#Mardu Vampires

[dimestoretajic]

choosing between casting lightning strike or terror

[markrosewater]

Does the math on imbalanced factions change if it's just five two color factions with two of them being the same typal/theme. Something like Izzet Weirds, Simic Elementals, Golgari Squrrels, and Mardu (Boros and Orzhov) Vampires?

Five two-color factions isn’t “imbalanced”.

[magic-the-girlbossing]

Olivia Voldaren vs. Vannifar

Magic: The Girlbossing, Round 1, Match 13

Propaganda under the cut:

Olivia Voldaren

Color identity: Rakdos (Mardu?)

Featured art by Eric Deschamps

Olivia was on Xbox live game chat with Sorin, said "I'm gonna fuck ur dad" and then did. All rise for the girlboss mayor of GILF city

Big sexy vampire lady takes over vampires by imprisoning an angel and marrying some weird old guy who definitely bottoms for her. Queen shit.

Vannifar

Color identity: Simic

Featured art by Kieran Yanner

- Experimented with phyrexian oil alongside Zegana in ways some consider dubious - Spearheaded Simic's covert arms race during the pre-WAR cold war (gaslight) - Believes herself a superior life form (gatekeep) - Clashed with Zegana for Simic leadership and came out on top (literal girl boss) - Serves capital L Looks

[macabresymphonies]

Well my Olivia Mardu Vampire Tribal dreams are a bust, but guess who's here to save the day (with a zombie apocalypse)

(showcase art is the highest quality one I could find that's why I'm using it)

Not only is there finally an actual Zombie tribal commander for historic brawl, she pairs really well with bunch of Lilianas, since all of them either create zombies or commit a crime:

So it's just queens supporting queens (with an undead army) not to mention all the fun Gisa and Liliana themed spells:

I'm gonna have so much fun with these.

[arvadthecursed]

Odric and Liesa should have been the Mardu team-up card for MOTM. Odric, a vampire, a benevolent protector of humanity, would make perfect sense to work alongside Liesa, the archangel known to work alongside "monsters" and outcasts. In this essay I will --

[drgamenstein]

I decided to draft 32 total decks for magic, with one devk for each color combo, including 5-color and colorless. I'll probably link to my Goldfish Decklists when the drafts are all completed, but here's a list of my bullshit I'm brewing if anyone cares. Reminder though, I don't care about always winning as much as winning in the dumbest way possible.

The Decks~~

5-Color: Impervious Angels

Colorless: Artifact Equipment(Thrift Shop)

4

Ink-Treader: Snow Landfall

Dune-Brood: Life Taxes

Glint-eye: Cascade

Witch-Maw: Toxic Healing

Yore-Tiller: Human/Constructs

3

Grixis: Evil Solitare

Abzan: Infectious Hive

Jund: Spiders

Esper: Flying Control

Naya: Dinosaurs

Bant: Walls

Jeskai: Spirits

Sultai: Frogs

Mardu: Legendary Murderers

Temur: Important HP Characters

2

Dimir: Zombies

Azorius: Sphinxes

Rakdos: Dragons

Gruul: Werewolves

Selesnya: Creature-less

Orzhov: Vampires

Izzet: Treasure

Golgari: Mushrooms

Boros: Giants

Simic: Hydras

Mono-Color

White: Fox Auras

Blue: Crabs

Black: Rats

Red: Goblin Burn

Green: Snakes

[i-am-nickelbolt]

The Brothers' War Bronze to Mythic draft #1.

Hot off the heels of doing like, I dunno, maybe 5 drafts total of Dominaria United: This is probably the least prepared I have been for a new Magic set. So we are really learning as we go here!

Pack 1 pick 1, oof... I ended up taking Static Net, I think the life and the powerstone pushed it over the top. I see Runechanter's Pike, which is a busted payoff, but I don't know if it's good as a first pick? The themes of this set are artifact-based, so it feels like I'd be committing to blue-red. I'm also noticing that the commons all seem fine, and I've heard the power level is pretty flat in general.

Pick 2 Spotter Thopter over Cradle Clearcutter and Chromatic Star. I do like Star quite a bit in general, it just does so much to grease the wheels. Clearcutter seems fine, but there are so many spells that give you powerstones at 3 mana, it just doesn't seem like this kind of ramp is what you want. Spotter Thopter seems pretty good on both sides, the scry 4 is basically Vampiric Tutor if you get to that point, and I've already got one powerstone.

