A-List

Battle-Rage Blessing

Target creature gains deathtouch and indestructible until end of turn. (Damage and effects that say "destroy" don't destroy it.)

Polygraph Orb

When Polygraph Orb enters, look at the top four cards of your library. Put two of them into your hand and the rest into your graveyard. You lose 2 life.
{2}, {T}, Collect evidence 3: Each opponent loses 3 life unless they discard a card or sacrifice a creature. (To collect evidence 3, exile cards with total mana value 3 or greater from your graveyard.)

Very Good

Vampire Cutthroat

Skulk (This creature can't be blocked by creatures with greater power.)
Lifelink (Damage dealt by this creature also causes you to gain that much life.)

Ascendant Evincar

Flying (This creature can't be blocked except by creatures with flying or reach.)
Other black creatures get +1/+1.
Nonblack creatures get -1/-1.

Staff of the Death Magus

Whenever you cast a black spell or a Swamp you control enters, you gain 1 life.

Sleeper Agent

When Sleeper Agent enters, target opponent gains control of it.
At the beginning of your upkeep, Sleeper Agent deals 2 damage to you.

Absolutely necessary

Bilbo's Ring

During your turn, equipped creature has hexproof and can't be blocked.
Whenever equipped creature attacks alone, you draw a card and you lose 1 life.
Equip Halfling {1} ({1}: Attach to target Halfling you control. Equip only as a sorcery.)
Equip {4} ({4}: Attach to target creature you control. Equip only as a sorcery.)

Blighted Fen

{T}: Add {C}.
{4}{B}, {T}, Sacrifice Blighted Fen: Target opponent sacrifices a creature of their choice.

Swiftfoot Boots

Equipped creature has hexproof and haste. (It can't be the target of spells or abilities your opponents control. It can attack and {T} no matter when it came under your control.)
Equip {1} ({1}: Attach to target creature you control. Equip only as a sorcery.)

Sorin's Vengeance

Sorin's Vengeance deals 10 damage to target player or planeswalker and you gain 10 life.

Sam's Desperate Rescue

Return target creature card from your graveyard to your hand. The Ring tempts you.

Abnormal Endurance

Until end of turn, target creature gets +2/+0 and gains "When this creature dies, return it to the battlefield tapped under its owner's control."

Thrull Parasite

Extort (Whenever you cast a spell, you may pay {W/B}. If you do, each opponent loses 1 life and you gain that much life.)
{T}, Pay 2 life: Remove a counter from target nonland permanent.

Tinybones Joins Up

When Tinybones Joins Up enters, any number of target players each discard a card.
Whenever a legendary creature you control enters, any number of target players each mill a card and lose 1 life.

Crypt Incursion

Exile all creature cards from target player's graveyard. You gain 3 life for each card exiled this way.

Revenge of Ravens

Whenever a creature attacks you or a planeswalker you control, that creature's controller loses 1 life and you gain 1 life.

Collective Brutality

Escalate—Discard a card. (Pay this cost for each mode chosen beyond the first.)
Choose one or more —
• Target opponent reveals their hand. You choose an instant or sorcery card from it. That player discards that card.
• Target creature gets -2/-2 until end of turn.
• Target opponent loses 2 life and you gain 2 life.

Marshland Bloodcaster

Flying
{1}{B}, {T}: Rather than pay the mana cost of the next spell you cast this turn, you may pay life equal to that spell's mana value.

Banehound

Vraska's Contempt

Exile target creature or planeswalker. You gain 2 life.

Ashnod's Intervention

Until end of turn, target creature gets +2/+0 and gains "When this creature dies or is put into exile from the battlefield, return it to its owner's hand."

Rooftop Assassin

Flash
Flying, lifelink
When Rooftop Assassin enters, destroy target creature an opponent controls that was dealt damage this turn.

Tavern Swindler

{T}, Pay 3 life: Flip a coin. If you win the flip, you gain 6 life.

