this card pump my vampire like crazy during the pre-release event, when i cast these cards: hideous end, disfigure and gatekeep of malakir. =D
Designer_Genes
★☆☆☆☆ (1.3/5.0)(5 votes)
Only seems good in limited. And even then... kinda eh. Feels more like an aura than equipment, in how when the creature dies, the bonus leaves.
Lestat13
★☆☆☆☆ (1.4/5.0)(4 votes)
It's rarity status adds another blank in my box, it needs to give Vampires +2/+2 and something else to be considered as Vampire aggro doesn't like equips to begin with.
Shiduba
★★★☆☆ (3.0/5.0)(3 votes)
Plain awesomeness in vampire decks. It's decent without Vampires too.
darkfury
★★★★☆ (4.0/5.0)(2 votes)
while categorized as vampire equipment, its better on creatures like Oros, the Avenger. vampires do kill, but they arent dedicated mass-murdurers, not like oros
Spideredd
★★★★☆ (4.5/5.0)(5 votes)
It works.
It does this in an elegant mannor.
It says 'I'm vampire equipment, but give me to someone else and I'll work for you'
It seems flavourful, and I like the taste.
Liquid_Sin
★★★☆☆ (3.5/5.0)(3 votes)
How about putting it on Vampire Aristocrat, then you get +4/+4 until end of turn for each creature sac-ed, and half is counters
Demonic_Angel13
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Black-Green with Doubling Season and cards like Mycoloth and Vampire Aritocrat. Nice that it can work in my Zombie deck, but geared toward Vampires.
Dingo777
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
@a7141988, yes this is a friend to persist, just like ajani is
this will be an awesome card in vampire tribal, there is no doubt there, it helps that black has a good amount of kill spells like doomblade and hideous end
while is shines in vampire tribal, you can use it anywhere, and a devour deck will love it because of the number of sacrafices it make
Xelopheris
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
This thing is one of my favorite combos with Vampire Aristocrats and Bloodghasts. Equip it on something else, attack with the equipped creature and the aristocrat, and sacrifice some bloodghasts to pump them. Second main phase, play your land to get your bloodghasts back.
Ava_Adore
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
man i love this card, just got mine in the mail today
i don't like zandikar that much, i think its broken,
but other than that i do really like the flavor of lots of the cards in the block so far
Zher0
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
When I first saw this card in the visual spoiler, I just glanced at it and said, "Oh, it gives the creature the Sengir ability. Neat." Then, when I first played against it during a sealed deck, I was very, VERY surprised that the equipped creature didn't necessarily have to do the killing.
Mikolash
★★★★☆ (4.2/5.0)(3 votes)
Infest says hello
AbyssalManZero
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
This would be a PERFECT combo with VEIN DRINKER, you'd get THREE +1/+1 counters on it each time you used the ability XD Plus two more any other time a creature is destroyed! It's so awesome :D
Or combined with Mirri The Cursed!! :D
Or this on a Darksteel Colossus, then drop a Wrath Of God, destroy all other creatures and get a +1/+1 for each of them on Darksteel, then smash the opponent dirrectly for a massive amount of hurting XD
Lord_Xelitoth
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.5/5.0)(4 votes)
toward a7141988 it is not that useful with persist as a +1/+1 counter does not remove a -1/-1 counter, you would have to use another card to remove them. for what you described you would be better off with dross scorpian, power conduit and making an artifact creature have persist, kill the persisting artifact creature with the "free-sac" you mentioned which untaps the power conduit due to the scorpian's effect, the persisting artifact creature comes back and its counter gets removed by the conduit and turned into a +1/+1 or charge counter. but Blade of the Bloodchief has almost no bonus with persist besides you can kill the creature twice rather then only once.
GoGo26
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Also good to equip on mycoloth, you'll get more and more saprolings!
With a jund deck (sacrifice your saprolings with your Scarland Thrinax), you will get an unending chain!
