Overview:

This Orzhov Knight tribal deck leverages Aryel's token generation and removal capabilities to build a wide board of synergistic creatures. The primary strategy involves deploying cost-reducing artifacts (Herald's Horn, Urza's Incubator) and anthem effects (Knight Exemplar, Benalish Marshal) to flood the board with Knights, then closing games through combat overruns enabled by finishers like Moonshaker Cavalry, True Conviction, or Kinsbaile Cavalier. Aryel serves as both a token engine and targeted removal outlet, but the deck functions effectively without her due to redundant token producers and lords.

Primer:

Core Strategy Execution:

1. Early Setup (Turns 1-4): Prioritize ramp (Sol Ring, Orzhov Signet, Sword of the Animist) and cost reducers (Herald's Horn, Urza's Incubator). Deploy key value engines like Smothering Tithe or Black Market Connections.
2. Board Development (Turns 3-6): Cast critical Knights: Knight Exemplar (indestructible), Recruiter of the Guard (tutor), Corpse Knight (ping damage), and token generators (Adeline, Resplendent Cathar, History of Benalia). Use Skullclamp with 1-toughness Knights for card draw.
3. Win Condition Activation (Turns 5-8):
   • Combat Overrun: Deploy Moonshaker Cavalry, True Conviction, or Kinsbaile Cavalier for lethal swings. Equip Blackblade Reforged to a flying/unblockable Knight for commander damage.
   • Aristocrats Pings: Leverage Corpse Knight/Exsanguinator Cavalry with mass token generation.
   • Recursion Swings: Use Knights' Charge or Living Death after board wipes for surprise lethality.

Mulligan Priorities:

• Keep hands with 2-3 lands (including color-fixing), 1-2 ramp pieces, and at least 1 early Knight or engine (e.g., Herald's Horn + Knight).
• Prioritize Cavern of Souls against blue decks. Avoid hands lacking early plays or color sources.

Key Tips:

• Protect Critical Pieces: Use Lightning Greaves/Swiftfoot Boots on Knight Exemplar or Aryel. Save Teferi's Protection/Flare of Fortitude for board wipes.
• Maximize Recursion: Haakon, Stromgald Scourge enables casting Knights from the graveyard. Pair Victimize/Reanimate with token sacrifices.
• Exploit Draw Engines: Skullclamp sacrifices 1-toughness Knights (e.g., tokens). Welcoming Vampire triggers off token spam.
• Timed Interaction: Deploy Grand Abolisher before critical turns. Use Aryel's removal selectively against key threats.

Weaknesses:

Critical

• Board Wipe Vulnerability: Heavy reliance on creatures makes Vanquish the Horde/Kaya's Wrath devastating without Teferi's Protection.
• Graveyard Hate: Rest in Peace/Leyline of the Void cripples Haakon, Living Death, and recursion packages.

Moderate

• Stax Effects: Cursed Totem shuts off Aryel/Exsanguinator Cavalry. Torpor Orb nullifies ETB triggers (Recruiter of the Guard, Cavalier of Night).
• Artifact/Enchantment Reliance: Losing Urza's Incubator/Herald's Horn slows tribal deployment significantly.

Minor

• Mana Base Inconsistency: Multiple tapped lands (e.g., Concealed Courtyard, Shattered Sanctum) can delay early development.
• Limited Stack Interaction: Minimal counterspells leave combo decks unchecked.

Most Important Cards:

• Knight Exemplar (Indestructible for all Knights)
• Moonshaker Cavalry (Primary combat finisher)
• Recruiter of the Guard (Tutor for key Knights)
• Urza's Incubator (Critical cost reduction)
• Smothering Tithe (Ramp engine)
• Teferi's Protection (Board wipe protection)
• Haakon, Stromgald Scourge (Graveyard recursion enabler)
• Skullclamp (Card draw engine)
• Adeline, Resplendent Cathar (Token generation)
• Corpse Knight (Alternative win condition)

Attribute Ratings:

Speed: 6/10

• Can threaten lethal via combat around turns 7-9 with anthem/finisher support, but lacks fast mana for explosive starts.

Resilience: 5/10

• Recursion (Haakon, Living Death) and protection (Teferi's Protection) offer recovery, but board wipes remain crippling without timely answers.

Consistency: 7/10

• Strong tribal synergy, multiple tutors (Recruiter, Thalia's Lancers), and card draw (Skullclamp, Welcoming Vampire) ensure reliable access to key pieces.

Interaction: 5/10

• Targeted removal (Damn, Fracture) handles threats, but lacks counterspells and struggles against non-creature strategies.

Rating Justification:

This deck demonstrates focused tribal synergy and consistent board development, enabling T7-9 wins through combat or aristocrats pings. While resilient to targeted removal, its vulnerability to board wipes and slower clock compared to optimized lists caps its ceiling. The balance of tutors and redundancy aligns with the "Focused" tier.

Power level: 6.0 - 6.5