I just don't get it. Vampire deck is not even a tier 1 deck anymore yet wizards destroy it by replacing nocturnus with this loser.
U-caster
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.8/5.0)(2 votes)
...Is that carlisle?
Htoth3izzO
★★☆☆☆ (2.1/5.0)(5 votes)
WTF what a useless second ability! noccy i will miss you..
VirtueVsVice
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.5/5.0)(2 votes)
This and Nocturnus make black weenies somewhat viable.
wolfclan14
★★☆☆☆ (2.9/5.0)(7 votes)
I think all of you even involving Twilight with Magic: the Gathering should burn.
I'll admit, not the greatest second ability, still very good.
There is nothing wrong with Vampires, Eldrazi are usually worse.
Faust-The-Desolate
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.5/5.0)(1 vote)
Crud Art but a mind control?, vampires are already ridiculous
xTheGreyFox
★★☆☆☆ (2.3/5.0)(5 votes)
Fail ARTWORK
Wraique
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.5/5.0)(1 vote)
If I pull one of these at prerelease imma be sad.
If I pull 4 and a bunch of vampires, then yay!
Azazyel
★★★☆☆ (3.3/5.0)(16 votes)
Absolutely terrible art. When you think "Captivating Vampire", the first thing that comes to mind is a beautiful vampire lady, a seductress. On the more masculine side of things, you think of a vampire along the lines of Sorin Markov, charming and aristocratic. The art on this card is neither of those things - it looks Severus fuckdamn Snape crossed with an emo kid who hasn't washed his hair in months.
Just awful. I wouldn't play this outside of a draft/sealed where for some reason I ended up with this guy and a bunch of vamps and nothing else useful.
TheStud
★★☆☆☆ (2.6/5.0)(9 votes)
Not even close to a replacement for Vampire Nocturnus. Vampires really didn't get anything useful in M11 and this guy is just adding insult to injury. Oh, and the art is god-awful too.
roqbthepirate
★☆☆☆☆ (1.0/5.0)(2 votes)
Nocturnus is mythic, Captivating Vampire is just a lord with a throw on ability... It isn't that bad just not amazing. Just another card for casual vamp decks. Its just nice to see wizards supporting a black creature type that doesn't totally suck.
Zulp
★☆☆☆☆ (1.9/5.0)(10 votes)
I hate to see Wizards throw away the zombies we all know and love in exchange for these bloodsucking fruitcakes.
Demonic_Angel13
★☆☆☆☆ (1.0/5.0)(1 vote)
Take an Eldrazi and make it a vampire. Your oppoment will cry if your playing extended with Nocturnus.
Sir_Kaeru
★☆☆☆☆ (1.5/5.0)(5 votes)
now this is what i call a vampire, unlke those tribals with body paint and dreadlocks from zendikar. although i will admit, zendikar vampires make pretty good decks
Eric1618
★★☆☆☆ (2.8/5.0)(10 votes)
1. I like the art.
2. You guys are looking at this card in completely the wrong way. You can't just shove this guy into your old vampire decks in place of vampire nocturnus. Nocturnus is aggro. This is a card for a form of mono black control. If you reevalute your stupid aggro vampires and try some new cards (maybe guul draz assassin?) I really think this card could actually be good.
The strengths of it's ability lies in the fact that a lot of current decks rely heavily on tricking out an emrakrul or an iona. Or even just playing a baneslayer. With him in play, you can beatdown with your vampires, same as always, and actually have a good answer for giant, game winning creature cards that are otherwise immune to your kill spells.
Catmurderer
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.8/5.0)(2 votes)
Odd thought... you can turn your own creatures into Vampires with this guy. Possibly helpful with Triskelion/Blade of the Bloodchief?
lorendorky
★★☆☆☆ (2.0/5.0)(6 votes)
This is Jared Leto. FAIL.
Kryptnyt
★★☆☆☆ (2.3/5.0)(10 votes)
Vampires are to Wizards as the Wii is for Nintendo. Wizards wants fat girls to play more magic.
pushbuttonmagic
★★☆☆☆ (2.8/5.0)(10 votes)
Agreed on the bad emo art. A kid offered to throw a foil of this into a trade today, I didn't want it, my other vampires don't like him.
I wish i could make a deck with... oh wait! I actually have both of these cards!
kilovortex
★☆☆☆☆ (1.6/5.0)(5 votes)
This by far is an appauling replacement for nocturnus. I was really hoping for vampire nocturnus to return or a vampire of equal worth. Looks like vamp deck goes up for sale.
IshubarashI
★★★☆☆ (3.1/5.0)(19 votes)
Man, vampires used to be so awesome, I loved (and feared) vampires as a child, and when I started MTG and saw they had vampire cards I instantly knew I wanted a vampire deck. Twilight has ruined the thing I cherished most and now I have to nurse my pride every time someone as^sociates my vampires with that sparkling gayness ;-;
OutlawD1
★★★☆☆ (3.0/5.0)(12 votes)
This is probably the ghayest vampire art yet. Seriously An emo vampire will captivate all pre-teen twilight fangirls I guess.
Please change the art for this in the next set. Post haste
Temple_Garden
★★☆☆☆ (2.8/5.0)(5 votes)
Since when were vampires effeminate, gay British musicians from the 80s? This card art stinks. Way to make vampires lame.
MDStrawHat
★★★☆☆ (3.1/5.0)(18 votes)
Ironic. When a couple look at new house the man cares about the practicalities and the woman concerns herself about how the wallpaper looks. Just seems to me like he has good abilities but someone ranted about the art early on and everyone's been jumping on the band wagon ever since.
BilliamQ
★☆☆☆☆ (1.3/5.0)(3 votes)
I'm pretty sure everyone griping about the art here is taking it the wrong way... I don't think Wizards is pandering to the Twilight crowd, I think they're taking a shot at them. Yeah, he's a gay emo looking vampire, but so is Edward Cullen, and for some reason, millions of girls are captivated by him too. The art, the name, and the ability are satirical. And in all honesty, that's a pretty cool ability. Maybe not useful for the 5 turn death race of standard, but as a casual player, I love nifty things like this.
