So back in 2010, I started to dip my toe into the waters of competitive Magic. My first tournament deck was Mono-Black Vampires and you can even find a YouTube clip of me getting interviewed by Darwin Kastle. It has been an archetype that I revisit from time to time, occasionally terrorizing my local game store's Modern events. (Nothing is better than winning with a deck that other people think is completely unplayable.) Recently, quite a few new vampires were released and it is about time that I try them out. This is a Modern Aether Vial deck, similar to Merfolk, but unlike Merfolk, we have a lot of shenanigans. There are some small Madness synergies, Sacrifice synergies, and don't scoff at the text on Captivating Vampire. Even Reid Duke, the home town hero, has fallen victim to his creatures being captivated!

Deck Tech

B/R Vampires ? Modern | Andrew Boswell

• Creatures (32)
• 1 Olivia, Mobilized for War
• 2 Viscera Seer
• 3 Indulgent Aristocrat
• 3 Kalastria Highborn
• 3 Vampire Nocturnus
• 4 Bloodghast
• 4 Captivating Vampire
• 4 Falkenrath Gorger
• 4 Stromkirk Captain
• 4 Stromkirk Condemned

• Sorceries (2)
• 2 Collective Brutality

• Artifacts (4)
• 4 Aether Vial

• Lands (22)
• 3 Swamp
• 2 Blood Crypt
• 2 Cavern of Souls
• 2 Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
• 3 Bloodstained Mire
• 3 Mutavault
• 3 Polluted Delta
• 4 Blackcleave Cliffs

• Sideboard (15)
• 4 Thoughtseize
• 3 Inquisition of Kozilek
• 4 Disfigure
• 1 Dismember
• 2 Slaughter Pact
• 1 Surgical Extraction

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Match 1: Bant Eldrazi

Match 2: Affinity

Match 3: Eldrazi Tron

Match 4: Abzan

Match 5: Turbo Mill

That Affinity game shook me to the core! I still don't think I have recovered, or properly assessed my role. What a ride! Overall, I was really impressed with the deck. I don't think it will take down a Grand Prix, but it is sweet, it is fun, with a little work it could be quite competitive and maybe for one weekend it will be the right call. There are a lot of interactions and it is actually kind of tricky to play, which means it will be hard for opponents to play against you. There are also a lot of options. Gatekeeper of Malakir, Falkenrath Aristocrat, and Feast of Blood are among my favorite cards not shown in this list. A little searching on Gatherer reveals that this is a fairly deep tribe and you can also build more midrange versions with Liliana of the Veil and Olivia Voldaren. By the time you read this article, Aether Revolt will be available and I would suggest the following list to include Metallic Mimic and Fatal Push:

B/R Vampires, Version #137 ? Modern | Andrew Boswell

• Creatures (32)
• 2 Viscera Seer
• 3 Indulgent Aristocrat
• 3 Vampire Nocturnus
• 4 Bloodghast
• 4 Captivating Vampire
• 4 Falkenrath Gorger
• 4 Stromkirk Captain
• 4 Stromkirk Condemned
• 4 Metallic Mimic

• Sorceries (2)
• 2 Collective Brutality

• Artifacts (4)
• 4 Aether Vial

• Lands (22)
• 3 Swamp
• 2 Blood Crypt
• 2 Cavern of Souls
• 2 Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
• 3 Bloodstained Mire
• 3 Mutavault
• 3 Polluted Delta
• 4 Blackcleave Cliffs

• Sideboard (15)
• 4 Thoughtseize
• 2 Inquisition of Kozilek
• 4 Fatal Push
• 2 Slaughter Pact
• 2 Kalastria Highborn
• 1 Surgical Extraction

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Until next week, GLHF friends. May you smite thy enemies with a Golden Axe!

— Andrew Boswell