I know that black doesn't have a lot of small
efficient fliers, but Vamprie Bats aren't very
good. I'm more frustrated that we are ending the
week on a low note than having to review this
card :)
Seriously though, you don't want to be investing
your mana into your creatures just to get more
damage out of them. And if you are playing a
rush/aggro deck, you need to be making more guys
or killing the ones that are in your way.
Vampire Bats
It's a cheap flying creature, which is a point
for it right there. Of course, as a 0/1, it has
Ornithopter to compete with. It can increase its
power to 2, but that's a poor use of mana in the
early game, when you want to play this but then
want to spend your mana on better spells instead
of paying BB to do 2 damage a turn. Late game it
could prove a decent blocker (it can kill a Wind
Drake), and it works with Skeletal Vampire for
the few months they'll be in Standard together,
but other than that, it's nothing exciting. Play
it if you're worried that your black control
deck has nothing to do on Turn One, I guess.
Constructed- 2.8
Casual- 3
Limited- 2.5
David Fanany
Player since
1995
Vampire Bats
Vampire Bats is a simple creature, but it
doesn't really offer anything for constructed or
casual play. In limited, though, evasion wins
games, even when it's a creature where you have
to pay every turn to make it 2/1.
Vampire Bats is a good chump blocker or early
attacker which paves the way for your more
impressive creatures to win the game.
Constructed: 1/5
Casual: 1/5
Limited: 2/5
Arcane
Vampire Bats
Constructed: 1 mana for a 0/1 flier is probably
going to fit in well at the bottom of the curve
in black aggro and probably isn’t going to be
blocked for the first few turns but the problem
is that you’ve got to spend mana to get your
damage, hindering your ability to lay more
threats; and while a few points of damage is
okay you’d much rather be putting out lots of
threats, or at least a threat that doesn’t
require further investment to be good.
Casual/Multi: There are just so many better
options for pumpable creatures with evasion in
black (think Shades) to really make the vampire
bat any good. Though by all means put it in your
Halloween themed or vampire tribal deck of some
such to flesh out a deck that only really seems
to shine in big, friendly multiplayer games.
Limited: I like it a little better in limited as
it fits well in the bottom of the curve and can
come out swinging for two as of the second turn.
Then when your opponent has managed to put
something in its way or destroyed it you get out
the other creatures that you’ve been building up
to with turns and mana drops. Just realize that
you are stunting your own board development to
hit them for that two damage a turn. Better
against a deck that you know is slower to get
going (game 2 and 3).
Constructed: 1
Casual: 1.5
Limited: 2
The Missing
Linc
-Balding
for just over 5 years
-Playing MTG for just over 10
Vampire Bat
I have always thought this card deserves a
place. However, I have never found this place.
It may seem attractive to fly over for two on
the second round, but then you are kept from
playing anything. Now, a little later may be
good, but this card belongs in an aggressive
black deck. Time will tell if this sees play. I
also don't think this card has been in a main
set for a while. In limited, this card has much
better uses
Constructed: 2
Casual: 3
Limited: 3
PsychoAnime
#1
Magic Noob in Canada since 2002
1 black mana for 0/1 flying alone is bad because
Ornithopter does it
for any mana.
In early game, developing your field is more
important than sucking all
your mana up with this thing for some damage. In
mid and late game,
this thing isn't going to do any damage.
Obviously, I'm giving this
bat a low score.