Revelation666
★★★☆☆ (3.4/5.0)(5 votes)
Hahaha, I thought to myself when I saw the visual spoiler for this card that I wouldn't even play it because of the art, yeah it's that bad. Not only that, It's just not that impressive, the 3 drop spot in your vampire deck should already be taken by Vampire Nighthawk and/or Gatekeeper of Malakir. On the bright side, at least a casual player like myself can pick up a Vampire Nocturnus or two now.
MasterOfEtherium
★★☆☆☆ (2.8/5.0)(2 votes)
This Art Is Horrible And His(Her) Second Ability Is Garbage 5? FIVE ? Thats Alot Man Day Of Judgement Aint Lettin That Happen Plus Vamps Are Aggro Not Control This Guy Is A Total Fruitcake. Thumbs Up If You Love Nocturnus I Guess
Zoah
★★☆☆☆ (2.0/5.0)(1 vote)
I love this card... Why, because of all your reactions to it. "and now I have to nurse my pride every time someone as^sociates my vampires with that sparkling gayness" and "it looks Severus fuckdamn Snape crossed with an emo kid who hasn't washed his hair in months."
and the best part: you're right! That is vile card art. (sad that it's also a useful looking card, ain't it always that way)
I hope they reprint this card though (With alternate art, no sparkles allowed)
artemoila
★★☆☆☆ (2.0/5.0)(1 vote)
This thing is anything BUT captivating... It's Bill's cousin who got cut from true blood. gross
kitsunewarlock
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.5/5.0)(1 vote)
You know, before Twilight there were other "sexy" male vampires in movies and even non-movie/book fiction...
The art for this card isn't that bad. At least he has a shirt and you can see his pupils...unlike half the female-creatures made in the last block. (Sorry, the recent influx of women without pupils is creepy.)
Jonnythekid107
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.5/5.0)(2 votes)
The only bad thing about this card is that you can really only run it in a vampire mono black... not even zombie and vampires. Nope. Just mostly vampires with a Grave Titan or two. So five vampires seems a little much. Had it been three, this card would be much better.
powerdude
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.5/5.0)(1 vote)
he's indiana jones plus michael jackson plus emo elvis clothing
Kloid
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.5/5.0)(1 vote)
why we need to tap FIVE vampires?.. if i have FIVE!! vampires in my control, why i need to tap then? i'll say "KILL HIM" not "bring him here"..
BantCaptain
★☆☆☆☆ (1.0/5.0)(1 vote)
The second ability will probably hardly ever happen, but the lord ability is great. The artwork is terrible though.
Malnourished_Student
★☆☆☆☆ (1.0/5.0)(3 votes)
I love this card... I honestly don't think I could care less about peoples opinions regarding art quality and tournament playability. For a casual vampire deck... and as an easy turn 3 drop, I'd be very happy with the outcome. I get to boost my existing and future vampires, and on the off chance I get 5 on the board, then the game just got a whole lot more interesting.
Just take it as it is; a fun, characterful card.
Dr.Pingas
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.5/5.0)(1 vote)
Comparing this to Nocturnus would be like comparing Raksha to Jareth. They're the same creature type, woo? I don't get it. This card seems really amusing though, but I can see it very easily being broken; tap X dudes: do a thing abilities are always scary things in my experience, regardless of how many guys you have to tap(I HATE nullmage)
Teakon
★☆☆☆☆ (1.0/5.0)(1 vote)
Unlike almost all of you I do not judge a card by its art work. The aspect has NO effect on the game.
It's a really great card for either standard or extended.
3 drop for a 2/2 that gives +1/+1 to all your vamps? That's a good thing. The last ability seems tricky but if people haven't noticed the extremely cheap vamps you can use for this? Not only that but you can target your OWN creature. Control doesn't change but the creature is now a freaking VAMPIRE! Grave Titan can easily become a VAMPIRE.
ALSO none of you have seemed to notice this freak can TAKE ANY ELDRAZI!? INCLUDING EMRAKUL!
Diachronos
★★☆☆☆ (2.1/5.0)(4 votes)
@sarroth: Yes, because comparing a Rare to a Mythic makes so much sense.
I can see Captivating Vampire becoming a key component to many Vampire decks. You can steal creatures, and at the same time you're getting more Vampires to: let you steal MORE creatures, fuel spells like Blood Tribute, enhance the effects of Malakir Bloodwitch, More creatures to benefit from Vampire Nocturnus...
Heck, I'd be surprised to find a Vampire player who doesn't want four of these guys.
bobjunior
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.5/5.0)(1 vote)
Sweet, a emo vamp that puts a little bit of dead into anyone, with a little help from his friends.
sarroth
★★★★☆ (4.4/5.0)(11 votes)
I wonder how this card would have rated if it didn't have Vampire Nocturnus to live up to. I like this card; no, it's no Nocturnus, but sometimes players like rare cards that are under $5 instead of $15+ Mythics. He'll have a place in many more budget-friendly Vampire decks. And again, I wonder what people would say about him other than "Not a good repalcement for Nocturnus."
@Diacrhonos: I will explain better. I love this card. 5/5. I only wonder how he would compare without Nocturnus around because the first half a dozen comments I read about this card said he sucked because of Nocturnus and ranted at Wizards for not reprinting the aforementioned Mythic Rare. I love him regardless of Nocturnus; I'd never play an expensive mythic rare anyway. Over $10 is beyond my desire to pay for a single card.
n00bmag1
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.5/5.0)(1 vote)
Watch out! He's going to take you to a midnight screening of Eclipse....'O'
Whoever asked, yes he can Vamp your own creatures.