Pick 3, I was really at a loss. Everything looked playable but nothing looked good. I ended up on Stone Retrieval Unit over Coastal Bulwark, but I am getting glutted at 4. I'm very confident I should have picked something else.

Pick 4, I definitely made a mistake taking Scrapwork Rager over Excavation Explosion. I just didn't see it in the pack, I don't think. Another 4 drop, yikes!

Pick 5 Spotter Thopter over Argothian Opportunist and Stern Lesson. I think this was a mistake given what I already had, but if I had taken the Explosion pick 4 and Bulwark pick 3, I think this would have been correct.

Pick 6 Air Marshal over Monastery Swiftspear, Soul-Guide Lantern and Goblin Blastrunner. I should have been in red by now to get that Swiftspear, it would have been very good considering where I ended up.

I didn't get into red really until about halfway into the second pack when I got a pick 5 Third Path Iconoclast. I also got a Goblin Charbelcher pick 6 in pack 3, and I think Belcher is a bomb? At least it could have been good in my deck I think.

I would say I didn't navigate this daft particularly well, I don't think my deck was particularly good, but I think I ended up in the right spot for my seat. I had my choice of all the red removal I could have wanted, and alongside the creatures I have (and should have taken,) I think I could have had an above average deck.

I felt pretty good with 6-3, any time you finish up on gems is a win. Slogging through Bronze, I don't think I really played any *good* players. A couple opponents flooded pretty badly.

My first loss was a sketchy 2 land keep on the draw where I missed on land and my opponent curved out pretty well. I did almost get there, but I really needed lands a little sooner than I got them.

My second loss was another 2 land keep where I was thinking "I need to mulligan this," and for whatever reason I pressed "keep." I got steamrolled.

My third loss was to a Mardu soldier token deck with Mishra. I was ahead for most of the early game with Iconoclast and burn spells, but the make four 1/1s really messed up my draw. I was still in it, and they did need every single card to get there. Pretty sure this was an unfavorable matchup though.

First impression of the set is that it feels kind of medium. We'll see how it develops.

[monorayjak]

Ideas?

Hello MTG community!.....Ok, now that everyone’s here, I have a problem. I make custom sets from time to time (and by that I of course mean I start one, make it halfway through, get bored, see something shiny, and go chase that one instead). Currently, I am trying to build a set themed around tribes in wedge colors:

I have Vampires in Mardu...as should probably be expected for them.

I have Werewolves in Temur...because I will make Temur Werewolves a thing before I die.

I have Humans in Abzan, mostly because I think Convoke fits flavor wise of humans surviving by banding together, and thats mainly in Selesnya, and with wedges...you get the point.

I have Zombies in Sultai, because Abzan was already in use by the Humans.

But, I have no idea for Jeskai. I have considered Spirits, but then it just starts to feel like a wedge version of Innistrad, which it is already kind of close to being, but I also would prefer to not have a second ‘normal’ sentient race because that could make Werewolves freak out a bit in terms of gameplay...so yeah;

In other words, anyone got any ideas for the Jeskai tribe?

[overgrown-estate]

New Edgar Markov dropped! Edgar, Charmed Groom is an Orzhov Vampire Noble in Crimson Vow. He's a Vampire Lord that transforms when he dies. Edgar Markov's Coffin is a legendary artifact that, at the beginning of your upkeep, lets you create a 1/1 WB Vampire creature token with lifelink as well as put a bloodline counter on the Coffin. Then, if there are three or more bloodline counters on it, you can transform it back to Edgar. This is a really cool design and I'm glad it's a Orzhov card instead of Mardu, like his Commander car.

[nouveau-riche-princess]

i'm so mad they made humans selesnya in the new set. fucking lame. i know they made vampires mardu basically, but i still want them to do boros focused humans on the inquisition path

[jones-friend]

Legendary Commentary: Commander 17

C17 saw the expansion of four tribes. Today we’re going to look at vampires.

“Vampires only got three new cards!?”

You have to remember, this was around the time of Ixalan. Vampires gained traction in OG Zendikar under monoblack. Then in Innistrad as rakdos. Ixalan opened them up to orzhov colors, and C17 brought them together under a mardu banner. They did get offcolor legendaries, they’re just accounted for in other places.

