I wanted to try and take a stab at making an "Elder Vanpire"; like the first vampire who led to the rise of all of the others on a plane. I'm imagining a Baron Sengir type character.
Ghast, the Night King4BBB
Legendary Creature - Elder Vampire (M)
Flying, Lifelink
You may cast Ghast, the Night King and other Vampire cards from your graveyard by paying life equal to their mana value in addition to their other costs.
5/5
So the idea here is that you have a big expensive, evasive lifelink beater that costs you a lot of mana to cast. The benefit is that you can cast your vampires back from your graveyard now! Sure, Kalastria Bloodlord will cost you a steep 7 mana and 7 life, but vampires are pretty good at stealing life themselves, giving you more resources to rebuild your vampire army. Ghast has the same ability built in; giving you some flexibility if he dies. Just be ready to spend that 7 life and mana though.
All in all, it's an expensive but flavorful top-end finisher that doesn't win the game outright, but trades that for flavorful and creative power, with a side of inevitability.
I think him having lifelink might be too much, since its effectively adding mana when he attacks or blocks, especailly because he can block and die, and then you use the life gained to recast him next turn, lather/rinse/repeat.
Life gain is a good fit, but I think there needs to be a bigger hoop to jump through instead of lifelink. Something like "Whenever one or more Vampires you control attack, you gain that much life." That way you can still gain life with him, but at higher risk.
The lifelink doesn't act as Mana. You still have to pay other costs... Such as Mana. The card is pretty perfect as is. Maybe reduce the casting cost by one generic Mana.
Ghast, the Night King 4BBB
Legendary Creature - Elder Vampire (M)
Flying, Lifelink
You may cast Ghast, the Night King and other Vampire cards from your graveyard by paying life equal to their mana value in addition to their other costs.
5/5
So the idea here is that you have a big expensive, evasive lifelink beater that costs you a lot of mana to cast. The benefit is that you can cast your vampires back from your graveyard now! Sure, Kalastria Bloodlord will cost you a steep 7 mana and 7 life, but vampires are pretty good at stealing life themselves, giving you more resources to rebuild your vampire army. Ghast has the same ability built in; giving you some flexibility if he dies. Just be ready to spend that 7 life and mana though.
All in all, it's an expensive but flavorful top-end finisher that doesn't win the game outright, but trades that for flavorful and creative power, with a side of inevitability.
Dunes of Zairo
SHANDALAR
Innistrad - The Darkest Night
~THE RAVNICAN CONSORTIUM~
A Community Set
Commander: Allies & Adversaries
Life gain is a good fit, but I think there needs to be a bigger hoop to jump through instead of lifelink. Something like "Whenever one or more Vampires you control attack, you gain that much life." That way you can still gain life with him, but at higher risk.