Crimson Vow Predictions

“Magictating” is defined as getting into the zone with your Magic the Gathering collection--thinking, planning, organizing, reminiscing about past games, and imagining future games. It is a combination of hard thinking about the game and calm meditation, reveling in the joy it brings you.

Predictions? Sure, I can do that. Just don’t be upset when I spoil everything for you before the spoilers.

Mark Rosewater has developed a tradition of giving some hints or clues about cards to come in the newest sets right before spoiler season. It’s a way to hype the hype before a set’s preview season kicks off. His Crimson Vow spoilers are here. So, what new vicious vampiric gifts might be headed our way? I have a few guesses based on what I’ve been able to tease from Rosewater’s teasers.

He states: “The following counter types: bloodline, croak, invitation, judgment, omen, slime, and suspect”.

Clearly the bloodline counters indicate that we will be able to add vampires to our coven. In other words, I believe we will be able to move bloodline counters from a vampire to make other  Creatures into vampires. Additionally, I believe we can expect a bonus for each of those counters these  Creatures possess. A rare that grants counters, an uncommon that gives counters, and a common that comes into play with a counter.

The croak counter is going to line up with Visions of Dominance, and I believe we may see another Gitrog Monster themed card or cards that get bigger and grow into a new toadaliscious monstrosity! Oh, and I totally expect this to be a riff on the monstrous mechanic from the Theros block, but rebranded with croak counters instead of monstrous with +1/+1 counters.

The invitation counters point toward some sweet style of enchantment that is going to let us create an effect once we are able to accrue or remove enough of them to finally make it to the event. I suspect that we may even be able to give counters of this variety to other  Creatures, and thereby invite them to a wedding. Invitation counters may also be a fun way for a Planeswalker or Legendary  Creature to distribute invitations. Creatures with invitation counters will be able to work with others, but most likely those without invitations won’t be able to attack or block or perhaps even both!? It may even work similarly to a Geyadron Dehada, so don’t be surprised if you get to steal  Creatures that have been invited to the wedding.

Judgment counters sound fantastic. I sincerely hope that once we remove those counters we are able to pass judgment on  Creatures. This could be something unique, but at the same time it might be akin to vanishing or even suggest a board-wipe along the lines of a suspended Day of Judgment. I’d be alright with that.

Omen counters sound like they’ll be activating some sort of scrying ability. Perhaps they’ll work like the omen cycle from Theros, and instead just be a different take on an “enters the battlefield” effect that then changes when the counters are removed.

Slime counters sound simply silly, but perhaps it’s super serious? Try saying that five times fast. Slime counters sound like a way to enable the creation of more slime. I bet  Creatures with slime counters on them lose all abilities and are effectively 0/0’s that get a +1/+1 counter each turn. That would allow the slime to both spread and grow and become a serious threat in no time.

Suspect counters, as the kids say, sound “sussy”. I expect these to be similar to clue counters. These suspect counters may end up being used to provide something similar to what a file on a suspect might provide. Perhaps they will allow scrying or some sort of other informational advantage. I don’t expect these to be super exciting, but perhaps I’m wrong. I hope so. 

Rosewater’s next bullet reads: “A popular and powerful Creature card from an Inistrad set gets reprinted”. I’m personally hoping this is the Gitrog Monster, but it could very well be Thalia in some new version. I’m betting if it’s the Gitrog Monster, then it has become the swamp king of sorts by challenging Sol’Kanar the Swamp King for the crown and swallowing him whole…or not. If it’s Thalia, then she’s going to be in some sort of ascendant angel form.

A new artifact token is probably going to be linked to blood, like a way to sacrifice a counter by paying a life and adding mana. I’m thinking of paying the vampires for the power you are getting. Bottling your blood or some such thing.

The Dragon Illusion Creature tokens will likely be made by an enchantment that won’t be something most Commander players will be able to use. Perhaps some sort of combat trick.

The mechanic that first appeared as a faction mechanic is going to be jumpstart.

The new legendary Creature that combines two characters will be an amazing and fun new vampire king and queen that may rival Edgar Markov for control of people’s Vampire decks. OK, maybe just for the people not looking to completely crush everyone. 

An enchantment that lets us cast zombies off the top of our library will join the fray. This is a bold prediction, but I think some wizardry will be happening here for sure.

The mirror of an old mechanic is likely to be a treasure mimic, and it could easily be linked to the “new” item that’s in the vein of existing tokens. I’m figuring this is Rosewater doing a little bit of cheating on his hinting.

A legendary character returning as a vampire is probably going to be Thalia. Sure, I said she’s going to be an Angel earlier, but I also think it’s possible she’s both. She’s a vampire that gets redeemed and becomes an Angel. Stranger things have happened, right?

For Rosewater’s rules texts clues I’m going to paste them here, and then I’ll talk about them generally, because I feel that might be a bit easier to follow.

Next, here are some rules text that will be showing up on cards:

• “Choose a number between 0 and 13.”
• “with mana value less than or equal to the number of Vampires you control”
• “If it’s red, you may cast it this turn.”
• “Zombies you control have flying.”
• “At the beginning of your upkeep, any opponent may sacrifice a  Creature.”
• “Kraken, Leviathan, Octopus, or Serpent”
• “twice that many of those tokens are created instead.”
• “Whenever a Human you control dies,”
• “equal to the number of permanents you control that are Spirits and/or enchantments.”
• “Then if you control exactly thirteen permanents,”

So, I’m guessing we are going to see one high profile reprint in Doubling Season to satisfy the doubles, but otherwise I’m thinking most of these are coming in the form of draft signaling uncommons and rares that are unlikely to see play in most Commander decks. I’m hopeful that we do get some sort of spell that lets you copy a sea monster or perhaps make an egg that can eventually become a copy of it except it’s also a horror. Additionally, I believe we will see Angels teaming up with humans and a game-ending effect that centers around controlling 13 permanents. Playing things off the top of your library with the red card seems likely, and fits into the whole red impulse concept. Overall, these rules bits look pretty fun!

Lastly, Rosewater gives us some  Creature types. I’ve listed them and my prediction for the card is below each:

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• Creature – Human Ranger Werewolf

A new legendary Creature.

• Creature – Angel Soldier

I’m guessing Thalia.

• Creature – Zombie Scorpion

Some sort of experimental lab created Creature.

• Creature – Serpent Egg

Something that hatches into a big old Kraken is definitely happening in this set. We need more big sea monster  Creatures!

• Creature – Eye Horror

This is going to be best card in the set. People will sleep on it at first, but it will end up being the breakout tournament rare that Commander players will also find unique uses for.

• Legendary Creature – Human Peasant

Thalia’s long lost children.

• Legendary Creature – Spirit Warlock

A zombie horde enabling  Creature.

• Legendary Creature – Slug Horror

A card akin that spits out ooze counters and leaves behind a trail of gooey bodies in its wake.

• Legendary Creature – Kraken Horror

Hatched from the eggs of a diabolical wizard, we will find the likes of a brand new 13/13 Kraken that creates some unique tokens.

• Legendary Creature – Vampire Noble (two new ones)

Wrap Up

This is the couple that I mentioned earlier. I’m guessing it’s Olivia and Sorin, but I’m hoping I’m wrong. Maybe it’s a forced wedding and someone else is bound to Olivia and is now hopelessly linked with the vampires for all eternity. A fun way to subvert the trope and have her become the ever devoted and undying love interest of the one she marries.

Let me know what you think might show up and feel free to call me out on anything I wildly miss! Until next time, may your card predictions and the cards you play be ever in your favor.