Eddie. Eddie my boy. Getting two vampires for one is INCREDIBLE. Making them all bigger on swing is FANTASTIC. The precon and shadows over innistrad come with a lot to make the deck incredible. Cordial Vampire from MH1 with Indulgent Aristocrat from SoI give 2 +1/+1 counters per sacrifice. Small drops gain value fast here, lifelinkers like Vampire Nighthawk, Vampire of the Dire Moon, and Gifted Aetherborn all make combat an issue. Remember, you get vampires on cast so returning to hand is more preferable than returning to the field.

Licia is a departure from vampire tribal into a kind of pain tribal. She can come down a 3 drop 7/7 first strike lifelinker and that’s crazy value. While red doesn’t have a lot of life manipulation the boros and rakdos synergy pulls rank. Here we want ways to dump our life into abilities for Licia to rally it back. This is a life as a resource deck so Greed, Unspeakable Symbol, and Promise of Power. Heartless Summoning can help you with Licia and big drops like Vilis. Stunning Reversal lets you empty your life out to draw 7 cards. Lastly, Treasonous Ogre into Repay in Kind can result in lethal combat. Dangerous, but lethal. Children of Korlis and Tainted Sigil can cause huge lifegains.

Mathas is a multiplayer centric commander. As is such, toss in all the multiplayer cards like vows, curses, all that good stuff. Tainted Remedy can reverse the lifegain here. Your plan is to have things die so be ready with mass recursion like Exhume, Twilight’s Call, and Living Death. Keep draws lime Howling Mine and Reforge the Soul to keep the game from grinding to a halt. Your gameplan can be to win through graveyard theft so Thrilling Encore, Grim Return, Sepurchal Primordial, and Minion’s Return all get the job done and help bounty counters make your opponents play into your hands.

And that’s all for vampires of C17! There’s a lot of good ones to pick from. Which are your favorites? I’d love to hear your thoughts. Safe planeswalking.

[markrosewater]

'New cards or mechanics. Basically, new Magic mechanical design. Have fun doing it (Magic design is fun), but I can’t see it.' I wouldn't dare try it. It's just clarification for future requests like a Mardu-partner-with vampire pairing or a card called 'Mock Exam' for the upcoming Strixhaven set.

That stuff is fine.

[magic-the-girlbossing]

Drana vs. Anafenza

Magic: The Girlbossing, Round 1, March 14

Propaganda under the cut:

Drana

Color identity: Black

Featured art by Mike Bierek

When she was betrayed by Kalitas she drove his crew out DAY ONE she does not tolerate a traitor like that. After all the other bloodchiefs died she became the unilateral leader of all vampires on Zendikar and uses that power to wage war on the Eldrazi. Girlboss.

Anafenza

Color identity: Abzan

Featured art by James Ryman

Everyone's like "Alesha this" "Alesha that" no love for my Abzan queen Anafenza. Original Timeline: Khan of the Abzan, singlehandedly secures her position there through cunning outmaneuvering of Oret involving a maneuver where he had to attend her coronation so she could eliminate him (if Marchesa did this they'd call her a genius), then proceeds to protect her entire clan from the Sultai and Mardu, which indicates certified girlboss status. New Timeline: Forfeits her life by doing necromancy with the Kin-Tree to save Oret and Gvar, then leverages her execution to save the life of Oret from Dromoka, which is a Gideon-tier move. THEN, she's brought back by Oret, who had, in the original timeline planned to kill her, as a spirit of the Kin-Tree. She then proceeds to defend the plane and people that took her life during the Phyrexian Invasion Anafenza Kin-Tree Spirit is also a cube banger

[8bitsupervillain]

I want to make a Rakdos vampire commander deck. Or I could be predictable and say Mardu vampires, and sell my kidneys for an Edgar Markov. Speaking of Mardu, I want to make a Mardu party commander deck. Or just a Mardu warriors deck.

Basically I just think I can make decentish commander decks using some of the newer cards from Zendikar Rising. I like Zagras, I think he could work pretty decently.

[maris-solstice]

Fanwalker Friday

Hey y’all I’ve had a shitty depressing day, so send some asks my way about my multitude of fanwalkers! 

