The tribe I’d love to see viable in modern.... Vampires. A huge Thank You to YamishiTheWickedOne for all the help and guidance in getting this once pet deck up to something formidable.
Started off and was an aristocrat build that was fun and explosive, but needed a change. Playing on arena I built a historic version since that’s the closest to the modern format and was forced to make changes because of card availability or lack there of, it became more of a drain and gain build that once the proper pieces came together has worked shockingly well. So well that I’m giving it a go in a modern shell. If it doesn’t work, I can always go back to the aristocrat shell.
Fatal Push for removal and a combo piece with Cordial Vampire & Blood Artist
Kalastria Highborn is one of our synergy pieces. Leaving mana open is ideal when she’s on the board. Whenever she or another creature you control is put into the graveyard, tap B to drain your opponent for 2 and gain 2. Works very well will Bloodghast & Silversmote Ghoul.
Bloodghast is a multipurpose tool. An early body (that can’t block) and sacrifice target. Landfall allows us to bring this back from the graveyard with haste if our opponent is at ten or less.
Blood Artist was included as a suggestion by jacobpmesser. I like the synergy, similar effect as CV and the drain & gain.
Knight of the Ebon Legion is one of our 1 drops, but that doesn’t mean he’s weak. Late game for 3 (2B) he gets +3+3 & deathtouch until end of turn, becoming a removal spell and if 4 damage is done to the opponent he gets a permanent +1+1. Very underrated imo.
Cordial Vampire is very sneaky, the +1+1 he gives when a creature dies is when ANY creature dies. With all the sacrificing this deck does, he essentially becomes a lord.
Silversmote Ghoul is another sacrifice target. It can sac itself (for 1B) and draw a card. If you gain 3 or more life, it comes back to the field tapped during the end step. Works incredibly well with Sorin, Imperious Bloodlord.
Vampire of the Dire Moon is a 1 drop with built in removal and lifelink, works great with Vito. Another card playtested on historic that has worked well, giving it a go in modern.
Sorin, Imperious Bloodlord gives us a lot of play out of this walker. His first +1 gives a creature a permanent +1+1 since we’re vampires. His second +1 is a Lightning Helix effect that works perfect with Silversmote Ghoul & Bloodghast giving us steady drain & gain
Vito, Thorn of the Dusk Rose has great synergy with cards like sorin, cordial, gifted, dire moon & highborn, making the drain and gain heavier.
Vein Ripper another one tested on arena with solid results that acts like another Kalastria (or in historic her replacement) without the mana deduction, has evasion and built in removal A Sorin target, adds to the devotion for nykthos, triggers Vito cordial & artist and is a BEATER.
Gifted Aetherborn one of my favorite vampires (as well as Vampire Nighthawk) is getting a try in this build. I’ve play tested as similar of a replication as possible in historic on arena and it’s been very impressive. Built in removal with deathtouch, has lifelink that works incredibly well with Vito.
Cavern of Souls blocking counter spells.
Castle Locthwain for card draw in the late game.
Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx replaced Silent Clearing & Mutavault should allow us to play multiple things per turn.
Thoughtseize for hand disruption.
Collective Brutality trying this out, could be a multipurpose tool and add to the drain & gain.
Nihil Spellbomb for graveyard hate and or card draw.
Dismember for removal
Damping Sphere for tron & big mana builds.
Inquisition of Kozilek for hand disruption.
