Tribal Council

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Deco_y

2 April 2013

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Welcome to my new article series called Tribal Council! In this series, I'll make a homebrew Modern deck based around one of the many tribes of magic, and express my thought process behind the selections in my deck. These decks will be casual and I'll be going out of my way to include cards in these decks that speak to the flavor of the tribe in question.

This week: Vampires

For people who attempt to shift formats from the probably most popular format, Standard, to more eternal formats like Modern, Legacy, and Vintage, I'm a firm believer that you should start with what you know and build off of it. You'll have more fun and it'll open the format to you. In this vein, Vampires seem like a safe bet to go.

I love vampires. My very first magic deck was a mono black Vampire deck based around the Zendikar vampires and one of my top 5 favorite cards ever: Anowon, the Ruin Sage. Not a bad way to start for me.

A.) The One Drop

Vampires are best known, especially after Zendikar, for aggro. The one drop for aggro decks will set the pace for the match so a strong 1 drop for aggro decks is a must. A few options for Vampire decks:

Guul Draz Vampire: This is my one drop in my currently built Vamp deck. It pays for it's early game mediocrity by being relevant mid and late game with the boost in power and toughness and intimidate when an opponent is at 10 or less life. With aggro decks your opponent should be down to 10 life by turn 4-5. Having your opponent on a 4 turn clock with your one drop late game is a nice luxury and might draw removal from your other, better creatures.

Stromkirk Noble: Vampires are traditionally black, but you can't ignore Stromkirk Noble. Though his limited evasion is better in standard, in Modern the evasion becomes more unreliable, so he does become less attractive.

Vampire Lacerator: THE aggro one drop for Vamps, Lacerator encourages you to attack at all costs. A 2/2 for B will more often then not be worth the downside, and in this case, I'm not worried about losing a life each turn. I'll take 4 in this deck.

B.) The Two Drop

Blood Artist: A great, great two drop, and not just for Vampire decks. Blood Artist isn't quite what I'm looking for, as he would slow down the pace I want to set with this deck.

Kalastria Highborn: There is a whole different Vampire deck you could build with this vixen and the above mentioned Blood Artist that would involve the rage inducing Bloodchief Ascension that would be more controlish. Sadly, she doesn't fit the framework for this deck.

Vampire Hexmage: Best sideboard tech against Planeswalkers that can also handle itself just fine in combat with that 2/1 first striking body.

Gatekeeper of Malakir: Most people who play with this card knows this guy isn't a two drop. 9 times out of ten you want him to be played turn 3 with that very, very sexy kicker there just begging to be hit. As I want this deck to be strictly aggro, I will put him into the sideboard in case I need some extra removal.

Bloodghast: This dude is sick. Not only is he infuriating to play against, but he does exactly what you want in an aggro deck, and like Lacerator, he encourages the attack. Either he goes in and hits for 2, or he will most likely take out what blocks it. If it dies, then just get it back your next turn when you play your land. Aggro at it's finest, I'll take 4.

C.) The Three Drop

Yea, we all know it's going to be Vampire Nighthawk...

D.) The Four Drop

Bloodline Keeper  ^Flip: I'm personally a huge fan of this card, but this isn't the sort of 4 drop that fits into this straight "beat face until there is nothing left" vibe I'm going for.

Duskmantle Seer: If you keep your Converted Mana costs down, this combined with Vampire Nighthawk's life gain can almost kill your opponent without help. A 4/4 flyer for 4 is good, one that acts as a Dark Confidant is up there in power, but I tend to not play well with Confidant type abilities so I'll be passing on this guy. That, and this deck is shaping up to be mono color.

Mirri the Cursed: Good lord that is a lot of keywords. Add in that useful growing abiity and it's worth a 1 of in the deck.

Olivia Voldaren: Not only can she grow herself to masive size, but for only 7 mana (Slightly more expensive Mind Control anyone?), you can take near ANY creature your opponent can drop over there. Another cool combo is attaching a Wooden Stake to her and making sure she either gets through and hits or she won't play nice.

Vampire Nocturnus: This dude is the reason why Vampire decks saw just a massive resurgence in popularity. He is the 4 drop all other Vampire drops are compared to, much like Nighthawk on turn 3. To ensure that you have that black card on top, you can have lands like Marsh Flats or Verdant Catacombs to search up and cause you to shuffle your library and try to get a different card on top, and also serves to thin your deck and make drawing your creatures more likely. 4 please.

