Some Commanders play fair. Strefan, Maurer Progenitor does not. He’s a scheming, blood-drinking aristocrat who turns excess life loss into token profits. This deck lives in the twilight between greed and glory—perfect for players who love life drain, flying minions, and a healthy dose of theatrical flair.
Commander (1)
- Strefan, Maurer Progenitor — Generates Blood tokens and drops Vampires into play like a gothic party planner.
Creatures (30)
- Anje, Maid of Dishonor — Creates Blood tokens and sacrifices creatures for damage.
- Big Game Hunter — Destroys big threats while fitting the discard theme.
- Bloodline Necromancer — Reanimates Vampires or Wizards straight to the battlefield.
- Bloodtracker — Turns life payments into card draw on steroids.
- Butcher of Malakir — A Grave Pact on wings; punishes opponents for killing your stuff.
- Champion of Dusk — Draws cards equal to your Vamp count—worth every drop of life.
- Crossway Troublemakers — Gives deathtouch and lifelink to your entire army.
- Dusk Legion Sergeant — Small boost that rewards attacking with lifelinkers.
- Falkenrath Forebear — Evasive beater that feeds off Blood tokens.
- Florian, Voldaren Scion — Converts combat damage into card selection like a budget Sensei’s Top.
- Gluttonous Guest — Gains life and makes Blood when it enters, fueling Strefan’s economy.
- High-Society Hunter — Drains each opponent when a creature dies; sneaky finisher.
- Kazarov, Sengir Pureblood — Late-game removal engine that gets swole off damage.
- Markov Baron — Pumps the team and keeps pressure steady.
- Markov Enforcer — Smashes creatures and grows with every Vampire trigger.
- Mirkwood Bats — Drains opponents when your tokens come or go; perfect synergy piece.
- Necropolis Regent — Doubles your combat damage snowball style.
- Olivia’s Attendants — Creates Blood and deals repeatable damage; huge mana sink.
- Patron of the Vein — Kills a creature and buffs your army for every opposing death.
- Qarsi Revenant — Mana ramp that scales with your Swamps.
- Queen’s Bay Paladin — Lifegain and recursion on one stately Vampire body.
- Rakish Heir — Snowballs your entire board with +1/+1 counters after each bite.
- Sanctum Seeker — Drains life every time you attack with Vampires. Lethal late-game clock.
- Spear Spewer — Pings everyone each turn, including you, fueling Strefan triggers.
- Stromkirk Captain — Anthem effect plus first strike = perfect combat math.
- Timothar, Baron of Bats — Turns dying Vampires into Bat replacements. Very on-brand.
- Vampire Socialite — Early drop that grows the squad and supports aggressive starts.
- Vein Drinker — Removal and scaling threat rolled into one flying nightmare.
- Voldaren Bloodcaster — Generates Blood and flips into a payoff engine fast.
- Wedding Security — Converts Blood tokens into card draw and muscle.
Sorceries (2)
- Feast of Blood — Cheap removal if you’ve got enough Vamps on board.
- Olivia’s Wrath — A board wipe that spares your Vampire family.
Instants (3)
- Dark Withering — Madness removal that pairs beautifully with Blood tokens.
- Deadly Dispute — Sac outlet and card draw, all for two mana.
- Vampires’ Vengeance — Small board wipe that conveniently leaves your fanged friends alive.
Artifacts (15)
- Arcane Signet — The universal mana rock. Auto-include.
- Ceremonial Knife — Turns damage into Blood; thematically perfect.
- Cranial Plating — Makes your token swarm hit like trucks.
- Cranial Ram — Equipment that grows as your artifacts pile up.
- Cryptolith Fragment — Fixes mana and chips away at life totals.
- Fellwar Stone — Smooth, flexible mana rock that plays well in multiplayer.
- Gilded Lotus — Late-game mana battery for your expensive threats.
- Icon of Ancestry — Buffs your team and digs for more Vampires.
- Inspiring Statuary — Turns Blood tokens into pseudo-mana sources.
- Rakdos Signet — Reliable two-color ramp classic.
- Sol Ring — Because every EDH deck has one. And should.
- Swiftfoot Boots — Protects Strefan and speeds up your threats.
