Stirge
Creature — Insect Bat
Flying
This creature can't block.
Blood Drain — 
, Pay 1 life, Sacrifice this creature: Draw a card.
- CMC
- 1
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- B
- Rarity
- common
- Set
- Commander Legends: Battle for Baldur's Gate
- Price
- $0.17
- EDHREC rank
- #11036
Stirge drains an opponent for 2 life every turn it attacks unblocked — a real clock that also gains you life — stapled to a one-mana 1/1 with flying and lifelink. Gix, Yawgmoth Praetor rewards opponents taking damage, and Stirge makes that happen cheaply and repeatedly in the air.
Best Commanders
Commanders with the highest synergy
Gix, Yawgmoth Praetor
Gix, Yawgmoth Praetor triggers off opponents losing life, and Stirge's repeatable aerial drain feeds that engine every combat step for just one mana.
Zoraline, Cosmos Caller
Zoraline, Cosmos Caller cares about life totals and life loss, making Stirge's lifelink drain a two-for-one that widens the gap between you and opponents each turn.
Gonti, Night Minister
Gonti, Night Minister builds around draining opponents and padding your own life total, and Stirge is one of the cheapest repeatable sources of both effects in black.
Fumulus, the Infestation
Fumulus, the Infestation rewards incremental life loss on opponents, and Stirge's evasive body guarantees that drain resolves turn after turn without needing combat tricks.
Rev, Tithe Extractor
Rev, Tithe Extractor converts opponent life loss into resources, and Stirge's flying lifelink drain generates that trigger reliably for a one-mana investment.
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 | legal |
| oathbreaker | legal |
Commander is where Stirge earns its keep — one mana for a flying lifelink creature that drains two every attack is exactly the kind of cheap, consistent life-loss trigger that black life-drain commanders want. In Pauper, Stirge is legal but competes in a faster, more focused environment where a 1/1 that needs to connect repeatedly is often too slow. Legacy and Vintage have no use for it — the power level gap is simply too wide. Oathbreaker mirrors Commander's logic; if your planeswalker cares about life loss, Stirge is a legitimate one-drop.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Price Context
Current price
$0.17 bulk tier
At $0.17, Stirge is deep bulk — a throw-it-in, never-think-about-the-cost inclusion for any deck that wants it. Bulk commons with narrow but real synergy homes tend to stay at this floor indefinitely, so there's no price risk in picking up a copy.
Explore
Sources
Mentioned
- Gix, Yawgmoth Praetor
- Zoraline, Cosmos Caller
- Gonti, Night Minister
- Fumulus, the Infestation
- Rev, Tithe Extractor
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.