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Average CMC
Cost
Salt Score
Overview:
This Nalia de'Arnise deck leverages party mechanics and lifegain synergies to pressure opponents through combat and lifedrain effects. While capable of explosive turns with its core engine, it lacks the speed, redundancy, and protection seen in higher-tier decks.
Primer:
Core Strategy:
The deck aims to assemble a full party (Cleric/Rogue/Warrior/Wizard) to activate Nalia’s combat buff (+1/+1 counters & deathtouch) while leveraging lifegain triggers with cards like Vito, Thorn of the Dusk Rose and Sanguine Bond to drain opponents. Secondary lines include recursive value via Orah, Skyclave Hierophant and token generation with Felisa, Fang of Silverquill.
Key Phases:
- Party Assembly (Turns 1-5): Deploy low-cost party members (e.g., Soul Warden, Viscera Seer) to enable Nalia’s topdeck casting and combat triggers.
- Engine Setup (Turns 4-7): Resolve key payoffs like Bolas's Citadel or Zulaport Cutthroat to convert creature ETBs/dies into damage.
- Finishers (Turns 6+): Close with Exsanguinate, Astarion, the Decadent, or a buffed combat swarm.
Mulligan Priorities:
- Keep hands with 2+ party creatures and a lifegain/drain payoff.
- Prioritize early tutors (Varragoth, Bloodsky Sire, Final Parting) to assemble combos.
Key Tips:
- Use Skullclamp to sacrifice 1/1 tokens for card draw.
- Buried Alive can set up Orah recursion chains or fuel Thwart the Grave.
- Multiclass Baldric protects key creatures once a full party is online.
Avoid Traps:
- Overextending into board wipes without Selfless Spirit.
- Holding Exsanguinate without a lifedrain enabler.
Weaknesses:
Critical:
- Relies on fragile combo pieces (Vito, Sanguine Bond) with minimal protection.
- Graveyard dependency (Reanimate, Orah) vulnerable to exile effects.
Moderate:
- Slow recovery from board wipes.
- Limited redundancy for party-critical creature types.
Minor:
- Mana base includes 8+ tapped lands, slowing early turns.
Most Important Cards:
- Vito, Thorn of the Dusk Rose
- Sanguine Bond
- Exsanguinate
- Skullclamp
- Bolas's Citadel
- Orah, Skyclave Hierophant
- Buried Alive
- Varragoth, Bloodsky Sire
- Felisa, Fang of Silverquill
- Zulaport Cutthroat
Attribute Ratings:
Speed: 5/10
- Wins via combat (T6-8) or Exsanguinate (T7+). No fast mana for early explosive turns.
Resilience: 4/10
- Recursion (Sevinne's Reclamation, Orah) helps recover from single removals but folds to repeated interaction.
Consistency: 5/10
- 5 tutors (e.g., Final Parting, Varragoth) and moderate draw (Grim Haruspex, Tocasia's Welcome), but party mechanics introduce variance.
Interaction: 5/10
- Spot removal (Despark, Crib Swap) and wipes (Austere Command), but lacks counterspells and struggles against resolved combos.
Rating Justification:
This deck sits between Optimized Casual (5.0) and Focused Casual (4.5). It outpaces precons with synergistic payoffs but lacks the speed (T8+ wins vs. T7-9) and redundancy of higher tiers. Key weaknesses (graveyard reliance, fragile combos) prevent it from reaching 6.0.
Power level: 4.5 - 5.0
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