MadTheorist
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
this is actually a vampire equipment. you dont have to give it to oros to generate tokens with his damage!
a7141988
★★★★☆ (4.2/5.0)(6 votes)
Actually, the rules say this: 120.2. If a permanent has both a +1/+1 counter and a -1/-1 counter on it, N +1/+1 and N -1/-1 counters are removed from it as a state-based action, where N is the smaller of the number of +1/+1 and -1/-1 counters on it. See rule 704. See this website for proof: http://www.wizards.com/magic/comprules/MagicCompRules_20091005.txt This came directly from magicthegathering.com
Edit: Scratch that last statement. I have found that you do not need a Doubling Season and a Blade to work, just one or the other. KCI is a must 'tho.
selamaleth
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
blade + khalni garden = infinite giggles, free dude for the win, 10/11 at that (turn 7)
PEVE_O
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Novablast wurm
LordCapulet
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I feel this is a greatly underestimated card. In Vampire tribal it's easy to make something huge with all the removal at your disposal, not to mention kamikaze/sacrificial Bloodghasts that just come back. I feel this and Nocturnus are the key to making your vampires big quickly.
Sironos
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Definitely want this for my vampire deck, with butcher of malakir and Anowon and possibly vampire aristocrat combined with all of the instant kill black cards, there will be enough being put into the graveyard to quickly pump up whichever creature has this euipped.
MagicSteve1987
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Used this in my Black/Red Vampires with Pyroclasm, Lightning Bolt and Terminate. It's funny to watch your opponent's Spawn tokens and creatures get burned and fuel a Bloodghast to a 20/19.
It was funny to watch my opponent feed his chump blockers to my Vampire and when when he ran out, my Bloodghast ate him
Vedalken_Arbiter
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Good with Arcbound cards too.
persecutor
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Great in Vamp death decks
Talon06
★★★☆☆ (3.5/5.0)(2 votes)
I have 1 of these bad a** blades in each of my vampire decks. These are hands down one of the best equipments ever. My decks are both vintage set up, but can easily be made legacy legal if need be. Putting the Blade of the Bloodchief on the Baron Sengir: PRICELESS!!!!!!
catowner
★☆☆☆☆ (1.0/5.0)(3 votes)
this is not so much good for vampires as monoblack control, because they have more removal
Gaussgoat
★★☆☆☆ (2.8/5.0)(2 votes)
This card works really well on virtually the entire Vampire tribe, but is particularly devastating on anything with evasion.
Has some nice synergy with Anowon, the Ruin Sage since he decimates opposing creatures and needs protection to get out of Bolt range.
P.S. I also run Lifeline. Things can get out of hand.
EvilCleavage
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(1 vote)
Dude this card would be wicked on Deathbringer thoctar! Two counters every time a creature dies?? Wow that would make that card amazing! And it's already good, jsut a little slow!
Ragamander
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(1 vote)
Works well on Pawn of Ulamog in conjunction with Eldrazi Spawn generators.
Kelrath
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(1 vote)
I played against this in a vampire deck. That was enough to learn that {2} is a ridiculous cost for this thing.
ninjaboy05
★★★☆☆ (3.0/5.0)(2 votes)
Drop one of these on a Goblin Sharpshooter along with a Basilisk Collar. And watch the chaos ensue.
CH1L1KaB00M
★★★★☆ (4.5/5.0)(2 votes)
I kinda barely started playing but I found using it with Bloodthrone Vampire and Reassembling Skeleton works pretty well for me.
VegaSecureA
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(3 votes)
@darkfury
Lol. Thats narrowminded of you. Vampires can be just as rampaging and mass-murdering as any other. Most are humans anyway wether they proceed with guile or outright slaughter that penchant is there, its simply mulitplied by their unatural powers. Thank you WTC for keeping an open mind ;)
MindAblaze
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
@CH1L1KaB00M
w/Sarkhan the Mad, act of Treason and Bazaar Trader? Mean creature control from red/black Whoo!
C-Lion
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(1 vote)
I was playing in a free-for all against elves & goblins the other day. Each a half dozen creatures, and neither seemed concerned with my two little 1/1 Viscera Seers (each equipped with a blade). All six goblins attacked the green player, who blocked with all six elves, which happened to result in the mutual destruction of both armies. On my next turn, I calmly hit each of them for 25.
Deepfried-Owls
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(1 vote)
Jeebus Kriste.
My friend has been making an infect deck with this for standard. Just an absolute pain; he runs Flensermite/Imp thing and Bonehoard with this blade and just... ew. The sacrifice mechanic on the imp is 100x more evil than Vampire Aristocrat.
