Vampire

Vampire is creature type. The first card with the subtype was Sengir Vampire in Alpha. In the Innistrad block black and red Vampires are a supported tribe. Since that block, Vampire is a characteristic race for the color black.

Storyline

Vampires are a dangerous type of undead. Whilst humans are the most common victims of vampirism, it can infect other species as well, including hounds and even dragons. Throughout the multiverse, vampires can be created through other vampires transforming their victims, or through enchantment.

The most defining characteristic of vampires is their hunger for the blood or lifeforce of others. Other traits of vampires can include unnatural physical strength, enhanced healing powers and the ability to fly, with the method of flight being through either natural or magical means. Many vampires are highly sensitive to sunlight and therefore only go out at night or in the shade, but this is not always the case. Regardless, the secretive and predatory nature of the creatures means that they all prefer the cover of darkness. Vampires can range from being mindless predators to sophisticated and intelligent nobles. The appearance of vampires is similarly varied, although they all have at least two elongated fangs and the more feral ones have bat-like qualities.

Alara

Before the Conflux, the rare Alaran vampires were exclusively found on the shard of Grixis, where they fed on zombies. . After Grixis rejoined with the rest of the plane, vampires were known to be seen flying over neighboring lands like Jund.

Dominaria

Sengir Vampires

Sengir Vampires are said to be descendants of the legendary Baron Sengir of Dominaria and Ulgrotha. While they are most common on the latter, others have been found across the multiverse. On Dominaria, they were found in Aerona and in the pits of the Cabal in Otaria.

Over the centuries, the Sengir bloodline has degenerated; while they were once as attractive and human-seeming as their progenitor, Sengir vampires are now hideous, misshapen creatures with pointed ears, long claws, and feral eyes, often with visible red veins all over their bodies.

Krovikan Vampires

Krovikan Vampires stalked the streets of the plague-ridden city of Krov during the Ice Age, led by their queen Garza Zol. These vampires have a pale appearance, with porcelain-like skin and blood-red eyes.

Vampiric Dragons

A Vampiric Dragon appeared in a short story in the Monsters of Magic anthology. They are particularly dangerous, combining the strengths of both races to lethal effect.

Innistrad

The vampiric bloodlines that govern the Innistrad province of Stensia reap the benefits of the isolation in the region. The chain of mountains called Geier Reach, which dominates the province, separates the valleys from each other and makes them easier to be monitored and controlled. The suffering humans of Stensia have an irrational loyalty to their oppressive home, but strictly speaking, have few options; they are trapped in the narrow mountain passes and attached to their customs and lives of herding and gathering.

Thousands of years ago, before there were vampires on Innistrad, Edgar Markov was an alchemist in the land that would become Stensia. Famine was sweeping the land, and the old alchemist Edgar searched for a solution that could help the starving families feed themselves. The answer was a brutal one: to undergo a blood ritual that would cause some of the people to feed on blood. It would provide sustenance to those few, reducing demand for the failing crops, but it would also cull the overall population, reducing the number of hungry mouths to feed. Thus were vampires born on Innistrad.

The four bloodlines

Not all vampires are created equal. Among the existing vampiric bloodlines, some are more common but prestigious whereas some are rare but less respected. There were originally twelve bloodlines, which originated long ago in a ritual that had something to do with the Markov progenitor, Edgar Markov. Three of these bloodlines have died out completely. Five others are relatively minor, having sired fewer vampires.

The four major bloodlines that remain are:

• Falkenrath
• Markov
• Stromkirk
• Voldaren

Mirrodin

Mephidross Vampires

Mephidross Vampires are named after the Mephidross on Mirrodin. The warlord Geth kept what he believed to be the only Mephidross Vampire as his personal bodyguard until it was defeated by Glissa. Like all of the creatures on Mirrodin, Mephidross Vampires are partly metallic. It's most prominent feature is that it has fangs on his hands rather than his mouth.

With the return to Mirrodin in the Scars of Mirrodin block, it was revealed that whole clans of vampires live in Mirrodin. Like the Mephidross Vampire, they have characteristic fangs on their pointer and third fingers. How Geth did not notice them when they lived in the Mephidross is unknown.

Rath

Skyshroud Vampires

Skyshroud Vampires are found in the Skyshroud Forest, where the dense foliage provides them with shelter from the sun. They are amongst the most bat-like and unintelligent forms of vampire.

Ravnica

Moroii

The Moroii from Ravnica are psionic vampires, draining the youth and mental abilities of their victims for sustenance. They are employed by House Dimir as assassins. They are unaffected by sunlight.

Zendikar

The vampires of Zendikar seem to be non-native. They live in cultured, decadent cities on the humid continent of Guul Draz, and differ from typical vampires in many respects. Normal Zendikar vampires have a lifespan of approximately 200 years. They feed on blood, but it does not have to be blood from a sentient race.

When the Eldrazi first plundered Zendikar, they took the plane's proud vampires as a race of servants, adapting their very anatomy for servitude. Hooklike horns grew from the vampires' shoulders, convenient handles for the Eldrazi to dominate their slave race and, for millennia afterward, carnal symbols of the vampires' heritage of persecution. The vampires, forced to conspire in the campaign of destruction against their own homeworld, had their identity and tribal memory scarred forever.

The Bloodchiefs and their families

The Zendikar vampires are divided into five families, each presided over by a bloodchief, a powerful, immortal vampire. Each bloodchief is the progenitor of their entire family, as when a bloodchief drains blood from a sentient creature, that creature will become a vampire with the tastes and passions of of the bloodchief imprinted on them. Whenever a vampire fully drains the blood of a living creature without destroying the husk, that creature does not become a vampire. Instead, it becomes a null, a faceless zombie that is stronger and much faster than typical zombies. If nulls are left without orders, they will hunt and kill living things that they can find.

