Sovereign's Bite
Sorcery
Target player loses 3 life and you gain 3 life.
- CMC
- 2
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- B
- Rarity
- common
- Set
- Core Set 2019
- Price
- $0.18
- EDHREC rank
- #19371
Sovereign's Bite drains for 3 and gains you 3 life for two mana — a clean six-point life swing that closes out a game or buys a critical turn. It's a fine card in dedicated life-gain or aristocrats shells, and a filler spell everywhere else.
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 | legal |
| oathbreaker | legal |
In Commander, Sovereign's Bite is narrow — 3 damage spread across 120 life total across the table is negligible without a dedicated life-gain payoff like Vito, Thorn of the Dusk Rose or Sanguine Bond already in play. In Pauper, where the card pool tightens and common life-drain spells carry real weight in black aggro or drain strategies, it's a legitimate option. Legacy, Modern, and Pioneer have faster, more efficient options at every point on the curve, so Sovereign's Bite won't see competitive play there. Oathbreaker narrows the field enough that a drain-focused signature spell pairing could make it work in the right build.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Price Context
Current price
$0.18 bulk tier
At $0.18, Sovereign's Bite is deep bulk — you'll find copies in any common box or throw-in trade. The price won't move; it's a commons-level staple at best, and supply will always outpace demand.
Explore
Sources
Mentioned
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.