Pontiff of Blight

Extort (Whenever you cast a spell, you may pay {W/B}. If you do, each opponent loses 1 life and you gain that much life.)
Other creatures you control have extort. (If a creature has multiple instances of extort, each triggers separately.)

Consider cutting

Fate Unraveler

Whenever an opponent draws a card, Fate Unraveler deals 1 damage to that player.

Memory of Toshiro

{T}, Pay 1 life: Add {B}. Spend this mana only to cast an instant or sorcery spell.

Life of Toshiro Umezawa

(As this Saga enters and after your draw step, add a lore counter.)
I, II — Choose one —
• Target creature gets +2/+2 until end of turn.
• Target creature gets -1/-1 until end of turn.
• You gain 2 life.
III — Exile this Saga, then return it to the battlefield transformed under your control.

Life of Toshiro Umezawa // Memory of Toshiro

Field of Ruin

{T}: Add {C}.
{2}, {T}, Sacrifice Field of Ruin: Destroy target nonbasic land an opponent controls. Each player searches their library for a basic land card, puts it onto the battlefield, then shuffles.

Lightning Greaves

Equipped creature has haste and shroud. (It can't be the target of spells or abilities.)
Equip {0}

Bone Splinters

As an additional cost to cast this spell, sacrifice a creature.
Destroy target creature.

Sol Ring

Creeping Bloodsucker

At the beginning of your upkeep, Creeping Bloodsucker deals 1 damage to each opponent. You gain life equal to the damage dealt this way.

Sower of Discord

Flying
As Sower of Discord enters, choose two players.
Whenever damage is dealt to one of the chosen players, the other chosen player also loses that much life.

Phyrexian Arena

At the beginning of your upkeep, you draw a card and you lose 1 life.

Dark Ritual

Tainted Remedy

If an opponent would gain life, that player loses that much life instead.

Feast on the Fallen

At the beginning of each upkeep, if an opponent lost life last turn, put a +1/+1 counter on target creature you control.

Undying Evil

Target creature gains undying until end of turn. (When it dies, if it had no +1/+1 counters on it, return it to the battlefield under its owner's control with a +1/+1 counter on it.)

Bloodbond Vampire

Whenever you gain life, put a +1/+1 counter on Bloodbond Vampire.

Falkenrath Noble

Flying
Whenever Falkenrath Noble or another creature dies, target player loses 1 life and you gain 1 life.

Disciple of Griselbrand

{1}, Sacrifice a creature: You gain life equal to the sacrificed creature's toughness.

Demonic Vigor

Enchant creature
Enchanted creature gets +1/+1.
When enchanted creature dies, return that card to its owner's hand.

Veinwitch Coven

Menace
Whenever you gain life, you may pay {B}. If you do, return target creature card from your graveyard to your hand.

Reaper's Talisman

Whenever equipped creature attacks, it gains deathtouch until end of turn.
Whenever equipped creature attacks alone, defending player loses 2 life and you gain 2 life.
Equip {2} ({2}: Attach to target creature you control. Equip only as a sorcery.)

Vampire Nighthawk

Flying
Deathtouch (Any amount of damage this deals to a creature is enough to destroy it.)
Lifelink (Damage dealt by this creature also causes you to gain that much life.)

Morgul-Knife Wound

Enchant creature
Enchanted creature gets -3/-0 and has "At the beginning of your upkeep, exile this creature unless you pay 2 life."

Blood Artist

Whenever Blood Artist or another creature dies, target player loses 1 life and you gain 1 life.

Sangromancer

Flying
Whenever a creature an opponent controls dies, you may gain 3 life.
Whenever an opponent discards a card, you may gain 3 life.

Blood Tribute

Kicker—Tap an untapped Vampire you control. (You may tap a Vampire you control in addition to any other costs as you cast this spell.)
Target opponent loses half their life, rounded up. If this spell was kicked, you gain life equal to the life lost this way.

Archetype of Finality

Creatures you control have deathtouch.
Creatures your opponents control lose deathtouch and can't have or gain deathtouch.

