by ElspethFTW, Gaming Successfully Staff
Looking for a Commander to lead a Tribal Vampire EDH deck so you can jam in all your new Vampires from Shadows Over Innistrad? Wondering how to slip in the notoriously blue flip-side of Elusive Tormentor: Insidious Mist? Garza Zol, Plague Queen just may be the gal to be your Vampire Commander.
From way back in Coldsnap, Garza Zol’s not the most popular Vampire Commander out there. But because of the three colors in her mana cost, she allows you to splash Blue. This allows you to play the often overlooked but color intensive Blood Tyrant, plus another semi-popular blue/black Vampire Commander Szadek, Lord Of Secrets. Meanwhile, you can jam other Blue staples such as Counterspell, Cyclonic Rift, Hinder, Rhystic Study and more. While you’re at it, why not jam in Bident of Thassa and Thassa, God of the Sea herself? Making your Vampires unblockable is good stuff, and who doesn’t want to draw some extra cards?
What’s cool about Garza Zol is while she’s expensive to cast, she can get bigger fairly easily and also draw you cards. You can just play all of the best Vampires available. In particular, Shadows over Innistrad provides some of the best ones ever printed for use in a Tribal deck. Falkenrath Gorger gives all of the Vampires in your hand Madness, allowing you to play them as you discard them from your hand! Olivia, Mobilized for War allows you to discard a card to give another creature a +1/+1 counter and haste. It even makes it a Vampire! Asylum Visitor and Indulgent Aristocrat are playable, too.
Here’s a sample decklist for a powerful Garza Zol, Plague Queen EDH Vampire deck!
Commander
Garza Zol, Plague Queen
Creatures (37)
Falkenrath Gorger
Guul Draz Assassin
Stromkirk Noble
Asylum Visitor
Blood Artist
Blood Seeker
Gatekeeper of Malakir
Kalastria Highborn
Vampire Hexmage
Captivating Vampire
Dark Impostor
Markov Blademaster
Olivia, Mobilized for War
Rakish Heir
Stromkirk Captain
Vampire Nighthawk
Bloodline Keeper
Falkenrath Aristocrat
Falkenrath Noble
Mirri the Cursed
Olivia Voldaren
Sangromancer
Vampire Nocturnus
Anowon, the Ruin Sage
Bloodlord of Vaasgoth
Drana, Kalastria Bloodchief
Fiend of the Shadows
Malakir Bloodwitch
Mephidross Vampire
Necropolis Regent
Nirkana Revenant
Vein Drinker
Blood Tyrant
Butcher of Malakir
Kalitas, Bloodchief of Ghet
Szadek, Lord of Secrets
Baron Sengir
Non-Creature Spells (25)
Blade of the Bloodchief
Bloodchief Ascension
Sol Ring
Cyclonic Rift
Demonic Tutor
Dimir Signet
Feast of Blood
Go for the Throat
Izzet Signet
Lightning Greaves
Rakdos Signet
Terminate
Urge to Feed
Chromatic Lantern
Murder
Obelisk of Grixis
Phyrexian Arena
Diabolic Tutor
Gilded Lotus
Liliana Vess
Sanguine Bond
Blood Tribute
Sorin Markov
Cruel Ultimatum
Nicol Bolas, Planeswalker
Lands (37)
Akoum Refuge
Blood Crypt
Command Tower
Crumbling Necropolis
Dimir Aqueduct
Dragonskull Summit
Drowned Catacomb
Evolving Wilds
Grixis Panorama
Island
Izzet Boilerworks
Jwar Isle Refuge
Mountain
Rakdos Carnarium
Steam Vents
Sulfur Falls
8 Swamp
Terramorphic Expanse
Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
Watery Grave
Budget Considerations
Nirkana Revenant is best at home in a mono-Black deck, and being a $20 card, she can be replaced with a more budget friendly Vampire such as Chancellor of the Dross. While this is a significant downgrade in overall power level, it’s a way to save nearly $20.
Kalitas, Traitor of Ghet is another powerful Vampire that you can consider. But due to his strength in competitive play, his price has been as high as $30 - although it's settled to closer to $15.
Drana, Liberator of Malakir is another Vampire you could consider not listed above, and she’s reasonably priced around $5.
