Vampire Nighthawk MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 18 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost3
RarityRare
TypeCreature — Vampire Shaman
Abilities Deathtouch,Flying,Lifelink
Power 2
Toughness 3

Key Takeaways

  1. Card advantage with deathtouch and lifelink makes Vampire Nighthawk a recurring battlefield threat.
  2. Indirect resource acceleration helps maintain a higher life total, allowing more strategic plays.
  3. Its versatility can pivot game dynamics instantly, making it a key play in late-game scenarios.

Text of card

Flying, deathtouch, lifelink


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Vampire Nighthawk is a formidable presence on the battlefield, effectively serving as a deterrent against attackers. Its ability to deathtouch can handle any creature it blocks or that blocks it, often surviving due to its lifelink attribute. This creates a situation where trading with it usually leads to card advantage for you, as the Nighthawk can continually eliminate opposing threats while maintaining your life total.

Resource Acceleration: While not directly a source of resource acceleration, the lifelink provided by Vampire Nighthawk can be seen as an indirect way to maintain resources. Gaining life each combat phase aids in surviving longer, allowing you to draw into more resources or play higher cost cards without the stress of a low life total impeding your strategy.

Instant Speed: Although Vampire Nighthawk is not an instant itself, its versatility allows you to employ a strategy that imitates the instant speed advantage. Deploying the Nighthawk in the later stages of a game can instantly alter the board’s dynamics, forcing your opponent to rethink their strategy during their turn, as they must now navigate around a lifelink and deathtouch threat.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: While Vampire Nighthawk does not require card discard, players must always be wary of resource management. Cards in hand represent potential, and any effect causing discard can curb this potential, leaving players at a disadvantage—something to consider when building a deck around the Nighthawk.

Specific Mana Cost: The casting cost for Vampire Nighthawk includes two black mana symbols, which makes it a less flexible option for multicolored decks. Players need a reliable source of black mana to ensure they can play it on curve—ideally turn three.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Vampire Nighthawk’s cost is moderate, but in a fast-paced environment where efficiency rules, there are creatures with lower mana costs that provide a quicker impact on the game. It’s crucial to evaluate whether its abilities justify the three mana investment, especially against aggressive strategies that aim to win rapidly.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Vampire Nighthawk is a solid addition to a variety of decks, particularly in those that capitalize on life gain, lifelink abilities, or require a robust defensive creature with flying and deathtouch capabilities.

Combo Potential: This creature’s deathtouch and lifelink attributes create synergies with cards that benefit from creature destruction or life total changes, bolstering strategies that may revolve around such interactions.

Meta-Relevance: In a landscape often dominated by creatures, Vampire Nighthawk can be a formidable opponent. Its ability to block and take down much larger creatures while keeping your life total healthy makes it a pertinent choice for decks looking to thrive in creature-heavy metas.


How to beat

Vampire Nighthawk is a card that often earns its place in MTG decks for its blend of offensive and defensive capabilities. This creature’s strength comes from its flying ability, deathtouch, and lifelink, making it a formidable opponent in the air and a source of consistent life gain for the player controlling it. It’s a card that can dominate the battlefield, especially in the absence of proper counters.

To effectively counter Vampire Nighthawk, consider using removal spells that can bypass its deathtouch, such as ‘Go for the Throat’ or ‘Path to Exile’. Board wipes like ‘Day of Judgment’ also work well as they clear the field irrespective of individual creatures’ abilities. Ensnaring Vampire Nighthawk with pacifism effects or using cards like ‘Frost Breath’ to neutralize it temporarily can also shift the tide in your favor. As with any troublesome creature, handling it quickly is key — the longer it remains on the board, the more advantage your opponent gains.

Remember, the most strategic approach will vary depending on your own deck’s configuration and the overall context of the game. Assessing the situation and selecting the right response from your arsenal is the pathway to overcoming the challenge posed by Vampire Nighthawk.


BurnMana Recommendations

Vampire Nighthawk is a fascinating card that exemplifies strategic depth in MTG. Its abilities offer a dual threat—disrupting opponents with deathtouch while recuperating your life total. Its presence can shift the momentum of a game and it’s essential for players to understand how to maximize its potential within their decks. We advocate for a deeper dive into strategies that leverage cards like Vampire Nighthawk to gain an edge in various MTG formats. To truly harness the power of this dynamic creature and refine your deck building skills, visit us for enlightening insights and tactical advice. Elevate your MTG expertise with comprehensive guides and expert recommendations. Join the quest for mastery and dominate your next duel with finesse.


Cards like Vampire Nighthawk

Vampire Nighthawk is a creature card that has become a benchmark for evaluating other flyers in Magic: The Gathering. This creature is notable not only for its flying ability but also for its deathtouch and lifelink. When comparing it to cards such as Gifted Aetherborn, we can see similarities in deathtouch and lifelink. The Aetherborn, however, trades flying for a vampire synergy and a lower mana cost, making it a solid choice for vampire-themed decks.

