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Main Magazine Page: The Duelist #10

Immortal Gentleman and Politician

Baron Sengir is misunderstood by most people of the Homelands. Quite unlike the ravenous hordes of flying, devious Sengir Vampires, the Baron is the very model of a modern Dominarian gentleman. This local hunter of the night has class. The Baron would rather have you to dinner and entwine you in political theory than go for your throat. Strolling the battlements of Castle Sengir discussing philosophy and dwarven engineering is far more important to him than terrorizing the countryside and kidnapping villagers for fiendish plots.

However, the Baron does have a bit of the cruel streak that comes with eternal life. Feeding hapless villagers to carnivorous coach steeds is a perfectly acceptable pastime, and transforming double-dealing wizards into ravaging werewolves is all part of a day’s work on the moors. Stealing an entire boatload of settlers bound for An-Havva and forcing them to relocate to the deltas around Castle Sengir is a matter of business and enterprise, not of some darkly repressed streak of undead melodrama.

The Baron is a watcher of time, but his patience is unmatched by most mortals. Ever since he was abandoned in the Homelands centuries ago after being summoned during a planeswalker duel, he has known of the Dwarven Gate deep beneath the dungeons of Castle Sengir—a one-way portal leading to an entirely different world. Walking through the gateway would be simple for him, but why walk through the passage alone when he could bring an army instead? It will only take him a few more decades to subjugate all of the peoples of the Homelands, and during that time he can improve his sorcery skills with the aid of Grandmother Sengir. Though the humans who live in the squalid muck are important to Baron Sengir for the work they perform, their more valuable trait is that they all eventually die. Because mortals are always full of tricks and are constantly plotting the Baron’s downfall, they are far more useful dead—as undead servants in his castle, as unwavering warriors who guard Koskun Falls, or even, occasionally, as coat racks. Furthermore, the Baron enjoys the occasional flailing human for a snack—even the most well-mannered of undead dictators must keep their strength up.

Using the strengths of his subjects isn’t Baron Sengir’s only concern, though; he is also heavily involved in politics. Beyond the dark walls of his ill-gotten castle, Sengir has spies in Aysen who fuel the rift between the Serrans and the altruistic Death Speakers. A number of the students in the Wizards’ School have begun to succumb to his offers of dark power, without meddling Reveka’s even knowing of his machinations. At the request of his master the Baron, Veldrane endlessly stalks the wood, searching for the fabled grove of Autumn Willow and her priestesses. Additionally, Joven and Chandler still sell the artifacts they steal to the highest bidder, unaware that the mysterious third party is none other than the Baron himself, arming himself for future conflict. Haling, a dwarven trader, occasionally visits Castle Sengir to exchange information and stories from An-Havva for jewels and dwarven treasures. Even Eron the Relentless is unaware that his trade agreement with Aysen is tenuous and that many of his caravan guards are on Baron Sengir’s payroll.

It’s all a matter of waiting. Until the day when Baron Sengir has exclusive power in the Homelands, he will continue to enjoy life, watch the sunset, and occasionally bicker with his subjects over their obsessions with wooden stakes and swamp garlic. Life as an undead is good, but someday, Sengir knows, he will escape from the restrictive domain of the Homelands.

—Scott Hungerford

Playing with Baron Sengir

Baron Sengir is one of the most intimidating character cards in Magic. It’s cool, smooth, and powerful without an annoying upkeep. Although the deck here doesn’t depend upon the Baron alone, when you do get it into play, watch the look on your opponent’s face; there’s a reason for that look of fear. With its ability to regenerate Vampires, Baron Sengir makes Krovikan Vampires worthy opponents and enhances the already formidable Sengir Vampires. Dead Men Walking isn’t a World Championship–class deck, but it will make your opponent start looking for holy water and a stake.

Dead Men Walking isn’t designed to give you life, so it’s a race to eliminate your opponent before she butchers you first. If you play your cards correctly, your opponent will have some tough choices because if she doesn’t block your creatures, she will probably die. If your opponent does block, however, her creatures will be decimated, and she’ll eventually die anyway.

Secure your smaller blockers early in the game—Vampire Bats, Armor Thrulls and Will-O’-The-Wisps—and start laying down your Ebon Strongholds and Bad Moons. Try to hold on to any Dark Rituals, however, so you can use them to summon Sengir Vampires and other high-casting-cost creatures in one fast wave, unnerving your opponent. Get out those Krovikan Vampires so you can control the dead, and don’t forget Grandmother Sengir to weaken any remaining adversaries. Finally, Baron Sengir completes the nightmare, turning your Vampires into a regenerating force of darkness.

There are several decent combos in this deck, each designed to give your opponent the heebie-jeebies. Krovikan Vampire + Baron Sengir = creature control, while the same combo with Sengir Vampire makes for a fast-growing Vampire. Use your Terrors against any dangerous non-black, non-artifact creatures, and use Unholy Strength or Feast of the Unicorn to give your small creatures enough clout to attack with confidence. Finally, Soul Exchange used with Armor Thrull brings a dead creature straight into play, bigger than before.

Single-color decks are notoriously vulnerable, which is why sideboarding is so important. When playing against a white deck, switch in four Glooms along with Ihsan’s Shades and Irini Sengirs. Against green decks, use Irini Sengirs and Deathgrips to limit non-creature cards. If playing against a black deck, take out Bad Moons and Terrors and put in Bog Wraiths. And if playing against a “weenie-madness” deck, well—it’s feeding time for Dead Men Walking.

Dead Men Walking:
4 Ebon Stronghold
20 Swamp

3 Armor Thrull
2 Baron Sengir
2 Grandmother Sengir
4 Krovikan Vampire
4 Sengir Vampire
3 Vampire Bats
3 Will-O’-The-Wisp

3 Bad Moon
2 Feast of the Unicorn
2 Unholy Strength
2 Terror
4 Dark Ritual
2 Soul Exchange

Sideboard
4 Bog Wraith
2 Ihsan’s Shade
2 Irini Sengir
4 Gloom
3 Deathgrip

—Jon Wilkie

Artist’s Perspective

SENGIR—I remember thinking it was a cool name from the first time I held one of those prized Sengir Vampires back in late ’93. In the original set, some of the best-looking cards were black, and Sengir Vampire was one of the prize catches in that color, not least because of Anson Maddocks’ memorable art.

My chance to extend the Sengir line came in March ’95 when I spoke to Homelands designers Kyle Namvar and Scott Hungerford about the upcoming set and discovered the tale of Baron Sengir. Because I was visiting the Seattle offices, I was in a prime position to ask the art director if I could paint the Baron. The answer was yes, but only if I was prepared to do the other members of the Sengir family as well. Naturally, I agreed.

From the start, I knew the Baron’s portrait had to be a departure from the gothic look that has predominated in the depiction of vampires. I envisioned Baron Sengir as a general in control of his vampiric army, and from this came the idea of his wearing a breastplate. You probably won’t be surprised to discover that the breastplate’s ornamentation resembles a stylized bat. I based the Baron’s features upon Anson’s original vampire, adjusting it to make it less feral and to give the face a sense of nobility (the good looks were a bonus). The most dramatic additions were the ponytail and the small, hooked beard. Finally, the crystal ball was a good way to hint at the momentous intrigues the Baron is involved with, and it also served as a strong light source to give some drama to the piece.

Baron Sengir is probably my most popular card to date, though I feel Grandmother Sengir is a better painting. Still, the Baron has done me many favors, including giving me the chance to work in Dominia Continuity at Wizards of the Coast. Now I help build the stories, past and present, which surround the multiverse that is Dominia.

—Pete Venters

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