Hidden Gems for Y’shtola, Night’s Blessed
To absolutely no one’s surprise, the
As is tradition for Hidden Gems, we’ll dive into Magic’s past in search for overlooked or underappreciated cards that could find a nice, cozy home in the 99 of Y’shtola, Night’s Blessed. Here are my five picks for cards that you may have missed in your search and could be worth at least a few playtests.
#1. Hatred
This Reserved List card does more than what it might seem at first blush.
First, it’s an instant, so you can play it during any player’s turn. Y’shtola’s card draw ability doesn’t care who lost the life; if you or any opponent meets the requirement, you’ll draw a card.
Second, Hatred can target any creature. Use it to buff a creature attacking an opponent to maximize life lost. Use it to buff a chump blocker to become lethal. Use it to eliminate a player or end the game. If Y’shtola is in play, she’ll do two more damage and help recoup some life loss. Then she’ll draw you a card.
It’s flexible. It’s powerful. It’s worth looking into.
| Hatred |
#2. Bloodtracker
To maximize your commander’s draw ability, someone needs to lose life every turn. You can volunteer to be that person with abilities and spells that require a life payment.
Bloodtracker does a nice job of not requiring much mana to use its ability. It’ll grow and become a strong blocker or deadly attacker. And if it gets removed, your investment will pay off with a plethora of cards.
Bloodtracker doesn’t care how it leaves the battlefield; destroyed, exiled, or flickered – you still draw the cards. It’s a great mana sink, life sink, combatant, and way to refuel.
| Bloodtracker | ||
| Bloodtracker |
#3. Kuro, Pitlord
Sure, he’s nine mana. And he has an upkeep cost. But if we’re in the business of spending mana, Kuro is worth consideration. Maybe you can even cheat him into play with a reanimation spell.
Once Kuro hits the table, he’ll make his presence known. You don’t have to pay any mana to shrink your opponents’ creatures. He can steamroll the board, one life at a time.
If you invest enough, Y’shtola will restock your hand and make Kuro a must-deal-with-threat. Maybe I’m a dark and twisted person, but I think that’s beautiful.
| Kuro, Pitlord | ||
| Kuro, Pitlord |
#4. Pulse of the Fields
Paying lots of life can be scary; you don’t want to defeat yourself. To balance out all these effects, you’ll need ways to recoup what you’ve lost.
Pulse of the Fields does a wonderful job of being a recurring spell that can keep you alive and keep your life stocked up for more use. Plus, it’s three mana. Each time you cast it will trigger Y’shtola’s life drain ability.
It might require a bit more math than your average card for it to keep coming back, but a repeatable spell like this can do some heavy lifting.
| Pulse of the Fields |
#5. Liliana's Contract
This is maybe a curveball choice. But Demons love life payment, life loss, evil contracts, and other wicked things - like not covering your mouth when you cough. It’s deep lore.
This enchantment will draw you four cards by itself, but an additional one with Y’shtola. If you find yourself stacking your deck with Demons, you may as well make an attempt to sign Liliana’s Contract and unlock an achievement–winning with this typal card from
It is, after all, always good to have a backup plan.
| Liliana's Contract | ||
| Liliana's Contract |
That’s all for this episode. Don’t forget to check out our Premium membership for more entertainment and Magic market insights! Until next time, happy brewing!
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Adam Berg
Adam started playing Magic on his 14th birthday, when Judgment just released and the game's first Gorgon was born (It's a girl!). Since then, he's delved deep into Commander, written for television and film, and learned how to drive. He's published two YA Fantasy novels, Rainbringer and The Broken Pantheon. His favorite card is Repay In Kind, which is really all you need to know.