Revenge of Ravens is a 4-mana uncommon enchantment that rewards its controller for being attacked. Whenever a creature attacks the player controlling Revenge of Ravens or a planeswalker they control, the attacker takes a hit and the controller gains life equal to the damage dealt. This effect can create a cycle of attacks and counterattacks, with Revenge of Ravens' controller benefiting from each exchange.

Revenge of Ravens is well-suited for formats where creature combat is prominent, such as Commander. It pairs particularly well with cards that generate tokens or creatures with high power and toughness, like Aurelia, the Warleader. In a Revenge of Ravens-equipped deck, attacking opponents can be a low-risk strategy, as each successful attack provides a life gain for the controller.

Revenge of Ravens' ability to create a self-sustaining cycle makes it an attractive addition to decks focused on creature combat and token generation. Its 4-mana cost is relatively affordable, making it a viable option in more aggressive Commander decks.

Revenge of Ravens

As a enchantment, Revenge of Ravens is a permanent card that will remain on the battlefield unless removed. Its effect triggers whenever a creature attacks you or a planeswalker you control.

Triggered Ability

The Oracle text states: "Whenever a creature attacks you or a planeswalker you control, that creature's controller loses 1 life and you gain 1 life." This is a triggered ability with an appropriate trigger condition (a creature attacking) and an effect. When the trigger condition is met, the controller of the attacking creature will lose 1 life, and you will gain 1 life.

Stack Interaction

When Revenge of Ravens triggers, it goes to the stack as a triggered ability. The stack order does not matter for triggered abilities with no targets (in this case, the effect only affects the controller of the attacking creature). Once on the stack, the ability resolves immediately, causing the loss and gain of life.

Edge Cases

• If a creature with an ability that says "can't be blocked" or "can't attack" attacks you/planeswalker, Revenge of Ravens will still trigger.
• If multiple creatures attack in the same combat phase, each trigger condition is met separately, resulting in individual triggered abilities resolving on the stack.

Unusual Rules Interactions

Revenge of Ravens interacts with cards like Karametra's Acolyte, which gains life when a creature attacks. When Revenge of Ravens triggers, Karametra's Acolyte will gain 1 life for each creature that attacked.

It also interacts with cards like [Doomsday, which creates an opposing player to attack the controller of Doomsday. In this case, the triggered ability would cause the new opponent to lose 1 life.

Commander-Specific Quirks

In a Commander deck, Revenge of Ravens is likely to be played in a control or midrange strategy. Its ability complements cards like [Path to Exile, which can exile creatures that attack you/planeswalker.

Revenge of Ravens is a versatile enchantment that can be used in various Commander strategies, particularly those centered around life gain, removal, and creature synergy. Its ability to trigger on both attacking creatures and planeswalkers controlled by the player makes it an attractive addition to several color identities.

Life Gain Strategies

• In Life Gain decks featuring Adriana, Captain of the Guard, Revenge of Ravens can help maintain a steady life total while simultaneously generating card advantage through its life gain effect.
• This enchantment pairs well with cards like Phyrexian Arena, which generates an additional 2 life when targeted by a creature or planeswalker, further amplifying the life gain potential.

Token Generation and Synergy

• In token-generating strategies centered around creatures like Akiri Realm Walker or Mausoleum Wanderer, Revenge of Ravens can be used to help keep the player's life total up while generating tokens.
• Its ability to trigger on attacking creatures also makes it a great fit for decks featuring cards that reward attacking, such as Bolas's Citadel.

Removal and Hate

• In removal-heavy Commander strategies using cards like Path to Exile or Sword of War and Peace, Revenge of Ravens can serve as a secondary method of life gain and pressure.
• Decks centered around counterspells, such as Bolas's Citadel, may also benefit from Revenge of Ravens' ability to provide additional life gain while countering an opponent's attack.

Color Identities

Revenge of Ravens is most at home in monoblack decks, where its life gain effect can be amplified by cards like Phyrexian Arena and Adriana, Captain of the Guard. However, it can also find a place in other black-based Commander strategies, such as Izoni, Thousand-Eye, which rewards players for generating tokens and attacking with creatures.