BaneSlayerKirby
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.5/5.0)(2 votes)
He doesn't look very captivating at all... He is just a guy... that is just standing there. Anyway, a Captivating Vampire isn't a bad "bad guy" actually. Dio Brando is a captivating vampire and he is the best villian ever. But he also could shoot eye lasers, freeze things, freeze time, use steamrollers as a throwing weapon, etc.
Yozuk
★☆☆☆☆ (1.5/5.0)(2 votes)
nocturnus was a over powered card and costs some where around $20 - $30 to get if you were not lucky enough to find one in a pack. At least with this guy he is allot cheaper price wise, unconditionally buffs vampires, and has an ability to steal creatures AND make them vampires?!?!? Mind Control takes 5 mana to do that and if its destroyed you lose control of the creature, and it doesn't turn them into vampires. For black, creatures usually have to be dead in order to take control of them. I personally love to take my opponents cards while playing and smack them in the face with there own spell or card. Its allot more fun then going "Derp... OP aresomennersssss! I pewned Yerp Sorrys Buttt with mies net deck. Cuzz I so guud I can copys other peps decks..." Personally I wish they made a lord like this for the merfolk. I loved the tap 5 untapped (creature type) you control do something awesome ability back in onslaught. I only wish it didn't only belong to the vampires in the new set....
benegade
★☆☆☆☆ (1.1/5.0)(4 votes)
I run 4. If you have 5 vampires out (should be fairly easy) and your opponent has no removal for ONE TURN, it's usually game. If you have two or three captivators out, not only are you stealing their creature, you're pumping them up significantly. Also, you can use his ability the turn he comes out as long as you have 5 other vamps.
I used to hate the art as well, but when I started beating people with this guy, he captivated even me.
Spoonsire
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.5/5.0)(2 votes)
@BaneSlayerKirby
I'd like to see Dio play a game of MTG... "Za warudo, gg guys."
Beefy77
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.5/5.0)(2 votes)
ok so I wont dis agree that the art is lacking. and that anything to do with those horrid movies/books that i wont even utter the name of should be burned publicly... but to all those complaining about this card id love to put ya up against my vampire deck running four of these a few anawon's and a mess of destroy creatures and a army of cheap vampires what u can keep alive ill steal or make you sac.
achilleselbow
★★☆☆☆ (2.7/5.0)(5 votes)
Without something that makes Vampire tokens (which as far as I know doesn't exist), you are never going to be able to use that last ability, and if you ever do have 5 vampires out, you should have already won.
stevieg91rules
★★★☆☆ (3.6/5.0)(7 votes)
honestly, you all are focused to much on what the card looks like and not what it can do. I run four in my vampire deck. all you have to do is run a bunch of weenies like pulse tracker and gruul draz vampire and the lacerator, and then turn three play the captivating it makes them stronger and anything they play that makes a big threat take it, i beat my friends white weenie deck all the time with this. because he will play baneslayer and i'll be like ok cool now i get a 5/5 angel vampire hybrid badass turn ur opponents strongest creatures against them. its a lot faster and more useful the the roil elemental. im just saying.
Paleopaladin
★★★☆☆ (3.8/5.0)(24 votes)
Wow...what great art...oh wait, I'm NOT a fourteen-year-old girl! FAIL!
***
I said on Barony Vampire's comments that these two cards need to swap art. Her looks and her stance make her look sort of coy and flirty, but in a cold, vampiric way (how you'd imagine a "Captivating Vampire").
THIS dude, on the other hand, fits Barony Vampire's flavor text remarkably well. His whole mien exudes the "creepy, bad-touch predator" thing that BV's text seems to imply. I'd definitely not let this guy within 1000 feet of an elementary school.
HuntedWumpusMustDie
★★★☆☆ (3.2/5.0)(5 votes)
You complain about the art now, but you'll REALLY be complaining when his captivating good looks seduce your baneslayer angel to the dark side!
Wolcorpse33
★★☆☆☆ (2.9/5.0)(7 votes)
This plus a kalitas, bloodchief of ghet FTW!!! Don't wine about the art, just shut up, Shut up. THis is a damn good card if your smart enough to use it. Look at what it does not what it looks like.
Gezus82
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.5/5.0)(1 vote)
Contrary to popular belief this guy is pretty good, I like a couple of these in my vamp deck letting me swing for 14 on turn 4 instead of 12 and not giving my opponent a turn to find an answer for nocturnus.
and as to his ability, he's a permanent so he can take emrakul
and screw twilight, we have another pop culture reference to vamps that I much prefer: True Blood, let the true vamps rip out their sparkly spines.
SereneChaos
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I am actually gonna stray from the pack here and say that I like this art, and I'm not a Twilight fan, or a girl. It's just well drawn, and captures the flavor. What else is art supposed to be?
As for the card....you guys that are complaining about having 5 vamps out aren't doing something right. He has never, EVER hit the table for me in Standard, and not taken somebody's creatures, usually right then (and yes, he can do it right then. Read the rulings.). In fact, I actually took somebody's Captivating Vampire once. That was funny. And game.
I actually took out 2 Nocturni so I could bump my count to 3. Fixed my mana curve a lot (I also made room for some Duress at the same time), gave me much more stability (I lost too many games topdecking lands with VN), and put me in a great position for Scars ( the other 2 Nocturni are my only rotating cards).
