Overview:

This Edgar Markov vampire tribal deck leverages the commander's Eminence ability to generate token swarms while deploying lords and aristocrats payoffs. The primary win conditions are overwhelming combat damage amplified by +1/+1 counters and anthems, supplemented by lifegain/drain synergies (Sanguine Bond/Exquisite Blood/Vito, Thorn of the Dusk Rose) and aristocrats triggers (Blood Artist, Cruel Celebrant). Edgar serves as the central engine, enabling token generation from the command zone and buffing the board when attacking. The strategy is vulnerable to commander removal only if relying on Edgar's attack trigger, but Eminence ensures value even if he's never cast.

Primer:

Core Strategy Execution:

1. Early Setup (Turns 1-4): Cast low-CMC vampires (e.g., Vampire of the Dire Moon, Viscera Seer, Knight of the Ebon Legion) to trigger Edgar's Eminence and build token presence. Deploy ramp (Sol Ring, Arcane Signet, Orzhov Signet) and tribal support (Herald's Horn, Cavern of Souls). Prioritize card draw engines like Welcoming Vampire or Phyrexian Arena.
2. Board Development (Turns 3-6): Play key lords (Legion Lieutenant, Cordial Vampire, Metallic Mimic) to buff tokens. Establish lifegain/drain engines (Sanguine Bond, Exquisite Blood, Vito) or aristocrats payoffs (Blood Artist, Cruel Celebrant). Utilize recursion (Olivia, Crimson Bride, Victimize) for value.
3. Win Condition Execution (Turns 5-9):
   • Combat: Swing with a wide, buffed vampire army. Use All-Out Assault for surprise lethality or Rogue's Passage for unblockable commander damage.
   • Lifedrain Combo: Assemble Sanguine Bond + Exquisite Blood for an infinite life drain loop (opponent loss triggers life gain, triggering more loss).
   • Aristocrats: Sacrifice tokens/vampires to Viscera Seer, Indulgent Aristocrat, or Master of Dark Rites while Blood Artist/Cruel Celebrant are on board for incremental life loss.

Mulligan Priorities:

• Keep hands with 2-3 lands (including color sources), at least one 1-2 CMC vampire, and either ramp, card draw, or a key payoff.
• Prioritize hands with early Eminence triggers (low-CMC vampires) and a follow-up play (lord or engine).
• Avoid hands lacking early vampires, excessive high-CMC cards, or no mana fixing.

Key Tips:

• Protect Key Engines: Use Boros Charm for indestructible, Swiftfoot Boots/Lightning Greaves (not listed but implied by strategy) on Edgar or combo pieces. Veil of Summer (not listed) would be a strong addition.
• Maximize Eminence: Cast multiple vampires per turn when possible to flood the board. Prioritize vampires with ETB/death triggers (Bloodtithe Harvester, Sanctum Seeker).
• Sacrifice Synergy: Sacrifice tokens before board wipes to Blood Artist/Cruel Celebrant for value. Use Viscera Seer to scry and enable recursion.
• Leverage Recursion: Olivia, Crimson Bride and Victimize can recur critical vampires like Elenda, the Dusk Rose or combo pieces.
• Combo Awareness: Tutor for Sanguine Bond or Exquisite Blood only when protected or ready to win. Vampiric Tutor/Demonic Tutor would significantly improve this.

Weaknesses:

Critical

• Severe vulnerability to board wipes: Relies heavily on creature presence for all win conditions. Recovery is slow without mass recursion.
• Graveyard hate cripples recursion: Shuts down Olivia, Crimson Bride, Victimize, Oathsworn Vampire, and Elenda, the Dusk Rose's death trigger.
• Anti-token effects: Cursed Totem/Linvala, Keeper of Silence disable Edgar's Eminence token generation and sacrifice outlets.

Moderate

• Commander tax pressure: While Eminence provides value, Edgar's attack trigger is key for closing games. High tax slows the combat plan significantly.
• Combo fragility: The Sanguine Bond/Exquisite Blood combo lacks redundancy or efficient tutors and is easily disrupted.
• Mana base inconsistency: High count of tapped lands (e.g., Path of Ancestry, Nomad Outpost, Bleachbone Verge) slows early development.

Minor

• Limited stack interaction: Minimal counterspells or protection against non-creature combos/disruption.
• Artifact/Enchantment reliance: Key engines (Herald's Horn, Smothering Tithe, combo pieces) are vulnerable to removal.

Most Important Cards:

• Edgar Markov (Token generation engine and anthem effect)
• Cordial Vampire (Scales the entire board with +1/+1 counters)
• Legion Lieutenant (Primary anthem effect)
• Sanguine Bond (Combo piece, lifedrain payoff)
• Exquisite Blood (Combo piece, lifegain payoff)
• Blood Artist (Aristocrats payoff, incremental damage/lifegain)
• Cruel Celebrant (Aristocrats payoff, scales with board)
• Elenda, the Dusk Rose (Recursive threat, generates massive tokens on death)
• Herald's Horn (Tribal cost reduction and card advantage)
• Smothering Tithe (Mana acceleration and fixing)

Attribute Ratings:

Speed: 5/10

• Can threaten combat wins or assemble the lifedrain combo around turns 8-10, accelerated by Edgar's Eminence tokens and lords. Lacks fast mana or early combo potential.

Resilience: 5/10

• Has some recursion (Olivia, Crimson Bride, Victimize) and protection (Boros Charm), but heavily reliant on board presence. Struggles to recover from multiple wipes or grave hate.

Consistency: 7/10

• High vampire density ensures Edgar triggers. Herald's Horn, Welcoming Vampire, and Phyrexian Arena provide solid card flow. Lacks efficient tutors for the combo.

Interaction: 5/10

• Runs efficient targeted removal (Swords to Plowshares, Infernal Grasp, Fracture, Damn) but minimal counterspells or proactive disruption. Focuses on protecting its own board over stopping opponents.

Rating Justification:

The deck demonstrates strong consistency and synergistic combat pressure but lacks the speed, protection, and efficient tutors needed for higher power levels. Its primary win attempts occur around T8-10 via combat or a fragile combo, aligning with the "Optimized Casual/Strong Precon" tier (T8-10 wins). Resilience against disruption is moderate but not exceptional.

Power level: 5.0 - 5.5