Lost Caverns Of Ixalan Leaks - Vampire Commander Spoiled

Lost Caverns of Ixalan is the next Magic: The Gathering set, set to hit shelves on November 17, 2023. We recently got our first batch of official spoilers for the set, and now we've got a massive Lost Caverns Of Ixalan Leak. It's not a main set card but a face commander for one of the precons. And it's pretty spicy. So, without further ado, let's take a look at it!

Lost Caverns Of Ixalan Leaks

Lost Caverns of Ixalan has four precons - One for each of the original Ixalan tribes: Vampires, Pirates, Merfolk, and Dinosaurs. Clavileno, First of the Blessed is the face commander for the vampire precon, "Blood Rites." And he has a big block of crazy text. Whenever you attack, target attacking non-demon vampire becomes a demon in addition to its other types. It also gains "When this creature dies, draw a card and create a tapped 4/3 white and black vampire demon creature token with flying."

So, to clarify, when you attack, you choose one vampire you control that isn't a demon, and it becomes one. Then, you draw a card whenever said creature dies and make a 4/3 flying token. Considering the 4/3 is already a demon, you won't be able to target it with this attack trigger. Other than that, all other vamps besides Lord Xander, the Collector and changeling creatures will trigger this.

There are a few things that make this card incredibly powerful. First and foremost, you're drawing a card and making a beefy token with evasion. Next is that it discourages opponents from blocking your incoming attacks. If they block and your creature dies, you will generate a lot of value. Not only a card but a replacement body that could be bigger than what died.

Lastly, is how nasty this gets with aristocrat builds, which is black/white's bread and butter. Having a commander that lets your sacrificed creatures draw cards and replace themselves easily gets out of hand with cards like Blood Artist, Cruel Celebrant, Ashnod's Altar, Viscera Seer, Bloodghast and many more. Not to mention Edgar Markov will be best friends with this guy.

This card was undoubtedly designed a year or so ago, if not longer. Still, I can't help but notice he's a vampire cleric, given all the recent buzz about WOTC Considering Not Using Druid Or Shaman Creatures Anymore.

Authenticating The Leak

Leaks are nothing new in MTG, and it's not uncommon to have fakes. That said, this appears to be legit. If you look at the commander precon boxes for the set, you can see the same character on the box and the line, "Spawn vampire minions. Sacrifice to flying demons," which is exactly what this card does.

So, unless someone went to great lengths to rip the art off the box and alter it, I think it's safe to say this one is real. However, if you spot something off, comment and let me know.

Conclusion

There you have it, my friends, the Lost Caverns Of Ixalan Leak. I love vampire tribal (and demon tribal!), so this card is right up my alley. And I must say, I'm impressed with the card. It seems mighty powerful and a lot of fun to play. Comment below and let me know what you think of the card.