BiOhyBr
★★★★☆ (4.5/5.0)(40 votes)
Hey kid, Ive got some popsicles in the back of my van.
thegatekeeper
★★☆☆☆ (2.8/5.0)(2 votes)
i have the ullitmate deck built around him behold total take over
Boday1
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
This card is FAR from as bad as many of you are making it out to be. First off, it's a vampire lord. My Nighthawks, Lacerators and Bloodghasts just got massive advantage. My Highborns, and Hexmages just got a lot harder to kill, as well as other Cap Vamps. AND at times, I actually have gotten of the creature steal ability. Sure, it's inferior to Nocturnus, but then again what isn't? 4.5/5
Kamidii
★★☆☆☆ (2.8/5.0)(2 votes)
This is my ideal captivating vampire:
Captivating vampire
Sparkle (When tis creatures enter the battlefield, all creatures get +1/+1 until end of turn.
wxnbvq1
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
*** gay
Hollowing
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Its pretty sad that most of you are judging this card by its artwork and not what it actually does. He's a fantastic vampire; you just have to know how to play him and use him effectively. Let's start with the basics:
1. He comes out a turn sooner than Vampire Nocturnus.
2. He gives a guaranteed +1/+1 to all Vampires rather than having a 66% chance of giving +2/+1 and flying if you run a 33% land ratio, like most players do.
3. He has a Mind Control ability that you can use the turn he comes in or in response to attackers. It wouldn't make sense to tap out your vampires during your turn like that.
With the way my T2 vampire deck runs, he works awesomely with them. The highest cost creatures are him and Vampire Nighthawk, and on top of that there is green in the deck for mana vamp, meaning I can throw out a ton of vampires really fast, and if he isn't Pathed or removed by any other means, he can give all of them +1/+1, and if I need to, I can tap five of them to take control of some pesky little creature my foe has.
gwydion9
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
His special ability is devastating, but you've pretty much got to build your entire deck around him to use him. You'll need multiple copies of the card and probably several other vampires in your deck to get the most out of him, and then you'll need to find ways to protect him, because the second he comes out your opponent will be doing everything in their power to get rid of him.
bijart_dauth
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
i would try to use him in a changeling swarm. vampires are usually rather difficult to produce in large enough numbers to make this card use full, but with token generators and cards that give your creatures changeling, you could have like 20 vamps in one turn and just snap yourself some of your opposition. i wouldn't put him in a traditional vampire deck, but building a deck around him could be fun.
EDIT, i actually just did make a deck around him, BW based around stalling with cards like holy day wile i build up enough creatures and cast Shields of Velis Vel
but ya, the art is horrible
mrd8888
★★★☆☆ (3.4/5.0)(15 votes)
I'm a just kid that plays MTG, so this is the kind of artwork that scares me. Seriously, what's he about to do with that hand? I think I know, for one...
That being said, I find it to be a pretty good card (although, seeing that I'm a kid, and a very casual player, that probably doesn't mean nil). Also, stop comparing it to Vampire Nocturnus, because they are definitely not the same. Last I checked, one of them is a $17 mythic rare, while the other is a $2 rare that looks like some sort of child molester.
"Hey, kid. Would you like to come to my birthday party? Pants are optional." - This guy
Krycidal
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I HATE THIS ART@@!!
JaxsonBateman
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
The only traditional tribe that even competes in standard is elves (you could say 'goblins' can currently compete in SOM, but really, Kuldotha Rebirth, Goblin Guide and Goblin Bushwhacker doesn't constitute a tribal deck IMO). Vampires isn't competing right now. It was somewhat competitive before Shards rotated, but even then, it was second or third tier because it just didn't have the versatility or sheer power of other decks in the format.
In limited, he can actually be surprisingly good. In a day where I got an absolutely insane draft, the only game I dropped was to a black vamps deck - the guy opened this P1P1 and took as many vamps as possible after that. Considering I had insane removal in Pacifism, Quag Sickness, Condemn, Blinding Mage... and not to mention my all star team of Sun Titan and Royal Assassin... to actually lose a game says something. And I've heard too many stories about vamp tribal taking people by surprise to think it's just coincidence.
In the precons though it's pretty ridic - there's two ways to fish them out of the grave (Rise from the Grave and Nature's Spiral), and he combos nicely with Royal Assassin - just sit back with the assassin, build up your 4 vamps, then drop Captivating Vampire and start beating your opponent to death with their own creatures. Did I mention there are 2 DIabolic Tutor to find these awesome cards in the precon?
The only time in recent memory that I've lost with the black deck in precon v precon has been against the red deck when the opponent got a 2 Bolts, 2 Chandras Outrages teamed up with 2 Chandras Spitfires, and 2 Lava Axes. Not hard to do the 10 non-axe damage with those kinds of cards. ^^
Mata_Hari
★★☆☆☆ (2.8/5.0)(4 votes)
You morons are all missing the point of this guy's art.
Sironos
★★★☆☆ (3.0/5.0)(6 votes)
There is only one captivating vampire, and her name is Drana, she could seduce anyone to the dark side.
This one...
The art is obviously horrible (I think even girls would find this guy creepy), and his ability will rarely be usable in competitive play, and he cannot replace nocturnus (well duh, noc is a 15$ mythic, this is a 2$ rare), but 3 CMC for a 2/2 that gives all your other vamps +1/+1 is nice indeed, and this is what matters, the other factors are just not important. I'd still like to hear what went through the artist's head when he drew this though.
tonyf
★★☆☆☆ (2.8/5.0)(2 votes)
ive got this in my room foil
CeremonialBathory
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
@Paleopaladin - Maybe they switched the arts by accident. =x We can only hope it was a printing error.
broken-head
★★☆☆☆ (2.8/5.0)(2 votes)
I think he is very underestimated. In some regards, he is better than Nocturnus, or at least, more reliable. Great T2 card, that every present vampire deck should contain. 4.0 ....despite of his unattractive look
iSlapTrees
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I am gonna call him pete wentz! :)
God_Of_The_Smurfs
★☆☆☆☆ (1.8/5.0)(3 votes)
I honestly don't know why this guy is getting so much crap from everyone. He's cheap, a decent 2/2, buffs all your other vampires, and is great for breaking those akward mid-game draws that last forever. Just steal whatever's bothering you. And best of all, this guy is't $18 a pop!!! XD
Khultar
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
wut the hell? i dont find him to look gay, i think the art i think looks unique, and because its a ability states that he turns guys into vampires, it looks like hes showing you a way to become a vampire to get stronger
Lord_of_Omnipotence
★★★☆☆ (3.9/5.0)(4 votes)
who cares about the art? this is a solid card.
