Sengir, Lord of the Night
Custom Cards forum
Posted on Sept. 2, 2019, 12:41 p.m. by DemonDragonJ
Baron Sengir is one of the most iconic vampires in this game (or, at least, he was, until Sorin appeared), but his card is rather lackluster, so I wanted to make a new card for him, as seen, below.
Sengir, Lord of the Night Show
First, I decreased Baron Sengir’s converted mana cost, because I felt that eight mana was a rather high cost, so I also decreased his power and toughness to balance that. Since he has two abilities that require payment of life, I gave lifelink to both him and the vampire token that he generates. I am uncertain about deathtouch, since that is specifically supposed to be used on creatures with low power and toughness, but I shall leave him with it, for now.
I gave him a better version of the original Sengir Vampire ’s ability, one that affects all vampires, not merely the one that killed the creature.
His final ability would definitely be too powerful if it could be used repeatedly, so he must be tapped to use it.
What does everyone think of this card? Did I do a good job with it?
DemonDragonJ says... #3
seshiro_of_the_orochi, you do not feel that deathtouch is excessive on him?
September 2, 2019 1:50 p.m.
DemonDragonJ says... #4
Funkydiscogod, yes, I suspected that others users would find this card to be too powerful, so what do you recommend that I do to make it more balanced?
September 2, 2019 2:06 p.m.
Last_Laugh says... #5
I'd flip the and in the last ability. Pay and 2 life to search the vamp to battlefield so you aren't cheating on mana costs AND tutoring.
That or the + 2 life still but you look at the top X cards for a vamp that costs X or less and put it onto the battlefield.
September 2, 2019 6:16 p.m.
The token generator is definitely too powerful/too cheap considering he can board buff when killing creatures and tutor + free-cast for vampires.
Considering that Castle Sengir is actually Grixis colors , perhaps it would be a benefit to include more colors on the Baron? It would also increase his value as a Commander.
I would axe the tutor ability completely. It is too good along the rest. I would also tax the token ability a bit more but improve the remaining abilities.
Something more like:
Revised version Show
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The deathtouch is a bit redundant but it does have its value.
Creating tokens at 1 mana without any other cost than a marginal life cost (especially when those tokens have lifelink too) is too strong. 2 mana for a 1/1 Lifelink seems a bit bad, so I gave them flying. Alternatively they could be 2/2s.
Being 2 mana makes sure you cannot generate a massive army in no time that can take over the board or chump block for days.
Changing his board buff ability to also trigger on combat damage on players makes sure your opponent cannot just let the Baron hit their face without further consequences than 4 damage.
Shifting the Baron from mono- to has no innate changes to his design and it still feels like he has elements from each color with emphasis on the double . You could choose to swap the Deathtouch for First Strike or Haste, but the buff ability triggering on damage to players makes it red in nature as well.
He doesn't encompass blue that well, except for the flying part, but I don't feel like he doesn't belong in blue.
To compensate for the harder casting cost you could bump him up to a 5/5 and possibly keep the Deathtouch along with either First Strike or Haste.
I like your suggestion but would advice to tone down some of the power.
Reading the lore about the Baron it seems like he is the scheming kind that takes a back seat and first execute his plans when he has sufficiently prepared or disrupted his opponent.
Not to replace your idea but to make another similar idea that would fit his being and would land him straight into a Commander product:
A Sengir Show
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A very different take on the vampire lord, that embraces a more strategic and laid back playstyle rather than mass tribal. However it does fit rather well with aggro or control in multiplayer - Grixis is perfectly capable of both.
It does lack a vampire tribal theme but it seems like the Baron was not exclusively using vampires as his servants and soldiers. The color combination allows for many vampires to be used in the 99. If you want vampire tribal, I still think Edgar Markov is the better choice but the Baron offers an alternative.
In hindsight it may actually befit one of the Baron's agents rather than the lord himself.
Goading creatures makes your opponents destroy each other and also leaves the path open for your creatures to hammer some damage home.
Having the goading ability on the Baron (or maybe rather Agent) makes sure that the opponent can fight back by eliminating the Baron before combat. It also means that the Baron player has to invest in keeping the Baron out and alive to reap the benefits of his influence. And should he return, he regains his influence on those creatures.
Finally the active ability was a way to increase the number of Blood counters you can dish out in addition to further make the lives of your opponents miserable because they either kill off their Bloodletting creatures or they risk taking damage from them, which could become rather considerable given the active ability doesn't tap.
Considering the average amount of counters you get to put out, the life loss may need to be higher like 2 per creature to actually have a worthwhile impact. Multiple counters on the same creature are redundant.
It could be fun to include in the goading ability that creatures with Blood counters have +2/+0 to make it hurt a little more AND it may actually prove beneficial to Blood your own creatures at the expense of taking damage to the active ability and losing potential blockers. Thus it doesn't turn the Baron "off" just because your opponents choose or don't play creatures.
Finally, there are currently 4 cards that mentions Blood counters directly and none are in direct conflict with the Baron's abilities Bloodletter Quill Font of Agonies Rakdos Riteknife and Rayami. First of the Fallen .
There is no conflict with Rayami, although you may be in doubt for a split second. However cards don't keep counters on them between zones, with the extreme exception of exiling Skullbriar, the Walking Grave with a Blood counter on it.
Is it enough to warrant using another type of counter? Perhaps. Damn you Wizards... Ah well, if it is then substitute Blood counter for Corruption or Influence. Otherwise it's an extremely unique interaction.
September 3, 2019 8:48 a.m.
Addition to my previous comment;
The goading ability of the alternative suggestion actually needs to come from a controlled source (the Baron). It wont work if it was "imprinted" with the Blood counter, unless it specifically mentions the owner of the Baron.
"701.37. Goad
701.37a Certain spells and abilities can goad a creature. Until the next turn of the controller of that spell or ability, that creature attacks each combat if able and attacks a player other than that player if able.
701.37b A static ability may state that a creature “is goaded.” That creature attacks each combat if able and attacks a player other than the controller of the permanent with that static ability if able.
701.37c Once a player has goaded a creature, the same player goading it again has no effect. It doesn’t create additional combat requirements."
The current rules actually don't take it into account if the goading was connected to the Blood counter, rather than being a waypoint for the Baron's ability.
Learning something new.
September 3, 2019 8:57 a.m.
DemonDragonJ says... #8
All of these suggestions are great, so I shall keep them under consideration, but I currently have limited access to the internet, since I am staying at my grandmother's house while the bathroom at my house is renovated, so I shall post in greater detail after that is completed.
seshiro_of_the_orochi says... #2
Things I like about the card:
The mana cost references Sorin Markov .
It is very powerful, which absolutely fits the baron.
The keywords are very fitting as they demonstrate just how deadly he is.
He has very strong tribal synergy.
Things I don't like about it:
I'd say you could cut one of the activated abilities and he'd still be very powerful. It I were to decide, I'd cut the token ability.
September 2, 2019 1:37 p.m.