And Bonehoard is Bonehoard. A pain.
He could make it even more painful with something like Grave Pact or Innocent Blood but then it wouldn't be clear for standard.
(I think it'll have trouble against bouncing and artifact removal, decks I don't run)
o n o"
AssKickingBoots
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(1 vote)
This needs to be a 5/5. At one colorless mana to play and another 1 to equip, it's easily worth the effect in even most non-vampire decks.
looooll, i just completey ravished my brother with my vampire deck i equipped 2 blades to my nighthawk, nd in a couple turn became a 13/14;DeathTouch-LifeLink ....
if someone wouldnt mind please help me: There IS a difference between 'you may' and 'put", right? As in , let's say i tap three mana to play a gatekeeper of malakir and kick it ..but since it reads in fine magic smellin( u know wat i mean) print ' If this sexy card was kicked you MAY have target player sacrifice a creature' whereas my blade says when a creature goes to grvyd from btfld PUT +1/+1 counter...so if i forget nd remember if still gets them.....
igniteice
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
@afellowgatherer Vampire Nighthawk really is the ideal candidate for this. All of its static abilities help support Blood of the Bloodchief. Play this in a multiplayer game and watch the counters stack up. Flying helps you get in there for damage. Deathtouch helps dissuade opponents from blocking, but the counters pressure it to be blocked. Lifelink gives you a return for your value whether it's blocked or not.
tantallum99
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
cheap to play and equip. pump a vamp by a few, and move it to the next one.
Darkvayne
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Totally awesome card, in my opinion, no vampire deck should go without it.
Hook this baby up to Falkenrath Torturer and you got yourself some awsomeness.
Totema
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Teehee, I love this in my Vampire tribal alongside cards like Volt Charge and Grim Affliction. One of my favorite plays I've done with this involved having two chumps out, with this attached to one of them. Then volt charge the other one to give my attached creature 3 counters. It's a lot of fun when you use it creatively.
JimmyNoobPlayer
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
@avrahamitz: Yes, you have a choice when the card says, "may". That means two things: you can decide not to do it, and you can forget to do it.
If you kick your Gatekeeper and your opponent Unsummons his only creature, you aren't forced to kill your own.
There is a time you wouldn't want to activate the Blade's ability: If your opponent uses Traitorous Blood and you know he has a bunch of Flings. (You will still own the Blade, but you won't be able to unequip it from the creature that he now owns.) He could ping a bunch of creatures to beef it up even more, and you won't be able to stop him. I'm pretty sure that's right, someone correct me if not.
Admiral_Ferret
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I've lost to this card so many times... T-T 5/5
Mattisamo
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
This + now http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=240196 3 counters per sacced creature, 2 counters per each normal death, feels like it will boost up rather quick.
How does it work when creature equipped with the Blade of the Bloodchief is blocked by two creatures? For example 4/4 is blocked by two 2/2:
4/4 deals 2 damage to the first 2/2... and now... the 2/2 dies, therefore the Blade of the Bloodchief triggers, the 4/4 become 5/5 before second part of damage is dealt do the other 2/2?
Or the counters are assigned after combat is finished?
NARFNra
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Markov Blademasters are somewhat more ominous when they're getting +2/+2 even without attacking.
It seems incredibly overpowered until you realize that if your creature dies, the counters disappear (they don't stay on the blade like they do with banshee's blade). Still very good.
Comments (64)
It does this in an elegant mannor.
It says 'I'm vampire equipment, but give me to someone else and I'll work for you'
It seems flavourful, and I like the taste.
this will be an awesome card in vampire tribal, there is no doubt there, it helps that black has a good amount of kill spells like doomblade and hideous end
while is shines in vampire tribal, you can use it anywhere, and a devour deck will love it because of the number of sacrafices it make
i don't like zandikar that much, i think its broken,
but other than that i do really like the flavor of lots of the cards in the block so far
Or combined with Mirri The Cursed!! :D
Or this on a Darksteel Colossus, then drop a Wrath Of God, destroy all other creatures and get a +1/+1 for each of them on Darksteel, then smash the opponent dirrectly for a massive amount of hurting XD
it is not that useful with persist as a +1/+1 counter does not remove a -1/-1 counter, you would have to use another card to remove them. for what you described you would be better off with dross scorpian, power conduit and making an artifact creature have persist, kill the persisting artifact creature with the "free-sac" you mentioned which untaps the power conduit due to the scorpian's effect, the persisting artifact creature comes back and its counter gets removed by the conduit and turned into a +1/+1 or charge counter. but Blade of the Bloodchief has almost no bonus with persist besides you can kill the creature twice rather then only once.
