Ill-Gotten Inheritance MTG Card


Ill-Gotten Inheritance applies constant life drain pressure, influencing the game’s pace. At instant speed, it offers tactical flexibility to disrupt opponent strategies or finish games. It provides synergy with life loss/gain triggers, making it versatile in black-based decks.
Card setsReleased in 3 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost4
RarityCommon
TypeEnchantment

Text of card

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

"The suffering of others is not my concern."


Cards like Ill-Gotten Inheritance

Ill-Gotten Inheritance stands out in the realm of incremental damage and life gain effects in Magic: The Gathering. It draws comparison to the classic card Exquisite Blood which also provides a steady life advantage, but does so by keying off your opponents’ life loss, potentially resulting in a larger life swing. Ill-Gotten Inheritance differs with its built-in ability to sacrifice itself for damage, giving players a final burst of life drain to finish a game.

The card Syndicate Guildmage taps into the same life manipulation tactics but requires an active investment of mana and a guildmage on the battlefield each turn to chip away at an opponent’s life total. Ill-Gotten Inheritance is autonomous once it’s on the field. Then we have Pestilence, a card that can deal widespread damage to creatures and players alike. Though powerful, it lacks the controlled, unidirectional attrition and eventual explosive potential that Ill-Gotten Inheritance offers.

Every card provides its unique twist to the strategy of draining opponents, but Ill-Gotten Inheritance adds a flavorful mix of passive aggression and an eventual game-ending possibility that can be a surprise blow to your opponent’s game plan.

Exquisite Blood - MTG Card versions
Syndicate Guildmage - MTG Card versions
Pestilence - MTG Card versions
Exquisite Blood - MTG Card versions
Syndicate Guildmage - MTG Card versions
Pestilence - MTG Card versions

Decks using this card

MTG decks using Ill-Gotten Inheritance. Dig deeper into the strategy of decks, sideboard cards, list ideas and export to play in ARENA or MOL.

#NameFormatArchetypeEvent
BRGBRG PauperPauper League 2024-04-05
WUBRGWUBRG PauperPauper League 2024-04-07
Mono-Black ControlMono-Black Control PauperLiga Gacha de Pauper 2024 - Etapa 3
BGBG PauperPauper League 2024-03-24
BB PauperPauper League 2024-01-21
Abzan HeliodAbzan Heliod PauperLiga Gacha de Pauper 2024 - Etapa 2
Orzhov Death & TaxesOrzhov Death & Taxes GladiatorGladiator Games: We're Back

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Ill-Gotten Inheritance provides a consistent source of pressure against your opponent, effectively chipping away at their life total while bolstering yours. This persistent effect allows you to dictate the pace of the game and can often mean the difference between victory and defeat.

Resource Acceleration: While not directly accelerating mana resources, the gradual life drain increases your staying power, granting you more turns and effectively more resources over time. This can give you the upper hand in longer matches where sustained resources are key.

Instant Speed: The activated ability of Ill-Gotten Inheritance can be used at instant speed, giving you the flexibility to end the game or disrupt your opponent’s strategies during their turn. This surprise factor can be the edge you need, allowing you to wait for the most tactful moment to strike or to respond to an immediate threat.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Ill-Gotten Inheritance doesn’t make you sacrifice cards, but its ability to force an opponent to discard is absent, reducing strategic control over the opponent’s hand.

Specific Mana Cost: This enchantment requires a combination of black mana and generic mana, which might not be effortlessly integrated into multicolor decks that aren’t focused on a black mana base.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a mana cost of four, including a double black mana commitment, Ill-Gotten Inheritance can be a slow start in faster-paced games where board presence and tempo are crucial.


Reasons to Include Ill-Gotten Inheritance in Your Collection

Versatility: Ill-Gotten Inheritance shines in decks that focus on incremental life loss and gain. It serves as a constant source of pressure on your opponent and a steady buffer for your life total, making it a solid pickup for many black-based control or midrange decks.

