Vampire's Zeal MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	1
Rarity	Common
Type	Instant
Released	2017-09-29
Set symbol
Set name	Ixalan
Set code	XLN
Number	43
Frame	2015
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Gabor Szikszai

Key Takeaways

Boosts board position at low cost, useful for maintaining game rhythm with tactical advantages.
White mana requirement limits use, potential card disadvantage if benefits aren’t fully utilized.
Valuable in aggressive decks and vampire synergies, enhancing creature capabilities in combat.

Text of card

Target creature gets +2/+2 until end of turn. If it's a Vampire, it gains first strike until end of turn.

The Feast of Blood sends new life essence flowing through the vampire who partakes, manifesting as even greater strength and speed.

Card Pros

Card Advantage: While Vampire’s Zeal doesn’t draw cards directly, its potential to turn a battlefield situation in your favor is undeniable. By boosting a creature, you can eliminate a key threat or make a profitable trade, effectively dealing with more than one of your opponent’s cards with just a single spell.

Resource Acceleration: Even though Vampire’s Zeal doesn’t produce mana or tokens, its low casting cost means you can improve your board position without spending significant resources. This allows you to keep mana available for further plays, sustaining a rhythm in the game that can lead to accelerated board dominance.

Instant Speed: The ability to cast Vampire’s Zeal at instant speed gives you a distinct tactical advantage. You can surprise an opponent during combat, swinging the battle in your favor, or utilize it to save a crucial creature from a destructive spell or ability at the last possible moment, effectively making it a versatile tool in both offensive and defensive situations.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: While Vampire’s Zeal doesn’t explicitly ask for a card discard, it can inadvertently lead to card disadvantage. If you are using it primarily for the +1/+1 boost without the first strike benefit coming into play, the return may not be worth the card spent from your hand.

Specific Mana Cost: Vampire’s Zeal requires white mana, which means it can only be optimally utilized in decks that run on white mana. This limitation can deter its inclusion in multi-colored decks that may not have reliable access to white mana sources.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a cost of one white mana, its immediacy is a valuable feature. However, compared to other combat tricks or removal spells within the same mana range, Vampire’s Zeal can seem underwhelming unless synergized with a vampire-focused strategy where its first strike ability can be fully leveraged.

Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Vampire’s Zeal proves to be a versatile staple in decks that focus on aggressive strategies as well as those that are more defensive in nature. Its instant speed allows it to be a combat trick that can swing a tight battle in your favor or save a key creature from removal.

Combo Potential: With Vampire’s Zeal, the +2/+2 boost in power and toughness can be crucial for enabling creature-based combos or synergies within a Vampire deck. The first strike it confers can be unexpectedly disruptive, setting up advantageous trades or enabling decisive attacks.

Meta-Relevance: In a meta that favors creature-heavy decks or where combat is frequent, Vampire’s Zeal can be a critical inclusion. It enhances the survivability and lethality of your creatures, ensuring they can contend with the prevalent threats and emerge victorious.

How to beat

Vampire’s Zeal is a swift card that can be a sharp thorn in an opponent’s side in Magic: The Gathering. This instant gives a vampire creature a sudden boost, making it stronger during combat and potentially turning the tide of battle in your opponent’s favor. It’s a low-cost card, making it an easy play for those running a vampire-themed deck.

To counteract the sudden surge from Vampire’s Zeal, it’s strategic to hold removal spells or utilize creatures with the capability to block or destroy vampires before they can capitalize on the buff. Timing is crucial; having the right card at the right moment can nullify the advantage Vampire’s Zeal aims to provide. Cards like Fatal Push or Path to Exile can effectively remove the powered-up creature from play, denying the opponent their planned advantage.

Awareness and preparation are key — anticipate enhancements like Vampire’s Zeal in vampire-heavy decks. Manage your resources to have answers ready, and you will be able to handle the boost it provides. Staying one step ahead of the power curve keeps you in control during the match.

Cards like Vampire's Zeal

Vampire’s Zeal is an interesting instant in the Magic: The Gathering universe, offering a swift boost with its +2/+2 until end of turn for a single white mana. It stands in comparison with other combat trick cards such as Moment of Triumph, which also provides a +2/+2 boost but comes with the added value of 2 life gain. Vampire’s Zeal, meanwhile, brings its own edge into play with the option to grant a vampire creature first strike, tipping the scales in combat scenarios.

Another card in the discussion is Gods Willing, which targets a single creature, offering protection from a color of your choice and scrying 1 for the same casting cost. While not directly increasing power and toughness, the provided protection can be a game-changer. Then there’s Defiant Strike, costing one white mana and giving a smaller power bump of +1/+0, but with the advantage of drawing a card, thereby maintaining card advantage.

In the realm of combat tricks and buffs, Vampire’s Zeal offers a unique blend of immediate impact and versatility, particularly for vampire synergies, making it a valuable card among Magic: The Gathering strategies that favor aggressive, creature-based tactics.

Cards similar to Vampire's Zeal by color, type and mana cost

Swords to Plowshares - MTG Card versions

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Vampire's Zeal MTG card by a specific set like Ixalan, 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 Vampire's Zeal and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Vampire's Zeal has restrictions

Format	Legality
Historicbrawl	Legal
Historic	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Paupercommander	Legal
Oathbreaker	Legal
Gladiator	Legal
Pioneer	Legal
Commander	Legal
Modern	Legal
Pauper	Legal
Vintage	Legal
Duel	Legal
Explorer	Legal
Penny	Legal
Timeless	Legal

Rules and information

The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Vampire's Zeal card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.

Date	Text
2017-09-29	If the creature is a Vampire, it gets +2/+2 and gains first strike. If the creature becomes a Vampire later in the turn, it won’t gain first strike.