Pointed Discussion

Too expensive, although in draft i guess he could be used. The creature isn't exactly bad, it is just too expensive with too high a mana cost.

He's flying, and undying.

Had it cost 3 less to cast it might have been useful in vampire tribals or monoblack standard, but this just doesn't work at all.

Undying creatures are essentially two creatures in one. And one of them is better than the printed card!
(Think Doomed Traveler.)

...but I wouldn't pay 6 for a 4/3 flier. Some undying seems very cheap, and other undying seems too expensive. I'm sure they tested the pants off the mechanic, though, so I'll just wait and see how things play out.

to people who are rating this low - Have you guys actually ever played any draft?

He is definitely 1 mana too high, but this guy is still a very common pick in draft. Flyers win limited, and Innistrad/DA is a very limited-conscious block.

Very valuable in limited formats, but absolute garbage anywhere else.

weirdly has the distinction of being the lowest-rated vamp on the gatherer.

For my money, he's not that bad. A 3/2 flier in a relevant tribe that comes back as a 4/3 isn't too shabby, though yeah, he's definitely overcosted. If anything he demonstrates how absurd Undying is as a rule.

He wields the full power of flight unfettered by the social norms of a shirt.
Seriously though, how is he flying? I'm not saying Vampires should grow wings and pretend to be Black Angels or something-- but he doesn't even have a CAPE! ALL FLYING VAMPIRES SHOULD HAVE CAPES!!!!
It's the Alan Rickman Rule. (I know Severus wasn’t really a vampire. Shut up, capes are awesome.)
Dear Wizards, you make Magic, not Twilight. Please remember this.

Paying six mana for a vampire is asinine. If I'm going to do so, I expect a similar effect on the game to something like Nirkana Revenant or Vein Drinker. Frankly, the very top of a vampire deck mana curve should be four, if you're going to accommodate Bloodline Keeper, though it should probably be more like three.

Oh well. They can't all be good cards.

"Hey. I've just created this amazing card"

"is it using the Undying mechanic?"

"You bet you a$$ it does! And not only that, but it is a 3/2 flyer!"

"Amazing! What a perfect card! What's its CMC?"

"it's... Uhh..."

"4?"

"Uhh..."

"...5?"

"... 6"

"6... huh. Well, at... huh, that's quite high. I guess if we made it 4, it wouldn't be that fair..."

"Yeah. If we made a creature with an equal CMC-to-P/T with undying, that would be quite broken!"

"Thank god there isn't something like that!"

@grynning: "Flyers win limited, and Innistrad/DA is a very limited-conscious block." Don't I know it. And Innistrad has a perfect, common solution to flyers. Kessig Recluse won me three booster drafts against spirit decks.

the main problem is that he's compared to things like Vampire Nighthawk rather than looked at on his own. Mechanically he costs the same as 2 Markov Patrician and is a little stronger and has evasion in exchange for lifelink. He's essentially two creatures in one which is very unusual in black.

he could work very well in any vampire deck, and even better in any vampire deck that focuses on doubling counters the vampires place on themselves (since he would already have one on himself already). it is too bad that he's not 5cc, but they probably didn't want him competing with the Sengir staple.

*edit* and really? this is the one that has a "no wings omg so unrealistic and it's a dude so that means it's TWILIGHT" comment on it? vamps fly with psychic powers dude. like levitate. they don't need wings, and also I think it's refreshing to see one vampire in the set that's not a blood-crazed goth-***.

A shame such poor stats landed on such a smoking hottie.

For constructed I can either drop this or Grave Titan...
I dont care about limited, because thats just bad arguments to justify trashpile cards...

OMG this guy is legal in Gatherer Terrible? Bah-roken!

@ Ferlord: You used the example of two green creatures to say a black creature is inefficient? I mean, I agree this guy is overcosted for nonlimited formats, but within INN/DA/AR draft, this guy is scary good.

The reason this card costs 6 is because cards like Kalastria Highborn, Viscera Seer, Bloodthrone Vampire, Captivating Vampire, etc. exist. Vampire is a very strong type, and having repeatable sacrifice in a strong type with a strong affinity for sacrifice opens up worlds of possibilities. Especially because Vampire Hexmage is a thing.

Shouldn't be rated so low, if only because Nearheath Stalker should have gotten the honor of being the lowest rated undying creature.