E.) The Five Drop

Anowon, the Ruin Sage: Like I said above, I love this card. He doesn't quite fit in this deck, but if I have an open slot or 2 at the end, I may not be able to control myself putting him in.

Bloodlord of Vaasgoth: Gives any vampire deck late game reach, giving a 3/3 boost if you can make some sort of contact. In past experience, I've noticed he is more of a "win more" card and I feel like I can put something better in.

Drana, Kalastria Bloodchief: I love this card. It's repeatable removal that can launch herself at your opponent for some MASSIVE damage. It doesn't bother me that she is Legandary because her effect is diminished the more of her you have. I'm putting 2 in, and I will never regret playing her.

Malakir Bloodwitch: Can shift a stalled game just by being played. I like to keep her sideboard against white decks. If she hits vs a White deck, the game WILL end in your favor.

I don't like going over 5 CMC in my Vampire decks, so this is about it for the creatures that form the backbone of my deck.

Creatures:

4x Vampire Lacerator
4x Bloodghast
4x Vampire Nighthawk
4x Vampire Nocturnus
1x Mirri the Cursed
2x Drana, Kalastria Bloodchief

F.) Support Cards

The beauty of going into older formats is the wealth of removal that black has been graciously given by WoTC. Vampires are quick and out for blood, so I'm gonna give them the support to get there.

Disfigure: 1 mana removal is very useful. Quick, cheap, and dirty. Fits the Vampire mold.

Doom Blade: The most famous of the black removal. Can always use some classic feel.

Echoing Decay: Great sideboard tech vs token decks.

Feast of Blood: I remember using this card back in the day. I usually had the 2 vampires 60% of the time, but that's just asking for trouble. The benefits don't outweigh the risks at this point. But excellent tribal card.

Go for the Throat: In my opinion, one of the best removal spells. I find it to be more useful than Doom Blade so it'll get a few more slots.

Grasp of Darkness: Disfigure's big brother. I'd rather keep the kill spells to something more solid, and I perfer the smaller and quicker version myself.

Sign in Blood and Night's Whisper: Since color isn't an issue, i'm going with Sign in Blood so I could use it as a 2 damage spell if it could win the game.

Urge to Feed: Oozes Vampire Tribal, but it doesn't fit our pure aggro and Grasp of Darkness would be better right now, and that's not even in our deck.

I want to keep all my removal nice, and cheap. So that'll be it for support cards.

Instant and Sorcery:

3x Disfigure
2x Doom Blade
4x Go for the Throat
3x Sign in Blood

Deck So Far:

4x Vampire Lacerator
4x Bloodghast
4x Vampire Nighthawk
4x Vampire Nocturnus
1x Mirri the Cursed
2x Drana, Kalastria Bloodchief
3x Disfigure
2x Doom Blade
4x Go for the Throat
3x Sign in Blood

With such a low mana curve, I feel confident in only running 22 land. Nothing special required other then some of those pay lands.

Deck So Far(53 cards):

4x Vampire Lacerator
4x Bloodghast
4x Vampire Nighthawk
4x Vampire Nocturnus
1x Mirri the Cursed
2x Drana, Kalastria Bloodchief
3x Disfigure
2x Doom Blade
4x Go for the Throat
3x Sign in Blood
16x Swamp
3x Marsh Flats
3x Verdant Catacombs

Now finally using some other creatures I've listed in this article to fill out the mana curve, we have our final deck!

deck-large:noc-noc-whose-there

The community deck chosen at random for use in the first ever Tribal Council is.......

deck-large:small-steel

Game 1:

L(eafs) wins the roll and keeps a hand of Swampx3, Vampire Lacerator, Vampire Nocturnus, Blade of the Bloodchief, Doom Blade.

I can definitely do some damage if I can draw some more creatures.

E(nemy) Mulligans their opening hand.

E keeps it's hand of 6.

Turn 1-

L plays swamp and casts Vampire Lacerator and passes.

E draws, casts Darksteel Citadel, Mox Opal and passes.

Turn 2-

(L 19 E 20) L draws Malakir Bloodwitch. L plays a swamp and swings with Lacerator and hits (L 19 E 18). L plays Blade of the Bloodchief and equips it to Lacerator. Passes.

E draws. E plays another Darksteel Citadel, plays Arcbound Ravager, passes.

Turn 3-

(L 18 E 18) L draws Mirri the Cursed. L plays a Swamp and casts Doom Blade, targeting Arcbound. Lacerator swings with it's new counters and hits (L 18 E 14). L passes.

