List of Species in Magic: The Gathering - Vampire

Vampire

Vampires are native to many of the planes in Magic, although they are of particular prevalence in the plane of Ulgrotha where the Homelands expansion takes place, Innistrad, Zendikar, and Mirrodin post-Fifth Dawn Era. Vampires are often depicted as humanoids with gaunt features and a sallow complexion, sometimes show fangs and tend to wear some form of black robes. Two effects that unite most of the vampires in Magic: the Gathering is that they can usually fly in some form, and when they damage or kill something else they get stronger. This is traditionally done by giving them a permanent attack and defense increase when they kill a creature in combat. These abilities were first shown on the now iconic Sengir Vampire which was printed in the first release of Magic. Other abilities are also used, but most still have the flavor of feasting on someone else's strength for the creatures benefit. There have been a few important Vampires in the Magic story to date. They are mainly Baron Sengir who is a main villain during the Homelands set and the man whom the card Sengir Vampire is supposed to be named after, Crovax the Cursed, an important character during the Weatherlight saga and a rare example of a benevolent vampire, and Szadek, Lord of Secrets the founder of the secretive Dimir guild during the Ravnica block. On Zendikar, Vampires appear as a complex, more civilized and humanoid culture, contrasting the appearance of the "classic" solitary undead they have on other planes. On Innistrad they are aristocratic and very wealthy, also in this plane vampires can be seen in the mana color red.