Profane Memento

Whenever a creature card is put into an opponent's graveyard from anywhere, you gain 1 life.

Ambition's Cost

You draw three cards and you lose 3 life.

Twilight Prophet

Flying
Ascend (If you control ten or more permanents, you get the city's blessing for the rest of the game.)
At the beginning of your upkeep, if you have the city's blessing, reveal the top card of your library and put it into your hand. Each opponent loses X life and you gain X life, where X is that card's mana value.

Shadow of the Enemy

Exile all creature cards from target player's graveyard. You may cast spells from among those cards for as long as they remain exiled, and mana of any type can be spent to cast them.

Deep-Cavern Bat

Flying, lifelink
When Deep-Cavern Bat enters, look at target opponent's hand. You may exile a nonland card from it until Deep-Cavern Bat leaves the battlefield.

Fake Your Own Death

Until end of turn, target creature gets +2/+0 and gains "When this creature dies, return it to the battlefield tapped under its owner's control and you create a Treasure token." (It's an artifact with "{T}, Sacrifice this token: Add one mana of any color.")

Moonlight Bargain

Look at the top five cards of your library. For each card, put that card into your graveyard unless you pay 2 life. Then put the rest into your hand.

Sinister Possession

Enchant creature
Whenever enchanted creature attacks or blocks, its controller loses 2 life.

Feign Death

Until end of turn, target creature gains "When this creature dies, return it to the battlefield tapped under its owner's control with a +1/+1 counter on it."

Return to Action

Until end of turn, target creature gets +1/+0 and gains lifelink and "When this creature dies, return it to the battlefield tapped under its owner's control."

Remorseless Punishment

Target opponent loses 5 life unless that player discards two cards or sacrifices a creature or planeswalker of their choice. Repeat this process once.

Mind Whip

Enchant creature
At the beginning of the upkeep of enchanted creature's controller, that player may pay {3}. If they don't, Mind Whip deals 2 damage to that player and you tap that creature.

Palace Siege

As Palace Siege enters, choose Khans or Dragons.
• Khans — At the beginning of your upkeep, return target creature card from your graveyard to your hand.
• Dragons — At the beginning of your upkeep, each opponent loses 2 life and you gain 2 life.

March of Wretched Sorrow

As an additional cost to cast this spell, you may exile any number of black cards from your hand. This spell costs {2} less to cast for each card exiled this way.
March of Wretched Sorrow deals X damage to target creature or planeswalker and you gain X life.

Rogue's Passage

{T}: Add {C}.
{4}, {T}: Target creature can't be blocked this turn.

Prowler's Helm

Equipped creature can't be blocked except by Walls.
Equip {2}

Offer Immortality

Relic Putrescence

Enchant artifact
Whenever enchanted artifact becomes tapped, its controller gets a poison counter.

Skeletal Grimace

Enchant creature
Enchanted creature gets +1/+1 and has "{B}: Regenerate this creature."

Oasis Gardener

When Oasis Gardener enters, you gain 2 life.
{T}: Add one mana of any color.

Radiant Fountain

When Radiant Fountain enters, you gain 2 life.
{T}: Add {C}.

Sanguimancy

You draw X cards and you lose X life, where X is your devotion to black. (Each {B} in the mana costs of permanents you control counts toward your devotion to black.)

Gollum, Obsessed Stalker

Skulk (This creature can't be blocked by creatures with greater power.)
At the beginning of your end step, each opponent dealt combat damage this game by a creature named Gollum, Obsessed Stalker loses life equal to the amount of life you gained this turn.

Cosmos Elixir

At the beginning of your end step, draw a card if your life total is greater than your starting life total. Otherwise, you gain 2 life.

Kaya's Ghostform

Enchant creature or planeswalker you control
When enchanted permanent dies or is put into exile, return that card to the battlefield under your control.

Unlikely Aid

Target creature gets +2/+0 and gains indestructible until end of turn. (Damage and effects that say "destroy" don't destroy it.)

