Malakir Blood-Priest MTG Card


Optimizes party mechanics for direct life-loss impact, enhancing creature-based strategies in MTG. Can fit into multiple deck types, especially those focusing on tribal synergies or vampire themes. Requires careful deck construction around creature types to fully utilize its enter-the-battlefield effect.
Card setsReleased in 2 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost2
RarityCommon
TypeCreature — Vampire Cleric
Power 2
Toughness 1

Text of card

When Malakir Blood-Priest enters the battlefield, each opponent loses X life and you gain X life, where X is the number of creatures in your party. (Your party consists of up to one each of Cleric, Rogue, Warrior, and Wizard.)

"From your veins to mine."


Cards like Malakir Blood-Priest

Malakir Blood-Priest makes a name for itself within the space of creature cards that impact life totals in Magic: The Gathering. Mirroring its effects, cards like Blood Artist and Zulaport Cutthroat offer the player value through life gain and loss triggers. Malakir Blood-Priest distinguishes itself with a notable entry effect, siphoning life from opponents equal to the number of creatures in your party. Unlike Blood Artist and Zulaport Cutthroat, which react to creatures dying, the Blood-Priest’s ability is a one-time event as it enters the battlefield.

Comparatively, Cliffhaven Vampire operates on a similar axis of life manipulation but requires an ally strategy to incrementally affect both life totals. The Blood-Priest, however, demands a wider mix of creature types to optimize its trigger event. Lastly, Falkenrath Noble presents an apt comparison, boasting a similar but broader trigger that does not restrict its life-draining to a singular condition, providing consistent value over time, unlike the immediate payoff from Malakir Blood-Priest.

A detailed look reveals that each of these cards plays a strategic role in decks focused on life manipulation. Malakir Blood-Priest, with its party mechanic, slots well into decks seeking immediate impact and synergizing with varied creature types found in the MTG universe.

Blood Artist - MTG Card versions
Zulaport Cutthroat - MTG Card versions
Cliffhaven Vampire - MTG Card versions
Falkenrath Noble - MTG Card versions
Blood Artist - MTG Card versions
Zulaport Cutthroat - MTG Card versions
Cliffhaven Vampire - MTG Card versions
Falkenrath Noble - MTG Card versions

Cards similar to Malakir Blood-Priest by color, type and mana cost

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Swarm of Rats - MTG Card versions
Drudge Skeletons - MTG Card versions
Nether Shadow - MTG Card versions
Erg Raiders - MTG Card versions
Cyclopean Mummy - MTG Card versions
Cuombajj Witches - MTG Card versions
Order of the Ebon Hand - MTG Card versions
Bog Imp - MTG Card versions
Wall of Corpses - MTG Card versions
Blighted Shaman - MTG Card versions
Rabid Rats - MTG Card versions
Dakmor Bat - MTG Card versions
Ravenous Rats - MTG Card versions
Flesh Reaver - MTG Card versions
Bloodcurdler - MTG Card versions
Nantuko Shade - MTG Card versions
Piper of the Swarm - MTG Card versions
Undead Augur - MTG Card versions
Black Knight - MTG Card versions
Shepherd of Rot - MTG Card versions
Swarm of Rats - MTG Card versions

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Malakir Blood-Priest shines in decks that focus on party mechanics, granting you direct life loss for an opponent equal to the number of creatures in your party. This can tip the scales in your favor by effectively serving as indirect card advantage, as it weakens your opponent’s position without directly impacting the board.

Resource Acceleration: While the Blood-Priest itself does not offer resource acceleration in the traditional sense, it complements strategies that benefit from tribal synergies. In a vampire-themed deck or a party-centric strategy, each creature you play builds upon the last, amplifying the impact of your cards and propelling your game plan forward more rapidly.

Instant Speed: Although Malakir Blood-Priest is a creature and thus does not have instant speed, its enter-the-battlefield ability can be optimized with flash-enabling cards. This allows you to deploy it unexpectedly, turning it into a sudden impact play that can disrupt your opponent’s calculations, especially during the combat phase or after they have committed to a particular line of play.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: In building your deck and planning your strategy around Malakir Blood-Priest, be aware that it might not synergize well with decks that are not focused on having a high number of creatures, reducing its impact.

Specific Mana Cost: The Blood-Priest comes with a specific mana cost that includes black mana. This requirement can limit deck diversity, as it may not seamlessly fit into multi-color decks that are not heavy on black mana sources.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Its casting cost requires two mana, one of which must be black. For a card that impacts the game based on the number of creatures you control with different creature types, the mana investment might be steep in the early game, where setting the board is crucial.


Reasons to Include Malakir Blood-Priest in Your Collection

Versatility: Malakir Blood-Priest is a multi-faceted card that can seamlessly fit into various deck archetypes, particularly those that capitalize on the party mechanism or life-draining strategies. Whether you’re strengthening your tribal deck or looking for incremental advantage, this card can serve multiple roles.