In terms of specific builds, Revenge of Ravens is particularly well-suited for:

• Casual: Life Gain (Adriana, Captain of the Guard)
• Competitive: Token Generation (Akiri Realm Walker, Mausoleum Wanderer)
• Niche: Removal/Counterspell (Bolas's Citadel)

Revenge of Ravens is a formidable Enchantment that exploits the aggression of opponents' creatures, siphoning life from them while refueling your own. Its simplicity belies its potential for synergy and interaction opportunities.

Combos with Removal Spells

Pair Revenge of Ravens with Swords to Plowshares or Path to Exile to create a potent removal suite. When an opponent's creature attacks, you can use one of these spells to remove it from the board while simultaneously triggering Revenge of Ravens' effect, draining life from the opponent and replenishing your own.

Synergy with Flying Creatures

Combining Revenge of Ravens with Flibberdigibbet or other creatures that allow attacking players to lose life when a creature attacks, you can create a self-sustaining loop. When a creature attacks, its controller loses life due to Revenge of Ravens and Flibberdigibbet's effect, while you gain life from the latter.

Interactions with Trample Creatures

Be cautious when playing with trample creatures like Kurkesh or Grafdigger's Cage, as they can bypass Revenge of Ravens' effect. Consider using spells that prevent creatures from having trample, such as Vraska's Contempt, to ensure Revenge of Ravens continues to function optimally.

Protection and Countermeasures

Keep in mind that opponents can counter your aggression with cards like Stoneforge Apprentice or Cultivate, which create a defensive posture. Anticipate these moves by playing around their effects, such as using Eldritch Moon's counterspells to neutralize removal spells.

Considerations and Cautions

When building around Revenge of Ravens, maintain a balance between aggressive creatures and removal spells. Avoid overextending with too many attacking creatures, as this can lead to the opponent simply killing them off before they even reach your board.

Revenge of Ravens excels in more methodical, controlling decks that value life gain and creature removal. By pairing it with cards that amplify its effects or mitigate opponents' countermeasures, you can create a formidable and resilient gameplay strategy.

Revenge of Ravens: Timing Issues and Poor Synergies

One common mistake players make with Revenge of Ravens is playing it too late in the game. The enchantment's effect triggers whenever a creature attacks, which means it's most effective when played alongside cards that generate large amounts of board presence early on, such as Sylvan Caryatid or Stirring Wildwood. Playing Revenge of Ravens after the board has already been saturated with creatures can make its life gain effects less impactful.

Another issue players encounter is misunderstanding the enchantment's interaction with other abilities. For example, if a creature with an ability that triggers on combat (like Shivan Dragon's "Whenever Shivan Dragon deals combat damage to a player, that player discards a card") attacks while Revenge of Ravens is in play, both effects will trigger at the same time. However, since Revenge of Ravens's effect happens before the attacking creature's ability, it can lead to confusion about which effect takes precedence.

In Commander games, where life total manipulation is often crucial, players might overlook the potential synergies between Revenge of Ravens and other cards that gain or lose life. For instance, combining Revenge of Ravens with Sanguine Bond, which allows you to draw a card when a creature dies, can create a potent life gain engine. Similarly, playing it alongside Liliana, Death's Majesty's ultimate ability can lead to significant life gain and potential wins.

When building around Revenge of Ravens, be mindful of the game state at the time you play the enchantment. Playing it in conjunction with early-game board presence generators and carefully considering its interaction with other abilities will help maximize its impact.

Revenge of Ravens offers a simple yet effective way to generate life advantage from attacking creatures. Its applicability is most pronounced in token-based strategies that utilize small, expendable creatures to swarm the board.

In a mono-black aggro deck built around Vraska's Contempt and Grave Pact, Revenge of Ravens can complement the existing life drain engines by providing an additional outlet for life gain when attacked. This synergy is particularly beneficial in Commander formats where the life totals are typically higher, allowing players to accumulate more benefits from this enchantment.

