Don't know how well Sorin, Solemn Visitor would work with your deck. Just putting out there since he seems like a less-good version of Gideon, Ally of Zendikar.

Sorin, Solemn Visitor is strictly more consistent than Lantern Scout, and he could be a removal magnet. I'm thinking more in the sideboard if anything, where he can be more useful augmenting the board to ramp up to Felidar Sovereign's win condition. Probably go down on the Aligned Hedron Network + Harsh Sustenance for 2 Sorin, Solemn Visitors. Thoughts?

Whatever you feel is best, mate. It's your deck, so I really don't have any right dictating what you do. I just wanted to give a suggestion that might work. :)

Have you thought about maybe using Drana, Liberator of Malakir in this? I've been kicking around something similar using her as a focal point, I know she isn't strictly life gain, but being an ally she helps trigger a bunch of stuff and adds counters all over the place.

JMoneyNash, I was considering it, but I thought she might be a bit too aggressive for the main deck. I felt I was trying to really stall the game by chumping allies to bleed out the opponent, and while there isn't a whole lot of control, I think the main deck skews closer to that end of the spectrum. There's not a whole lot of attacking going on with the main deck, unless it comes down to a race, perhaps with flying, in which case ... maybe.

I thought Drana, Liberator of Malakir would be more sideboard worthy, where the deck gets more aggressive with the lifelink to trigger Felidar Sovereign's win con. Even so, I just felt the other cards in the sideboard were more flexible, as they could also slow the game down a little bit more if needed.

She's a great card overall, but I figured she deviated a bit too much from the main game plan, and wasn't flexible enough for the side game plan.

Take a look at this: Healing Hands + Tainted Remedy . It's a good way of a) keeping opponent's life down/ gaining life and cards, and b) that can be 4 damage and a card, in a pinch. I know that it's a pretty breakable combo, but with Defiant Bloodlord in play, it can work too.

Moonbar Thank you for the combo!! It's definitely breakable, and I think would require a build around that particular interaction to really use effectively. Perhaps symmetric life gain events that punish your opponent.

That being said, Tainted Remedy would be killer in a more aggro mirror! Imagine the scenario where you have multiple "You-lose-a-life-I-gain-a-life" triggers on the board. Tainted Remedy transforms all of them into "When-this-effect-is-triggered-both-players-lose-a-life" instantly. It is also the perfect answer for Felidar Sovereign. I'm trying to think what type of decks would play it and whether I need one as well to answer an opponent's basically turning the game into a race.

I would sideboard it. However, Healing Hands is a good card regardless.

Based on the results, I realized I need to streamline and make the deck faster. Made the following changes:

-3 Evolving Wilds
-1 Mortuary Mire
-3 Felidar Sovereign
-2 Nirkana Assassin
-1 Gideon, Ally of Zendikar
-1 Sorin, Solemn Visitor
-1 Planar Outburst
-1 Defiant Bloodlord
-2 Aligned Hedron Network
-2 Retreat to Emeria
-2 Retreat to Hagra
+1 Blighted Steppe
+1 Sunken Hollow
+1 Swamp
+1 Plains
+1 Lantern Scout
+1 Roil's Retribution
+2 Makindi Patrol
+1 March from the Tomb
+1 Kor Bladewhirl
+3 Serene Steward
+1 Encircling Fissure
+2 Pacifism
+2 Silkwrap
+1 Quarantine Field