Sanguine Bond
Every rules interaction we've explained for Sanguine Bond, alongside Wizards of the Coast's official rulings. Pick a combo below, or check it against a card we haven't covered yet.
Oracle text
Whenever you gain life, target opponent loses that much life.
Explained interactions
Official rulings
2009-10-01 – 2024-04-12- Wizards of the Coast · 2009-10-01
Sanguine Bond's ability triggers just once for each life-gaining event, whether it's 1 life from Soul Warden or 8 life from Tendrils of Corruption.
- Wizards of the Coast · 2021-03-19
If you gain an amount of life "for each" of something, that life is gained as one event and Sanguine Bond's ability triggers only once.
- Wizards of the Coast · 2023-09-01
Each creature with lifelink dealing combat damage causes a separate life-gaining event. For example, if two creatures you control with lifelink deal combat damage at the same time, Sanguine Bond's ability will trigger twice and you may choose a different opponent for each trigger. However, if a single creature you control with lifelink deals combat damage to multiple creatures, players, planeswalkers, and/or battles at the same time (perhaps because it has trample or was blocked by more than one creature), the ability will trigger only once.
- Wizards of the Coast · 2024-04-12
In a Two-Headed Giant game, life gained by your teammate won't cause Sanguine Bond's ability to trigger, even though it caused your team's life total to increase.
Official rulings, quoted verbatim via Scryfall. Not AI-generated.
Check Sanguine Bond with another card
Sanguine Bond's already in the stack. Add the card you're wondering about.