Overview:

This Orzhov aristocrats deck helmed by Teysa Karlov focuses on generating value through death triggers, token production, and recursive loops. The strategy revolves around sacrificing creatures to fuel drain effects (Blood Artist, Elas il-Kor, Sadistic Pilgrim), create token armies (Bitterblossom, Elspeth, Storm Slayer), and establish board control (Grave Pact, The Meathook Massacre). Teysa amplifies all death-trigger payoffs and token synergies, making her critical to the deck’s engine. The deck can win via incremental life drain, explosive token swings with Divine Visitation, or infinite combos involving Reveillark/Karmic Guide loops or Phyrexian Altar/Pitiless Plunderer mana generation.

Primer:

Core Strategy Execution:

1. Early Setup (Turns 1-3): Deploy mana rocks (Sol Ring, Arcane Signet), token generators (Ophiomancer, Bitterblossom), or key enablers like Viscera Seer.
2. Engine Assembly (Turns 4-6): Cast Teysa to double triggers, then establish sacrifice outlets (Carrion Feeder, Yawgmoth, Thran Physician) and payoff permanents (Mondrak, Glory Dominus, Drivnod, Carnage Dominus). Use Necropotence or Dark Confidence to refill.
3. Win Conditions:
   • Drain: Stack multiple death triggers with Blood Artist effects.
   • Combat: Overwhelm with tokens buffed by Adeline, Resplendent Cathar or transformed via Divine Visitation.
   • Infinite Combos:
     • Reveillark + Karmic Guide + Sac Outlet (e.g., Altar of Dementia) = Infinite death/ETB triggers or mill.
     • Phyrexian Altar + Pitiless Plunderer + Token Generator (e.g., Ophiomancer) = Infinite mana for Exsanguinate-like effects.

Mulligan Priorities:

• Keep hands with 2-3 lands, at least one early play (mana rock, token generator, or Viscera Seer).
• Prioritize combo pieces (Reveillark, Karmic Guide) only if protection (Grand Abolisher, Teferi's Protection) is present.
• Avoid hands lacking sacrifice outlets or payoff cards.

Key Tips:

• Use Phyrexian Altar to convert tokens into mana for explosive turns.
• Teferi's Protection protects against board wipes; time it to phase out key permanents during critical setups.
• Yawgmoth, Thran Physician can both enable draws and remove threats via -1/-1 counters.

Weaknesses:

Critical

• Exile-based removal (Farewell, Path to Exile) cripples recursion-dependent strategies.
• Anti-synergy hate (Rest in Peace, Leyline of the Void) shuts down graveyard loops and death triggers.

Moderate

• Enchantment/Artifact removal disrupts key engines (Grave Pact, Phyrexian Altar).
• Fast combo decks can outpace this deck’s incremental value.

Minor

• Limited stack interaction beyond Imp's Mischief and Silence.
• High life payment costs (Necropotence, Dark Prophecy) risk self-damage in aggressive metas.

Most Important Cards:

• Teysa Karlov (Trigger doubler, deck linchpin)
• Yawgmoth, Thran Physician (Sac outlet, removal, card draw)
• Phyrexian Altar (Mana engine, combo piece)
• Reveillark (Recursion/combo cornerstone)
• Mondrak, Glory Dominus (Token multiplier)
• Blood Artist (Primary drain payoff)
• Grave Pact (Board control)
• Necropotence (Card advantage)
• Karmic Guide (Recursion/combo piece)
• The Meathook Massacre (Board wipe + drain)

Attribute Ratings:

Speed: 6/10

• Can establish game-winning boards or combos by turns 6-8, but lacks fast mana for explosive early wins.

Resilience: 7/10

• Redundant engines and recursion (Ratadrabik of Urborg, Karmic Guide) mitigate disruption, but relies heavily on nonland permanents vulnerable to mass removal.

Consistency: 8/10

• Tutors (Grim Tutor, Beseech the Mirror), card draw (Necropotence), and overlapping synergies ensure reliable access to key pieces.

Interaction: 5/10

• Targeted removal (Anguished Unmaking, Deadly Rollick) and stax elements (Grave Pact) are present but lack countermagic for stack battles.

Rating Justification:

This deck’s combination of consistent engine-building, combo potential, and layered resilience allows it to threaten wins by turns 6-7, but its reliance on board presence and vulnerability to exile effects caps its ceiling. It operates in the optimized casual tier, blending aristocrats grind with combo finishes.

Power level: 6.5 - 7.0