Essence Extraction
Instant
Essence Extraction deals 3 damage to target creature and you gain 3 life.
- CMC
- 3
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- B
- Rarity
- uncommon
- Set
- Kaladesh Promos
- Price
- $0.26
- EDHREC rank
- #21200
Essence Extraction kills a creature, drains three life, and costs three mana — that's a lot of work for a single card in a format where one removal spell rarely swings the game. Black has better options at every price point, and the life swing rarely justifies the slot.
Format Analysis
Where it lives, where it can’t
| Format | Verdict |
|---|---|
| commander | legal |
| legacy | legal |
| modern | legal |
| pioneer | legal |
| standard | not legal |
| vintage | legal |
| pauper | not legal |
| oathbreaker | legal |
In Commander, Essence Extraction competes against removal that either hits more target types, costs less mana, or generates more lasting value — and it loses most of those comparisons. The three-life drain is nearly irrelevant in a 40-life format where a single combat step moves more numbers. In Pioneer and Modern, the three-mana price tag puts it behind instant-speed threats on the curve, and black has enough cheap unconditional removal that Essence Extraction rarely makes the cut. Legacy and Vintage don't give it a second look. It's legal in Oathbreaker, where the smaller life totals make the drain marginally more meaningful, but even there it's a fringe consideration.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Price Context
Current price
$0.26 bulk tier
At $0.26, Essence Extraction is deep bulk — you're not paying for power, you're paying for cardboard. The price is stable precisely because demand is low, so don't expect movement in either direction.
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Sources
Mentioned
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.