When paired with tokens like Liliana's Cauldron or Sanguine Bond, Revenge of Ravens can become a more formidable tool by amplifying its effects through the sheer number of creatures being sacrificed. However, it is crucial to consider the overall balance and life totals in such strategies, as excessive token generation could lead to overwhelming losses if left unchecked.

Revenge of Ravens' strength lies not in its ability to single-handedly turn games around but in its capacity to augment existing strategies that favor life manipulation. It shines brightest when incorporated into decks focused on attrition-based gameplay or those seeking an additional layer of resilience against aggressive opponents.

In Commander, Revenge of Ravens is most suitable for players who adopt more control-oriented approaches and seek to minimize their creature count while maximizing their life gain potential. For those with a more aggressive playstyle relying heavily on token generation or burn spells, this enchantment might not provide the desired impact, making it best left out of such decks.

In terms of overall versatility, Revenge of Ravens operates well within its niche but may fall short as a standalone game-changer due to its reliance on external factors. Its effectiveness is contingent upon the presence and deployment of supporting creatures or tokens, limiting its applications across different deck archetypes.

Revenge of Ravens is a versatile enchantment that rewards you for taking attacks on your life total. To build around it effectively, consider the following Commanders, color identities, themes, and engines.

Commander Options

• Griselbrand: As a token-generating Commander, Griselbrand can benefit from Revenge of Ravens's life gain.
• Karrthus, Triumphant of Kruphix: This Commander can create an abundance of tokens to attack with, amplifying the effect of Revenge of Ravens.

Color Identities

• Black is the primary color for this card, but it pairs well with red to create a more aggressive strategy.
• Consider adding black-red cards like Slaughter Pact, Ghastbark Troll, or Scour from Existence to your deck.

Themes and Engines

• Token Generation: Cards like Vraska's Contempt, Sylvan Caryatid, or Fangren Juvination can create an army of tokens to attack with.
• Death Trigger: Use cards like Doom Blade, Day of Judgment, or Maelstrom Pulse to trigger Revenge of Ravens.

Synergy Cards and Combo Notes

Keep in mind that building around Revenge of Ravens requires a focus on token generation and death triggers. The synergy with these cards will amplify its effect, but be cautious not to overextend your life total.

In terms of combo notes, consider using Revenge of Ravens as part of a more complex strategy involving tokens and death triggers. For example:

• Combo 1: Play Karrthus, Triumphant of Kruphix on turn three, then use its ability to create an army of tokens. On the same turn, cast Maelstrom Pulse, which creates massive token damage and triggers Revenge of Ravens.
• Combo 2: Use Vraska's Contempt to create a horde of tokens, then attack with them on subsequent turns. When a creature attacks you, its controller loses life due to Revenge of Ravens.

Ultimately, the key to building around Revenge of Ravens lies in creating an army of tokens and finding ways to death trigger its ability. Experiment with different combinations of cards and strategies to unlock its full potential.

Revenge of Ravens in Commander

In Commander, Revenge of Ravens is a solid addition to black-based aggro decks. Its ability to deal 1 life loss to attacking creatures while gaining 1 life for the controller is a great way to disrupt opponents and maintain life parity. This enchantment pairs well with cards like Sylvan Caryatid or Grizzly Bears, which can generate card advantage and take pressure off the player's life total.

In terms of competitive viability, Revenge of Ravens is not typically considered a top-tier choice for Commander decks. However, it can be an effective sideboard addition against token-heavy or creature-based strategies. Its ability to gain life while forcing opponents to sacrifice creatures makes it a good fit for decks that rely on Liliana's Mastery or other black removal spells.

Casual and Banned Formats

Revenge of Ravens is not banned in any official formats, but its impact is relatively limited outside of Commander. In casual games, players may overlook this enchantment due to the availability of more powerful or versatile options. However, it can still be a fun addition to decks focused on token generation or removal.

