Magic the Gathering - Garza Zol, Plague Queen: The Perfect Commander to Lead Grixis Vampires in EDH

by Phoenix Desertsong, Old School Duelist

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 is 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.

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 (39)

Falkenrath Gorger     
Guul Draz Assassin       
Stromkirk Noble      
Asylum Visitor     
Blood Artist    
Blood Seeker
Bloodcrazed Paladin
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  
Sanctum Seeker
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 (23)

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     
Obelisk of Grixis     
Phyrexian Arena     
Diabolic Tutor   
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

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 $7.

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.

Updated 11/13/18

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