[Standard] Vamps for Game Day [Opinions] [Tweaks]

Splash white with godless shrine or Isolated Chapel for the sorin cost.

seems like it would work.

Thanks for the feedback.  The info in the other current BR Vampire thread was really helpful, too.

Okay, here are modifications I can see making right away:

    -4 Murder
    -2 Falkenrath Marauders
    -2 Markov Warlord

    +4 Pillar of Flame
    +4 Vampiric Fury

I would like to bring Vampire Nighthawk back in, but am not sure what to cut to make it happen.  What would you recommend?

Is it worth trying to bring Sorin in? I have access at least four BW and RW dual lands? Should I add another two drop to fix the curve?

First, I would go with Searing Spear over Pillar.  The number of times you need to exile the creature vs that added damage isn't that often.

Second, I don't know that I'd put Vampiric Fury as a 4x.  If you draw it when you don't have any vamps on the board, you end up with a totally dead card.  Also, if you hit it too often, people will come to expect it.  I'd say 2x or 3x.

Third, I would say to keep the Blood Artists as they're almost always a good piece to have on the board.

Fourth, I would suggest dropping Havengul Vampire to help make room for the nighthawks.  Crippling Blight could also give way for 2 Dreadbores and the other 2 of the Nighthawks.

The rationale for having more than 10 removal spells is that they'll still be working toward the goal for you because of the Blood Artists.  That and eventually you will end up wearing them down if you have enough removal options.

Lastly, I would suggest keeping different removal options in the sideboard - Rolling Temblor, Devour Flesh, Ultimate Price, Murder, etc.  That way you can still adjust to deal with bigger threats that are outside of burn range.

I ran vampires for a bit, and am running boros now.

Here's some things to consider.

First, consider what you'll be playing. I'm going to give you feedback assuming you're playing at a big enough card shop people will be running medium/good decks.

Vampiric Fury - Cool, especially since you're running tribal vampires. However. If you have board command enough that its hitting 2/3 things at once, you've probably got the game anyway. The *only* situation I see it being questionable on is if you face up against someone with a similar (as in aggro) build, and when the swings DO come, they come big. However, 4x Captains already gets you first strike. That's pretty much moneyshot right there. So, I'd say cut those.

Many people have different opinions about burn/removal. I use burn *primarily* for clearing the way for creatures, unless I am in a race. In which case I calculate the fastest damage possible and go that route (this would be vs a control deck, for instance, racing to kill before they can start wiping). I would recommend dropping searing spear to 3, and adding in 3 pillars of flame. You want these for cheap removal of annoying things, and to make sure undying stuff stays dead (zombies, reanimator decks, etc).

Cavern of Souls - You're running tribal vampires. If you have them, 4 of those bad boys.
Cut your lands to 22. You're running a fairly low curve, with not a lot of acceleration or draw.

Dreadbore - 3x in the sideboard. This is mostly for planeswalkers or really, really big creatures. You're probably screwed if you really have to remove something huge anyway. An exception to that, is consuming aberation. Make sure you sideboard the bores in if you go against someone running that for mill. Otherwise they very easily can swing at you with a 20+/20+.
Edit: If you do get an aberation dropped on you, kill it INSTANTLY. Don't wait. Every time they cast, it gets bigger and harder to kill. You can, however, nuke it before its trigger resolves (and thus grows). Say you play a kirk noble. They counterspell it. Trigger from the aberation hits the stack. In response to the trigger, you then spear it.

Sign in blood - 4x - You'll need draw. Doesn't matter what you're playing against. If you're against some crappy brew, youll probably have enough board power early on to win anyway, draw just gets you more burn, more land, more creatures, faster wins.

Sideboard:

This depends *heavily* on your meta. My FNM is 4 rounds (since they don't do a cut to top 8, as we usually have ~150 people at FNM). What that means, is for my first 2 rounds, I'm playing anything any everything from tier 1, to starter decks. As such, I'll suggest what *I* would do for sideboard. Your mileage will vary.
3x Dreadbore - Superfriends decks / Planeswalkers / one-of very deadly creatures like Gisela
4x Volcanic Strength - Board this in for anything using red.
4x Flames of the Firebrand - Mana dorks. Anything that uses Arbor Elves or Avacyn Pilgrams to ramp up. Use this to nuke their board *and* them.
4x Traitorous Blood - Midrange decks. Turn that thragtusk against them and swing with it. If it does, Big deal, you get a free 3/3 out of it.

I copied the decklist into what I would suggest here:
http://deckbox.org/sets/322021

Keep in mind, with double strike, counters go on instantly. Thats why theres 4 blademasters.
That means: Say you swing into the opponent with a blademaster. Double strike (which is the same as first strike) damage hits. +1 counter. Normal combat damage, +1 counter *again*. I have so many people ask why volcanic strength for mirror. Unblockable double strike. If they can't figure that out on the blademaster, they are beyond help. That's 7 damage the first time, 11 the second time. If you happen to pull out an heir on the second swing, its 12 damage the second time. Strongkirk captain, by comparison, is 13 damage on the second round.

Some other things: If you think you'll be facing hexproof, glaring spotlight and/or devour flesh are your only options. Remember though, bant enchantments only runs 8 hexproof guys, the other ones can be targeted just fine.

Hope this helps some!

Last edited by Vincentarasin (2013-02-20 00:57:42)

Thanks for the help, all, and the tip on the +1/+1 counters with the Blademasters.  I've been playtesting against my eldest son, who runs GW token generation with Champion of the Parish and Champion of Lambholt.  It's a deck that regularly does well at events, and one I've not been able to beat (my old Krenko's Dance Party deck variants could from time to time, but that's another story).  Since working in the final tips (and picking up two more Markov Blademasters), I've beaten him every time (in best two-out-of-three matches).  I'm really looking forward to Saturday!--thanks, again!

My limitation on Dreadbore is that I only own three (after purchasing my third at a LGS).

As to Nightbird's Clutches, I would board it in if my opponent has enough early blockers out to keep my Markov Blademaster from hitting (i.e., more blockers than I can easily remove).  Because of the mechanic above detailing how first strike damage resolves before normal damage (something I knew, but never related to the counters), the first attack lands for three, the next for seven, the third for 11, the next for 15, etc.  That also means it becomes harder for my opponent to remove it using some spells (e.g., Dead Weight, non-Morbid Tragic Slip)--during its first turn on the board, it ends as a 3/3, next as a 5/5, next as a 7/7, etc.

I had some help with this deck, which is a still a work in progress, but it's pretty strong so far.  There will be some substitutions soon as a few more cards come in but check this out.  Out of 5 matches I'm 3/5 against some blue/black milling and a white/green extortion so far:

http://deckbox.org/sets/314371

Nah just figured it might garner some new ideas.  Your suggestions were dynamite btw Ty.  Decided to add the Reckoner in here as well to spice things up, he's doing well for me so far.