The Legion of Nightfall grows in energy inside Magic: The Gathering Commander by way of the Misplaced Caverns of Ixalan Blood Rites Precon, that includes two commanders and eight new Uncommon playing cards.
Vampires have a delicate spot in my coronary heart, particularly within the colours WB (White and Black). A return to the airplane of Ixalan supplied MTG devs a chance to construct upon Mono-White and BW Vampires authorized to play in Everlasting codecs.
Commanding the Misplaced Caverns of Ixalan (LCC) Blood Rites Precon is Clavileño, First of the Blessed, a Vampire Cleric tapping into demonic energy from Aclazotz. And slotted in as a secondary commander was Carmen, Merciless Skymarcher, a Vampire Soldier capable of reanimate permanents again to the battlefield.
Three different Misplaced Caverns of Ixalan Commander decks had been additionally included within the set, that includes typal builds round Dinosaurs, together with Pirates and Merfolk.
The brand new MTG Uncommon Blood Rites Commander playing cards from Misplaced Caverns of Ixalan
Clavileño, First of the Blessed
Clavileño, First of the Blessed is a singular commander for the Blood Rites Precon in that upon attacking, one other Vampire turns into a Demon. And when that transformed vampire dies, it creates a tapped 4/3 BW token Vampire Demon with Flying.
Just one Vampire can get transformed right into a Demon per assault, which is a big draw back to Clavileño, First of the Blessed. The Legendary is affordable to forged at 1WB, however Clavileño’s 2/2 baseline stats go away the vampire weak to a wider vary of removing.
Carmen, Merciless Skymarcher
Clavileño, First of the Blessed is a tremendous commander however I want Carmen, Merciless Skymarcher, the alternate commander throughout the Blood Rites Commander deck. The Vampire Soldier synergizes with Aristocrat WB themes of sacrificing your stuff, scaling in energy, and toughness at any time when any participant sacrifices a everlasting.
Carmen Merciless Skymarcher prices 3WB for a 2/2 physique. However the Legendary’s price is price it as Carmen will doubtless improve in energy on the flip the soldier enters the battlefield. And when Carmen Merciless Skymarcher assaults, you get to return a sacrificial lamb from the graveyard to the battlefield so long as the everlasting has a mana worth lower than or equal to Carmen’s energy.
Elenda’s Hierophant
Synergizing with life achieve is the three-drop Mono-White Vampire Cleric, Elenda’s Hierophant. The Uncommon creature has Flying with 1/1 stats however scales +1/+1 counters each time you achieve life.
Elenda’s Hierophant is a must have in a deck that positive factors huge quantities of life and the Vampire Cleric continues to have worth when it dies, creating “X” 1/1 tokens, the place “X” is Elenda’s Hierophant’s energy.
Grasp of Darkish Rites
Spinning off Darkish Ritual is Grasp of Darkish Rites, a one-drop that produces three Black mana upon tapping and sacrificing a creature. The Darkish Ritual capability is all the time a pleasant type of ramp in Black, particularly inside builds that depend on sacrifice methods to succeed. Grasp of Darkish Rites is a cute play on the power however lacks any actual worth as a one-drop creature.
Redemption Choir
Utilizing the MTG mechanic Coven to reanimate is Redemption Choir. The four-drop Mono-White Vampire Cleric has Lifelink on a 3/3 physique, which is okay, however not nice for double-pip White four-cost. When Coven triggers, Redemption Choir is an effective card, and when it doesn’t it may set off feels-bad moments as an alternative.
Charismatic Conqueror
Probably the greatest Mono-White Vampire within the LCI Blood Rites Commander Precon is Charismatic Conqueror. The 2-drop has Vigilance and a pair of/2 stats. It’s Charismatic Conqueror’s capability the place the Vampire’s worth is at, although.
Disrupting board states upon ETB, Charismatic Conqueror forces opponents to have their Artifacts or creatures are available tapped or set off a 1/1 token with Lifelink below your management. The soldier is a pesty two-drop that opponents will need to take away as quickly as attainable.
March of the Canonized
March of the Canonized is a Mono-White Enchantment that makes use of the Devotion key phrase mechanic to achieve further worth on a Uncommon that’s price together with in a wide range of Commander decks. The Enchantment is a strong method to get well after a board wipe, particularly when the Devotion necessities are met, constructing out a go-wide board every flip with 4/3 tokens with Flying.
Nightfall Legion Sergeant
Presenting a twist on sacrifice themes by way of the MTG mechanic Persist is Nightfall Legion Sergeant. The 2-drop 2/2 Vampire Soldier with Menace is okay as a physique. Its activated capability, nevertheless, can shield one other Vampire.
In the fitting deck, it may immediate demise triggers twice. I’m undecided Blood Rites is the perfect Commander deck for Nightfall Legion Sergeant, however I can be testing it out in an Aristocrat deck with Teysa Karlov and Elas il-Kor, Sadistic Pilgrim.
Promise of Aclazotz
Slotting proper into Vampire BW sacrifice decks is Promise of Aclazotz. The Enchantment is a two-drop Journey with a Sorcery spell referred to as Foul Rebirth at the price of 2B. Getting a 4/3 token with Flying in change for an inexpensive Vampire that may get reanimated is a strong deal, particularly with demise and ETB triggers. Foul Rebirth alone placing in an Aristocrat deck.
Promise of Aclazotz is a strong early drop that may get the ETB triggers flowing, or preserve them flowing after casting Foul Rebirth by way of the MTG mechanic Populate.
Order of Sacred Nightfall
Utilizing the MTG mechanic Convoke, Order of Sacred Nightfall slots into an aggressive Vampire Commander construct that may cheat the eight-drop out early. The Vampire Knight additionally has Exalted which may turn out to be useful. I’m extra excited by enjoying it early with Flying, Lifelink, and Haste.
