Sorin, Vengeful Bloodlord
Legendary Planeswalker — Sorin
During your turn, creatures and planeswalkers you control have lifelink.
+2: Sorin deals 1 damage to target player or planeswalker.
−X: Return target creature card with mana value X from your graveyard to the battlefield. That creature is a Vampire in addition to its other types.
- CMC
- 4
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- BW
- Rarity
- rare
- Set
- Magic Online Promos
- Price
- —
- EDHREC rank
- #4979
Sorin, Vengeful Bloodlord gives every creature you control lifelink at instant speed — relevant on your opponents' combat steps — and his minus ability reanimates any creature or planeswalker with converted mana cost equal to or less than his loyalty, which means something like Volcano Hellion comes back at will as long as Sorin stays on board. Four mana for that combination of passive pressure and recursive threat is the correct price; Sorin of House Markov decks in particular have made him a staple.
Best Commanders
Commanders with the highest synergy
Sorin of House Markov
Sorin of House Markov's vampire tribal and lifegain themes align perfectly with Sorin, Vengeful Bloodlord — the passive lifelink amplifies every attack and feeds Sorin of House Markov's own triggers, while the minus ability recovers fallen vampires or key planeswalkers to keep the engine running.
Licia, Sanguine Tribune
Licia, Sanguine Tribune cares deeply about gaining life each turn to reduce her commander tax, and Sorin, Vengeful Bloodlord's blanket lifelink turns any creature-heavy board into a life-gain engine on demand, making Licia cheaper to recast after removal.
Astarion, the Decadent
Astarion, the Decadent rewards life totals and vampire synergies, so Sorin, Vengeful Bloodlord pulls double duty — granting the lifelink padding Astarion wants while the reanimation minus rescues high-value vampires that get answered.
Karlov of the Ghost Council
Karlov of the Ghost Council triggers on every life-gain instance, and Sorin, Vengeful Bloodlord converts each attacking creature into a separate lifelink source, stacking triggers that grow Karlov rapidly and set up the exile ability.
Amalia Benavides Aguirre
Amalia Benavides Aguirre needs a steady stream of life-gain triggers to keep exploring, and Sorin, Vengeful Bloodlord turns combat into a reliable source — every lifelink hit is another explore trigger without spending additional card slots.
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 |
Commander is where Sorin, Vengeful Bloodlord actually earns his slot — lifegain synergy commanders flood that format, the reanimation minus hits a wide target range, and four mana is easy to reach in a 100-card pile built around the effect. In Pioneer and Modern he's largely outclassed; four-mana planeswalkers in those formats compete with faster, more linear threats, and the lifelink static rarely wins games at the pace those formats demand. Legacy and Vintage are legally available but practically irrelevant — Sorin, Vengeful Bloodlord doesn't approach the power threshold those formats require. Oathbreaker is a reasonable home if a Sorin-themed shell is the goal, but the 20-life starting total compresses how many activations you realistically get.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Price Context
Current price
unknown tier
Pricing data for Sorin, Vengeful Bloodlord isn't available in this snapshot, so check Scryfall or TCGPlayer for the current market rate before buying. As a mythic planeswalker with narrow competitive demand outside Commander, it typically sits in the budget-to-mid range — worth picking up when you're actively building a lifegain or vampire Commander deck, but not a card that commands a premium for any reason beyond that.
Explore
Sources
Mentioned
- Volcano Hellion
- Sorin of House Markov
- Licia, Sanguine Tribune
- Astarion, the Decadent
- Karlov of the Ghost Council
- Amalia Benavides Aguirre
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.