Markov Crusader

Creature — Vampire Knight

Lifelink

This has haste as long as you control another Vampire.

Legality

Format	Legality
1v1 Commander	Legal
Archenemy	Legal
Arena	Legal
Block Constructed	Legal
Canadian Highlander	Legal
Casual	Legal
Commander / EDH	Legal
Commander: Rule 0	Legal
Custom	Legal
Duel Commander	Legal
Gladiator	Legal
Highlander	Legal
Historic	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Leviathan	Legal
Limited	Legal
Modern	Legal
Oathbreaker	Legal
Pioneer	Legal
Planechase	Legal
Quest Magic	Legal
Vanguard	Legal
Vintage	Legal

Discussion (12)

LordBlackblade on

4 years ago

Alright, let's get down to it! Anje Falkenrath is relatively new and I'm not yet sold on her validity as a vampire commander. My primary hang up is the overall weakness of madness as a mechanic. It is still critically underrepresented on cards, and of those that do exist only a handful are actually any good. I'm not saying it can't be done, just that I am skeptical that it can compete with existing vampire archetypes.

Mana Base Show

I like to start with the mana base in any deck I look at as it is (in my opinion) most crucial in the smooth operation of a deck. To start, your land count looks good, right about the sweet spot for a deck of this type. That said, there are a few sub-optimal choices in lands I would like to point out.

Cut

• Bloodfell Caves
• Cinder Barrens
• Great Furnace
• Vault of Whispers

I try and avoid tap lands at all costs if possible. When running a low-to-the-ground deck like this, the loss of tempo from a tap land can be more damaging than the loss of color availability. In addition, I would discourage the use of artifact lands unless you are going for a specific artifact theme. This is simply because artifact lands are easier to destroy than regular lands and aren't worth the risk with literally no benefit in this particular list.

Add

• Ancient Ziggurat
• Blood Crypt
• Bloodstained Mire
• Graven Cairns
• Luxury Suite
• Path of Ancestry
• Unclaimed Territory
• Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth

I feel that any of these lands would be strong adds to your list. While some of the cards are a bit on the pricey side, I do feel they would improve the flow and power level of the deck.

Creatures Show

Vampires are usually pretty aggressively costed and there are a literal bevy of them to choose from. The key is choosing the cream of the crop to run in a singleton format.

Cut

• Bloodcrazed Neonate
• Bloodhall Priest
• Bloodsworn Steward
• Erdwal Ripper
• Falkenrath Reaver
• Heir of Falkenrath  ^Flip
• Incorrigible Youths
• Markov Crusader
• Stromkirk Mentor

Many of these creatures are either too costly or too under-powered for this format. It is important to remember that in EDH, efficiency is key. I would discourage playing any creature that falls short of the formula (Power+Toughness)/2=Converted Mana Cost (e.g. A 2/2 for two mana or better) unless it is especially crucial for your deck to function.

In addition impact is crucial. Bloodhall Priest for example is fairly costed, but doesn't do enough to advance your board state for the cost.

In

• Champion of Dusk
• Cordial Vampire
• Dusk Legion Zealot
• Malakir Bloodwitch
• Stromkirk Occultist
• Twilight Prophet
• Vicious Conquistador

These creatures are all what I would describe as impactful or highly efficient. When I mean impactful, cards like Malakir Bloodwitch make a big splash when they hit and are still relevant after the fact due to their efficient bodies. In terms of efficiency, Vicious Conquistador can put in a lot of work in the early game as a cheap, go-wide card.

Instants Show

In general 1-1 removal and "small" damage are not that great in EDH. Shoot for cards that are either modal a la Rakdos Charm or hit multiple targets such as Anger of the Gods or any board wipe (obviously most of these effects are sorceries rather than instants). Vampiric Fury seems just okay. Again in EDH these are just okay and are usually superseded by repeatable and/or static effects.

Out

• Fatal Push
• Fiery Temper
• Lightning Axe
• Lightning Bolt
• Sorin's Thirst

I don't have any good tips for adds here, but I would encourage you to look for modal or mass effect type cards for this category.

Sorceries Show

Honestly, these seem fine. I would urge you to add some more card draw. Things like Night's Whisper and Read the Bones are pretty solid choices.

