Overview:

This Grixis deck leverages Marchesa, Dealer of Death to fuel a crime-centric strategy focused on incremental value, graveyard recursion, and attrition. The commander enables consistent card selection/graveyard filling whenever opponents, their resources, or their graveyards are targeted. Primary threats are deployed through reanimation (e.g., From the Catacombs, Vat Emergence) and crime-triggered token generation (Gisa, the Hellraiser). Win conditions include combat with evasive threats, Syr Konrad, the Grim drain effects, and Strixhaven Stadium. Marchesa is essential as the engine but is vulnerable to removal due to high recast costs and lack of innate protection.

Primer:

Core Strategy Execution:

1. Early Setup (Turns 1-4): Play taplands (Thriving Isle, Conduit Pylons) and ramp (Sol Ring, signets). Cast low-cost crime enablers like Forsaken Miner, Nimble Brigand, or Servant of the Stinger to trigger Marchesa. Prioritize fixing mana for Marchesa’s {U}{B}{R} cost.
2. Engine Activation (Turns 4-6): Cast Marchesa. Commit crimes via targeted removal (Breathe Your Last, Explosive Derailment), discard/mill (Deepmuck Desperado), or combat damage to opponents. Use Marchesa’s triggers to fill the graveyard with reanimation targets (e.g., Akul the Unrepentant, Gisa, the Hellraiser).
3. Midgame Value (Turns 5-8): Reanimate key threats (From the Catacombs, Lively Dirge) or generate tokens with Gisa. Deploy value engines like Intimidation Campaign or Syr Konrad, the Grim. Use counterspells (Archmage's Charm, Syncopate) to protect your board.
4. Win Condition Execution (Turns 7+):
   • Combat/Stadium: Attack with unblockable creatures (Nimble Brigand) or large threats (Akul). Accumulate counters on Strixhaven Stadium via combat damage.
   • Attrition: Leverage Syr Konrad, the Grim with mill/recursion loops and Falkenrath Noble for life drain.
   • Reanimation Overrun: Cheat out multiple threats via Lich-Knights' Conquest or Akul the Unrepentant’s ability.

Mulligan Priorities:

• Keep hands with 3+ lands, including at least two colored sources. Prioritize untapped lands.
• Include early ramp (signets, Sol Ring) or a 1-3 mana crime enabler (e.g., Forsaken Miner, Nimble Brigand).
• Ensure Marchesa can be cast by turn 4-5. Avoid hands lacking crime triggers or reanimation payoffs.
• Hands with interaction (Breathe Your Last, Syncopate) or card draw (Quicksilver Fisher) are stronger.

Key Tips:

• Maximize Crimes: Target opponents with any effect—even minor ones like Jagged Barrens’s ETB—to trigger Marchesa, Deepmuck Desperado, and Magda, the Hoardmaster.
• Graveyard Synergy: Use Marchesa’s self-mill to fuel reanimation. Syr Konrad triggers on cards leaving the graveyard (e.g., via escape or recursion).
• Protect Engines: Deploy Swiftfoot Boots or Dark Privilege on Marchesa/Syr Konrad. Tishana's Tidebinder can disable key opponent abilities.
• Leverage Treasures: Magda, the Hoardmaster’s Treasures fund Marchesa’s ability or enable big reanimation spells.
• Recursion Loops: Fake Your Own Death and Midnight Scavengers enable repeated ETB/value triggers.

Weaknesses:

Critical

• Severe vulnerability to graveyard hate (Rest in Peace, Leyline of the Void), shutting down reanimation, Syr Konrad, and Marchesa’s self-mill.
• Heavy reliance on Marchesa; repeated removal (3+ times) cripples the engine due to commander tax.
• Limited board wipe recovery outside recursion; lacks mass reanimation.

Moderate

• Slow setup due to taplands and moderate ramp; struggles against fast aggro/combo.
• Rule of Law effects hinder crime frequency and combo potential.
• Weak to flyers without consistent evasion enablers.

Minor

• Some reanimation spells are inefficient (e.g., Summon Undead’s 5 mana).
• Strixhaven Stadium is easily disrupted by artifact removal.

Most Important Cards:

• Marchesa, Dealer of Death (Engine: card selection/graveyard fuel)
• Syr Konrad, the Grim (Primary win condition: attrition damage)
• Gisa, the Hellraiser (Token generation, board presence)
• From the Catacombs (Efficient reanimation, initiative synergy)
• Deepmuck Desperado (Mill enabler, crime trigger)
• Intimidation Campaign (Value engine: draw, life swing, recursion)
• Magda, the Hoardmaster (Ramp, token payoff)
• Lich-Knights' Conquest (Mass reanimation)
• Strixhaven Stadium (Alternate win condition)
• Slickshot Lockpicker (Recursion for interaction)

Attribute Ratings:

Speed: 5/10

• Wins typically occur around turns 7-9 via combat, Syr Konrad drains, or Stadium. Lacks fast combos or explosive early plays.

Resilience: 6/10

• Features recursion (Fake Your Own Death, Midnight Scavengers) and protection (counterspells), but heavily reliant on graveyard and commander.

Consistency: 6/10

• Marchesa provides steady card selection, but tutors are limited; relies on natural draws for key pieces.

Interaction: 7/10

• Strong targeted removal (Breathe Your Last, Explosive Derailment), counterspells (Archmage's Charm, Syncopate), and stack interaction (Tishana's Tidebinder).

Rating Justification:

The deck operates at a casual-optimized level, leveraging consistent value engines and interaction to secure mid-game wins (T7-9) through combat, attrition, or reanimation. Its reliance on the graveyard and vulnerability to commander removal prevent higher resilience scores, placing it below high-power tiers.

Power level: 5.0 - 5.5