Card Spotlight
Olivia, Crimson Bride
A {4}{B}{R} 3/4 flier with haste. Whenever it attacks, you return a creature card from your graveyard to the battlefield tapped and attacking, and that creature is exiled when you don't control a legendary Vampire.
Commander Spotlight
Olivia, Crimson Bride ↗
A {4}{B}{R} 3/4 flier with haste. Whenever it attacks, you return a creature card from your graveyard to the battlefield tapped and attacking, and that creature is exiled when you don't control a legendary Vampire.
See Olivia, Crimson Bride's full stats and printings →
Strategies it goes well with
- Self-mill and entomb. Buried Alive and Entomb put your best creatures into the graveyard so the first attack returns something big.
- Backup legendary Vampires. Anje Falkenrath and Olivia Voldaren are legendary Vampires, so your reanimated creatures survive if Olivia is removed.
- Attack-trigger reanimation targets. Creatures with attack or combat damage triggers get full value, since they enter attacking.
How it does in Commander
As the commander
As a Rakdos commander it's a reanimator engine that works from the command zone and can attack the turn it comes down. Six mana is a lot, and the returned creatures depend on Olivia or another legendary Vampire staying out, so removal on her undoes much of the work.
In the 99
In the 99 it's a good top-end card for a black-red graveyard deck, though the legendary Vampire clause means you lose the reanimated creatures when Olivia goes, unless the deck runs other legendary Vampires.
Formats it's strong in
- Rakdos reanimator decks. A graveyard full of large creatures means every attack brings back a threat.
- Vampire decks. Other legendary Vampires keep the reanimated creatures around when Olivia is removed.
Formats it's weak in
- Pods with graveyard hate. Exiling your graveyard leaves the attack trigger with no targets.
- Fast, high-power pods. Six mana for an engine that needs to attack is slow next to faster reanimation lines.
Synergistic cards
Buried Alive ↗
Puts up to three creature cards into your graveyard for Olivia's attacks.
Entomb ↗
Puts any one card into your graveyard at instant speed, usually your best reanimation target.
Anje Falkenrath ↗
A legendary Vampire whose discard-to-draw ability also fills your graveyard with creatures.
Olivia Voldaren ↗
A second legendary Vampire, so your returned creatures stay if Olivia, Crimson Bride leaves.
Is it worth the price?
A Crimson Vow mythic that is mid-priced. It was reprinted in Innistrad: Double Feature, and the printings sit at similar prices.
Frequently asked questions
What happens to creatures Olivia returns if Olivia leaves?
Each one gains "When you don't control a legendary Vampire, exile this creature." Olivia is a legendary Vampire, so they stay while she's on the battlefield. If she leaves and you have no other legendary Vampire, they're exiled.
Can Olivia reanimate a creature the turn she comes down?
Yes. She has haste, so she can attack the turn you cast her, and the trigger returns a creature attacking alongside her right away.
Does the returned creature need haste to attack?
No. It enters tapped and attacking, so it's already in combat and summoning sickness doesn't matter.