Essence Pulse
Sorcery
You gain 2 life. Each creature gets -X/-X until end of turn, where X is the amount of life you gained this turn.
- CMC
- 4
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- B
- Rarity
- rare
- Set
- Commander 2021
- Price
- $0.38
- EDHREC rank
- #13077
Essence Pulse kills a creature and drains each opponent for the life you gained doing it — removal and reach on one card. Dina, Soul Steeper turns that incidental drain into real damage, making this a two-for-one in any deck built around her.
Best Commanders
Commanders with the highest synergy
Dina, Soul Steeper
Dina, Soul Steeper pings every opponent whenever you gain life, so Essence Pulse's drain trigger isn't a consolation effect — it's the point, threatening lethal in multiples as the game goes long.
Format Analysis
Where it lives, where it can’t
| Format | Verdict |
|---|---|
| commander | legal |
| legacy | legal |
| modern | not legal |
| pioneer | not legal |
| standard | not legal |
| vintage | legal |
| pauper | not legal |
| oathbreaker | legal |
Essence Pulse is legal in Commander, Legacy, Vintage, and Oathbreaker, but Legacy and Vintage have faster, cheaper removal that makes a three-mana sorcery uncompetitive. Commander is where it actually belongs — the life drain hits all opponents simultaneously, and 40-life totals mean incremental drain needs every push it can get. In life-gain and aristocrats shells, Essence Pulse pulls double duty as interaction and win condition progress in a way single-target kill spells simply don't.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Price Context
Current price
$0.38 bulk tier
At $0.38, Essence Pulse sits firmly in bulk territory — you're not paying a premium for the effect. Bulk rares with narrow homes tend to stay cheap, so don't expect movement, but for Dina decks it's an easy inclusion at essentially no cost.
Explore
Sources
Mentioned
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.