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Average CMC
Cost
Salt Score
Overview:
This Marchesa, the Black Rose deck focuses on recursive creature value through +1/+1 counters, undying/persist mechanics, and graveyard recursion. It aims to grind opponents down with repeated ETB/death triggers from creatures like Flayer of the Hatebound and River Kelpie, while enabling infinite combos with counter manipulation and sacrifice outlets.
Primer:
Core Strategy:
- Counter Synergy: Use dethrone, undying, and persist to maintain +1/-1 counters. Cards like Fate Transfer and Spike Cannibal manipulate counters to enable recursion loops.
- Sacrifice Loops: Ashnod's Altar and Phyrexian Tower fuel combos with persist creatures (e.g., Glen Elendra Archmage) or Gravecrawler + Pyreheart Wolf.
- Win Conditions:
- Infinite death/ETB loops with Flayer of the Hatebound (direct damage) or River Kelpie (draw into Thunderblust beats).
- Ion Storm converts counter removal into burn.
- Underworld Breach recursion for explosive turns.
Mulligan Priorities:
- Keep hands with 3 lands, 1-2 ramp pieces (e.g., Sol Ring, Arcane Signet), and at least one recursion engine (Animate Dead, Persist).
- Avoid hands without early creatures or graveyard setup.
Key Tips:
- Time Marchesa’s casts to maximize dethrone triggers post-boardwipe.
- Use Nesting Grounds to move counters from undying creatures to persist creatures for infinite loops.
- Prioritize protecting Flayer of the Hatebound and River Kelpie—they amplify your recursive value.
Weaknesses:
Critical
- Graveyard Reliance: Foldsto Rest in Peace or Leyline of the Void.
- Commander Dependency: Multiple Marchesa removals cripple recursion.
Moderate
- Slow Combo Assembly: Limited tutors (only Diabolic Tutor, Buried Alive) reduce consistency.
- Boardwipe Vulnerability: While recursive, rebuilding takes multiple turns.
Minor
- Mana Constraints: High density of enters-tapped lands (e.g., Witch's Cottage, Mystic Sanctuary).
Most Important Cards:
- Flayer of the Hatebound
- Ashnod's Altar
- River Kelpie
- Underworld Breach
- Animate Dead
- Buried Alive
- Glen Elendra Archmage
- Spike Cannibal
- Nesting Grounds
- Power Conduit
Attribute Ratings:
Speed: 5/10
Can assemble infinite damage via persist/undying loops by T8–10, but lacks fast mana for earlier explosive turns.
Resilience: 6/10
Recursive creatures and Marchesa’s reanimation mitigate single removals, but graveyard hate or repeated commander kills are devastating.
Consistency: 5/10
Moderate redundancy in recursion effects (9 reanimation spells) but only 2 tutors for key combo pieces.
Interaction: 4/10
Limited to Tragic Slip, Soul Manipulation, and Overcharged Amalgam—reactive tools are situational.
Rating Justification:
The deck operates as a mid-power aristocrats/reanimator build with combo potential slowed by limited tutors and interaction. Its reliance on Marchesa and graveyard mechanics caps its ceiling in faster metas.
Power level: 4.5 - 5.5
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