Ange-Gardien
★★★☆☆ (3.7/5.0)(11 votes)
I AM a girl, and the art is still a fail. How about a sexy guy? Think Frank Langella's portrayal of Dracula, not this teenage junk.
made4ipod
★★★☆☆ (3.6/5.0)(7 votes)
When will Eric Deschamps get over the fact that vampires do not sparkle and that Edward Cullen and all that other Twilight sh*t does not belong in Magic
Ninjakraken
★★☆☆☆ (2.2/5.0)(3 votes)
If an opponent says "sorry, im not gay, sacrifice captivating vampire" at the same time, he's one of my fav cards for his abilities
Richard_Hawk
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.5/5.0)(3 votes)
Type your comment here.
Staka
★☆☆☆☆ (1.8/5.0)(2 votes)
To do with his second ability, when you tap the five untapped vampires you control, do you get to untap them during your next untap phase and still get to control the target creature???
if someone can clear this up for me because i lost a game because my opponent would not let me untap the five vampires for as long as i controlled his creature.
babaker
★★★☆☆ (3.5/5.0)(3 votes)
Anyone else think he resembles Crispin Glover?
scumbling1
★★★☆☆ (3.0/5.0)(1 vote)
When he moved to Hollywood he had to go door to door to tell everyone he was a pederast.
EvilCartographer
★★★☆☆ (3.0/5.0)(2 votes)
Why is this card rated anything less than 4/5? Oh, yeah, because everyone decided that they hated it once they looked at the art and neglected to actually read the text.
Why is this worse than Nocturnus? -Really bad art -Less of a buff -No flying buff -Less Power/Toughness
Why is this better than Nocturnus? -It doesn't cost $15 a pop -Cheaper cmc -It doesn't NEED to be in a vamp deck -It doesn't NEED to be in a mono-black deck (not that you would run vamps in anything other than) -The +1 buff is ALWAYS on even in a mono-black (Swamps?)
You will almost never get his second ability to fire, but that shouldn't actually detract from the card. Would I run four of these before Nocturnus? Of course not. Would that stop me from running four of this if I didn't have Nocturnus? Also, of course not.
Axelle
★★★☆☆ (3.5/5.0)(3 votes)
@Lord_of_Omnipotence: Indeed.
With the child molester art, and people complaining about vampires in popular culture, and people complaining about his second ability which is just as inconsequential as Lionheart Maverick's second ability, and the unfavorable comparisons to Vampiure Nocturnus, this is one of the cards where its Gatherer rating does not do it justice. It's not even so overpowered in a way that deserves hate like Jace, the Mind Sculptor or Baneslayer Angel.
MyrBattlecube
★☆☆☆☆ (1.0/5.0)(1 vote)
Holy crap. Make a vampire that looks human and suddenly everyone's going off about "sparkles" and "Edward Cullen." The problem is that there's a distinct lack of sparkles on the card art here. I, for one, miss the charming charismatic vampires that seem to earn all the loathing today.
I blame Underworld.
drexlor0296
★★☆☆☆ (2.8/5.0)(2 votes)
OK, first on the art.... It's actually good. Yes it looks creepy and not as glorious as the other vampires, but that's the point.... He's a vampire that steals your creatures or child.... He suppose to look disturbed.
Now onto his second ability... You guys do realize it does not require him to tap to activate, right? And he can tap himself on the turn he's cast! And you can activate this as a response? In a weenie vampire deck, this is killer, even in Standard 2011, unless you're against RDW, you should have no problem pumping out 4 to 5 vampires by t4 before him, then you can start capturing on turn four. You should also include 4 Bloodghast for increased consistence for creature recursion, and also 8 sac. lands like Marsh Flats and Verdant Catacombs.
t1: 1 drop t2: 2 1 drops t3: Pump more weenies for numbers, or Gatekeeper, or Nighthawk t4: Pump another 1 drop if you can for redundancy, then cast Captivating Vampire, tap all 5 to gain control of your opponent's creature! Your opponent can't respond to this with removal (unless Mana Leak)
Well you people don't like this cards art, but think of it, its HIM (that E. Cullen look alike ) that captivates your over-the top-looking- creatures. I would't mind if he wore a pink bunny suit and had a flowerin his hand. 5/5
Drewsel
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
It's interesting how a comment on the internet can so drastically shift someones point of view. If someone had mentioned how great the art was early on, I'm sure everyone would have agreed. You may not have noticed the art before you read that comment, but your brain did, and I'm sure he liked it.
This guy in multiplayer casual? Watch the f u c k out.
Smithney
★★☆☆☆ (2.0/5.0)(1 vote)
If you think this guy is gay, then tell me what is Rakish Heir. You should also visit Olivia Voldaren's card site and then comment Captivating vamp's art. (Those who commented this art pre-Innistrad should see the cards too (at least Olivia), it is worth the LOLs.)
Aside from art, this guy leads your vamps to victory when nocturnus is not at home.
iwitch
★★☆☆☆ (2.0/5.0)(1 vote)
the art i would say is wholly inconsequential. he is a vampire lord that takes your opponents sh i t. whats better than that? i run 3 in a mono-black deck with 3 bloodline keepers and plenty o mana ramp and he is captivating the board as soon as he hits turn 3 every time.
luca_barelli
★★☆☆☆ (2.2/5.0)(3 votes)
Why are people going ballistic over the artwork? It's not even that bad! As for the card, it's a perfectly decent vampire lord with an interesting second ability.
4/5
j_mindfingerpainter
★★★☆☆ (3.6/5.0)(8 votes)
Sorry to write another comment like this, guys.
But aside from the fact that he could use about a dozen plastic surgeries, that's some bad hair. What is this, the 70s?