With a jund deck (sacrifice your saprolings with your Scarland Thrinax), you will get an unending chain!
120.2. If a permanent has both a +1/+1 counter and a -1/-1 counter on it, N +1/+1 and N -1/-1 counters are removed from it as a state-based action, where N is the smaller of the number of +1/+1 and -1/-1 counters on it. See rule 704.
See this website for proof: http://www.wizards.com/magic/comprules/MagicCompRules_20091005.txt
This came directly from magicthegathering.com
Edit: Scratch that last statement. I have found that you do not need a Doubling Season and a Blade to work, just one or the other. KCI is a must 'tho.
It was funny to watch my opponent feed his chump blockers to my Vampire and when when he ran out, my Bloodghast ate him
Has some nice synergy with Anowon, the Ruin Sage since he decimates opposing creatures and needs protection to get out of Bolt range.
Probably most commonly seen on Malakir Bloodwitch.
4/5
P.S. I also run Lifeline. Things can get out of hand.
Lol. Thats narrowminded of you. Vampires can be just as rampaging and mass-murdering as any other. Most are humans anyway wether they proceed with guile or outright slaughter that penchant is there, its simply mulitplied by their unatural powers. Thank you WTC for keeping an open mind ;)
w/Sarkhan the Mad, act of Treason and Bazaar Trader? Mean creature control from red/black Whoo!
My friend has been making an infect deck with this for standard. Just an absolute pain; he runs Flensermite/Imp thing and Bonehoard with this blade and just... ew. The sacrifice mechanic on the imp is 100x more evil than Vampire Aristocrat.
And Bonehoard is Bonehoard. A pain.
He could make it even more painful with something like Grave Pact or Innocent Blood but then it wouldn't be clear for standard.
(I think it'll have trouble against bouncing and artifact removal, decks I don't run)
o n o"
I'm getting ready to throw a few of these in a red/white/black deck built around Varchild's War-Riders, Goblin Sharpshooter, and Suture Priest. Blood Seeker is a perfect candidate to equip this to, but even then I wouldn't feel bad if I were forced to put it on a Soul Warden in a pinch.
Spikeshot Elder
Works well with these, among others I'm sure.
if someone wouldnt mind please help me:
There IS a difference between 'you may' and 'put", right? As in , let's say i tap three mana to play a gatekeeper of malakir and kick it ..but since it reads in fine magic smellin( u know wat i mean) print ' If this sexy card was kicked you MAY have target player sacrifice a creature' whereas my blade says when a creature goes to grvyd from btfld PUT +1/+1 counter...so if i forget nd remember if still gets them.....
Vampire Nighthawk really is the ideal candidate for this. All of its static abilities help support Blood of the Bloodchief. Play this in a multiplayer game and watch the counters stack up. Flying helps you get in there for damage. Deathtouch helps dissuade opponents from blocking, but the counters pressure it to be blocked. Lifelink gives you a return for your value whether it's blocked or not.
Triskelion with some sac effects and token generators...
If you kick your Gatekeeper and your opponent Unsummons his only creature, you aren't forced to kill your own.
There is a time you wouldn't want to activate the Blade's ability: If your opponent uses Traitorous Blood and you know he has a bunch of Flings. (You will still own the Blade, but you won't be able to unequip it from the creature that he now owns.) He could ping a bunch of creatures to beef it up even more, and you won't be able to stop him. I'm pretty sure that's right, someone correct me if not.
5/5
3 counters per sacced creature, 2 counters per each normal death, feels like it will boost up rather quick.
4/4 deals 2 damage to the first 2/2... and now... the 2/2 dies, therefore the Blade of the Bloodchief triggers, the 4/4 become 5/5 before second part of damage is dealt do the other 2/2?
Or the counters are assigned after combat is finished?
It seems incredibly overpowered until you realize that if your creature dies, the counters disappear (they don't stay on the blade like they do with banshee's blade). Still very good.