Overview:

Eriette of the Charmed Apple leads an Orzhov enchantress deck focused on Aura-based control and incremental life drain. The strategy revolves around enchanting opponents' creatures for defense while leveraging Eriette's life-loss engine, supported by enchantment synergy payoffs like Grim Guardian and Archon of Sun's Grace. The deck lacks infinite combos but features potent synergies with Vito, Thorn of the Dusk Rose and Sanguine Bond to amplify life-drain effects. Key weaknesses include vulnerability to enchantment removal and reliance on opponents playing creatures to maximize Aura effects.

Primer:

Core Strategy: This deck aims to control the board using Auras like Pacifism and Darksteel Mutation while draining opponents via Eriette’s triggered ability. The game plan unfolds in three phases:

1. Early Setup: Play low-cost Auras on opponents' creatures to disable threats and trigger Eriette's life drain. Use tutors like Heliod's Pilgrim and Open the Armory to find key enchantments.
2. Midgame Synergy: Deploy enchantress payoffs like Mesa Enchantress and Kor Spiritdancer to draw cards, while building a defensive board with Ghostly Prison and Sphere of Safety.
3. Closing the Game: Amplify life drain with Vito, Thorn of the Dusk Rose/Sanguine Bond and generate overwhelming value through token producers like Archon of Sun's Grace or Sigil of the Empty Throne.

Mulligan Priorities:

• Keep hands with 3 lands, early Auras (e.g., Parasitic Impetus), and at least one card-draw engine (e.g., Hateful Eidolon).
• Avoid hands without enchantment synergy or interaction against fast aggro.

Key Tips:

• Prioritize enchanting opponents’ creatures over your own to maximize Eriette’s damage prevention.
• Use Winds of Rath as a one-sided board wipe when most of your creatures are enchanted.
• Recur key Auras with Hall of Heliod's Generosity and Rise to Glory.

Avoid Traps:

• Don’t overextend into mass enchantment removal; keep recursion like Hall of Heliod's Generosity ready.
• Avoid enchanting your own creatures unless necessary for protection (e.g., Gift of Immortality on Eriette).

Weaknesses:

Critical:

• Relies on opponents playing creatures for Aura targets.
• No infinite combos to close games quickly.

Moderate:

• Vulnerable to enchantment wipes (Cleansing Nova, Farewell).
• Slow recovery from multiple Eriette removals.

Minor:

• Limited land acceleration beyond Sol Ring and signets.

Most Important Cards:

• Vito, Thorn of the Dusk Rose
• Sanguine Bond
• Bitterblossom
• Luminarch Ascension
• Idyllic Tutor
• Grim Guardian
• Sigil of the Empty Throne
• Archon of Sun's Grace
• Doomwake Giant
• Heliod's Pilgrim

Attribute Ratings:

Speed: 5/10

• Wins via incremental damage starting around T8–10. No fast mana or combo acceleration.

Resilience: 5/10

• Moderate recursion (Hall of Heliod's Generosity, Rise to Glory) but folds to repeated enchantment wipes.

Consistency: 6/10

• 7 tutors (e.g., Idyllic Tutor, Profane Tutor) and enchantress draw engines provide redundancy.

Interaction: 6/10

• 12 targeted removal spells (e.g., Path to Exile, Vanishing Verse) but no free counterspells.

Rating Justification:

This deck sits between "Optimized Casual" (5.0) and "High-Power Casual" (5.5) on the rubric. It has focused synergies and tutors but lacks the speed (T8–10 wins) and resilience of higher-tier decks. While it can generate overwhelming value, it’s outpaced by true combo decks and struggles against heavy enchantment hate. The absence of fast mana and game-ending combos caps its ceiling.

Power level: 5.0 – 5.5