Putting them under the cut!

Maris Solstice: Primary boy, Naya colored. Ravnican human(maybe not anymore) Wojek commander who loves his wife, daughter, and boyfriend very much.

Ora: Auriok woman, Mardu-colored. A healer who helps others move on from trauma, and also loves to have a good time.

Gwyn Swiftwing: Bant aven, Bant colored. A fierce paladin who can be a chipper bird one moment and screeching death on the wind the next.

Faye Morningstar: Kylem elf, Abzan colored. A powerful fighter and mage, confused by the existence of the multiverse.

Noot: Gruul-colored Tarkir Aniok, basically a giant golden retriever in appearance and mentality.

Manuel de Garrano: Orzhov Ixalan vampire paladin, adores his love and is probably too wholesome considering he used to be a conquistador.

Draken Falkenrath: Monored Innistrad vampire who only really cares about two people and is trying to grow from a century of trauma. Only eats dragons...and occasionally his only friends, who find it VERY sexy.

Marian: Quiet and reserved Bant colored Bant angel, figuring out this whole life, love, and planes thing by painting and getting massive crushes on every woman.

Aelia: Loud and brash Boros colored Dominarian angel, SHE GOT MUSCLES

Cian: Amnesiac Azorius-colored Lorwyn/Shadowmoor Kithkin. He’s got some issues, but that’s okay, because he doesn’t know what they are.

Adhemar Bethencourt: Azorius-colored aasimar from a friend’s fanplane called Haven. Loyal to a fault, and falling for this cute Innistradi girl he’s helping found a town with.

Sigmund: Monowhite Innistrad human, sparked from how much he loved his wife on their wedding day. Most functional person on this list.

Telchar of the Iron Deep: Mardu Dominarian Dwarf, and a powerful oldwalker who is everyone’s grandpa. He has one of my favorite sparkings of all my fanwalkers.

Astora: Orzhov Ravnican human, an enforcer for the Syndicate who hated her boss, but after War of the Spark, she took his place, and also transitioned. Go her! She hasn’t been off-world, much.

Flavius: Not technically a fanwalker, as he has no spark, but he’s a Ravnican Flamekin who works as Maris’ desk sergeant.

Lidiya: Also a planebound character, she’s a human Wojek who works for Maris. She loves her girlfriend more than anything, and is gonna be a hella cool mom one day.

Alberi Goldmoor: Naya-colored Zendikari half-elf, They’re a genderfluid disaster bi adventurer who currently spends their time doing contract work on Ravnica and sleeping around because they’re just a little bit in love with everybody.

Ceyden: Abzan-colored Devoid human from Tarkir. She sparked, but when she came back to her world, everything was different. Now she isn’t even sure her link to her magic is even right, and she is wandering the Multiverse trying to find answers with the help of her now-nonexistent ancestor spirits. 

Jeigh: Green-White Eldraine Giant knight. A sweetheart with a simple thought process, he certainly isn’t stupid. Mostly idealistic. He uses his great strength to help others.

[thegreatskywhale]

MTG Fanwalker Masterlist

Karesh: Epser; he/him; A talented spy with a knack for illusion and teleportation magics.

Cypheus: Bant; he/him; A powerful astromancer who draws strength from the starry sky.

Malain: Dimir; they/them; An insane diviner, who gains their divination from the bodies and blood of the deceased. 

Ventir: Mardu; he/him; A dangerous vampire knight who’s honor and pride nearly outweigh his brutality and ruthlessness

Xhiltas: Izzet; he/him; A genius of a mage with an uncanny alacrity for insane experimentation.

Adrick: Black; he/him; A demented Dementist who can wield the nightmares of his enemies as well as his own.

Ingdiir: Blue; she/her; A tenacious cryomancer who can warp water into her own Frost Familiars

Krishai (OT): Jeskai; he/him; A calculated monk who’s precise strikes can redirect his opponents power against him.

Krishai (AT): Azorious; he/him; A passionate monk who aeromancy allows him to control the gales and strengthen his wings.

Prophet: Mardu; he/him; An aggressive angel who’s fall from grace only empowered his righteous fervor.

Chydle: Gruul; they/them; A carnivorous plant that’s new powers introduced them to the wonders of the multiverse, and all of its creatures to consume.