Zendikar Card Discussipn - Vampire Hexmage

[TheWhiteDragon]

Vampire Hexmage  BB
Creature - Vampire Shaman 
First strike
Sacrifice Vampire Hexmage: Remove all counters from target permanent.
 2/1

Is it just me, or does this card plus dark depths = a possible turn 1 indestructable, flying 20/20???

Probably not the first to see this as this is uber obvious combo.

[Pizzatog]

It also gets rid of Planeswalkers, which is pretty darn useful.

[Juzam_Jim]

Edit: nevermind.

[Bone]

Was thinking the same thing! This is awesome... I guess black will get some tier 3 budget deck after Zendikar

Edit: This beats tinkering for DC

[BruiZar]

oh yes

[Guli]

I mean ok this isn't going to BREAK the meta, which is normal being a bear with some utility, but this card really isn't bad at all. The first strike can be very relevant versus fish. It can simply destroy Tezzeret. And there are some combo tricks as well. Also a smokestack can be reset with this guy which can sometimes be relevant when pounding away the last lifepoints. Also it can neutralize chalice@1 whenever it is needed.

It is a decent card to have for black based aggro control.

I am wondering though. All these new cards and the existing card pool. Choices have to be maid. It is far more easy to make a vault/key tezz deck in my opinion. Even if this card looks good on paper ARE there slots to be spared for it? Needs, choices, economics...

[the boogie man]

It can also nix a full tangle wire, which could be particularly useful. I think that this will be real good in something like sui black. it is a decent creature in its own right, and also has an awsome interaction with dark depths. I feel some sort of B/g or B/u suicide deck being somewhat competitive.

4 hexmage
2-3 dark depths
wastes
rituals
bob

and then depending on what colors you run, filling out the rest with counters, discard, goyfs and what have you. I don't think that dark depths should totally be relied on, because the token can easily be bounced, but it adds a one-turn win condition to the mix. with a really good draw, you could win on turn 2 with a creature.

[Juzam_Jim]

This card is actually very good against a number of cards:

Gemstone Mine
Triskellion
Arcbound Ravager
Smokestack
Chalice of the Void
Tezzeret
Tangle Wire

[Diakonov]

I'm sure there are plenty of other cards that would work to your benefit by being able to remove counters.  This creature goes well with Mystic Remora, for example.

[Almanomada]

The amazing combos aside, this guy looks to be hitting sideboards hard come october possibly making a small splash through every format IMO.  How big a splash wont be known for a while yet but I am certain there will be one.  Any extended deck says affinity loses.  and if you are not playing bounce, you lose to marit lage..  also marit lage could easily be protected via discard and counter control in a solic B/u suicide control deck.

[Troy_Costisick]

oh yes

And you can play that with 4x Crop Rortation

[BruiZar]

What i like about it is that Marit Lage is black, meaning no hurkyl's recall or rebuild. Only Chain of Vapor or Echoing Truth can hit this guy, but that is quiet difficult because you need bounce for Sphinx and Inkwell in your deck too

[nataz]

Seems better then aggro oath. Its in a better color, you dont have to wait a turn, and its less slots (4 vamp, 1-4 monster land v. 4 oath, 4 orchard, 2-3 doods). Crop rotation is pretty sweet with this as well. I'm excited. I always like the art on the land, and it looks good in foil as well. When does this set come out?

[Juzam_Jim]

I actually agree that this could be, if not better, than on level with Oath decks.

Advantages over Oath:

1) As mentioned you don't have to wait a turn where you're opponent could disrupt your combo, and generally it's probably more resilent to hate.
2) Potentially faster kill than Oath (2nd turn)
3) Vampire Hexmage is usefull on it's own (as mentioned in this thread, it can be put to good use against a lot of cards)
4) You don't get "dead" draws as you can get with Oath drawing a creature.

