Pillory of the Sleepless
Enchantment — Aura
Enchant creature
Enchanted creature can't attack or block.
Enchanted creature has "At the beginning of your upkeep, you lose 1 life."
- CMC
- 3
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- BW
- Rarity
- uncommon
- Set
- RNA Guild Kit
- Price
- $0.16
- EDHREC rank
- #18184
Pillory of the Sleepless locks down a creature and drains its controller for one life per turn — both effects on a three-mana Aura. The rate is passable in slower, life-total-matters strategies, but it competes with removal that just kills the threat outright.
Format Analysis
Where it lives, where it can’t
| Format | Verdict |
|---|---|
| commander | legal |
| legacy | legal |
| modern | legal |
| pioneer | not legal |
| standard | not legal |
| vintage | legal |
| pauper | legal |
| oathbreaker | legal |
In Commander, Pillory of the Sleepless finds its clearest home in Orzhov aristocrats and drain strategies where the one-life-per-upkeep clause stacks with other bleed effects. Outside that niche, three mana to neutralize rather than answer a permanent is a tough sell in a four-player format where threats multiply fast. In Pauper, the common restriction brings it into legitimate consideration — enchantment-based removal at this rarity is scarce, and the drain rider adds real value in longer games. Legacy and Vintage have far more efficient answers, so Pillory of the Sleepless doesn't register there. Oathbreaker mirrors Commander in its appeal: drain commanders like Ob Nixilis, the Hate-Twisted get measurable mileage from the upkeep trigger.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Price Context
Current price
$0.16 bulk tier
At $0.16, Pillory of the Sleepless is deep bulk — grab a copy without a second thought if it fits a build. Price stability is essentially guaranteed; there's no demand pressure to push it higher.
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Sources
Mentioned
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.