Combo Potential: This enchantment has synergy with cards that trigger off life loss or life gain, and when its time comes, you can sacrifice it for an explosive life swing, which can be the perfect setup for surprise wins or enabling powerful death triggers under the right conditions.

Meta-Relevance: In metas where games are drawn out and grindy, Ill-Gotten Inheritance can become a ticking time bomb that opponents must answer. It’s especially potent in limited formats, like Draft or Sealed, where it can dominate the game if left unchecked.


How to Beat Ill-Gotten Inheritance

When facing the persistent pressure of Ill-Gotten Inheritance in the landscape of Magic: The Gathering, it’s essential to understand the strategies required to dismantle its impact. This enchantment incrementally wears down your life total while bolstering your opponent’s, making it a ticking time bomb that demands an answer.

One approach to countering Ill-Gotten Inheritance is to increase the pace of your offensive. Speeding up your attacks can mitigate the lifeloss and potentially overtake the gradual advantage it offers. Alternatively, enchantment removal is an effective remedy—cards such as Naturalize or Disenchant can directly remove it from the battle, nullifying its effects completely.

Utilizing life gain mechanics can also counterbalance the drain from Ill-Gotten Inheritance, providing you with the necessary sustain to outlive the attrition war. In essence, prioritize direct answers to this threat, enhance your lifetotal through healing spells, or accelerate your gameplay to render Ill-Gotten Inheritance less impactful in your matches.


BurnMana Recommendations

As you dive deeper into the strategic nuances of MTG, consider adding interesting cards like Ill-Gotten Inheritance to your library. The consistent life drain sets a clock for your opponents while providing you a buffer, excellent for control strategies. Whether you seek to bolster your deck with versatile enchantments or explore combo potentials, understanding the strengths and limitations of such cards is vital. Keep in mind, metagame shifts and adapt to ensure this card’s ticking time bomb plays to your advantage. So, are you ready to perfect your deck? Let’s learn more and turn the tides in your next duel.


Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Ill-Gotten Inheritance MTG card by a specific set like Ravnica Allegiance and Jumpstart 2022, there are several reliable options to consider. One of the primary sources is your local game store, where you can often find booster packs, individual cards, and preconstructed decks from current and some past sets. They often offer the added benefit of a community where you can trade with other players.

For a broader inventory, particularly of older sets, online marketplaces like TCGPlayer, Card Kingdom and Card Market offer extensive selections and allow you to search for cards from specific sets. Larger e-commerce platforms like eBay and Amazon also have listings from various sellers, which can be a good place to look for sealed product and rare finds.

Additionally, Magic’s official site often has a store locator and retailer lists for finding Wizards of the Coast licensed products. Remember to check for authenticity and the condition of the cards when purchasing, especially from individual sellers on larger marketplaces.

Below is a list of some store websites where you can buy the Ill-Gotten Inheritance and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Ill-Gotten Inheritance Magic the Gathering card was released in 3 different sets between 2019-01-25 and 2024-01-12. Illustrated by Winona Nelson.

#ReleasedNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12019-01-25Ravnica AllegianceRNA 772015NormalBlackWinona Nelson
22022-12-02Jumpstart 2022J22 4272015NormalBlackWinona Nelson
32024-01-12Ravnica RemasteredRVR 772015NormalBlackWinona Nelson

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Ill-Gotten Inheritance has restrictions

FormatLegality
HistoricbrawlLegal
HistoricLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderLegal
OathbreakerLegal
GladiatorLegal
PioneerLegal
CommanderLegal
ModernLegal
PauperLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
ExplorerLegal
TimelessLegal

Rules and information

The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Ill-Gotten Inheritance card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.

Date Text
2019-01-25 In a Two-Headed Giant game, Ill-Gotten Inheritance’s first ability causes the opposing team to lose 2 life and you gain 1 life.