Some other thoughts:

1) This build could take better advantage of Dark Confidant (not risking a lot of damage from flipping a big creature)
2) Seeing that some Oath builds have started using Remora, this is even better in this deck as Hexmage can reset your Remora.

[tito del monte]

Could this actually work in an Oath deck itself? If you used something to give haste from the graveyard (Dragons Breath) , you could potentially kill with one Oath activation if you have Dark Depths in play, oathing up the hexmage, then saccing immediately for a hasty Marit Lage.

Whether this turns out to be competitive or not, certainly seems fun - playset of Dark Depths ordered!

[Juzam_Jim]

Could this actually work in an Oath deck itself? If you used something to give haste from the graveyard (Dragons Breath) , you could potentially kill with one Oath activation if you have Dark Depths in play, oathing up the hexmage, then saccing immediately for a hasty Marit Lage.

Whether this turns out to be competitive or not, certainly seems fun - playset of Dark Depths ordered!

I've actually thought of this myself, but it just seems pretty clumpsy to be honest.
Then you would "have" to have 2 specific lands in play for it to work.

Right now I'm testing a quickly made list including Crop Rotation, Grim Tutor, Cabal Therapy etc with Tendrils as an alternate win condition. It seems pretty good although I'm only goldfishing.

[Lemnear]

come and play it! It will be repeal's best friend in europe ;oD

[Dalamar]

I like this Idea a lot, I posted a list in the Sadistic Sacrament Thread, for a G/B control/aggro deck.  I thought I would post an updated list that includes more cards spoiled today.

Spells   
Sadistic Sacrament   4
Dark Ritual   4
ThoughtSeize   4
hymn to Tourach   3
Vampiric Tutor   1
Demonic Tutor   1
Crop Rotation   2
   
Artifacts   
Black Lotus   1
Mox Jet   1
Mox Emerald   1
Lotus Petal   1
Null Rod   3
   
Creatures   
Dark Confidant   4
Tormagoyf   3
Gatekeeper of Malakir   2
Vampire Hexmage   4
   
Land   
Bayou   4
Urbog,  Tomb of Yawgmoth   1
Verdant Catacombs   4
Bloodstained Mire   3
Swamp   2
stripmine   1
wasteland   3
Dark Depths   3
   
Sideboard   
Gatekeeper of Malakir   2
Ravenous Trap   4
choke   2
duress   1
Krosan Grip   3
pernicious deed   3
   
   75

[Juzam_Jim]

I like this Idea a lot, I posted a list in the Sadistic Sacrament Thread, for a G/B control/aggro deck.  I thought I would post an updated list that includes more cards spoiled today.

Spells   
Sadistic Sacrament   4
Dark Ritual   4
ThoughtSeize   4
hymn to Tourach   3
Vampiric Tutor   1
Demonic Tutor   1
Crop Rotation   2
   
Artifacts   
Black Lotus   1
Mox Jet   1
Mox Emerald   1
Lotus Petal   1
Null Rod   3
   
Creatures   
Dark Confidant   4
Tormagoyf   3
Gatekeeper of Malakir   2
Vampire Hexmage   4
   
Land   
Bayou   4
Urbog,  Tomb of Yawgmoth   1
Verdant Catacombs   4
Bloodstained Mire   3
Swamp   2
stripmine   1
wasteland   3
Dark Depths   3
   
Sideboard   
Gatekeeper of Malakir   2
Ravenous Trap   4
choke   2
duress   1
Krosan Grip   3
pernicious deed   3
   
   75

Well I like the idea of Sadistic Sacrament in a deck like this as the deck is easily capable of producing the BBB it requires (don't know if it should be a 4-of, though), but I think the deck should be even more combo orientated. I would cut out the Goyfs (good SB addition, though), Hymn (replaced by Duress) and Gatekeeper.
I'd much rather have Tendrils as an alternate win condition than creature beatdown.

