{"ops":[{"insert":"As head of the insidious Null Group, "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Madame Null, Power Broker"}},{"insert":" regularly exploits mutants and other inhumans for her company's benefit. What group of nonhuman villains could be better business partners than a star team of aristocratic vampires? It's high time the Null Group expanded into a new Transylvanian branch.\n\nThis deck places Madame Null at the head of a grindy Vampire deck, leveraging the way her ability interacts with many characteristic Vampire traits. The deck is built around a three-step plan:\n"},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"Use lifegain to keep Madame Null's ability sustainable:"},{"insert":" Her ability to turn life into +1/+1 counters is powerful, but normally has to be used in moderation. But Vampires are often associated with gaining life. Creatures like "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Gifted Aetherborn"}},{"insert":" feature Lifelink, and opponents can be drained of life with engines like "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Twilight Prophet"}},{"insert":" and interaction like "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Feast of Blood"}},{"insert":". This lets us put the old adage of \"life is a resource\" to the test."},{"attributes":{"list":"ordered"},"insert":"\n"},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"Leverage the +1/+1 counters for advantage:"},{"insert":" Many effects in a Vampire deck can take advantage of a creature's power being essentially doubled. "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Susur Secundi, Void Altar"}},{"insert":" can be stationed with high-power creatures, then sacrifice them for burst draw. "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Tenured Inkcaster"}},{"insert":" can turn any swing into life drain. "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Dying Wish"}},{"insert":" and "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Rite of Consumption"}},{"insert":" can do double-digit damage to close out a game or disincentivize removal. It becomes much easier to hit power or toughness thresholds for "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Desperate Plea"}},{"insert":"'s reanimation effect, or for cards like "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Bonders' Enclave"}},{"insert":" and "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Kheru Bloodsucker"}},{"insert":". Counters can even be spent, with "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Retribution of the Ancients"}},{"insert":" using them to shrink opposing creatures."},{"attributes":{"list":"ordered"},"insert":"\n"},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"Use the death of creatures for further value: "},{"insert":"Many ways to get value from toughness need us to sacrifice our own creatures, but in fact, that only gives more potential for advantage. After all, Vampires are closely aligned with the Aristocrat deck style, with iconic cards like "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Blood Artist"}},{"insert":", "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Falkenrath Noble"}},{"insert":", and "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Vein Ripper"}},{"insert":" turning every sacrifice, removal spell, or blocker into an opportunity to whittle down our opponents. Some cards can also be repeatedly recurred from the graveyard to use over and over, like "},{"insert":{"card-link":"The Falcon, Airship Restored"}},{"insert":" and "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Silversmote Ghoul"}},{"insert":"."},{"attributes":{"list":"ordered"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"\nAn important consideration for typal decks is the exceptions; that is, which creatures are worth breaking the Vampire theme for? For us, it's value engines that offer a level of consistency or explosiveness that Vampires alone may struggle to match. Much of that is card draw: "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Vilis, Broker of Blood"}},{"insert":" turns each of Madame Null's activations into draw, "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Shadowheart, Dark Justiciar"}},{"insert":" can turn any creature into a huge burst of cards, and "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Skyclave Shadowcat"}},{"insert":" puts a card into our hand when anything buffed by Madame Null hits the graveyard. \n\nSome utility cards that caught my eye help round out the deck. 1-mana ramp sources like "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Sol Ring"}},{"insert":", "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Dark Ritual"}},{"insert":", and "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Master of Dark Rites"}},{"insert":" (since Madame Null is a Demon) can get our commander out as early as turn 1 or 2, or can give us a burst of mana later on for our most expensive cards. Lands like "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Karn's Bastion"}},{"insert":" and "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Nesting Grounds"}},{"insert":" can redistribute or grow our +1/+1 counters. "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Withering Boon"}},{"insert":" is one of my favorites: it can catch opponents off guard with a black counterspell, plus it offers another source of life payment.\n"}]}