For non-creature spells, if you don’t have the $25 to shell out for a Demonic Tutor, then Dark Petition will usually work just as well in its place for less than a quarter of the price. Otherwise, the deck is fairly affordable and great for anyone who wants to take Tribal Vampires for a spin with the best cards available.
From way back in Coldsnap, Garza Zol’s not the most popular Vampire Commander out there. But because of the three colors in her mana cost, she allows you to splash Blue. This allows you to play the often overlooked but color intensive Blood Tyrant, plus another semi-popular blue/black Vampire Commander Szadek, Lord Of Secrets. Meanwhile, you can jam other Blue staples such as Counterspell, Cyclonic Rift, Hinder, Rhystic Study and more. While you’re at it, why not jam in Bident of Thassa and Thassa, God of the Sea herself? Making your Vampires unblockable is good stuff, and who doesn’t want to draw some extra cards?
What’s cool about Garza Zol is while she’s expensive to cast, she can get bigger fairly easily and also draw you cards. You can just play all of the best Vampires available. In particular, Shadows over Innistrad provides some of the best ones ever printed for use in a Tribal deck. Falkenrath Gorger gives all of the Vampires in your hand Madness, allowing you to play them as you discard them from your hand! Olivia, Mobilized for War allows you to discard a card to give another creature a +1/+1 counter and haste. It even makes it a Vampire! Asylum Visitor and Indulgent Aristocrat are playable, too.
Here’s a sample decklist for a powerful Garza Zol, Plague Queen EDH Vampire deck!
Commander
Garza Zol, Plague Queen
Creatures (37)
Falkenrath Gorger
Guul Draz Assassin
Stromkirk Noble
Asylum Visitor
Blood Artist
Blood Seeker
Gatekeeper of Malakir
Kalastria Highborn
Vampire Hexmage
Captivating Vampire
Dark Impostor
Markov Blademaster
Olivia, Mobilized for War
Rakish Heir
Stromkirk Captain
Vampire Nighthawk
Bloodline Keeper
Falkenrath Aristocrat
Falkenrath Noble
Mirri the Cursed
Olivia Voldaren
Sangromancer
Vampire Nocturnus
Anowon, the Ruin Sage
Bloodlord of Vaasgoth
Drana, Kalastria Bloodchief
Fiend of the Shadows
Malakir Bloodwitch
Mephidross Vampire
Necropolis Regent
Nirkana Revenant
Vein Drinker
Blood Tyrant
Butcher of Malakir
Kalitas, Bloodchief of Ghet
Szadek, Lord of Secrets
Baron Sengir
Non-Creature Spells (25)
Blade of the Bloodchief
Bloodchief Ascension
Sol Ring
Cyclonic Rift
Demonic Tutor
Dimir Signet
Feast of Blood
Go for the Throat
Izzet Signet
Lightning Greaves
Rakdos Signet
Terminate
Urge to Feed
Chromatic Lantern
Murder
Obelisk of Grixis
Phyrexian Arena
Diabolic Tutor
Gilded Lotus
Liliana Vess
Sanguine Bond
Blood Tribute
Sorin Markov
Cruel Ultimatum
Nicol Bolas, Planeswalker
Lands (37)
Akoum Refuge
Blood Crypt
Command Tower
Crumbling Necropolis
Dimir Aqueduct
Dragonskull Summit
Drowned Catacomb
Evolving Wilds
Grixis Panorama
Island
Izzet Boilerworks
Jwar Isle Refuge
Mountain
Rakdos Carnarium
Steam Vents
Sulfur Falls
8 Swamp
Terramorphic Expanse
Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
Watery Grave
Budget Considerations
Nirkana Revenant is best at home in a mono-Black deck, and being a $20 card, she can be replaced with a more budget friendly Vampire such as Chancellor of the Dross. While this is a significant downgrade in overall power level, it’s a way to save nearly $20.
Kalitas, Traitor of Ghet is another powerful Vampire that you can consider. But due to his strength in competitive play, his price has been as high as $30 - although it's settled to closer to $15.
Drana, Liberator of Malakir is another Vampire you could consider not listed above, and she’s reasonably priced around $5.
For non-creature spells, if you don’t have the $25 to shell out for a Demonic Tutor, then Dark Petition will usually work just as well in its place for less than a quarter of the price. Otherwise, the deck is fairly affordable and great for anyone who wants to take Tribal Vampires for a spin with the best cards available.
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