Teaching Decks: Vampire Legion

So this is a project I wanted to engage in- To make a set of 10+ super-budget 60-card decks that are simple, relatively easy to play, relatively easy to understand, and bring across the fundamentals of how Magic Works. We've since gone way past 10, with tons more in the works, and I've really enjoyed the challenge of trying to make these decks easy to play and understand, fun, and all under a $15 budget, sideboard included.

The main goal here is that you could easily build these deck for a low cost and use them as an easy introduction to how magic works, to teach a group of new players both how to play, and give them a sense of Why, a sense of what fun things they're getting into. These decks aren't gonna be particularly good, or even legal in any particular format if it stops me from including a card I think is good for the deck, but they should be fun and interesting without being too hard to get into. They should be an easily-accessible example of how fun Magic: The Gathering can be.

Aaaaand I did the same thing with vampires that I did with zombies and need to make like 4 different decks for them. Great. More fighting against how expensive all these damn tribal cards are.

Welp, the first Vampire deck is a vaguely midrange-y vaguely go-wide-y strategy of planting a bunch of reasonably stated creatures and turning sideways. The usual.

As for budget: Maindeck cost is currently at ~$12.50 (according to the middle blue numbers on this very site under estimated value), sideboard at just under $2.50, and by that I mean this deck is literally 2 cents under my $15 budget by my math, and I'll take it, all these tribal cards are super expensive.

So mostly this section is going to be notes on why I think these are good cards to learn from:

Altar's Reap is a sweet card for low-to-the-ground black decks, and is a super sweet lesson for new players to learn about when and how to use it properly, and the removal package of Murder, Puncturing Light, Searing Spear and Pacifism is a selection of classics that are all well-costed, and should be good for dealing with anything your creatures don't just run right over.

For the creatures: Dusk Legion Zealot is Elvish Visionary in black, and is a great card in any tribal strategy. no card disadvantage and shuffling through more of your deck and both excellent, and here he's often your first body on the board.

Legion Lieutenant and Stromkirk Captain are your lords, and the reasons this deck is 3-color. They buff the board and make the nastier things that come after them much scarier.

Sadistic Skymarcher is a sweet card you can use to get off Bloodthirst triggers, and is just generally good. He's no Vampire Nighthawk, but he's sweet and does great work.

If you get the damage in, Vampire Outcasts is just sweet, and a 4/4 lifelink before tribal boosts is not to be underestimated.

And the last two, Markov Crusader and Markov Warlord, are how you crash in for huge damage without your opponent being able to work around it. Haste and removed blockers to just hit 'em for 14 or something disgusting.

Manabase is meant to be a touch lacking, but also super-budget. I'll be doing the same for all of them.

As for the sideboard, this IS supposed to be a sideboard they learn how to use, to make their deck perform better in the right matchups, or just in general to customize their decks within constraints.

Vengeful Vampire adds long-game value, since it comes back, and works as a solid addition to the top-end if you want it, Revoke Existence is great hate, Succumb to temptation adds to your card draw, and the rest is letting you customize your removal package either to taste, or to matchup.

• teaching deck
• Casual
• Budget
• Tribal
• Vampire
• Midrange