For MTG vampires, the name of the game is draining the life from their victims and using it to create new, even more powerful vampire allies. They’re a beloved creature type in Magic: The Gathering, but this means newcomers to the world of vampires have a small army of cards to choose from.
And, with the release of MTG Lost Caverns of Ixalan, vampires are more en vogue than ever. How’s a trading card game player meant to pick the best cards for their MTG Commander deck? Unless you’re planning to pick up the pre-made MTG Ixalan Commander deck that’s dedicated to vampires, you’ll need to do a bit of research. And we’re here to help – by listing some of the best MTG vampire cards around right now.
These are the best MTG vampire cards in 2023:
- Edgar Markov
- Elenda, the Dusk Rose
- Bloodline Keeper / Lord of Lineage
- Bloodghast
- Sorin, Imperious Bloodlord
- Cordial Vampire
- Patron of the Vein
Edgar Markov
We’ll start with the king. Edgar Markov is perhaps the best MTG vampire Commander. The card taps into all the key MTG colors needed for a vamp-y deck, and Eminence allows you to keep popping out means you can create even more vampires any time you cast a vampire spell.
Plus, once Edgar Markov is on the battlefield and attacking, every vampire you control gets a +1/+1 counter. The OG bloodsucker of Innistrad, Edgar Markov is as powerful as he is popular.
Elenda, the Dusk Rose
If you can’t afford to fork out for Edgar, Elenda, the Dusk Rose is another popular choice of vampire Commander. She starts as a puny 1/1, but with enough attacks, she’ll provide a tasty buff to your life and her own power.
And once Elenda, the Dusk Rose dies, she has one final gift for you. All the power she collected transforms into a small army of vampire tokens that’ll bulk out your board – and synergise nicely with some of our other favorite vampire cards. Speaking of:
Bloodline Keeper / Lord of Lineage
Bloodline Keeper / Lord of Lineage is another great vampire card for token generation. This creature gives you flying vampires in exchange for tapping the card. And once you’ve got five vampires on the battlefield, you can flip the card and transform it.
At this stage, Bloodline Keeper / Lord of Lineage is still a token machine, but it’s beefed up and gives all other vampires under your control +2/+2. Just one more boon to your growing vampire army.
Bloodghast
Bloodghast isn’t the toughest vampire, but its Landfall ability means it rarely stays dead. And if your opponent is running low on life, even summoning sickness can’t stop Bloodghast. When your creature can be recycled this often, you’re getting a lot of value out of two mana.
Bloodghast still sees plenty of play in the Commander MTG format, but the card has long been an MTG Modern staple, too.
Sorin, Imperious Bloodlord
If you’re after an MTG planeswalker for your vampire deck, Sorin, Imperious Bloodlord is the top choice. This is a relatively inexpensive planeswalker that can quickly take advantage of all the vampires on your battlefield.
Offering buffs, damage, and more vampire generation, this is a versatile planeswalker that provides plenty of power at any stage in your game. Combine it with the right vampire cards, and you’re packing some serious power.
Cordial Vampire
Cordial Vampire offers excellent value for money. This 1/1 vampire costs two mana, but its effect is well worth paying for.
Every time a creature dies, Cordial Vampire buffs all your vampires with a +1/+1. This even works when Cordial Vampire dies. Add a few copies to your deck or combine with some return-from-the-graveyard effects to maximize this value.
Patron of the Vein
Patron of the Vein likes to mess with your opponent’s board state while giving your vampire army its traditional buffs. This is a creature that swoops (literally, with flying) in and immediately destroys and exiles an opponent’s creature. Any time an opponent’s creature dies, Patron of the Vein exiles it and grants all your vampires a +1/+1.
This card may be a little on the expensive side. However, it’s got multiple bells and whistles to justify the cost – as well as a reasonable level of toughness to ensure its staying power.
For more on different types of MTG cards, here’s all you need to know about MTG dinosaurs and MTG zombies. You can learn more about upcoming releases in the MTG release schedule, and we can point you to the best MTG Arena decks and MTG Arena codes.