Combo Potential: This creature’s ability to drain opponents based on the number of creatures in your party can be amplified through various combos. Pair it with cards that increase the number of party members or double triggered abilities, and watch as the life total of your adversaries dwindles with each play.

Meta-Relevance: In an environment where creature-based strategies are prevalent, Malakir Blood-Priest can act as a counterbalance, providing you with life gain while diminishing your opponents’ resources. Its relevance is maintained by its capacity to shift the tide in matches where life totals are a vital component of victory.


How to beat

Malakir Blood-Priest is a unique creature card that taps into the power of the party mechanic in Magic: The Gathering. It shines in decks that incorporate a full party consisting of a Cleric, Rogue, Warrior, and Wizard, which can lead to significant life-loss for your opponent upon entering the battlefield. This card directly relates to your opponent’s life total, dealing damage equivalent to the number of creatures in your party.

To outplay this card, a critical strategy is minimizing the number of party members on the board. Effective removal spells can help manage the creatures before the Blood-Priest lands, thus reducing its impact. Prioritize targeting high-impact party members like Wizards or Warriors that can escalate the power level of the Blood-Priest. Additionally, cards that control the board by preventing creature spells from being cast or by returning creatures to the hand can significantly hinder a party-centric deck’s momentum. By disrupting the party synergy, you lessen the potential damage and gain control over the flow of the match.

Therefore, facing Malakir Blood-Priest demands a proactive approach to creature management, ensuring your opponent never reaches the full power of their party composition within the game.


BurnMana Recommendations

The nuances of Malakir Blood-Priest in MTG highlight the importance of understanding card synergies and deck composition for optimal gameplay. With its ability to affect life totals directly, it rewards players who master the intricacies of the party mechanic. If you’re intrigued by strategies that revolve around life manipulation and creature type diversification, integrating this card into your deck could be highly beneficial. Are you ready to delve deeper into crafting a powerhouse deck built upon such synergies? Unearth the potential of Malakir Blood-Priest and similar life-draining cards to enhance your MTG experience. Discover more strategic insights and empower your play with us.


Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Malakir Blood-Priest MTG card by a specific set like Zendikar Rising and Commander Legends: Battle for Baldur's Gate, there are several reliable options to consider. One of the primary sources is your local game store, where you can often find booster packs, individual cards, and preconstructed decks from current and some past sets. They often offer the added benefit of a community where you can trade with other players.

For a broader inventory, particularly of older sets, online marketplaces like TCGPlayer, Card Kingdom and Card Market offer extensive selections and allow you to search for cards from specific sets. Larger e-commerce platforms like eBay and Amazon also have listings from various sellers, which can be a good place to look for sealed product and rare finds.

Additionally, Magic’s official site often has a store locator and retailer lists for finding Wizards of the Coast licensed products. Remember to check for authenticity and the condition of the cards when purchasing, especially from individual sellers on larger marketplaces.

Below is a list of some store websites where you can buy the Malakir Blood-Priest and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Malakir Blood-Priest Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2020-09-25 and 2022-06-10. Illustrated by Scott Murphy.

#ReleasedNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12020-09-25Zendikar RisingZNR 1102015NormalBlackScott Murphy
22022-06-10Commander Legends: Battle for Baldur's GateCLB 7602015NormalBlackScott Murphy

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Malakir Blood-Priest has restrictions

FormatLegality
HistoricbrawlLegal
HistoricLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderLegal
OathbreakerLegal
GladiatorLegal
PioneerLegal
CommanderLegal
ModernLegal
PauperLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
ExplorerLegal
TimelessLegal

Rules and information

The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Malakir Blood-Priest card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.

Date Text
2020-09-25 An ability referring to the number of creatures in your party gets a number from zero to four. Such abilities never ask which creatures are in your party, and you never have to designate specific creatures as being in your party. You can't choose to exclude creatures from this count to lower the number.
2020-09-25 If a creature has more than one party creature type, and there are multiple ways to count that creature that could result in a different number of creatures in your party, the highest such number is used. For example, if you control a Cleric and a Cleric Wizard, the number of creatures in your party is two. You can't choose to have it be just one by counting the Cleric Wizard first as a Cleric.
2020-09-25 If an ability of a creature counts the number of creatures in your party, that number is counted as the ability resolves. If that creature is still on the battlefield when the ability resolves, it'll be counted if appropriate.
2020-09-25 In a Two-Headed Giant game, Malakir Blood-Priest's ability causes the opposing team to lose twice X life and you to gain X life.
2020-09-25 To determine “the number of creatures in your party,” check whether you control a Cleric, whether you control a Rogue, whether you control a Warrior, and whether you control a Wizard. The number is the total number of those checks to which you answered yes. Each creature you control can be counted for only one of those checks.