Vigil for the Lost
Enchantment
Whenever a creature you control dies, you may pay 
. If you do, you gain X life.
- CMC
- 4
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- W
- Rarity
- uncommon
- Set
- Scars of Mirrodin
- Price
- $0.13
- EDHREC rank
- #27459
Vigil for the Lost turns every creature death into life gain scaled to how many creatures you control, which means in a token-heavy or aristocrats shell the lifegain can swing your total by double digits in a single end step. The cost is three mana for a do-nothing enchantment that requires a board presence to matter — it's dead in an empty hand and dead on an empty board.
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 | not legal |
| oathbreaker | legal |
Commander is the only format where Vigil for the Lost earns a serious look, and even there it needs the right shell — aristocrats lists running Teysa Karlov, Wilhelt, the Rotcleaver, or similar commanders that generate and sacrifice creatures in volume. In Legacy and Vintage it is legal but entirely outclassed; no competitive deck wants a three-mana enchantment that gains life as its ceiling. Oathbreaker is similarly niche — playable in theory, but the smaller starting life total and faster games reduce the payoff. Outside of Commander token-sacrifice strategies, Vigil for the Lost sits on the shelf.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Price Context
Current price
$0.13 bulk tier
At $0.13, Vigil for the Lost is deep bulk — a penny-bin pickup that costs less than a sleeve. It holds no financial value to speak of, but that's irrelevant: if it fits your aristocrats list, the barrier to entry is essentially zero.
Explore
Sources
Mentioned
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.