1/1 black and green Pest creature token with "When this token dies, you gain 1 life." // Whenever you gain life, you may pay {1}. If you do, put a +1/+1 counter on each creature you control and those creatures gain trample until end of turn.
No bracket restriction: playable from bracket 1. Part of 109 known combos. 6 official rulings.
- Commander
- Legal
- Printing
- Rare · STX · #161
- Cheapest printing
- €0.56
- EDHREC salt
- 0.16
- Color identity
- Black, Green
- Keywords
- Lifelink, Menace
Bracket
- B1 Exhibition — allowed: No restriction at this bracket
- B2 Core — allowed: No restriction at this bracket
- B3 Upgraded — allowed: No restriction at this bracket
- B4 Optimized — allowed: No restriction beyond the banned list
- B5 cEDH — allowed: No restriction beyond the banned list
Why
- No Game Changer, mass land denial, extra turn, tutor or two-card combo
How Lotus Vault estimates a bracket
Bracket: Lotus Vault analysis, with Commander Spellbook flags
Combos
109 known combos.
Combos: Commander Spellbook
Rulings
- 2021-04-16 · Wizards of the Coast
If you gain life at the same time a creature you control is dealt lethal damage, that creature dies before Lisette’s ability can put a +1/+1 counter on it. - 2021-04-16 · Wizards of the Coast
If a nontoken creature an opponent controls would die, and both Valentin and another effect are trying to exile it instead, that opponent chooses which effect to apply. If Valentin’s effect ends up not applying because of this choice, the triggered ability that allows you to pay {2} won’t trigger, even if the creature card ends up in exile. - 2021-04-16 · 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. - 2021-04-16 · Wizards of the Coast
You may only pay {1} once for each life gain event. - 2021-04-16 · 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. - 2021-04-16 · 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.
Rulings: Scryfall · Wizards of the Coast