In

• Burning Inquiry
• Cathartic Reunion
• Night's Whisper
• Read the Bones
• Tormenting Voice

These all seem like good choices to me and many of them double as potential madness triggers essentially negating their downsides.

Artifacts Show

Most of these are pretty standard; however, there are a couple that don't really fit your plan that I would personally cut.

Out

• Basilisk Collar
• Eldrazi Monument
• Rakdos Cluestone

Basilisk Collar is a solid equipment, but this is neither a voltron nor combo build that can effectively utilize it. I like Eldrazi Monument for its power; however, you lack the ability to produce enough fodder to sustain it long-term. Finally, Rakdos Cluestone is simply outclassed by other mana rocks, most notably my suggestion Talisman of Indulgence .

In

• Herald's Horn
• Talisman of Indulgence

Herald's Horn is just a good card in any tribal deck and I would highly recommend it!

My overall impression is that you've got a decent base here, but have made several choices that I see a lot of new EDH players make in their early decks. In general, you could use more card draw and I would encourage you to take a look at EDHREC or other vampire decks on here for inspiration in terms of what kinds of effects truly shine in EDH versus other formats.

Carsf on Lord of the Bloodline

6 years ago

Right now, I recommend cutting Drana's Emissary, Markov Crusader, and Vampire Nighthawk. They're alright creatures, but not good enough as the game stretches on. I'd add Indulgent Aristocrat, Vampire Nocturnus, and Vampire Hexmage, for their own reason, though Nocturnus is a little pricey.

Also, consider Feast of Blood. Great cheap removal, and it can be cast if you play any vampire thanks to Edgar.

Tomcatt on not a noob. but... i …

6 years ago

landMountain x9
Swamp x9Cinder Barrens x2

Creatures Nettle Drone x3Falkenrath Reaver x1Valakut Predator x1Pyre Hound x1Shivan Dragon x1Makindi Sliderunner x1Embodiment of Fury x1Cinder Hellion x 1Markov Crusader x1Sanitarium Skeleton x2Walking Corpse x1Vampire Noble x1Ghoulcaller's Accomplice x1Fourth Bridge Prowler x1Bane of Bala Ged x1Emrakul, the Promised End x1Void Winnower x1

sorceryShamble Back x1Ruinous Path x1Dark Salvation x1Mire's Malice x1Liliana's Indignation x1Bone Splinters x1Collective Defiance x1Sparkmage's Gambit x1Chandra's Revolution x1Cone of Flame x2Incendiary Flow x1Magmatic Chasm x1instantsMurder x1Borrowed Malevolence x1Fiery Temper x1Stonefury x1Essence Extraction x1EnchantmentsConsecrated by Blood x1

DubiousDanish on First 11 days in M.T.G.! Help me defeat my gf!

6 years ago

Aaaawwwww yyeeeaaahh! This post and subsequent thread is so good! You're raking in the experience now whisenhuntn! Great catch on the Act of Treason/Nightmare interaction Tyrant-Thanatos, I completely missed that earlier. Solid advice on composition and your explanation of the legendary rule was crystal clear Argeaux.

As far as the most popular format for sanctioned play (as in monitored by judges and run at an lgs) is the standard format. This format is comprised of the last four expansion blocks that have been released. Currently Battle for Zendikar, Oath of the Gatewatch, Shadows Over Innistrad, Eldritch Moon, Kaladesh, Aether Revolt, and Amonkhet are all standard legal. To keep up on all things magic -- magic.wizards.com -- is straight from WOTC (Wizards of the Coast) themselves. My favorite YouTube channel is -- SBMTG -- and for browsing I use -- gatherer.wizards.com --.

Thinking out loud may be harmful to your strategy by giving your opponent too much info, but announcing the five phases is actually a good thing that I think more players should be willing to do. Just keep in mind that in competitive play you're on the clock... literally. Each round is 50 minutes/best of three, at 50 minutes you are notified that you have five turns (current turn is 0) to finish. At the end step of turn five if there is not a winner the round ends in a draw.

Until you feel comfortable running a kill deck, in this case aggro, I wouldn't recommend building a control or focus deck. How can you stop something that you don't fully understand? My first deck was Izzet (Blue & Red) and I didn't know what to counter or what to kill, so inevitably I lost. A lot! Use aggro as a training ground and as you learn it's strengths and weaknesses other decks/strategies will make much more sense.

