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Vampires return to the MTG spotlight with Innistrad: Crimson Vow

Jay Chan
·Multimedia Producer
·3-min read
Art from Innistrad: Crimson Vow (Image: Wizards of the Coast)
Safe distancing ambassadors are gonna have a field day... (Image: Wizards of the Coast)

With the return to the plane of Innistrad and the focus on werewolves in the previous Magic: The Gathering set Innistrad: Midnight Hunt, it is about time the story took a turn towards vampires.

Set to release for tabletop on 19 November, Innistrad: Crimson Vow will continue the storyline on the gothic horror-themed plane that ensues after the failure to stop the Eternal Night in Midnight Hunt.

Magic players will follow the journey of Sorin Markov, the vampire Planeswalker, as he thwarts vampire noblewoman Olivia Voldaren’s mad plans to wed herself to Sorin’s grandfather and the OG vampire, Edgar Markov, in order to control the plane.

New mechanics

This is why you don't dig up random bugs... (Images: Wizards of the Coast)
This is why you don't dig up random bugs... (Images: Wizards of the Coast)

Innistrad: Crimson Vow will feature three new mechanics. The first involves the keyword Training.

Training is a triggered ability which allows players to put a +1/+1 counter on a creature with Training whenever it attacks alongside another creature with greater power.

The second new mechanic features the keyword Cleave, which only shows up on instant and sorcery cards.

Cleave is an alternate cost which players can pay in order to ignore the rule texts which are in brackets. Essentially, for example, the card Dig Up becomes a Demonic Tutor (i.e. search your library for any card and put it into your hand) when it is cast for its Cleave cost.

Let's hope NFT and crypto miners never figure this part out... (Images: Wizards of the Coast)
Let's hope NFT and crypto miners never figure this part out... (Images: Wizards of the Coast)

The last new mechanic involves new Blood tokens. Blood tokens are colourless artifact tokens with the ability for players to discard a card and draw a card (i.e. filter your hand). Crimson Vow will also introduce new cards which can generate Blood tokens, such as the Gluttonous Guest.

Besides these three new mechanics, Exploit is now returning to Standard and making a debut in Innistrad sets. Exploit is a triggered ability which allows players to sacrifice a creature when a creature with Exploit enters the battlefield in order to generate additional benefits.

If you’ve enjoyed the previous mechanics in Midnight Hunt, Daybound/Nightbound as well as Disturb are set to return in Crimson Vow, too.

Custom skins are all the rage (Images: Wizards of the Coast)
Custom skins are all the rage (Images: Wizards of the Coast)

Innistrad: Crimson Vow will also pay homage to the legendary vampire Dracula, who will appear in multiple alternate forms of existing Magic: The Gathering cards in both foil and non-foil.

Besides Count Dracula making a grand appearance, Fang Frame card treatments will also be available on several cards, giving these cards a different vampiric border design.

We're not trying to ship them, but somewhere, someone will. (Images: Wizards of the Coast)
We're not trying to ship them, but somewhere, someone will. (Images: Wizards of the Coast)

Eternal Night Legends and Lands cards first featured in Midnight Hunt will also make a return alongside these new card variants in Innistrad: Crimson Vow.

They will be available in Draft Boosters, Set Boosters and Collector Boosters, including the Crimson Vow Bundle.

We'll have more on Innistrad: Crimson Vow after its release in a few weeks. Stay tuned!

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