E draws. E plays Godless Shrine untapped (L 18 E 12). E casts Vault Skirge with a Citadel and paying 2 life (L 18 E 10).

Awesome, no more life lost from Lacerator!

E plays Cranial Plating and equips it to Vault Skirge(which is now a 6/1) and passes.

Well, I see why he was willing to pay the 4 life to make that happen.

Turn 4-

L draws Verdant Catacombs. L plays it and cracks it for a Swamp (L 17 E 10). L plays Mirri the Cursed and passes.

I don't wanna lose Lacerator right now. I'd want to move the blade before running him into a wall.

E draws. E taps the Citadels and the Mox for Tempered Steel. He casts Dispatch on Mirri, exiling it. He swings with the Skirge and hits (L 9 E 18). E passes.

That was unpleasent.

Turn 5-

(L 8 E 18) L draws Swamp and plays it.

Not what I wanted...

L plays Malakir Bloodwitch (L 10 E 16).

I need a blocker or I die next turn.

L swings with the Lacerator and hits (L 10 E 12). L passes.

E draws. E swings with the Skirge. L blocks with Malakir Bloodwitch. In response to blockers, E casts Boros Charm, declaring indestructibility. Bloodwitch dies (L 10 E 20). E passes.

Turn 6-

L draws Swamp. L plays it and casts Vampire Nocturnus. L reveals the top card of his library to be Blade of the Bloodchief and L concedes.

In the end, I just didn't draw removal. Artifact decks are also annoying.

L sideboards: +2Echoing Decay, +2 Gatekeeper of Malakir. -2Blade of the Bloodchief, -2Guul Draz Vampire.

E makes sideboard changes.

Games 2:

L keeps a hand of Verdant Catacombs, 2x Swamp, Gatekeeper of Malakir, Drana, Kalastria Bloodchief, Disfigure, Sign in Blood.

I can live with that.

E keeps his opening hand.

Turn 1-

L plays Swamp, passes.

E draws. E plays Darksteel Citadel, Ornithopter, and taps the Citadel for a Signal Pest. Before the end of the turn, L Disfigures the Pest.

Turn 2-

L draws Swamp. L plays it and casts Sign in Blood targeting himself(L 18 E 20). L draws Bloodghast and Vampire Lacerator. L passes.

E draws and plays a Plains. He plays another Ornithopter and casts Cranial Plating. E passes.

Turn 3-

L draws Drana, Kalastria Bloodchief. L plays a swamp and casts both Vampire Lacerator and Bloodghast. L passes.

E draws. E plays Marsh Flats and cracks it for Godless Shrine untapped (L 18 E 17). He casts Vault Skirge and attaches Cranial Plating to it and passes.

I am getting REALLY tired of this.

Turn 4-

(L 17 E 17) L draws Vampire Nighthawk. L plays Verdant Catacombs. L swings with Ghast and Lacerator and hit (L 17 E 13). L casts Vampire Nighthawk and passes.

E draws. E casts Dispatch on Vampire Nighthawk.

... Really?

E attacks with the Vault Skirge and hits (L 11 E 19). E casts a Signal Pest and passes.

Turn 5-

(L 10 E 19) L draws Sign in Blood. L casts Sign in Blood targeting himself (L 8 E 19). He draws...

COME ON REMOVAL!!!!

Midnight Charm and Swamp.

=(

L plays Swamp and casts Midnight Charm hitting the Vault Skirge (L 9 E 19). L swings with Ghast and Lacerator and hits (L 9 3 15) L passes.

E draws. E plays a Marsh Flats and casts Vault Skirge. He passes.

Turn 6-

(L 8 E 15) L draws Swamp and plays it.

lol

L casts Drana, Kalastria Bloodchief. He swings with Ghast and Lacerator and hits (L 8 E 11). L passes.

E draws. He casts Dispatch on Drana, Kalastria Bloodchief. E casts Memnite and L concedes.

I QUIT THIS SHIT, PEACE!

E wins the match 2-0

So this match didn't exactly go well for me. That Vault Skirge/Cranial Plating combo killed me both games and I just didn't draw enough removal or flyers to deal with it. Props to xxDSJJxx on this deck. It done killed me quick.

If you guys want to support xxDSJJxx and his artifact deck, please send some comments his way with any advise/praise for it you may want to give. As well, any ideas for which tribes I should do in future segments? Drop a line in the comments!

Till next time.