Powerleech
Enchantment
Whenever an artifact an opponent controls becomes tapped or an opponent activates an artifact's ability without 
in its activation cost, you gain 1 life.
- CMC
- 2
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- G
- Rarity
- uncommon
- Set
- Antiquities
- Price
- $20.31
- EDHREC rank
- #21044
Powerleech drains an opponent for each point of colorless mana their permanents produce every turn — in a table full of Sol Rings, Mana Vaults, and artifact ramp, that's a meaningful life swing starting turn two. It's a two-mana enchantment that does real work in exactly one metagame context: the artifact-heavy Commander table.
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 |
Powerleech is legal in Commander, Legacy, Vintage, and Oathbreaker, but Commander is the only format where it consistently earns its slot. Legacy and Vintage have the colorless-producing permanents to trigger it, but those formats move too fast for a two-mana drain enchantment to close games. In Commander, four players running Sol Ring, Mana Crypt, and artifact rocks means Powerleech triggers on every opponent's upkeep — the cumulative life loss is relevant by the midgame, and the life gain keeps you above the threshold for combo protection.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Budget Alternatives
Cheaper options that do most of the same work
There's no direct replacement for Powerleech — cards that drain for colorless mana production are essentially unique to it. Forsaken Wastes and Everlasting Torment slow life gain globally but don't convert opponent ramp into your life total, which is the core of what Powerleech does; they're sideboard-adjacent tools, not substitutes.
Price Context
Current price
$20.31 premium tier
At $20.31, Powerleech sits in premium territory for a card with a narrow, one-format application. It's an older card with limited reprint history, so the price reflects scarcity more than demand — run it if you need it, but don't expect the price to reflect widespread competitive use.
Explore
Sources
Mentioned
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.