Arcane Foundry › Commanders › Valentin, Dean of the Vein // Lisette, Dean of the Root
Valentin, Dean of the Vein // Lisette, Dean of the Root
Legendary Creature — Vampire Warlock // Legendary Creature — Human Druid · {B} // {2}{G}{G} · Black/Green commander
Menace, lifelink
If a nontoken creature an opponent controls would die, exile it instead. When you do, you may pay {2}. If you do, create a 1/1 black and green Pest creature token with "When this token dies, you gain 1 life."
Whenever you gain life, you may pay {1}. If you do, put a +1/+1 counter on each creature you control and those creatures gain trample until end of turn.
Build a Valentin, Dean of the Vein // Lisette, Dean of the Root deck →
What Valentin, Dean of the Vein // Lisette, Dean of the Root actually does
Read off the card by the same engine the Forge and Analyzer use — this is the mechanical classification, not a summary.
- Triggered ability · lifegainWhenever you gain life, you may pay {1}. If you do, put a +1/+1 counter on each creature you control and those creatures gain trample until end of turn.
- Replacement effect · otherIf a nontoken creature an opponent controls would die, exile it instead. When you do, you may pay {2}. If you do, create a 1/1 black and green Pest creature token with "When this token dies, you gain 1 life."
- Keyword · lifelinklifelink
- Keyword · menacemenace
What a Valentin, Dean of the Vein // Lisette, Dean of the Root deck wants
The plan the Forge derives for this commander: the roles it fills and how many of each.
- 16× Gain life repeatedly — for a commander that converts life gained into drain, the gain IS the damage
- 4× A team pump that actually pumps tokens
- 4× Sacrifice a creature for no mana, repeatably
- 14× Put +1/+1 counters on creatures you control, or multiply the ones already there
- 12× Make creature tokens — a static anthem or a go-wide commander needs a board to be wide
- 5× Actually remove one problem permanent — preventing its damage is not removing it
- 1× Answer a whole board at once
- 9× Find the exact card the plan needs
- 7× Refill your hand
Best cards for Valentin, Dean of the Vein // Lisette, Dean of the Root
Ranked by an engine that reads what each card does — its real cost, its delay and how reliably it works — rather than counting how often other people play it.
Gain life repeatedly — for a commander that converts life gained into drain, the gain IS the damage
- Inventors' Fair0 mana
- Basilisk Collar1 mana
- Blood Artist2 mana
- Zulaport Cutthroat2 mana
- Bloodchief Ascension1 mana
- Shadowspear1 mana
- Westvale Abbey // Ormendahl, Profane Prince0 mana
- Witch's Clinic0 mana
A team pump that actually pumps tokens
- Mosswort Bridge0 mana
- Nesting Grounds0 mana
- Heroic Intervention2 mana
- Zulaport Cutthroat2 mana
- Sylvan Safekeeper1 mana
- Tamiyo's Safekeeping1 mana
- Tyvar's Stand1 mana
- Veil of Summer1 mana
Sacrifice a creature for no mana, repeatably
- Phyrexian Tower0 mana
- High Market0 mana
- Grim Backwoods0 mana
- Lazotep Quarry0 mana
- Susur Secundi, Void Altar0 mana
- Scavenger's Talent1 mana
- Hostile Hostel // Creeping Inn0 mana
- Miren, the Moaning Well0 mana
Put +1/+1 counters on creatures you control, or multiply the ones already there
- Karn's Bastion0 mana
- Bristly Bill, Spine Sower2 mana
- Cankerbloom2 mana
- Thirsting Roots1 mana
- Evolution Sage3 mana
- Mossborn Hydra3 mana
- Blightbelly Rat2 mana
- Contagion Clasp2 mana
Make creature tokens — a static anthem or a go-wide commander needs a board to be wide
- Hornet Nest3 mana
- Endless Ranks of the Dead4 mana
- Esika's Chariot4 mana
- Lathril, Blade of the Elves4 mana
- Trendy Circus Pirate0 mana
- Myr Battlesphere7 mana
- Broodhatch Nantuko2 mana
- Tervigon2 mana
Actually remove one problem permanent — preventing its damage is not removing it
- Assassin's Trophy2 mana
- Defile1 mana
- Tragic Slip1 mana
- Infernal Grasp2 mana
- Fatal Push1 mana
- Beast Within3 mana
- Bitter Triumph2 mana
- Nature's Claim1 mana
Answer a whole board at once
- Do or Die2 mana
- Force of Despair3 mana
- Accursed Marauder2 mana
- Bontu's Last Reckoning3 mana
- Innocent Blood1 mana
- Coils of the Medusa2 mana
- Forced March3 mana
- Nature's Ruin3 mana
Find the exact card the plan needs
- Demonic Tutor2 mana
- Diabolic Intent2 mana
- Vampiric Tutor1 mana
- Green Sun's Zenith1 mana
- Imperial Seal1 mana
- Insatiable Avarice1 mana
- Diabolic Intent2 mana
- Nature's Rhythm2 mana
Refill your hand
- Skullclamp1 mana
- Orcish Bowmasters2 mana
- Black Market Connections3 mana
- Braids, Arisen Nightmare3 mana
- Garruk's Uprising3 mana
- Morbid Opportunist3 mana
- Phyrexian Arena3 mana
- Beast Whisperer4 mana