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Not Your Everyday Vampire
by Nagatsu
02.15.2006
Many people have bought the Vampire starters so I think this
will be a good way to pump up that starter!
Strengths:
Vampires are the only reality that use
the infamous Blood Counters. It grants them abilities they don't automatically
get. Instead of deploy or paying Flesh, they use Blood Counters as a catalyst
to use them. This reality by far has the most combat tricks than any other
reality and is fairly easy to build!
Weaknesses:
Although they have a lot going for them they are very
fragile and don't stand up very well to the rigors of the combat phase. Also
generating Blood Counters can only be achieved through combat with other Creature/Guard
cards. When facing against Samurai and Nexans this weakness becomes more
apparent.
Building a good Vampire deck:
Okay the first thing to consider when building a Vampire
deck is that your troops aren't going to be the toughest boys on the block so
you need to use cards that enhance their combat ability. Cards like Acolyte
that came in the starter is one way of ensuring your Vampires stick around long
enough to work their mojo. Another way would be using hexes like Alleviate can
heal your weakened Vampires so they can deal the damage to get those must
needed Blood Counters. And finally another way to increase your Vampires’ power
(the easier of the three) is to use Devices and Shields
as ways to increase their durability and combat strength. One of the main
points you still have to keep in mind is:
"Vampires are frail. In exchange for fragility comes power."
I think this is the best way to describe Vampire in Mage
Warfare. Although they give the beefier stat given to cards like Samurai, they
are given insane abilities to compensate. For example you could take Vampire Ravager,
it is a good stat Vampire but its ability to eat your graveyard makes tagging
card worth is as you could fuel Ravager and make it a force to be feared. Also
cards like Starved Vampire is another good card when combined with Ravager
since each time you eat a creature with the Starved you then in turn feed your Ravager.
Just keep in mind that you need to keep playing Creature/Guard cards to
increase the potency of this idea. Another good strategy of Vampires are starved Vampire/Recursive Genesis /Vampire Familiar.
This still is awesome with Ravager but you can now generate Blood Counters in
unbelievable amounts! This very same combo fits very well with the Vampire Assassin
who can off almost any Creature/Guard on the board (keep in mind it destroys
its victims so no Blood Counters).
Now it is time to talk about cards to put in your Vampire
deck! Always remember to keep your Basic higher than your Advanced and
Über. This in turn applies to Advanced
to Über. Cards I would suggest running for Vampires are Vampire Ravager, Demon
Sentinel, Crocotta, and Vampire Bouncer. These cards should give you the solid
stats you need but still give options for later in the game. Cards like Ravager
are more geared towards if you want a single beefy card but it is all up to
you. Demon Sentinel will give your forces (Vampire all being evil) that extra
kick for early board control. Crocotta also is a great choice for its solid stats
and its ability to destroy Devices needed by Samurai. Now if you’re in need of an early game
defender I would look to the Vampire Bouncer. With Bouncer being a Guard and as
it gets more Blood Counters it can become more of a menace as it power grows.
Advanced cards I would suggest would be things like Demon
Familiar, MechaClown, Vampire familiar, and Ice Fiend. These cards will allow
you to control the board as you set up for your Über Creature/Guard cards. Also
they will reward you by taking or destroying your opponents
efforts at every turn.
Uber cards are going to be the heavy hitters and later game
finishers. Cards like Soul Harvester can lock down larger threats and get
abilities with each soul counter it gets. Cerberus is another good choice since
it can knock down flyers or ruin abilities of attackers. Demon Master is
probably the most dangerous card in your arsenal as a Vampire player, with
ability to give a complete field boost to your troops it is probably one of
those cards you want use when they going get tough! Grave Robber is another one
of these cards. It will allow you to a Basic or Advanced to fight for you again that you may
have like Bouncer or Ravager. Acolyte is another great choice for Vampire with
its defense boosting abilities. Also it can heal weakened troops when they need
it. It is by far one of the most powerful cards in Mage Warfare!
Now comes time to consider what Spell and Hexes could help
with keeping your Vampires alive and ready to smash the opponent. Cards I would
suggest would be Demonic Words, Alleviate, Acupuncture, Hurried War and
Shockwave. Hurried War and demonic words will give your forces that extra kick
it may need to take out the tougher realities and Demonic Words will weaken any
Heroic cards that player may control. Alleviate and Acupuncture are ways of healing your attackers or defenders when they
are close to dying. Alleviate will also protect any card for your opponent's
crowd control cards. Shockwave would probably be the biggest investment when
you are stuck into a corner and you need a way to get out of it. I would
probably suggest a least 2 if its possible since half
the time you may need another one when the going gets tough.
All in all Vampires are probably the most intriguing of the
two starter set decks but they take a lot of patience in which to play them so
have fun and remember that.
Nagatsu's deck building articles:
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