Overview:

This Orzhov Vampire tribal deck, helmed by Edgar, Charmed Groom, focuses on swarming the board with Vampire tokens, leveraging lifegain synergies, and draining opponents through aristocrat-style effects. The commander serves as both an anthem effect and resilient token generator upon death, enabling wide-board strategies. Primary win conditions involve combat overwhelm amplified by lords like Legion Lieutenant, life-drain combos with Vito, Thorn of the Dusk Rose/Sanguine Bond, and aristocrat payoffs like Blood Artist. The deck lacks fast mana and efficient tutors, relying on gradual value accumulation.

Primer:

Core Strategy Execution:

1. Early Setup (Turns 1-4): Deploy mana rocks (Sol Ring, Arcane Signet), low-cost Vampires (Vampire of the Dire Moon, Indulgent Aristocrat), and token generators (Legion's Landing, Mavren Fein, Dusk Apostle). Prioritize establishing lifegain engines.
2. Board Development (Turns 4-6): Cast Edgar or key lords (Legion Lieutenant, Markov Baron) to amplify threats. Activate token producers and deploy drain enablers (Vito, Sanguine Bond). Use card draw (Phyrexian Arena, Greed) to refill.
3. Win Execution (Turns 7+):
   • Combat: Swing wide with buffed Vampires, leveraging evasion from Wedding Invitation or Clavileño, First of the Blessed upgrades.
   • Life Drain: Trigger mass lifegain (e.g., Malakir Bloodwitch ETB) with Vito/Sanguine Bond active.
   • Aristocrats: Sacrifice tokens to Vampiric Rites/Glass-Cast Heart while Blood Artist drains opponents.
   • Bomb Plays: Resolve Kindred Dominance clearing non-Vampires for lethal swings or Blood Tribute for life halving.

Mulligan Priorities:

• Keep hands with 3+ lands, including color fixing (Command Tower, Caves of Koilos).
• Prioritize early token generators (Legion's Landing, Call to the Feast) or key enablers (Vito, Blood Artist).
• Ensure at least one card draw source or ramp piece. Avoid hands clogged with high-CMC spells.

Key Tips:

• Sacrifice Synergies: Use Edgar's death trigger intentionally via Vampiric Rites or Yahenni, Undying Partisan to transform him into a token engine.
• Life Total Awareness: Astarion, the Decadent's "Feed" ability scales with prior life loss—time it after drain triggers.
• Recursion Loops: Recur key Vampires (Elenda, the Dusk Rose, Champion of Dusk) with Sorin, Vengeful Bloodlord or Blood Fountain.
• Protection: Use Offer Immortality on critical pieces like Vito or Clavileño before board wipes.

Weaknesses:

Critical

• Board Wipe Vulnerability: Heavy reliance on creature-based strategies; lacks mass recursion outside Sorin, Vengeful Bloodlord.
• Graveyard Hate: Bojuka Bog/Rest in Peace cripples recursion from Blood Fountain, Edgar's Awakening, and Elenda.
• Anti-Token Tech: Cursed Totem/Torpor Orb shuts down token generation and ETB lifegain/drain.

Moderate

• Combo Disruption: Enchantment removal (Nature's Claim) on Sanguine Bond/Vito halts primary wincon.
• Mana Base Fragility: Enters-tapped lands (Orzhov Basilica, Mortuary Mire) slow early development.
• Life Total Pressure: Aggressive decks can outpace lifegain synergies before drain engines activate.

Minor

• Limited Stack Interaction: Minimal counterspells; relies on spot removal (Swords to Plowshares, Fracture).
• Artifact/Enchantment Reliance: Key engines (Vanquisher's Banner, Glass-Cast Heart) are vulnerable.

Most Important Cards:

• Vito, Thorn of the Dusk Rose (Primary life-drain wincon enabler)
• Legion Lieutenant (Core anthem effect for combat wins)
• Sanguine Bond (Redundant life-drain effect)
• Malakir Bloodwitch (Mass life swing and evasion)
• Clavileño, First of the Blessed (Token upgrading and card draw)
• Blood Artist (Aristocrat drain engine)
• Call to the Feast (Token generation burst)
• Kindred Dominance (Board wipe enabling alpha strike)
• Sorin, Imperious Bloodlord (Tutor-to-field and removal)
• Elenda, the Dusk Rose (Recursive threat and token generator)

Attribute Ratings:

Speed: 5/10

• Wins typically occur around turns 8-10 via combat or drain combos. No fast mana or T4-5 combos; relies on incremental board buildup.

Resilience: 6/10

• Moderate recursion (Sorin, Blood Fountain) and commander transformation mitigate removal, but board wipes remain devastating. Protection spells are limited.

Consistency: 6/10

• Solid tribal synergy and card draw (Phyrexian Arena, Greed), but lacks efficient tutors for key combo pieces like Vito/Sanguine Bond.

Interaction: 5/10

• Targeted removal (Swords, Fracture, Feast of Blood) handles threats, but minimal counterspells or stack interaction. Board wipes are conditional (Kindred Dominance).

Rating Justification:

This deck consistently threatens wins via combat or life-drain synergies around turns 8-10, aligning with optimized casual tiers. Its moderate resilience and synergy-driven consistency are offset by vulnerability to board wipes and lack of fast mana/tutors, preventing higher-tier placement.

Power level: 5.0 - 5.5