Marchesa by Bilateral

Format: Commander

Commander: Queen Marchesa

Bracket: 3

Deck overview

This Queen Marchesa deck is a political control build that leans fully into the "Aikido" philosophy - rather than assembling its own fast win, it goads, redirects, and turns opponents' aggression against them. The primary game plan is to establish the monarch early, draw extra cards every turn, and deploy a dense suite of damage-redirection and fog effects (Deflecting Palm, Comeuppance, Inkshield, etc.) that punish anyone who dares attack you. Pillowfort enchantments (Ghostly Prison, Sphere of Safety, No Mercy) deter combat altogether, while treasure generation from Smothering Tithe, Curse of Opulence, and attack-trigger creatures (Ragavan, Grim Hireling) fuels explosive turns. The deck's primary win condition is a two-card combo: Pariah enchants Brash Taunter, making you immune to damage and converting every incoming hit into a directed burn spell. Backup wins come from commander damage (Duelist's Heritage gives Marchesa double strike) or an overwhelming token swarm from Court of Grace and Inkshield. The commander itself provides deathtouch, haste, and automatic monarchy - a key source of card advantage and political leverage.

Decklist (100 cards)

• 1 Acolyte's Reward
• 1 Alexios, Deimos of Kosmos
• 1 Arcane Signet
• 1 Arid Mesa
• 1 Authority of the Consuls
• 1 Backlash
• 1 Batwing Brume
• 1 Belladonna Took
• 1 Blind Obedience
• 1 Blood Crypt
• 1 Bloodstained Mire
• 1 Boros Fury-Shield
• 1 Brash Taunter
• 1 Breena, the Demagogue
• 1 Cecil Harvey
• 1 City of Brass
• 1 Comeuppance
• 1 Command Tower
• 1 Court of Grace
• 1 Curse of Opulence
• 1 Dark Ritual
• 1 Dawn Charm
• 1 Deflecting Palm
• 1 Deflecting Swat
• 1 Delirium
• 1 Duelist's Heritage
• 1 Eiganjo, Seat of the Empire
• 1 Exotic Orchard
• 1 Eye for an Eye
• 1 Fell the Profane // Fell Mire
• 1 Fellwar Stone
• 1 Flare of Fortitude
• 1 Ghostly Prison
• 1 Gideon's Sacrifice
• 1 Gleaming Splendor
• 1 Godless Shrine
• 1 Grim Hireling
• 1 Hall of Heliod's Generosity
• 1 Haunted Ridge
• 1 Hellish Rebuke
• 1 Inkshield
• 1 Kain, Traitorous Dragoon
• 1 Legion Leadership // Legion Stronghold
• 1 Lotho, Corrupt Shirriff
• 1 Luxury Suite
• 1 Mangara, the Diplomat
• 1 Marsh Flats
• 1 Master Warcraft
• 1 Maze of Ith
• 1 Michiko Konda, Truth Seeker
• 1 Mirror Strike
• 1 Mount Doom
• 3 Mountain
• 1 Nils, Discipline Enforcer
• 1 No Mercy
• 1 Noble Heritage
• 1 Pariah
• 3 Plains
• 1 Polluted Delta
• 1 Professional Face-Breaker
• 1 Queen Marchesa
• 1 Rakdos Charm
• 1 Redirect Lightning
• 1 Reflect Damage
• 1 Return the Favor
• 1 Rev, Tithe Extractor
• 1 Rite of Flame
• 1 Sacred Foundry
• 1 Shattered Sanctum
• 1 Shining Shoal
• 1 Smothering Tithe
• 1 Sol Ring
• 1 Spectator Seating
• 1 Sphere of Safety
• 1 Sundown Pass
• 3 Swamp
• 1 Swords to Plowshares
• 1 Take the Bait
• 1 Talisman of Conviction
• 1 Talisman of Hierarchy
• 1 Talisman of Indulgence
• 1 Tataru Taru
• 1 The Queen of Dale
• 1 Toxic Deluge
• 1 Trouble in Pairs
• 1 Untimely Malfunction
• 1 Vault of Champions
• 1 Voice of Victory
• 1 Wear // Tear
• 1 Windborn Muse
• 1 Windswept Heath
• 1 Witch Enchanter // Witch-Blessed Meadow
• 1 Wooded Foothills
• 1 Zidane Tribal