Price$1.23 – $5.89
Buy on TCGplayerMirkwood Bats
Creature — Bat
LegalRank #222
Flying
Whenever you create or sacrifice a token, each opponent loses 1 life.
2/3
KeywordsFlying
Why is this card good?
Mirkwood Bats is a quietly excellent payoff that doubles your token engine into a Blood Artist effect — but pointed only at opponents.
The key word is "create OR sacrifice." Unlike Zulaport Cutthroat, you drain when tokens enter, not just when they die. In a tokens or aristocrats deck, this means a single board wipe of your own creatures, or a wide token wave, can deal lethal chunks. It triggers per token, so things like Bitterblossom, Pawn of Ulamog, or a Grave Pact loop snowball fast.
Wants it:
- Aristocrats decks (Teysa, Yawgmoth, Gisa)
- Token go-wide builds (Krenko-style black decks, Marneus, Prossh)
- Anything with Anointed Procession / Mondrak doublers
Skip it when: your deck doesn't make tokens regularly. A flying 2/4 body is fine but it does nothing on its own — this is a build-around payoff, not a standalone card. It's also non-symmetric drain (no lifegain for you), so heavy lifegain decks may prefer Cutthroat or Bastion of Remembrance.
It's a premium aristocrats include.
Related cards
Bastion of Remembrance
Drains opponents whenever a creature you control dies, similar token/sacrifice payoff.
Zulaport Cutthroat
Aristocrat drain when your creatures die, a core sacrifice payoff.
Blood Artist
Classic life-loss-on-death effect pairing with token sacrifice.
Cruel Celebrant
Drains each opponent when your creatures or tokens die.
Marionette Master
Punishes opponents heavily on sacrificing artifacts/tokens.
Corpse Knight
Drains a life each time a creature enters, pairs with token creation.
Elas il-Kor, Sadistic Pilgrim
Drains on creature ETB and death, doubles up with token strategies.
Pawn of Ulamog
Generates tokens on sacrifice, fueling Mirkwood Bats triggers.
Printings (3)
Played by these commanders
Frodo, Adventurous Hobbit100% of 1
Sam, Loyal Attendant100% of 1