I kind of feel bad for Eric Deschamps. His artwork is usually awesome. He's not the one who came up with the idea of the art for this card. Blame WoTC. And Stephanie Meyer.
nunyaJs
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.8/5.0)(2 votes)
hehe lets see if this comment will reveal how long ive been away from MTG:
I saw: Tap five untapped Vampires you control: Gain control of target creature. It becomes a Vampire in addition to its other types.
i instantly Lol'd and and started counting how many vampires i knew of. i got to 6.
caldur06
★★★☆☆ (3.3/5.0)(5 votes)
Look, *I'm* gay, and the art on this card is too gay for me.
okay, also, hilarious story: so I'm playing Duels of the Planeswalkers 2012, and I got a nice deck going with the Eldrazi octopus girl. I go into multiplayer and face off against a Jace, another Octo-girl, and Sorin's vampire deck. We trade shots, etc, I race her mana out and Sorin plays this guy. I look at my hand, and realize I can cast Right of Replication for its kicker cost. I play it, instantly have 5 7/7s with flying and tap them all to take the original Captivating vampire. The other Octo-girl just flat left. Jace's turn came up, and then he left. Sorin's player looks at his hand, plays a Child of Night, then says "..." and leaves too.
Then I died to the AI that replaced them, as they all ganged up on me. Still, nothing could have ever made me respect this card more than that.
Apollo_8089
★★★☆☆ (3.5/5.0)(2 votes)
I'd actually suggest this is a fantastic card - there's plenty of cheap vampires out there that can be irritating to face (Blood Seeker, Pulse Tracker) and it combos perfectly with Quest for Renewal. Great fun in casual.
TheWrathofShane
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.5/5.0)(2 votes)
Waaaay better then I can draw, but it looks more like a human then any other vampire in magic.
Sasha_Grey
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.5/5.0)(2 votes)
Still not as gay as Twilight.
HERETICPRIME
★★★★☆ (4.0/5.0)(1 vote)
It has a decent cost, and a decent primary ability, that being the +1/+1 to all other vampires. The activated ability is pretty useless, and I can explain.
In order to start using the ability to steal your opponents' monsters you must first have four other vampires. If you have a deck worth it's salt, you would be attacking with those vampires and killing your opponent instead of wasting a turn to get one of his/her creatures.
And even though his constant effect is good, there are too many other great creature cards and artifact cards that can give bonuses, some in the form of permanent counters, to your vampires like Blade of the Bloodchief.
Plus the fact that it does not gain from it's own ability makes it Shock-bait, or prey to all the myriad two damage or -2 effects out there.
In short, this is one of those cards that you look at and say, "Hey cool! I'll pwn with this!" After you get it, you realize that it isn't very practical.
patronofthesound
★★★☆☆ (3.0/5.0)(1 vote)
This card is probably a little good as a lord. Id expect him to require six or seven a la lullmage mentor.
Salient
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.5/5.0)(1 vote)
Gotta feel sorry for the real-life guy who posed for this art.
kruggiero
★★★★☆ (4.0/5.0)(1 vote)
I see this as better than Vampire Nocturnus for any multi-color vampire decks, including Red / Black. I'd rather have always-on +1/+1 with chance to steal some creatures than +2/+1 & Flying 15%-25% of the time.
Razeil
★★★★☆ (4.2/5.0)(2 votes)
As far as face value goes this card is pretty good over all. Now to be honest I don't run him in my vampire deck (it depends on your build if he is better or not, black weenie might be better).
Now with that said I am creating a EDH vampire deck. IF this guy stays out there long enough to pull off his gain control of X creature. I'd say that is pretty awesome. And the fact the gain control will last until end of game/the creature is killed, exiled etc makes him worth a slot in my EDH deck.
Sure there is better but running singleton I am at least willing to give him a shot.
@ Lord_of_Omnipotence - Obviously there are some that DO CARE about the art work. I for one do. And even though my wife dose not play the game she LOVES to look at all of my cards when I get them just for that reason :)
Solid 4/5 imho
Layk
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
@HERETICPRIME
I don't think you quite understand the power of this card in tribal Vampire decks. First off, compare it to cards like Goblin King and Elvish Champion, it gives the same buff for the same cost except to your creatures alone, but also has an ability that is possible to utilize in every game, unlike mountainwalk or forestwalk.
Also, yes, you should be attacking with those creatures, but when that pesky unblockable creature or protection from black creature or etc comes around, and the game is close, his ability is a lifesaver, and with a Lord of Lineage out, activating that ability shouldn't be a problem.
jfre81
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I've had this stealing creatures without generating tokens on countless occasions. Every creature in the deck is a vampire and they're not expensive. Basically, I'm substituting creature elimination for cheap vampires and card draw to keep the hand fresh.
Lord_of_phyrexia
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(2 votes)
IT'S SNAPE!!
Arachnos
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
This guy looks suspiciously like he's part of the Cullen family.
Burningsickle
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
see, now there are loads of variations on Vampire Generals. Why can't I get just one of them in a booster pack?
Comments (107)
I'll admit, not the greatest second ability, still very good.
There is nothing wrong with Vampires, Eldrazi are usually worse.
If I pull 4 and a bunch of vampires, then yay!
Just awful. I wouldn't play this outside of a draft/sealed where for some reason I ended up with this guy and a bunch of vamps and nothing else useful.
2. You guys are looking at this card in completely the wrong way. You can't just shove this guy into your old vampire decks in place of vampire nocturnus. Nocturnus is aggro. This is a card for a form of mono black control. If you reevalute your stupid aggro vampires and try some new cards (maybe guul draz assassin?) I really think this card could actually be good.
The strengths of it's ability lies in the fact that a lot of current decks rely heavily on tricking out an emrakrul or an iona. Or even just playing a baneslayer. With him in play, you can beatdown with your vampires, same as always, and actually have a good answer for giant, game winning creature cards that are otherwise immune to your kill spells.
