Overview:

This Orzhov deck helmed by Liesa, Shroud of Dusk combines lifegain synergies, stax elements, and a potent two-card infinite combo to pressure opponents. The primary strategy leverages Liesa's life-loss tax on spellcasting alongside cards like Kambal, Consul of Allocation and Blind Obedience to drain opponents incrementally. The deck can pivot to a game-ending combo using Exquisite Blood paired with Vito, Thorn of the Dusk Rose, Vizkopa Guildmage, or Enduring Tenacity. Liesa serves as a resilient enabler (via her life-payment cost reduction) and a flying lifelink threat, but the deck can function independently through its robust suite of tutors and value engines like Necropotence and The One Ring.

Primer:

Core Strategy Execution:

1. Early Setup (Turns 1-3): Deploy stax pieces (Drannith Magistrate, Blind Obedience), lifegain engines (Soul Warden, Auriok Champion), or ramp (Sol Ring, Chrome Mox). Use tutors (Demonic Tutor, Enlightened Tutor) to find key combo pieces or value engines.
2. Midgame Pressure (Turns 4-6): Cast Liesa to amplify life-loss pressure. Activate Bolas's Citadel or Necropotence for card advantage. Deploy combo enablers like Exquisite Blood or Vito, Thorn of the Dusk Rose. Use removal (Swords to Plowshares, Anguished Unmaking) to disrupt opponents.
3. Win Conditions (Turns 5-8):
   • Infinite Combo: Pair Exquisite Blood with any lifegain-to-damage converter (e.g., Vito) for an instant win.
   • Overwhelming Value: Stack lifegain triggers with Archangel of Thune or Sheoldred, the Apocalypse to outscale opponents.
   • Big Mana: Cast Exsanguinate with mana from Smothering Tithe or Black Market Connections for a lethal life swing.

Mulligan Priorities:

• Keep hands with 2-3 lands (including color-fixing like Godless Shrine).
• Prioritize early stax, lifegain engines, or tutors.
• Avoid hands without ramp or interaction in removal-heavy metas.

Key Tips:

• Use Teferi's Protection or Clever Concealment to protect your board during critical turns.
• Vault of the Archangel turns any creature swarm into a lifelink/deathtouch threat.
• Grand Abolisher ensures safe combo execution during your turn.

Weaknesses:

Critical

• Combo Fragility: The Exquisite Blood + lifegain converter combo is easily disrupted by instant-speed removal.
• Anti-Synergy Shutdown: Rest in Peace or Leyline of the Void neuters recursion (Whip of Erebos, Agadeem's Awakening).

Moderate

• Artifact/Enchantment Reliance: Key pieces like Exquisite Blood and Necropotence are vulnerable to widespread removal.
• Mana Constraints: Heavy color requirements (WW/BBB) can strain the mana base without proper fixing.

Minor

• Life Total Volatility: Bolas's Citadel and Necropotence can drain life rapidly if unchecked.
• Limited Board Presence: Relies on a few key creatures, making it susceptible to repeated board wipes.

Most Important Cards:

• Exquisite Blood (Infinite combo enabler)
• Vito, Thorn of the Dusk Rose (Primary combo payoff)
• Necropotence (Card advantage engine)
• Demonic Tutor (Tutor for combo pieces)
• Smothering Tithe (Mana acceleration and stax)
• Teferi's Protection (Board protection)
• Sheoldred, the Apocalypse (Passive life drain and draw punishment)
• Bolas's Citadel (Unrestricted card advantage)
• Archangel of Thune (Scaling threat with lifegain)
• Grand Abolisher (Combo protection)

Attribute Ratings:

Speed: 7/10

• Capable of winning via combo or overwhelming value as early as Turn 5 with optimal draws and ramp.

Resilience: 6/10

• Multiple protection spells and recursion tools, but heavily reliant on resolving and protecting key enchantments.

Consistency: 8/10

• Extensive tutor suite (7+ tutors) and card draw engines ensure reliable access to combo pieces.

Interaction: 7/10

• Robust removal package (10+ targeted/exile effects) and stax elements to delay opponents.

Rating Justification:

This deck operates at a high-power casual level, leveraging efficient tutors and a game-ending combo to threaten wins by Turn 5-6. While resilient to spot removal, its dependency on critical enchantments and vulnerability to graveyard hate cap its ceiling.

Power level: 6.5 - 7.0