Vampire Nighthawk
Creature — Vampire Shaman
Flying
Deathtouch (Any amount of damage this deals to a creature is enough to destroy it.)
Lifelink (Damage dealt by this creature also causes you to gain that much life.)
- CMC
- 3
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- B
- Rarity
- uncommon
- Set
- Modern Masters 2017
- Price
- $0.23
- EDHREC rank
- #1711
Vampire Nighthawk puts three keywords on a 2/3 body for three mana — deathtouch blocks everything, lifelink pays you back, and flying means it actually connects. That combination of stats and abilities lands well above rate, and commanders like Indominus Rex, Alpha that care about keyword density treat it as a near-automatic inclusion.
Best Commanders
Commanders with the highest synergy
Indominus Rex, Alpha
Indominus Rex, Alpha hides cards with multiple keywords under itself, and Vampire Nighthawk delivers three — deathtouch, lifelink, and flying — in a single slot, making it one of the most efficient keyword donors in the deck.
Vito, Thorn of the Dusk Rose
Vito, Thorn of the Dusk Rose turns every point of lifegain into opponent life loss, and Vampire Nighthawk's lifelink guarantees that trigger fires every time it connects — early, consistently, and through most blockers.
Kathril, Aspect Warper
Kathril, Aspect Warper distributes keyword counters from creatures in the graveyard, and Vampire Nighthawk contributes three distinct keywords to that pool, making it one of the highest-value mill targets or discard outlets in the 99.
Olivia Voldaren
Vampire Nighthawk is a Vampire, which satisfies Olivia Voldaren's tribal requirements, and its lifelink plus deathtouch profile keeps it relevant in combat well past the early turns when it enters.
Elenda, Saint of Dusk
Elenda, Saint of Dusk rewards running efficient Vampires that survive long enough to die meaningfully, and Vampire Nighthawk's deathtouch and flying make it both a durable threat and a reliable trigger source when it eventually trades.
Format Analysis
Where it lives, where it can’t
| Format | Verdict |
|---|---|
| commander | legal |
| legacy | legal |
| modern | legal |
| pioneer | legal |
| standard | legal |
| vintage | legal |
| pauper | not legal |
| oathbreaker | legal |
In Commander, Vampire Nighthawk earns its slot in any black deck that cares about keywords, lifegain, or tribal Vampire synergies — three mana for three relevant abilities is a deal that holds up at any power level. In Pioneer and Modern, it's a fringe consideration in dedicated lifegain or Vampire builds, but those formats move faster and three mana for a 2/3 that doesn't immediately affect the board is a harder sell. Legacy and Vintage have the same problem at a more extreme level — Vampire Nighthawk is simply too slow to matter in formats where the game can end on turn one or two. Pauper is the one format where it can't play at all, sitting above the uncommon threshold. Commander remains its natural home by a wide margin.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Price Context
Current price
$0.23 bulk tier
At $0.23, Vampire Nighthawk is deep bulk — you'll find copies in any dollar bin or thrown in as throw-ins without a second thought. The price is stable and unlikely to move; it's been widely printed and there's no shortage of supply relative to demand.
Explore
Sources
Mentioned
- Indominus Rex, Alpha
- Vito, Thorn of the Dusk Rose
- Kathril, Aspect Warper
- Olivia Voldaren
- Elenda, Saint of Dusk
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.