Another comparable card is Aerial Responder. This card also shares the flying and lifelink capabilities but in a White color identity, allowing for different deck synergies while offering a vigilance advantage. Where Vampire Nighthawk’s strength lies in terrorizing the skies, Aerial Responder provides consistent defense and offense opportunities. Moreover, cards like Bloodghast offer a similar vampire tribal utility, though they lack the immediate board impact and defensive benefits that make Nighthawk a well-rounded threat.

All in all, Vampire Nighthawk’s combination of abilities represents a high value in MTG gameplay, carrying defensive and offensive versatility that makes it a formidable presence on the battlefield and a high benchmark for comparisons.

Gifted Aetherborn - MTG Card versions
Aerial Responder - MTG Card versions
Bloodghast - MTG Card versions
Gifted Aetherborn - Aether Revolt (AER)
Aerial Responder - Kaladesh (KLD)
Bloodghast - Zendikar (ZEN)

Cards similar to Vampire Nighthawk by color, type and mana cost

Nettling Imp - MTG Card versions
Royal Assassin - MTG Card versions
Plague Rats - MTG Card versions
El-Hajjâj - MTG Card versions
Frozen Shade - MTG Card versions
Scathe Zombies - MTG Card versions
Sorceress Queen - MTG Card versions
Lost Soul - MTG Card versions
Mindstab Thrull - MTG Card versions
Mischievous Poltergeist - MTG Card versions
Strongarm Thug - MTG Card versions
Razortooth Rats - MTG Card versions
Ghastly Remains - MTG Card versions
Lord of the Undead - MTG Card versions
Deepwood Ghoul - MTG Card versions
Dross Prowler - MTG Card versions
Nim Abomination - MTG Card versions
Vesper Ghoul - MTG Card versions
Hypnotic Specter - MTG Card versions
Dusk Imp - MTG Card versions
Nettling Imp - Limited Edition Alpha (LEA)
Royal Assassin - 30th Anniversary Edition (30A)
Plague Rats - Foreign Black Border (FBB)
El-Hajjâj - Fourth Edition Foreign Black Border (4BB)
Frozen Shade - 30th Anniversary Edition (30A)
Scathe Zombies - Eighth Edition (8ED)
Sorceress Queen - Rivals Quick Start Set (RQS)
Lost Soul - Introductory Two-Player Set (ITP)
Mindstab Thrull - Fifth Edition (5ED)
Mischievous Poltergeist - Classic Sixth Edition (6ED)
Strongarm Thug - Mercadian Masques (MMQ)
Razortooth Rats - Seventh Edition (7ED)
Ghastly Remains - Legions (LGN)
Lord of the Undead - Eighth Edition (8ED)
Deepwood Ghoul - Eighth Edition (8ED)
Dross Prowler - Mirrodin (MRD)
Nim Abomination - Darksteel (DST)
Vesper Ghoul - Salvat 2005 (PSAL)
Hypnotic Specter - Magic Player Rewards 2006 (P06)
Dusk Imp - Tenth Edition (10E)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Vampire Nighthawk MTG card by a specific set like Magic Online Promos and DCI Promos, 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 Nighthawk and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Vampire Nighthawk Magic the Gathering card was released in 17 different sets between 2006-01-02 and 2021-11-19. Illustrated by 2 different artists.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12002-06-24Magic Online PromosPRM 362142003normalblackKarl Kopinski
22006-01-02DCI PromosPDCI 332003normalblackKarl Kopinski
32009-10-02ZendikarZEN 1162003normalblackJason Chan
42011-06-17Commander 2011CMD 1062003normalblackJason Chan
52012-07-13Magic 2013M13 1122003normalblackJason Chan
62013-03-15Duel Decks: Sorin vs. TibaltDDK 122003normalblackJason Chan
72013-11-01Commander 2013C13 972003normalblackJason Chan
82015-08-28Duel Decks: Zendikar vs. EldraziDDP 582015normalblackJason Chan
92017-03-17Modern Masters 2017MM3 872015normalblackJason Chan
102017-06-16Archenemy: Nicol BolasE01 382015normalblackJason Chan
112017-08-25Commander 2017C17 1292015normalblackJason Chan
122017-11-24Explorers of IxalanE02 232015normalblackJason Chan
132019-11-07Mystery BoosterMB1 8132015normalblackJason Chan
142020-04-17Commander 2020C20 1402015normalblackJason Chan
152020-09-26The ListPLST E02-232015normalblackJason Chan
162020-09-26The ListPLST ZEN-1162003normalblackJason Chan
172021-04-23Commander 2021C21 1572015normalblackJason Chan
182021-11-19Crimson Vow CommanderVOC 1402015normalblackJason Chan

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Vampire Nighthawk has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderRestricted
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal
PennyLegal

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