I'm currently goldfishing a list that looks like this:

Draw:

4 Dark Confidant
1 Ancestral Recall
3 Night's Whisper
1 Necropotence

Tutoring:

1 Demonic Tutor
1 Vampiric Tutor
1 Demonic Consultation
3 Grim Tutor
2 Crop Rotation

Disruption:

4 Duress
3 Cabal Therapy
1 Hurkyll's Recall

Win:

1 Time Walk
1 Tendrils of Agony
4 Vampire Hexmage
2 Dark Depths
1 Yawgmoth's Will

Mana:

4 Dark Ritual
3 Cabal Ritual
1 Black Lotus
1 Mox Jet
1 Mox Sapphire
1 Mox Emerald
1 Lotus Petal
1 Bayou
3 Bloodstained Mire
3 Polluted Delta
1 Strip Mine
1 Wasteland
3 Underground Sea
2 Swamp

[Dalamar]

Well I like the idea of Sadistic Sacrament in a deck like this as the deck is easily capable of producing the BBB it requires (don't know if it should be a 4-of, though), but I think the deck should be even more combo orientated. I would cut out the Goyfs (good SB addition, though), Hymn (replaced by Duress) and Gatekeeper.
I'd much rather have Tendrils as an alternate win condition than creature beatdown.

I'm currently goldfishing a list that looks like this:

Draw:

4 Dark Confidant
1 Ancestral Recall
3 Night's Whisper
1 Necropotence

Tutoring:

1 Demonic Tutor
1 Vampiric Tutor
1 Demonic Consultation
3 Grim Tutor
2 Crop Rotation

Disruption:

4 Duress
3 Cabal Therapy
1 Hurkyll's Recall

Win:

1 Time Walk
1 Tendrils of Agony
4 Vampire Hexmage
2 Dark Depths
1 Yawgmoth's Will

Mana:

4 Dark Ritual
3 Cabal Ritual
1 Black Lotus
1 Mox Jet
1 Mox Sapphire
1 Mox Emerald
1 Lotus Petal
1 Bayou
3 Bloodstained Mire
3 Polluted Delta
1 Strip Mine
1 Wasteland
3 Underground Sea
2 Swamp

I like the deck, just not for me.  I don't like to play combo, I lean to more of a fishy style of play.

The original purpose of my deck was to abuse Sadistic Sacrament, In an Aggro/control sort of way.  When I saw these new cards and the interaction with Dark Depths, I liked this as a quicker kill than I had and sort of made it fit,  There is way more room for tweeking.

The gold fishes I have had have been very varied with turn three 20/20 attacks or turn 1 thought seize, Null Rod, Sad Sac.  Very varied hands and very powerful, but completely different routes to victory.

Any thoughts on the deck list, and I really want to of the GY hate cards from my SB in my main not enough room.

[Harlequin]

I would be a hillarious SB or even Maindeck Plan-B for Ad Nauseum decks.  Chrome mox, Dark Depths, Rit, Vampire, GG?  Its a fatty creature combo that doesn't have a high CMC. 

[madmanmike25]

I would be a hillarious SB or even Maindeck Plan-B for Ad Nauseum decks. 

I think you would cost red mana, have haste AND trample.  I would play you maindeck because no one would imagine being attacked by a Harlequin in an Ad Nauseum deck!

But really, this card combo seems clunky.  Shame the land doesnt produce mana...and that Marit Lage doesn't have shroud.....or haste.  Good enough to build a deck around? Probably not.  Would you make room in Ad Naus??  Probably not. 

I mean, would you cast Spoils for the combo pieces?  How else would you get this in play fast and effectively?  Crop Rotations and Worldy Tutors in conjunction with the obvious tutors??

[Harlequin]

I surely wouldn't be a Summon Harlequin ... only a mere mortal. Creature - Human?  Sad times...

At anyrate, You're probably right.  I guess with all the amazing spell-hate out there I was thinking you could take ANT and board into TURBO-LAGE! Most people, especially with all the new crazy trap options, will be boarding out bounce (esp Repeal) in favor of spell hate.  This would sidestep that completely.