Ob Nixilis of the Black Oath

+2: Each opponent loses 1 life. You gain life equal to the life lost this way.
−2: Create a 5/5 black Demon creature token with flying. You lose 2 life.
−8: You get an emblem with "{1}{B}, Sacrifice a creature: You gain X life and draw X cards, where X is the sacrificed creature's power."
Ob Nixilis of the Black Oath can be your commander.

Ayara, First of Locthwain

Whenever Ayara, First of Locthwain or another black creature you control enters, each opponent loses 1 life and you gain 1 life.
{T}, Sacrifice another black creature: Draw a card.

Blood Seeker

Whenever a creature an opponent controls enters, you may have that player lose 1 life.

Battle at the Bridge

Improvise (Your artifacts can help cast this spell. Each artifact you tap after you're done activating mana abilities pays for {1}.)
Target creature gets -X/-X until end of turn. You gain X life.

Crippling Blight

Enchant creature
Enchanted creature gets -1/-1 and can't block.

Crushing Disappointment

Each player loses 2 life. You draw two cards.

Vampire's Kiss

Target player loses 2 life and you gain 2 life. Create two Blood tokens. (They're artifacts with "{1}, {T}, Discard a card, Sacrifice this artifact: Draw a card.")

Kiku, Night's Flower

{2}{B}{B}, {T}: Target creature deals damage to itself equal to its power.

Essence Harvest

Target player loses X life and you gain X life, where X is the greatest power among creatures you control.

Fountain of Renewal

At the beginning of your upkeep, you gain 1 life.
{3}, Sacrifice Fountain of Renewal: Draw a card.

Stab Wound

Enchant creature
Enchanted creature gets -2/-2.
At the beginning of the upkeep of enchanted creature's controller, that player loses 2 life.

Indulgent Tormentor

Flying
At the beginning of your upkeep, draw a card unless target opponent sacrifices a creature of their choice or pays 3 life.

Access Tunnel

{T}: Add {C}.
{3}, {T}: Target creature with power 3 or less can't be blocked this turn.

Polluted Mire

Polluted Mire enters tapped.
{T}: Add {B}.
Cycling {2} ({2}, Discard this card: Draw a card.)

Polluted Bonds

Whenever a land an opponent controls enters, that player loses 2 life and you gain 2 life.

Ill-Gotten Inheritance

At the beginning of your upkeep, Ill-Gotten Inheritance deals 1 damage to each opponent and you gain 1 life.
{5}{B}, Sacrifice Ill-Gotten Inheritance: It deals 4 damage to target opponent and you gain 4 life.

Escape Tunnel

{T}, Sacrifice Escape Tunnel: Search your library for a basic land card, put it onto the battlefield tapped, then shuffle.
{T}, Sacrifice Escape Tunnel: Target creature with power 2 or less can't be blocked this turn.

Imp's Mischief

Change the target of target spell with a single target. You lose life equal to that spell's mana value.

Trespasser's Curse

Enchant player
Whenever a creature enchanted player controls enters, that player loses 1 life and you gain 1 life.

Lively Dirge

Spree (Choose one or more additional costs.)
+ {1} — Search your library for a card, put it into your graveyard, then shuffle.
+ {2} — Return up to two creature cards with total mana value 4 or less from your graveyard to the battlefield.

The One Ring

Indestructible
When The One Ring enters, if you cast it, you gain protection from everything until your next turn.
At the beginning of your upkeep, you lose 1 life for each burden counter on The One Ring.
{T}: Put a burden counter on The One Ring, then draw a card for each burden counter on The One Ring.

Suspicious Bookcase

Defender
{3}, {T}: Target creature can't be blocked this turn.

Bad Moon

Corrupt

Corrupt deals damage to any target equal to the number of Swamps you control. You gain life equal to the damage dealt this way.

Final Punishment

Target player loses life equal to the damage already dealt to that player this turn.