Hello everyone. Now that Innistrad: Crimson Vow is officially here, I'll be taking the next couple of weeks to show you some cool, new decks created with these cards. This week, all of the decks I have feature a tribal theme. Let's get started.

Mardu Vampires

Naturally, the first deck I have for you features the Vampire tribe. It has the potential to hit for a lot of damage. Let's take a look at it.

Mardu Vampires | VOW Standard | MtgMalone, aetherhub.com user

• Creatures (21)
• 2 Henrika Domnathi // Henrika, Infernal Seer
• 3 Edgar, Charmed Groom // Edgar Markov's Coffin
• 3 Florian, Voldaren Scion
• 3 Unholy Officiant
• 3 Vampire Socialite
• 3 Welcoming Vampire
• 4 Immersturm Predator

• Planeswalkers (2)
• 2 Sorin the Mirthless

• Instants (8)
• 2 Lantern Flare
• 2 Vampires' Vengeance
• 4 Deadly Dispute

• Sorceries (5)
• 2 Duress
• 3 Crippling Fear

• Lands (24)
• 2 Mountain
• 2 Plains
• 7 Swamp
• 3 Haunted Ridge
• 3 Shattered Sanctum
• 3 Sundown Pass
• 4 Voldaren Estate

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Another way to deal a massive amount of damage is with the help of Sorin the Mirthless. While it takes a while to build up to it, if you're able to activate his -7 loyalty ability, you can deal 13 damage to any target, while gaining 13 points of life for yourself. By directing this damage at your opponent's life total, you can possibly win the game on the spot. Even if that doesn't happen, having a 26-point swing in life total amounts should be massively beneficial to you. Alternatively, the 13 points of damage could be directed at a large creature your opponent controls, such as a Treefolk token created by Wrenn and Seven. Doing this can clear the way for your creatures to attack with less resistance.

Speaking of clearing your opponent's creatures out of your way, this deck has some great pieces of removal in it. Crippling Fear can be used to give -3/-3 to every creature that's not a creature type of your choice (most likely Vampire). You can combine this with Vampires' Vengeance, which deals 2 damage to each non-Vampire creature in play. Playing both of these cards on the same turn will cost you 7 mana, but it's very possible to accomplish in the late game. Being able to remove each of your opponent's creatures that has 5 toughness or less can be just what you need to be able to attack for those final points of damage.

Dimir Zombies

Next, I have a deck featuring the Zombie tribe. It utilizes the exploit mechanic to gain an advantage over the opponent. Let's check it out.

Dimir Zombies | VOW Standard | LegenVD, aetherhub.com user

• Creatures (27)
• 1 Geralf, Visionary Stitcher
• 3 Archghoul of Thraben
• 3 Fell Stinger
• 4 Bladestitched Skaab
• 4 Champion of the Perished
• 4 Headless Rider
• 4 Priest of the Haunted Edge
• 4 Shambling Ghast

• Enchantments (3)
• 3 Necroduality

• Lands (24)
• 6 Snow-Covered Island
• 9 Snow-Covered Swamp
• 1 Faceless Haven
• 4 Clearwater Pathway // Murkwater Pathway
• 4 Ice Tunnel

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In order for your Zombie horde to take over the battlefield, you'll need to find ways to ensure you have a battlefield presence. After all, if you're exploiting many of your creatures, you might not have many left for defense, let alone attacking. Luckily, there are ways to offset this. With a Headless Rider on the battlefield, you'll create a 2/2 Zombie creature token whenever it or another nontoken Zombie you control dies. This gives you some protection versus board wipes. Another card that will help you is Tainted Adversary. With a bit of extra mana, you can create a pair or quartet of 2/2 Zombie creature tokens when Tainted Adversary comes into play. You'll also be able to create copies of any nontoken Zombies that enter the battlefield under your control by having a copy of Necroduality in play. If you happen to get a second copy of Necroduality on the battlefield, you're likely to see your opponent concede immediately, as it will be difficult to overcome that many decaying bodies on the battlefield.

If you thought a horde of Zombies -on- the battlefield was a nightmare, imaging that same horde flying above it, waiting to swoop in for an attack at any minute. That's what you get when you have the only non-Zombie creature in this deck on the battlefield. Geralf, Visionary Stitcher may not be a Zombie, but he sure knows how to modify them. With Geralf in play, all of your Zombies have flying. Geralf also has an ability that you can use to replace a nontoken Zombie of yours that is going to leave the battlefield due to your opponent's removal.

Gruul Werewolves

This week's final deck focuses on the Werewolf tribe. Innistrad: Crimson Vow brought some nice additions to the Werewolves from our previous Standard sets. Let's take a look at the deck.

Gruul Werewolves | VOW Standard | MTGArenaOriginalDecks, aetherhub.com user

• Creatures (22)
• 2 Howlpack Piper // Wildsong Howler
• 4 Avabruck Caretaker // Hollowhenge Huntmaster
• 4 Kessig Naturalist // Lord of the Ulvenwald
• 4 Packsong Pup
• 4 Tovolar, Dire Overlord // Tovolar, the Midnight Scourge
• 4 Werewolf Pack Leader

• Planeswalkers (4)
• 4 Arlinn, the Pack's Hope // Arlinn, the Moon's Fury

• Sorceries (7)
• 3 Blizzard Brawl
• 4 Unnatural Moonrise

• Enchantments (5)
• 2 Ranger Class
• 3 Howling Moon

• Lands (23)
• 6 Snow-Covered Mountain
• 9 Snow-Covered Forest
• 4 Cragcrown Pathway // Timbercrown Pathway
• 4 Rockfall Vale

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Since you have ways of drawing extra cards, you might find yourself in a position where you have more creatures in your hand than you can play during the next couple of turns. Luckily, Howlpack Piper // Wildsong Howler is here to help. Howlpack Piper has an activated ability that allows you to put a creature card from your hand onto the battlefield. This ability only needs 2 mana to activate it, and if the creature you put onto the battlefield is a Wolf or Werewolf, you also untap Howlpack Piper. This allows you the potential of playing multiple creatures each turn, for only 2 mana each, no matter their actual mana value.

There are a couple of other great cards from Innistrad: Crimson Vow that really boost Werewolf decks. Avabruck Caretaker // Hollowhenge Huntmaster places two +1/+1 counters on another creature you control. If it happens to be night, all of your permanents will also have hexproof. With a mana value of six, you'll want to put Avabruck Caretaker onto the battlefield with Howlpack Piper's activated ability if possible, rather than casting her. Howling Moon is the other card I wanted to mention. While it always has the ability to give a +2/+2 bonus to one of your Wolf or Werewolf creatures, I like that you'll also get to create a 2/2 Wolf creature token whenever your opponent casts their second spell each turn. Werewolves are always better at night, and this card punishes your opponent for bringing the daylight.

Wrapping Up

Tribal decks are usually a lot of fun to play, and they can be a great starting place when a new set is released. Which of these tribes is your favorite, or is a different tribe more to your liking?

What do you think of these decks? Do you have any suggestions for improvements? Let me know by leaving a comment below. Also, feel free to share this article with your friends anywhere on social media. And be sure to join me here again next week as I continue my search for innovative decks in Standard. I'll see you then!

-Mike Likes