Overview:

This Orzhov aristocrats deck helmed by Elenda, the Dusk Rose focuses on recursive sacrifice synergies, leveraging creature deaths to drain opponents through Blood Artist effects while generating explosive value from token armies. Elenda acts as both a scalable threat and token generator, with the deck employing multiple infinite combos and death-trigger doublers like Teysa Karlov to accelerate its win conditions. The strategy thrives on synergistic loops between sacrifice outlets, token producers, and payoff enchantments, supported by powerful tutors and draw engines like Necropotence and Ad Nauseam.

Primer:

Core Strategy Execution:

1. Early Setup (Turns 1-3): Deploy sacrifice outlets (Carrion Feeder, Viscera Seer), token generators (Bitterblossom, Ophiomancer), and value engines (Skullclamp, Esper Sentinel). Prioritize ramping with Sol Ring, Phyrexian Tower, or Arcane Signet.
2. Mid-Game Engine (Turns 4-6): Cast Elenda or Teysa Karlov to amplify death triggers. Sacrifice tokens to Phyrexian Altar/Ashnod's Altar for mana, fueling card draw (Yawgmoth, Thran Physician, Village Rites) or recursion (Phyrexian Reclamation). Use tutors (Demonic Tutor, Beseech the Mirror) to assemble combos.
3. Win Conditions (Turns 5-7+):
   • Infinite Drain: Elenda, the Dusk Rose + Ashnod's Altar + Teysa Karlov/Drivnod, Carnage Dominus. Sacrifice Elenda to generate tokens, sac tokens for mana to recast Elenda, repeating to trigger Zulaport Cutthroat effects infinitely.
   • Nim Deathmantle Loop: Ashnod's Altar + Nim Deathmantle + any nontoken creature. Sacrifice the creature for 2 mana, pay 4 to return it with Deathmantle, netting infinite mana/death triggers.
   • Ad Nauseam + Phyrexian Altar: Draw most of the deck with Ad Nauseam, then chain rituals and altars to fuel a game-ending loop.

Mulligan Priorities:

• Keep hands with at least 2 lands (including WB sources) and 1-2 early plays (sac outlet, token generator, or tutor).
• Prioritize hands containing Phyrexian Altar, Teysa Karlov, or Necropotence.
• Avoid hands lacking sacrifice outlets or token generation.

Key Tips:

• Use Gift of Immortality on Elenda to create a recurring token engine.
• Yawgmoth, Thran Physician can both draw cards and clear opposing boards with -1/-1 counters.
• Inkshield can turn a lethal swing into an army of Inklings for a surprise win.

Weaknesses:

Critical

• Graveyard hate (Rest in Peace, Leyline of the Void) shuts down recursion and Elenda’s death trigger.
• Enchantment/artifact removal targeting Grave Pact, Phyrexian Altar, or Necropotence disrupts core engines.
• Exiling board wipes (Farewell) bypass token recursion and permanently remove key pieces.

Moderate

• Instant-speed interaction during combo setup (e.g., countering Ad Nauseam or removing altars mid-loop).
• Tax effects (Thalia, Guardian of Thraben) slow down the deck’s low-to-the-ground strategy.

Minor

• Single-target removal on payoff creatures (Blood Artist) can be mitigated by redundancy.
• Life gain opponents may outpace the drain strategy without combo acceleration.

Most Important Cards:

• Phyrexian Altar (Infinite mana/token engine)
• Teysa Karlov (Doubles death triggers for combos)
• Necropotence (Draws most of the deck to assemble wins)
• Yawgmoth, Thran Physician (Card draw, removal, and proliferate)
• Ashnod's Altar (Mana generation for loops)
• Ad Nauseam (Primary draw engine for combo decks)
• Nim Deathmantle (Key combo piece with altars)
• Demonic Tutor (Finds critical combo components)
• Zulaport Cutthroat (Primary drain payoff)
• Bitterblossom (Reliable token generation)

Attribute Ratings:

Speed: 8/10

• Can threaten T4-5 wins with ideal hands (e.g., T1 Dark Ritual into Necropotence, T3 Ad Nauseam), but typically closes games via combo around T5-7.

Resilience: 6/10

• Redundant combo lines and recursion (Sevinne's Reclamation, Phyrexian Reclamation) mitigate disruption, but key artifacts/enchantments are fragile.

Consistency: 8/10

• 7 tutors (including Beseech the Mirror and Vampiric Tutor) and potent draw engines ensure reliable access to combo pieces.

Interaction: 5/10

• Targeted removal (Swords to Plowshares, Anguished Unmaking) and stax (Grand Abolisher) are present but limited against noncreature strategies.

Rating Justification:

This deck operates at cEDH-adjacent speeds with fast mana and compact combos but lacks the stack interaction and resilience of top-tier lists. Its ability to threaten T5-6 wins through tutors and explosive draw engines aligns with Focused Competitive tiers, though vulnerability to common hate holds it back.

Power level: 7.0 - 7.5