To bolster your aggro deck:

Drana, Liberator of Malakir

Fatal Push

Gifted Aetherborn

Glint-Sleeve Siphoner

Grasp of Darkness

Murder

Never//Return

Ruinous Path

Scrapheap Scrounger

Snare Thopter

and

Vampire Cutthroat.

All of these cards could work in an aggro shell, they are of varying price points and casting costs. If you decide on a specific creature type or mechanic that you want to build around then the list will change of course. For instance if you decided "I like vampires" then creatures like Markov Crusader or Metallic Mimic gain value in a vampire based (tribal) deck. As for non-creature spells a card like Cartouche of Ambition is alright, but if you are also running Trial of Ambition the cartouche becomes much better. Without using both of the above cards, utilizing a pure removal spell like murder or never//return that I listed above will clear a path for your creatures to strike.

Ekaan92 on BR Vampire Madness

7 years ago

Cool deck,

Personally I-'d remove Markov Crusader & Twins of Maurer Estate ,Voldaren Duelist Since imo they are too slow and don't further your gameplan too much, I'd also remove 3x Call the Bloodline . And put Malevolent Whispers & Murderous Compulsion into the sideboard since they are situational depending on the matchup, and replace them with Lightning Axe & Alms of the Vein.

If you can afford this card on your budget I would definitly recommend Metallic Mimic, Push your Stromkirk Condemned to 4x, remove Olivia's Bloodsworn for 2x more heir of falkenraths. Unlicensed Disintegration Is also good, Since hard removal is always good, Also Asylum Visitor Is a great card if you are going the no cards in hand route

Also Insolent Neonate Is one of the best vampires in standard IMO

A bit more expensive vampires that I would recommend is

Olivia, Mobilized for War, Drana, Liberator of Malakir Falkenrath Gorger

Bomat Courier Is also a great card, although not a vampire so no points for flavor there hehe. Also Isn't a bad removal card, although it's expensive

Also as a general rule of thumb I'd say try to have more copies of a card than 1x-2x since you want your draws to be consistent.

Just my two cents, B/R Vampires are really cool imo!

Falzar235 on *Your pain....My gain...!!!!*

7 years ago

To go with the theme, definitely Vampiric Tutor but also maybe put in card draw stuff in blue if you're going to use Oloro, I.E. Impulse, Brainstorm, Thought Reflection, Drogskol Reaver (kinda looks like a vampire spirit in my opinion), Cyclonic Rift (for control purposes / if you're being overwhelmed or maybe to finish), and maybe more kill spells to activite abilities so Malicious Affliction, Doom Blade, Go for the Throat, Rend Flesh, and Hex. Also other interesting annoying things would be include Reanimate, Exhume, Dread Return, and Mirko Vosk, Mind Drinker to bring back dead stuff or Mirko Vosk will just wreck green ramp decks that have pulled out a ton of lands but also have evasion unlike Drana's Chosen which also will probably not get her effect to activate often. If you don't want those maybe look into Markov Crusader or Markov Patrician or Markov Dreadknight as alternatives for some of the ally vampires since they're strong if all are out together but alone there are better options. Except Drana, she doesn't need allies to work.

Kappa1234 on

7 years ago

cut Elusive Tormentor  ^Flip Cryptbreaker Markov Crusader Alms of the Vein Welcome to the Fold Reckless Scholar Bloodmad Vampire Markov Dreadknight Stromkirk Mentor . most of the reason for these is too little effect for high mana, or not enough synergy. Instead add Asylum Visitor Heir of Falkenrath  ^Flip Stromkirk Condemned Olivia, Mobilized for War and Collective Brutality .

If you want a great deck cut the blue and just go Red Black. the blue cards don't have any effect that red or black doesn't except counterspells but this deck doesn't need them. blue right now makes the deck less consistent in mana draws, and will give less odds to find a useful card.

I am sorry if I am destroying the identity of the deck, I am helping it to be a win more games.

The_Grape on Red Black Shadows block vampires

7 years ago

I agree, maybe go down to 1 Markov Crusader and 1 Incorrigible Youths because they are both expensive cards.