|  |  |  |  Pojo's Magic The Gathering
 Card of the Day
 Vampiric
                        Dragon 
                          
                        
                          
                            |  |  | 6BR, Creature —
                              Vampire Dragon 5/5, Odyssey RareFlying
 Whenever a creature dealt damage by Vampiric
                              Dragon this turn is put into a graveyard, put a
                              +1/+1 counter on Vampiric Dragon.
 1R: Vampiric Dragon deals 1 damage to target
                              creature.
 Pojo's Average
                              Rating -Constructed: 2.375
 Sealed Deck: 5.00
 Reviewed Nov. 29, 2001
 Ratings are
                              based on a 1 to 5 scale1 being the worst.  3 ...
                              average.
 5 is the highest rating.
 |  
                          
                            |  DeQuan
 Watson
 | As much as
                              I like big fatties, I have to give the Vampiric
                              Dragon a 2.  The main reason is that he is
                              costed one mana too high in my opinion.  If
                              he is any cheaper, he becomes playable as it won't
                              be so difficult to cast him.  Right now, the
                              only decent decks that play it are reanimator
                              decks that are playing every trick in the book to
                              get him into play from the graveyard.  His
                              size is great and his abilities are great.  I
                              just don't see him making his way into many
                              tournament decks right now.  In casual games
                              when you have all day to cast him, he might get a
                              little more use. |  
                            |  Fletcher
 Peatross
 | 
                                
                                  Vampiric Dragon is
                                  best in a Sealed deck, where it rates a 5. 
                                  In Draft, its most likely a 4 because decks
                                  are much more focused.  Due to the
                                  casting cost, its only a 2 in Constructed. 
                                  I think even at 7 mana it would still be too
                                  much.  Sealed allows for slower games
                                  usually, and you can almost guarantee that
                                  you'll be at 8 mana sometime in the game.
                                 |  
                            |  Aaron
 Teare
 | 
                                Rating:  **
                               
                                A gold card with a
                                converted casting cost of 8 is NOT gonna see
                                much constructed play.  This is an
                                excellent option for someone wanting to
                                "reanimate" fatties from the
                                graveyard, but that's about it.  If
                                resolves, can be a BOMB in sealed events.
                               |  
                            |  John B
 Turpish
 | 
                                
                                  Vampiric Dragon
                                  can completely dominate the board once he's in
                                  play and you're using his ability. 
                                  That's right, after you've paid 8, now use his
                                  two-mana-per-use-masticore-wannabe ability. 
                                  If you would've used something cheaper you
                                  could've beat your opponent before that time,
                                  and too often your opponent will kill you
                                  while you sit with Vampiric Dragon in hand. 
                                  This card is entirely greedy.  The only
                                  way I can see making good use of him would be
                                  in a reanimator deck, or some other deck where
                                  you don't have to actually pay that gross mana
                                  cost. - 2
                                 |  
                            |  Scott
 Gerhardt
 | 
                                Vampiric Dragon -
                                the first thing that pops into my mind when I
                                think of this
                                card is, "Wow, I'd love to bust that in my
                                Sealed Booster." Unfortunately, that's
                                about where I stop thinking fondly on him.
                               
                                In older
                                constructed, forget about it.  His 7CC is
                                almost impossible for a creature
                                that can be easily killed.  There's nothing
                                worse than casting a Vampiric
                                Dragon, and watch him get Swords to Plowshared,
                                or even worse, a simple Hydroblast.  When
                                common 1CC things take down your fattie, then
                                you need a new fattie.
                               
                                In newer
                                constructed, it's a little better, but still not
                                that great.  It dodges
                                all the black removal and would almost always
                                take a pair, if not three burn spells to take
                                down.  It can still have it's services
                                Terminated, though,
                                which, like Hydroblast and StP, stinks.  In
                                a Red/Black control deck,
                                he might have a place.  If you can hold off
                                an opponent's horde early to
                                get to the late game and drop him, then his
                                ability can hold off most the rest of the horde,
                                while still getting bigger.  Black/Red
                                Control isn't THAT big
                                these days, though, so should not see a lot
                                there.
                               
                                In limited, it's
                                awesome, plain and simple.  A first pick
                                every time, and a potential
                                reason to change colors if you get it late in a
                                draft.  Almost definately
                                switch on pack two, and seriously consider a way
                                to splash him on pack three.
                               
                                In conclusion, he's
                                great trade bait, but I don't see him getting a
                                lot of play in real tournaments.  Bust him
                                in draft, then trade him to a kid after you
                                win the draft.
                               
                                Old Constructed
                                Rating - 2.0New Constructed Rating - 3.0
 Constructed Potential Rating - 3.0
 Limited Rating - 5.0
 
                                Overall Rating -
                                3.25
                               |  
                            | JasonChapman
 | 
                                
                                  Vampiric Dragon
                                  - Rating 4 The 8 mana (and
                                  requirement of 2 colors) is darn steep and
                                  almost makes me want to drop this card down to
                                  a rating of 3. Still a 5/5 flyer, in colors
                                  that lack flyers, is pretty nice. The real
                                  point boost for this bad boy comes from the
                                  internal synergy. In general I feel the
                                  Vampiric mechanic is overrated but the fact
                                  that this beast can deal direct damage means
                                  it will come into play a lot more. He's almost
                                  an expensive Masticore and you can't overlook
                                  the power. He fails in aggressive decks
                                  (because of cost) but can be the kill
                                  card in many defensive/control B/R builds. |  
                            | JohnHornberg
 | 
                                Vampiric Dragon
                                (Rating - 2 out of 5)
                               
                                At first glance, the
                                card looks better than Masticore:  It
                                flies, and Masticore didn’t, It shoots
                                creatures like Masticore, it’s larger than
                                Masticore, and it has the Sengir ability.
                               
                                As usual, there’s
                                a catch.
                               
                                At 6BR to play, the
                                odds of it EVER hitting the board are minimal at
                                best in constructed.  Along with this,
                                it’s ONLY a 5/5.  the 8 for a 5/5 flying
                                is a rip off for anything.  Plus, his
                                ability to shoot requires a red, which means you
                                can’t throw gobs of mana into him to kill a
                                creature.  You’re limited to how ever
                                much red mana you have.
                               
                                Now, I may seem like
                                I’m complaining over nothing, but there is a
                                lot of fact in what I say.   All these
                                drawbacks will keep this card off of the Pro
                                Tour Circuit, and as little more than great
                                trade fodder.  That’s why I give this
                                card a 2.
                               
                                It’s simply not
                                worth the mana.
                               |  
                            |  Wesley
 Allison
 | 
                                It's big.  It's
                                costly.  It's rare.  Most importantly,
                                I don't have one.All this leads me to give it a 3.  As long
                                as the Invasion Dragons are still in
                                standard, I think they will be the wyrms to go
                                with.
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