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Ayara, First of Locthwain
Legendary Creature — Elf Noble
Whenever Ayara 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.
2 / 3
$9.73Buy on TCGPlayer
“Black creature enter triggers drain and sacrifice outlet—life drain aristocrats.”
Midrange
Intermediate
Combat damage, Mill
Aristocrats, Tokens, Sacrifice, Reanimator
Strategy
Ayara is a life drain engine that rewards you for playing black creatures. Every time a black creature enters the battlefield under your control—whether it's a fresh cast, a blink, or a reanimation—each opponent loses a life while you gain one. This gradual drain adds up fast in multiplayer, and it's hard for opponents to race. Your secondary outlet is sacrificing expendable creatures to draw cards, which keeps your hand full and your engine running.
Build around cheap black creatures and ways to repeatedly trigger Ayara's enter ability. Token generators, sacrifice outlets, and reanimation spells turn the deck into a grinding machine. You're not trying to win on turn 4; instead, you're chipping away at everyone's life totals while accruing cards and value. Include aristocrat synergies—cards that care about creatures entering and leaving—so every sacrifice fuels your gameplan. Creature tutors and card draw keep you fueled, and by midgame you'll have drained the table for 10+ life while staying ahead on resources.
Strategy generated by Tapped Decks AI. Not affiliated with Wizards of the Coast.
Key Synergies
Budget Build
Skip expensive tutors like Demonic Tutor and use Diabolic Tutor or Imperial Recruiter instead; replace pricey black staples with mid-range creatures like Zulaport Cutthroat and Viscera Seer.
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Inclusion = % of Ayara, First of Locthwain decks running this card. +lift = percentage-point boost over the format average.
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Art Variants
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