Each family controls their own section of the vampire city of Malakir. The five vampire families are:

• Kalastria - The wealthiest and most powerful family, who refer to themselves as Highborn. The head of the clan is Drana.
• Nirkana - Notorious assassins who are feared by all. (Vampire Lacerator, Nirkana Cutthroat)
• Emevera
• Urnaav
• Ghet - The poorest and least powerful of the families. The head of the clan is Kalitas.

The Ghet recently seized holdings outside of Malakir, including the port city of Nimana, and threatened to turn all of the vampires of Malakir into thralls of the Eldrazi. Drana struck back, retaking control of Malakir and driving Kalitas and his traitors away from the city. But Drana's victory was short-lived, and she and her remaining people were driven from the city by ever-growing hordes of Eldrazi.

Tarkir

There are 2 species of vampires on Tarkir:

• The native Kheru Bloodsucker - This species of vampire looks vastly different than other known vampire species. They have giant tongues and their fangs look more like tusks. They are members of the Sultai Brood
• the non-native spawn of the planeswalker, Sorin - It can be assumed that his spawn are identical to the Markov bloodline vampires of Innistrad; since Sorin is a Markov bloodline vampire himself.

Legendary Vampires

Dominaria

• Crovax the Cursed was once a mortal man from Urborg, but following his defection to Phyrexia he became the insane vampiric evincar of Rath. He was able to absorb the life force of his victims directly, although he also enjoyed consuming the rest of the body. Like other evincars, he was known to keep vampire hounds as pets.
• Mirri the Cursed, in an alternate reality, was the vampiric Evincar of Rath instead of Crovax.
• Garza Zol, Plague Queen was the vampiress that ruled over Krov. She allied with Heidar following the thaw, but later had him murdered by one of her assassins.
• Shauku, Endbringer was an ancient and mysterious Jamuraan vampire. She was revered by cultists calling themselves the Agents of Shauku, although it is unclear whether she was simply worshipped by them or actively led them.

Innistrad

• Sorin Markov
• Edgar Markov
• Olivia Voldaren
• Jeleva, Nephalia's Scourge

Ravnica

• Szadek, Lord of Secrets is the Parun and guildmaster of House Dimir. An ancient and powerful entity, over 10,000 years old, Szadek and his guild are widely believed to be merely a myth amongst Ravnica's populace. Szadek's hunger is for the minds of his victims, with the first thought he consumes being the memory of his attack.
• Mirko Vosk a high ranking member of House Dimir in charge both with retrieving memories as well as implanting identities and other information in the minds of others. When the Izzet League began their research into the Implicit Maze, Mirko was assigned to gather as much knowledge of the maze as possible, leading him to cross paths with Jace Beleren. Ultimately, his presence as a Guild Champion was proven redundant by Lazav's participation in the maze.

Ulgrotha

• Baron Sengir is the mastermind of the Sengir clan of Vampires and the self-styled lord of Ulgrotha. One of the most intelligent and dangerous vampires, he ultimately he plans to dominate the multiverse with his undead family. He is the sire of the dwarven vampire Irini Sengir.

Zendikar

• Anowon is the scion of powerful vampire family in Malakir. He is an expert on ruins, runes, and ancient languages. He is ruthless and murderous, but has managed to keep this side of himself a secret from most of the races on Zendikar, and is thought by most to be nothing more than a renowned mage and benevolent scholar.
• The two most powerful bloodchiefs on Zendikar are Kalitas of the Ghet family, and Drana of the Kalastria family.
• In the 2 years since the Eldrazi have awoken, Kalitas and possibly the vampires of Ghet have become Ulamog's thralls.

Game mechanics

The most defining characteristic of vampires is their hunger for the blood or lifeforce of others. This has been represented mechanically in a number of ways within the game. The two most notable are the addition of +1/+1 counters for sending other creatures to the graveyard, and the 'bloodied' mechanic of Zendikar, where Vampires get bonuses as long as an opponent has 10 or less life.

For most of Magic's history, vampires and demons have occupied a similar position card-wise. Both were large, flying, expensive-to-cast 'iconic' black creatures that showed up as rares a few times in each set. This meant that vampire cards had to compete with demon cards for a limited amount of card slots in a set, and they often lost out the the slightly more iconic demons. Meanwhile, vampires were becoming more and more popular amongst movie-goers and readers of fantasy fiction. In order to solve the demon/vampire dilemma, and 'cash in' on the popularity of vampires, they were shifted from big iconic creature status, to the role of a characteristic race of black. In essence, vampires became smaller in size, but larger in numbers, showing up in common and uncommon slots. To achieve this, vampires were given a vampire lord in Magic 2010, followed by a heavy tribal theme in the Zendikar block, despite the fact that Zendikar was not actually a tribal-based block. This seems to have continued with the Scars of Mirrodin block, on a plane that was previously noted for having only one vampire (Mephidross Vampire).

Vampire tokens

Black Vampire Creature tokens are created by:

• Bloodline Keeper (2/2, with flying)
• Kalitas, Bloodchief of Ghet (*/*)
• Lord of Lineage (2/2, with flying)
• Sorin, Lord of Innistrad (1/1, with lifelink)
• Sorin, Solemn Visitor (2/2, with flying)

See also

• Bloodthirsty Vampires
• Rise of the Vampires

External Links

• Magic Arcana (February 18, 2010). "Visualizing Vampires". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
• Monty Ashley (November 09, 2011). "Visualize More Vampires". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
• List of all Vampires in MTG