Overview:

This Edgar Markov Vampire tribal deck focuses on overwhelming opponents with a swarm of buffed Vampire tokens generated through the commander's Eminence ability and supported by synergistic lords. It combines aggressive board presence with a backup infinite lifedrain combo, leveraging tribal synergies and moderate interaction.

Primer:

Core Strategy: The deck aims to flood the board with Vampire tokens using Edgar Markov's Eminence trigger, then amplify their power through anthem effects like Legion Lieutenant and Stromkirk Captain. Secondary win conditions include the Exquisite Blood + Sanguine Bond infinite lifedrain combo and Ruinous Ultimatum for late-game resets. Key phases:

1. Early Game: Cast low-cost Vampires (Vampire of the Dire Moon, Knight of the Ebon Legion) to generate tokens through Edgar's passive ability while establishing ramp (Sol Ring, Signets).
2. Mid Game: Deploy anthem effects (Shared Animosity, Vanquisher's Banner) and value engines (Welcoming Vampire, Champion of Dusk).
3. End Game: Overwhelm with boosted Vampire hordes or assemble the lifedrain combo. Use Teferi's Protection and And They Shall Know No Fear to protect critical turns.

Mulligan Priorities:

• 3 lands (preferably untapped duals)
• 1-2 early Vampires
• Ramp or card advantage piece Avoid hands without early creature plays or color fixing.

Key Tips:

• Time Anointed Procession after establishing token generation
• Use Skullclamp on 1/1 tokens for explosive card draw
• Roaming Throne naming Vampire doubles Edgar's attack trigger and other tribal effects
• Hold Patriarch's Bidding until after a board wipe

Weaknesses:

Critical:

• No combo protection (free counterspells/hexproof)
• Vulnerable to repeated board wipes

Moderate:

• Limited non-combat win conditions
• Average ramp density (10 artifacts/land-based)

Minor:

• Some color fixing dependencies (Battlebond lands need opponents)

Most Important Cards:

• Anointed Procession
• Exquisite Blood
• Sanguine Bond
• Skullclamp
• Shared Animosity
• Vanquisher's Banner
• Legion Lieutenant
• Champion of Dusk
• Cordial Vampire
• Teferi's Protection

Attribute Ratings:

Speed: 6/10

• Can establish lethal board presence by T6-7 with ideal draws
• Infinite combo requires 10+ mana without cheating

Resilience: 5/10

• Moderate recursion (Patriarch's Bidding)
• Vulnerable to targeted combo piece removal

Consistency: 6/10

• 5 tribal tutors/draw engines (Herald's Horn, Welcoming Vampire)
• Redundant anthem effects but limited combo redundancy

Interaction: 5/10

• 7 targeted removals (Swords to Plowshares, Path to Exile)
• No free counterspells or stack interaction

Rating Justification:

This deck sits between Optimized Casual (5.0) and Focused (6.0). It outpaces precons with tribal synergy and a game-ending combo but lacks the fast mana (<10 sources) and interaction density of true high-power decks. The T7-8 goldfish aligns with 6.0 benchmarks, but vulnerability to disruption and medium combo consistency prevent higher ratings.

Power level: 5.5 - 6.0