Overview:

This Golgari aristocrats deck leverages Savra, Queen of the Golgari as a synergistic engine, utilizing sacrifice outlets, token generation, and death triggers to control the board while draining opponents. Savra amplifies sacrifice effects by forcing opponent sacrifices (with black creatures) and gaining life (with green creatures), enabling attrition-based wins. The deck wins primarily through incremental life drain via cards like Blood Artist and Zulaport Cutthroat, supported by explosive token generators (e.g., Chatterfang, Squirrel General, Blight Mound) and infinite combos using Gravecrawler loops or Pitiless Plunderer/Chatterfang synergy. Savra is central but not irreplaceable; the strategy functions independently but loses significant control pressure without her.

Primer:

Core Strategy Execution:

1. Early Setup (Turns 1-4): Play mana dorks (Sol Ring, Golgari Signet), token generators (Ophiomancer, Golgari Germination), or value engines (Morbid Opportunist). Prioritize ramping into Savra or key pieces like Chatterfang.
2. Engine Activation (Turns 3-6): Deploy sacrifice outlets (Viscera Seer, Ashnod's Altar) and death-trigger payoffs (Blood Artist, Syr Konrad, the Grim). Sacrifice tokens or recurrable creatures (Reassembling Skeleton, Gravecrawler) to trigger Savra, drain opponents, and draw cards.
3. Win Condition Execution (Turns 5-8):
   • Drain/Combat: Overwhelm with tokens boosted by Creakwood Liege or Mazirek, Kraul Death Priest, draining via Bastion of Remembrance or Mirkwood Bats.
   • Infinite Combos:
     • Gravecrawler Loop: Gravecrawler + Sac Outlet (e.g., Carrion Feeder) + Pitiless Plunderer/Zulaport Cutthroat = Infinite death triggers.
     • Chatterfang/Plunderer: Pitiless Plunderer + Sac Outlet + Chatterfang + Drainer = Infinite tokens/mana/damage.
   • Mass Reanimation: Use Living Death or Dread Return for a game-ending swing.

Mulligan Priorities:

• Keep hands with 2-3 lands, including green/black sources.
• Prioritize early ramp, a sacrifice outlet, or a token generator.
• Combo pieces (Gravecrawler, Pitiless Plunderer) or key payoffs (Syr Konrad, Chatterfang) are high-priority keeps.
• Avoid hands lacking engine components or with only high-CMC cards.

Key Tips:

• Protect Key Pieces: Use Swiftfoot Boots or Golgari Charm to shield Chatterfang, Pitiless Plunderer, or drain engines.
• Leverage Recursion: Eternal Witness, Golgari Thug, and Dread Return recover combo pieces or payoffs.
• Maximize Triggers: Chain sacrifices with Plumb the Forbidden for massive card draw or Tend the Pests for token bursts.
• Monarch/Initiative: Court of Bounty provides card advantage; use Savra’s forced sacrifices to retain monarchy.

Weaknesses:

Critical

• Graveyard Hate: Rest in Peace or Leyline of the Void cripples recursion, combos (Gravecrawler), and engines like Syr Konrad.
• Enchantment/Artifact Removal: Losing key pieces like Pitiless Plunderer, Chatterfang, or Ashnod's Altar halts combos and sacrifice value.
• Board Wipes: Mass removal (e.g., Toxic Deluge) devastates token-based boards and sacrifice fodder.

Moderate

• Anti-Token Effects: Cursed Totem/Torpor Orb disable token generation and sacrifice outlets.
• Combo Disruption: Instant-speed removal on sac outlets or Gravecrawler interrupts infinite loops.

Minor

• Life-Gain Decks: Outpaces incremental drain; lacks direct life-loss punishment.
• Stack Interaction: Limited counterspells make resolving key sorceries (Living Death) risky.

Most Important Cards:

• Pitiless Plunderer (Combo enabler, mana generation)
• Chatterfang, Squirrel General (Token doubler, combo piece, sac outlet)
• Gravecrawler (Infinite combo engine)
• Syr Konrad, the Grim (Primary drain payoff)
• Ashnod's Altar (Mana acceleration, combo outlet)
• Blood Artist (Core life-drain effect)
• Zulaport Cutthroat (Redundant life-drain effect)
• Ophiomancer (Reliable token generation)
• Living Death (Mass reanimation, board reset)
• Plumb the Forbidden (Burst card draw, synergy with tokens)

Attribute Ratings:

Speed: 7/10

• Can win via combo or overwhelming drain as early as T5-6 with ideal draws (e.g., T3 Chatterfang → T4 Plunderer + Sac Outlet + Drainer).

Resilience: 5/10

• Recursion (Eternal Witness, Dread Return) and redundancy in drain effects provide recovery, but heavy reliance on graveyard and key artifacts leaves it vulnerable to targeted hate.

Consistency: 7/10

• Multiple tutors (Jarad's Orders, Finale of Devastation), card draw engines (Moldervine Reclamation, Plumb the Forbidden), and redundant combo pieces ensure reliable access to the game plan.

Interaction: 6/10

• Efficient targeted removal (Assassin's Trophy, Mortality Spear), board control (Plaguecrafter, Golgari Charm), and sacrifice-based disruption (Savra) handle threats, but lacks stack interaction.

Rating Justification:

This deck operates at a Focused power level, consistently threatening T6-7 wins through efficient combos or overwhelming drain synergy, supported by strong tutors and redundancy. Its vulnerability to graveyard hate and board wipes prevents higher optimization, placing it below cEDH viability.

Power level: 6.0 - 6.5