Wizards wants fat girls to play more magic.
I wish i could make a deck with... oh wait! I actually have both of these cards!
An emo vampire will captivate all pre-teen twilight fangirls I guess.
Please change the art for this in the next set. Post haste
and the best part: you're right! That is vile card art. (sad that it's also a useful looking card, ain't it always that way)
I hope they reprint this card though (With alternate art, no sparkles allowed)
The art for this card isn't that bad. At least he has a shirt and you can see his pupils...unlike half the female-creatures made in the last block. (Sorry, the recent influx of women without pupils is creepy.)
if i have FIVE!! vampires in my control, why i need to tap then? i'll say "KILL HIM" not "bring him here"..
Just take it as it is; a fun, characterful card.
It's a really great card for either standard or extended.
3 drop for a 2/2 that gives +1/+1 to all your vamps? That's a good thing. The last ability seems tricky but if people haven't noticed the extremely cheap vamps you can use for this? Not only that but you can target your OWN creature. Control doesn't change but the creature is now a freaking VAMPIRE! Grave Titan can easily become a VAMPIRE.
ALSO none of you have seemed to notice this freak can TAKE ANY ELDRAZI!?
INCLUDING EMRAKUL!
Yes, because comparing a Rare to a Mythic makes so much sense.
I can see Captivating Vampire becoming a key component to many Vampire decks. You can steal creatures, and at the same time you're getting more Vampires to: let you steal MORE creatures, fuel spells like Blood Tribute, enhance the effects of Malakir Bloodwitch, More creatures to benefit from Vampire Nocturnus...
Heck, I'd be surprised to find a Vampire player who doesn't want four of these guys.
@Diacrhonos: I will explain better. I love this card. 5/5. I only wonder how he would compare without Nocturnus around because the first half a dozen comments I read about this card said he sucked because of Nocturnus and ranted at Wizards for not reprinting the aforementioned Mythic Rare. I love him regardless of Nocturnus; I'd never play an expensive mythic rare anyway. Over $10 is beyond my desire to pay for a single card.
Whoever asked, yes he can Vamp your own creatures.
Anyway, a Captivating Vampire isn't a bad "bad guy" actually. Dio Brando is a captivating vampire and he is the best villian ever. But he also could shoot eye lasers, freeze things, freeze time, use steamrollers as a throwing weapon, etc.
I used to hate the art as well, but when I started beating people with this guy, he captivated even me.
I'd like to see Dio play a game of MTG...
"Za warudo, gg guys."
***
I said on Barony Vampire's comments that these two cards need to swap art. Her looks and her stance make her look sort of coy and flirty, but in a cold, vampiric way (how you'd imagine a "Captivating Vampire").
THIS dude, on the other hand, fits Barony Vampire's flavor text remarkably well. His whole mien exudes the "creepy, bad-touch predator" thing that BV's text seems to imply. I'd definitely not let this guy within 1000 feet of an elementary school.
and as to his ability, he's a permanent so he can take emrakul
and screw twilight, we have another pop culture reference to vamps that I much prefer: True Blood, let the true vamps rip out their sparkly spines.
As for the card....you guys that are complaining about having 5 vamps out aren't doing something right. He has never, EVER hit the table for me in Standard, and not taken somebody's creatures, usually right then (and yes, he can do it right then. Read the rulings.). In fact, I actually took somebody's Captivating Vampire once. That was funny. And game.
I actually took out 2 Nocturni so I could bump my count to 3. Fixed my mana curve a lot (I also made room for some Duress at the same time), gave me much more stability (I lost too many games topdecking lands with VN), and put me in a great position for Scars ( the other 2 Nocturni are my only rotating cards).
Captivating vampire
Sparkle (When tis creatures enter the battlefield, all creatures get +1/+1 until end of turn.
1. He comes out a turn sooner than Vampire Nocturnus.
2. He gives a guaranteed +1/+1 to all Vampires rather than having a 66% chance of giving +2/+1 and flying if you run a 33% land ratio, like most players do.
3. He has a Mind Control ability that you can use the turn he comes in or in response to attackers. It wouldn't make sense to tap out your vampires during your turn like that.
With the way my T2 vampire deck runs, he works awesomely with them. The highest cost creatures are him and Vampire Nighthawk, and on top of that there is green in the deck for mana vamp, meaning I can throw out a ton of vampires really fast, and if he isn't Pathed or removed by any other means, he can give all of them +1/+1, and if I need to, I can tap five of them to take control of some pesky little creature my foe has.
EDIT, i actually just did make a deck around him, BW based around stalling with cards like holy day wile i build up enough creatures and cast Shields of Velis Vel
but ya, the art is horrible
That being said, I find it to be a pretty good card (although, seeing that I'm a kid, and a very casual player, that probably doesn't mean nil). Also, stop comparing it to Vampire Nocturnus, because they are definitely not the same. Last I checked, one of them is a $17 mythic rare, while the other is a $2 rare that looks like some sort of child molester.
"Hey, kid. Would you like to come to my birthday party? Pants are optional."
- This guy
In limited, he can actually be surprisingly good. In a day where I got an absolutely insane draft, the only game I dropped was to a black vamps deck - the guy opened this P1P1 and took as many vamps as possible after that. Considering I had insane removal in Pacifism, Quag Sickness, Condemn, Blinding Mage... and not to mention my all star team of Sun Titan and Royal Assassin... to actually lose a game says something. And I've heard too many stories about vamp tribal taking people by surprise to think it's just coincidence.
In the precons though it's pretty ridic - there's two ways to fish them out of the grave (Rise from the Grave and Nature's Spiral), and he combos nicely with Royal Assassin - just sit back with the assassin, build up your 4 vamps, then drop Captivating Vampire and start beating your opponent to death with their own creatures. Did I mention there are 2 DIabolic Tutor to find these awesome cards in the precon?