Espeically true now that Mask-Naught is newtered.  

If you knew Mindbreaks were coming in, you could just go:  Turn 1 - Fetch/swamp, Duress.  Turn 2 - Dark Depths, Rit/Chrome, Hexmage.  Turn 3 swing for 20.  Seems good against Crazy_trap.dec.  Also a great out against sphere effects.

[nataz]

I finally have my ichorid sideboard!

haha! Leyline this bitches :-p

[Almanomada]

I finally have my ichorid sideboard!

haha! Leyline this bitches :-p

genius.   I now have my Ichorid SB.

[Troy_Costisick]

A card to go with this was spoiled today (I think)

Expedition Map
Artifact  
, , Sacrifice Expedition Map: Search your library for a land card, reveal it, and put it into your hand. Then shuffle your library.

Might be a little bit easier to use than Crop Rotation but also more mana intensive.  Perhaps it can go into a B/R Shop Shell?

[madmanmike25]

Holy crap, they gave MUD and MonoRedStax a way to tutor for Strip Mine?????  Crucible just became infinitely better...  This card is good for Stax.

[Juzam_Jim]

Here's another list I've been toying around with. It's pretty quickly made, and obviously it's still rough, but none the less is it another shell to work with.

Creatures  
4   Vampire Hexmage

Spells  
1   Ancestral Recall
1   Brainstorm    
3   Crop Rotation  
4   Daze    
1   Demonic Tutor    
1   Echoing Truth  
4   Force of Will
1   Merchant Scroll  
1   Misdirection    
1   Mystical Tutor    
3   Night's Whisper
1   Ponder  
1   Regrowth  
4   Thoughtseize  
1   Time Walk    
1   Vampiric Tutor    
1   Yawgmoth's Will  
 
Artifacts  
1   Black Lotus    
1   Lotus Petal    
1   Mox Emerald    
1   Mox Jet    
1   Mox Sapphire  

Lands  
3   Bayou
3   Bloodstained Mire  
2   Dark Depths    
1   Island    
4   Polluted Delta    
1   Strip Mine    
1   Swamp Buy    
1   Tropical Island    
4   Underground Sea  
1   Wasteland
 
On a different note, I really like the Ad Nauseam idea as it gives the deck some other options (random drawing into Hexmage + Dark Depths or just drawing 4-5 cards off Ad Nauseum and finding those combo pieces).

[tito del monte]

Just wondering if the following card from the spoiler might have some place in the deck - possibly using Intuition as a tutor. |(although I accept I may just be getting over-excited by what looks like a fun set!)

Grim Discovery 1b
Sorcery (C)

Choose one or both - Return target creature card from your graveyard to your hand, and/or return target land card from your graveyard to your hand.

[Magnum Innominandum]

Draw:

4 Dark Confidant
1 Ancestral Recall
3 Night's Whisper
1 Necropotence

Tutoring:

1 Demonic Tutor
1 Vampiric Tutor
1 Demonic Consultation
3 Grim Tutor
2 Crop Rotation

Disruption:

4 Duress
3 Cabal Therapy
1 Hurkyll's Recall

Win:

1 Time Walk
1 Tendrils of Agony
4 Vampire Hexmage
2 Dark Depths
1 Yawgmoth's Will

Mana:

4 Dark Ritual
3 Cabal Ritual
1 Black Lotus
1 Mox Jet
1 Mox Sapphire
1 Mox Emerald
1 Lotus Petal
1 Bayou
3 Bloodstained Mire
3 Polluted Delta
1 Strip Mine
1 Wasteland
3 Underground Sea
2 Swamp

I really like your build, the only thing I would try to change would be trade the Cabal Therapies for Thoughtseizes and probably would cut a grim tutor or a crop rotation for Into the North to tutor for Dark Depths also changing the Swamps for Snow-Covered one.