Example Decklist

Here's an example decklist that showcases Revenge of Ravens in action:

• 1x Revenge of Ravens
• 3x Sylvan Caryatid
• 2x Grizzly Bears
• 4x Liliana's Mastery
• 2x Doom Blade
• 24x other cards

In this example, Revenge of Ravens works in conjunction with Sylvan Caryatid and Grizzly Bears to create a token-heavy aggro deck. The enchantment helps maintain life parity while disrupting opponents' plans.

Price and Availability

As an uncommon card from the Eldritch Moon set, Revenge of Ravens is relatively affordable, with a current price of $0.29 in USD. Foil versions are available for $1.76, but the non-foil version remains a great option for budget-conscious players.

Scenarios where Revenge of Ravens excels

• In a creature-heavy format like Commander, Revenge of Ravens thrives when paired with creatures that can attack repeatedly. Cards like Golgari Findbroker or Kor Spirit Dancer can generate multiple attackers in one turn, allowing Revenge to trigger its ability multiple times. • Against an opponent with a strong flying threat, Revenge can help mitigate the damage by forcing them to lose life each time their creature attacks. This can be particularly effective against opponents playing cards like Serra Avenger or Ajani's Pridemate.

Scenarios where Revenge of Ravens struggles

• In a format focused on low-toughness creatures, such as EDH (Elder Dragon Highlander), Revenge may not provide sufficient life gain to offset the loss from the opponent's creature attacks. Cards like Luminarch Aspirant or Forked Horn Colossus can be particularly problematic. • Against opponents with a strong board presence and no creatures, Revenge of Ravens will not be able to trigger its ability at all. This is especially true against players running cards like Mox Amber or Simian Spirit Guide, which allow for quick mana acceleration without drawing into creatures.

Key matchups

Keep in mind that Revenge of Ravens excels when paired with other cards that can generate multiple attackers or provide alternative sources of life gain. Its effectiveness is also heavily dependent on the opponent's strategy and the board state at any given time.

Revenge of Ravens has been a staple in many Black decks since its introduction in Eldritch Moon (EMN) in 2016. Its ability to punish creatures attacking the player or planeswalker for life loss while granting life makes it a valuable addition to aggressive and control-oriented strategies.

The card's rarity as Uncommon has kept its price relatively low, with an average value of $0.29 USD. While not as expensive as some other Black enchantments like Sanguine Bond, Revenge of Ravens remains a sought-after inclusion in many competitive decks.

Revenge of Ravens' ability to disrupt opponents by forcing them to choose between attacking and losing life or holding back and allowing the player to gain life has made it a popular choice for EDHREC's Control and Aggro control archetypes. In these strategies, Revenge of Ravens often works in tandem with other cards like Liliana's Reclamation and Doom Blade.

Some iconic decks that feature Revenge of Ravens include Bant Charm, Golgari Charms, and Orzhov Ascendancy. These decks leverage the card's ability to disrupt opponents while also generating value through life gain.

Revenge of Ravens is a dark and foreboding enchantment that embodies the malevolent presence of the raven, a bird often associated with death and ill omen in many cultures. Its existence is deeply connected to the bleak, gothic-inspired world of Eldraine, where the forces of darkness seek to spread their influence.

In this haunting realm, creatures like Ethereal Abomination roam the land, spreading terror and despair wherever they tread. When these abominations attack, Revenge of Ravens springs into action, exacting a cruel revenge upon their controller by draining their life force. Meanwhile, the enchantment's master gains strength from the suffering, accumulating a meager but steady trickle of life gain.

The card's effects are reminiscent of Doom Blade, which also deals direct damage to an opponent when a creature attacks. However, Revenge of Ravens offers a more sinister and indirect approach, sowing discord and despair among its opponents rather than simply dealing destruction. In this way, it serves as a testament to the cunning and ruthlessness of Eldraine's dark forces.

In terms of gameplay, Revenge of Ravens can be played in conjunction with Vampire Nighthawk, a creature that benefits from attacking creatures. When paired together, these two cards create a deadly synergy that punishes opponents for launching attacks while rewarding their masters with a slow but steady stream of life gain.