Overview:

This Orzhov Angel/Vampire tribal deck helmed by Shilgengar, Sire of Famine focuses on sacrificing creatures to generate Blood tokens, enabling mass reanimation of the graveyard. The strategy leverages high-toughness Angels to flood the board with Blood tokens, then uses Shilgengar’s activated ability to resurrect creatures as Vampires. Secondary themes include lifegain synergies, combat pressure from flying threats, and a late-game Glass-Cast Heart life-drain finisher. Shilgengar acts as a critical engine for recursion but requires significant setup and is vulnerable to removal in a color pair with limited ramp.

Primer:

Core Strategy Execution:

1. Early Setup (Turns 1-4):
   • Deploy Blood token generators (Gluttonous Guest, Voldaren Bloodcaster, Glass-Cast Heart).
   • Play key Angels like Bishop of Wings or Giada, Font of Hope to establish lifegain and tribal synergy.
   • Use Smothering Tithe, Herald’s Horn, and mana rocks to accelerate.

2. Midgame Value (Turns 5-7):

   • Sacrifice high-toughness Angels (e.g., Lyra Dawnbringer, Angel of Serenity) to generate 4-6 Blood tokens per activation.
   • Reanimate creatures via Incarnation Technique, Lich-Knights’ Conquest, or Shilgengar’s ability.
   • Deploy threats like Resplendent Angel or Eradicator Valkyrie to pressure opponents.

3. Win Conditions (Turns 8+):

   • Activate Shilgengar’s ability to flood the board with reanimated Vampires.
   • Use Akroma’s Will or Craterhoof Behemoth-style effects (missing in this list) for a combat win.
   • Sacrifice 13 Blood tokens to Glass-Cast Heart for a 13-life swing per opponent.
   • Meld Gisela, the Broken Blade + Bruna, the Fading Light into Brisela for a lockdown.

Mulligan Priorities:

• Keep hands with 2-3 lands (including WB sources).
• Prioritize early Blood generators (Gluttonous Guest, Voldaren Bloodcaster) or key Angels (Giada, Font of Hope, Righteous Valkyrie).
• Ensure at least one ramp piece (Sol Ring, Talisman of Hierarchy).

Key Tips:

• Sacrifice Angels with high toughness (e.g., Angel of Serenity) to maximize Blood token output.
• Use Ghostway to protect your board before a wipe or to reset ETB triggers.
• Buried Alive can stock the graveyard for Shilgengar’s mass reanimation.

Weaknesses:

Critical

• Graveyard hate (Rest in Peace, Leyline of the Void) shuts down reanimation and Blood token payoffs.
• Artifact removal disrupts Blood token engines (Glass-Cast Heart, Smothering Tithe).
• Board wipes cripple the creature-heavy strategy; limited recovery outside Shilgengar.

Moderate

• Slow setup: Tapped lands (e.g., Orzhov Basilica) and high-CMC Angels delay threats.
• Minimal instant-speed interaction for combo disruption.

Minor

• Life total management: Many effects cost life (Black Market Connections, Imp’s Mischief).

Most Important Cards:

• Shilgengar, Sire of Famine (Primary reanimation engine)
• Glass-Cast Heart (Alternate wincon and Blood token generator)
• Lyra Dawnbringer (Tribal buff, lifegain, and high-toughness Blood fodder)
• Smothering Tithe (Critical ramp in a mana-hungry deck)
• Bishop of Wings (Lifegain synergy and token generation)
• Akroma’s Will (Combat finisher/protection)
• Giada, Font of Hope (Mana acceleration for Angels)
• Buried Alive (Graveyard setup)
• Serra Paragon (Recur low-CMC permanents)
• Lich-Knights’ Conquest (Mass reanimation)

Attribute Ratings:

Speed: 4/10

• Wins typically occur around turns 8–10 via combat or Glass-Cast Heart, slowed by setup requirements and high mana costs.

Resilience: 5/10

• Limited protection (Ghostway, Lightning Greaves) and some recursion, but heavily reliant on the graveyard and board presence.

Consistency: 6/10

• Tribal synergy and Blood token engines provide redundancy, but lacks tutors for critical combo pieces.

Interaction: 5/10

• Targeted removal (Swords to Plowshares, Anguished Unmaking) is efficient but sparse; minimal stack interaction.

Rating Justification:

The deck’s slow setup and reliance on combat/Blood token combos place it in the Casual/Precon tier. While it has explosive late-game potential, its vulnerability to common disruption and lack of fast wins cap its power.

Power level: 4.0 - 4.5