- Talisman of Indulgence — Another mana rock; efficient and painless here.
- Thran Dynamo — Heavy ramp for big blood-fueled turns.
- Whispersilk Cloak — Makes your key Vampire untouchable and unblockable.
Enchantments (5)
- Arterial Alchemy — Blood production and equipment synergy in one slick spell.
- Phyrexian Arena — Classic card draw engine that feeds your hand every upkeep.
- Sanctum of Stone Fangs — Slow drain that stacks beautifully over long games.
- Stensia Masquerade — First strike party with +1/+1 counters to spare.
- Triskaidekaphobia — Win by math. Keeps everyone nervously counting their life total.
Lands (36)
- Arid Archway — Filters mana and supports utility options.
- Command Tower — Perfect mana fixing for Commander decks.
- Exotic Orchard — Leverages your opponents’ colors for fun and profit.
- Foreboding Ruins — Enters untapped with a little setup; solid dual land.
- Ifnir Deadlands — Turns extra lands into removal counters.
- Leechridden Swamp — Chip damage source that ends games slowly and painfully.
- 3 Mountain — Basic red mana, no surprises here.
- Myriad Landscape — Ramp in land form; nice for color balancing.
- Path of Ancestry — Scry and fixing for tribal synergy decks.
- Rakdos Carnarium — Bounce land that smooths your mana and draws you pseudo-cards.
- Ramunap Ruins — Deals the final points when everyone’s low.
- Secluded Courtyard — Tribal land that makes casting Vampires trivial.
- Smoldering Marsh — Enters untapped with basics; fits Rakdos color base.
- Spire of Industry — Fixes mana perfectly in artifact-heavy decks.
- Sulfurous Springs — Pain land that’s worth every ping.
- 15 Swamp — You’ll need these for consistency and devotion payoffs.
- Tainted Peak — Great dual once your basics are down.
- Temple of the False God — Extra mana source once you’re online.
- Unclaimed Territory — Fixes perfectly for Vampires.
- Voldaren Estate — Premium tribal land that makes Blood and smooths mana.
Sideboard (8)
- Belligerent Guest — Makes Blood every time it connects.
- Blood Hypnotist — Aggressive finisher that triggers off Blood use.
- Dark Impostor — Removes creatures and steals their abilities.
- Falkenrath Gorger — Madness enabler for every Vampire in your hand.
- Kamber, the Plunderer — Life drain plus artifact generation synergy.
- Sangromancer — Life gain engine every time things die.
- Voldaren Ambusher — Removal baked into a Blood-fueled body.
- Voldaren Epicure — Turn-one Blood maker to start your engine early.
Game Plan
This deck feeds on incremental advantage. Strefan rewards you for losing life by stockpiling Blood tokens, which quickly become a form of resource flexibility. Use Blood to filter draws, reanimate with Strefan’s ability, and drop massive Vampires straight from your hand during combat. You’re not playing aggro—you’re running a blood economy.
Strengths
- Resilient Midrange: You grind through removal with recursion and card draw engines like Champion of Dusk and Bloodtracker.
- Token Value: Blood tokens become mana, card selection, and sacrifice fodder depending on your setup.
- Life Drain Payoffs: Cards like Sanctum Seeker and Mirkwood Bats close games by chipping everyone down simultaneously.
- Flavor Win: It’s a Vampire deck. You’re literally styling on your opponents while you drain them dry.
Weaknesses
- Graveyard Hate: Shuts off recursion and can stall momentum.
- Token Wipes: You rely heavily on Blood and Bat tokens—mass exile hurts.
- Speed: Early turns are setup-heavy, so hyper-aggro decks can sneak under you.
Upgrades and Tweaks
- Luxury Additions: Add Vampiric Tutor and Blood Crypt for smoother consistency.
- Budget Options: Swap pricey rocks for Mind Stone and Charcoal Diamond.
- Spice Picks: Anje’s Ravager and Blood Artist both amplify the life-swing chaos if you want to lean harder into drain.
Final Thoughts
Strefan doesn’t just command a Vampire army—he runs a business. Every life lost, token created, and opponent drained feeds your machine. The deck is equal parts spectacle and efficiency, and once the blood starts flowing, you’ll be the one setting the table, not sitting at it.


0 Comments