The only time in recent memory that I've lost with the black deck in precon v precon has been against the red deck when the opponent got a 2 Bolts, 2 Chandras Outrages teamed up with 2 Chandras Spitfires, and 2 Lava Axes. Not hard to do the 10 non-axe damage with those kinds of cards. ^^
This one...
The art is obviously horrible (I think even girls would find this guy creepy), and his ability will rarely be usable in competitive play, and he cannot replace nocturnus (well duh, noc is a 15$ mythic, this is a 2$ rare), but 3 CMC for a 2/2 that gives all your other vamps +1/+1 is nice indeed, and this is what matters, the other factors are just not important. I'd still like to hear what went through the artist's head when he drew this though.
at the same time, he's one of my fav cards for his abilities
if someone can clear this up for me because i lost a game because my opponent would not let me untap the five vampires for as long as i controlled his creature.
Oh, yeah, because everyone decided that they hated it once they looked at the art and neglected to actually read the text.
Why is this worse than Nocturnus?
-Really bad art
-Less of a buff
-No flying buff
-Less Power/Toughness
Why is this better than Nocturnus?
-It doesn't cost $15 a pop
-Cheaper cmc
-It doesn't NEED to be in a vamp deck
-It doesn't NEED to be in a mono-black deck (not that you would run vamps in anything other than)
-The +1 buff is ALWAYS on even in a mono-black (Swamps?)
You will almost never get his second ability to fire, but that shouldn't actually detract from the card. Would I run four of these before Nocturnus? Of course not. Would that stop me from running four of this if I didn't have Nocturnus? Also, of course not.
With the child molester art, and people complaining about vampires in popular culture, and people complaining about his second ability which is just as inconsequential as Lionheart Maverick's second ability, and the unfavorable comparisons to Vampiure Nocturnus, this is one of the cards where its Gatherer rating does not do it justice. It's not even so overpowered in a way that deserves hate like Jace, the Mind Sculptor or Baneslayer Angel.
I blame Underworld.
Now onto his second ability... You guys do realize it does not require him to tap to activate, right? And he can tap himself on the turn he's cast! And you can activate this as a response? In a weenie vampire deck, this is killer, even in Standard 2011, unless you're against RDW, you should have no problem pumping out 4 to 5 vampires by t4 before him, then you can start capturing on turn four. You should also include 4 Bloodghast for increased consistence for creature recursion, and also 8 sac. lands like Marsh Flats and Verdant Catacombs.
t1: 1 drop
t2: 2 1 drops
t3: Pump more weenies for numbers, or Gatekeeper, or Nighthawk
t4: Pump another 1 drop if you can for redundancy, then cast Captivating Vampire, tap all 5 to gain control of your opponent's creature! Your opponent can't respond to this with removal (unless Mana Leak)
In legacy, with Dark Ritual or Lotus Petal, you can get this combo out starting on t2!
I give this card 4.5.
This guy in multiplayer casual? Watch the f u c k out.
Aside from art, this guy leads your vamps to victory when nocturnus is not at home.
4/5
But aside from the fact that he could use about a dozen plastic surgeries, that's some bad hair. What is this, the 70s?
I kind of feel bad for Eric Deschamps. His artwork is usually awesome. He's not the one who came up with the idea of the art for this card. Blame WoTC. And Stephanie Meyer.
I saw: Tap five untapped Vampires you control: Gain control of target creature. It becomes a Vampire in addition to its other types.
i instantly Lol'd and and started counting how many vampires i knew of. i got to 6.
okay, also, hilarious story: so I'm playing Duels of the Planeswalkers 2012, and I got a nice deck going with the Eldrazi octopus girl. I go into multiplayer and face off against a Jace, another Octo-girl, and Sorin's vampire deck. We trade shots, etc, I race her mana out and Sorin plays this guy. I look at my hand, and realize I can cast Right of Replication for its kicker cost. I play it, instantly have 5 7/7s with flying and tap them all to take the original Captivating vampire. The other Octo-girl just flat left. Jace's turn came up, and then he left. Sorin's player looks at his hand, plays a Child of Night, then says "..." and leaves too.
Then I died to the AI that replaced them, as they all ganged up on me. Still, nothing could have ever made me respect this card more than that.
In order to start using the ability to steal your opponents' monsters you must first have four other vampires. If you have a deck worth it's salt, you would be attacking with those vampires and killing your opponent instead of wasting a turn to get one of his/her creatures.
And even though his constant effect is good, there are too many other great creature cards and artifact cards that can give bonuses, some in the form of permanent counters, to your vampires like Blade of the Bloodchief.
Plus the fact that it does not gain from it's own ability makes it Shock-bait, or prey to all the myriad two damage or -2 effects out there.
In short, this is one of those cards that you look at and say, "Hey cool! I'll pwn with this!" After you get it, you realize that it isn't very practical.
Now with that said I am creating a EDH vampire deck. IF this guy stays out there long enough to pull off his gain control of X creature. I'd say that is pretty awesome. And the fact the gain control will last until end of game/the creature is killed, exiled etc makes him worth a slot in my EDH deck.
Sure there is better but running singleton I am at least willing to give him a shot.
@ Lord_of_Omnipotence - Obviously there are some that DO CARE about the art work. I for one do. And even though my wife dose not play the game she LOVES to look at all of my cards when I get them just for that reason :)
Solid 4/5 imho
I don't think you quite understand the power of this card in tribal Vampire decks. First off, compare it to cards like Goblin King and Elvish Champion, it gives the same buff for the same cost except to your creatures alone, but also has an ability that is possible to utilize in every game, unlike mountainwalk or forestwalk.
Also, yes, you should be attacking with those creatures, but when that pesky unblockable creature or protection from black creature or etc comes around, and the game is close, his ability is a lifesaver, and with a Lord of Lineage out, activating that ability shouldn't be a problem.