Scorn-Blade Berserker

Creature — Human Berserker

Backup 1 (When this creature enters the battlefield, put a +1/+1 counter on target creature. If that's another creature, it gains the following abilities until end of turn.)

{1}, Sacrifice this creature: Draw a card.

Legality

Format	Legality
1v1 Commander	Legal
Alchemy	Legal
Archenemy	Legal
Arena	Legal
Block Constructed	Legal
Brawl	Legal
Canadian Highlander	Legal
Casual	Legal
Commander / EDH	Legal
Commander: Rule 0	Legal
Custom	Legal
Duel Commander	Legal
Gladiator	Legal
Highlander	Legal
Historic	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Leviathan	Legal
Limited	Legal
Modern	Legal
Oathbreaker	Legal
Pioneer	Legal
Planechase	Legal
Pre-release	Legal
Quest Magic	Legal
Standard	Legal
Tiny Leaders	Legal
Vanguard	Legal
Vintage	Legal

Discussion (5)

wisegreenbean on A Less Disappointing Boss Fight

3 weeks ago

feeling suspicious of Bartolome del Presidio and Gift of Immortality, are they just for suntitan combo? you have way less support for combos so it seems hard to assemble and those 2 pieces alone are kinda mid. 3 blood artists, 2 free sacs, 2 enchantments, and 1 sunny T seems tough to get a combo assembled w/ no tutors, so leaning into cards that are only good with your sun titan seems iffy to me.

Scorn-Blade Berserker seems like an alesha holdover

Resourceful Defense seems win-more

Ratadrabik of Urborg is questionable to me, i feel like you're mostly not saccing legends, but instead saccing your fodder

Alharu, Solemn Ritualist is a lil expensive as you have 16x token generators and I feel like that's your sac fodder.

ever 2 or less color black deck luvs Nihil Spellbomb

You might enjoy some combination of the Feign Death, Malakir Rebirth  ^Flip, Not Dead After All, Undying Malice effects

Optimator on Roses of May -- (Marchesa Threaten)

6 months ago

I'm glad you love the deck elliotmward97!! I've had her for many years and I love her dearly. I even love Marchesa enough to have a five-color "Secret Marchesa" deck: Special Snowflakes. My playgroup ranges from precons and upgraded precons to "powerful casual" and this deck seems to hang with their stronger decks very well. It's certainly not cEDH, nor would I really want it to be. One of the reasons I kept the Threaten subtheme going string from it's budget days.

As far as "very little" card draw...

Bloodtracker, Braids, Arisen Nightmare, Grim Haruspex, River Kelpie, Sage of Fables, Scorn-Blade Berserker, Yawgmoth, Thran Physician, Phyrexian Arena, Jeska's Will, Syphon Mind, and Skullclamp are all card draw. That's eleven.

Phyrexian Reclamation is big-time card advantage if my goons keep getting whacked, Viscera Seer is decent card selection when the engine is running, and the non-Treaten theft cards could even be viewed as card-advantage if you squint (looping Thalakos Deceiver and Puppeteer Clique and Keiga, the Tide Star, Zara, Renegade Recruiter getting lucky a few times, Grave Betrayal sticking, etc).

Actually seems above-average to me, elliotmward97.

Perhaps it's light in more pure Concentrate- and Tidings-style draw, but I like the creature-based draw that synergizes with Marchesa. Makes the deck feel like it has more character, and the ceiling is quite high when the engine is rolling. Lower floor, perhaps. I've thought about including more draw effects like Bident of Thassa, Reconnaissance Mission, and Coastal Piracy since the deck swings out so much, but I like where things are right now.

scotchtapedsleeves on Marchezzy says "Goonies Never Die!"

7 months ago

Welcome to the Cult of Marchesa!

I definitely agree that this deck doesn't have enough sac outlets. When other players start to realize the gameplan, they'll be removing every outlet they see. It's important to keep well stocked!

Add:

• Greater Gargadon is absolutely fantastic, opponents can't interact with it until it hits the field and by then you'll have drawn another outlet... hopefully.

• Viscera Seer is a must, you need all the 1 drop outlets you can get.

• Yawgmoth, Thran Physician is incredible. Free sac outlet that draws you cards AND is removal? Don't mind if I do.

• Trophy Mage is an easy tutor for both Ashnod's and Phyrexian altar. I run Altar of Dementia instead of Phyrexian altar, so I run Trinket Mage instead of trophy. This also helps me get out my 2 drop mana rocks in a pinch.

Subtract:

• Falkenrath Aristocrat has never hit for me, 4 mana for a flying outlet is fine, but she's never done well for me.

• Scorn-Blade Berserker is fine, but think of the timing their effect will be applied on. If you're sacrificing it for Marchesa, it'll be coming back on that end step. If you want to take advantage of backup, you'd have to sac the backed-up creature during that end step. Ideally we want to avoid doing this as you won't have that creature for the whole next turn.

You mentioned that your partner was constantly being left with no blockers for opponent's combat. That's a difficult line to tread, generally Marchesa isn't enormously aggro although it might seem that way. Your goal is to abuse ETB and LTB triggers for maximum value, swinging with creatures only if you have a sac outlet to reset them for the next person's turn.

Add:

• Kardur, Doomscourge can help with this massively as opponents won't be able to attack you for the next cycle. If he stays around until your next turn you can "flicker" him to goad everyone again!

• Reef Worm is a pet card of mine, it can generate a huge amount of bodies if you have a Thran Vigil or Uncivil Unrest out. Fantastic sacrifice fodder even if it doesn't have a counter on it

• Triskelion. You're playing Mikaeus, might as well finish up the combo

• Imposter Mech is quickly becoming my favourite card. Once you have Marchesa out you generally don't want to attack with her, so you can use her to crew this every turn! Last game I cast it I copied an Avacyn, Angel of Hope to give you an idea of the bonkers stuff you can pull off with it

Subtract:

• Gray Merchant of Asphodel Generally you don't want to be gaining life in this deck as you want to stay the dethrone target as long as possible. I've died a few times to my own hubris by not including lifegain, but the small amounts you'd be gaining with Gary in a Grixis deck don't make him worth it for me. Special exception to Kokusho, the Evening Star as 15 lifegain is backbreaking for your opponents.

That just about wraps up my thoughts, Marchesa can be pretty complex to play so feel free to reach out if you or your partner have any questions! Like I said, I don't generally play too aggro with my deck. Generally once opponents figure out what's going on you'll be getting a lot of removal thrown your way, but Marchesa is a super sticky commander, she won't leave if you don't want her too. Don't forget to sac in response to removal!

Lokotor on Marchesa, The Black Rose - Primer

11 months ago

scotchtapedsleeves

Glad you found the primer helpful! to respond to some of the suggestions etc:

I actually am running Dockside Extortionist! I have been since it released pretty much. Similarly, I am currently running Scorn-Blade Berserker and Lethal Scheme and they've both played very well so far.

Cards like Terror of the Peaks, Thundering Raiju, Flayer of the Hatebound etc. aren't necessarily bad cards, they're just aimed at a different strategy than I am playing. I run more of a control oriented aristocrats build, whereas they're geared more for an aggro aristocrats strategy. Marchesa can definitely be a home for these kinds of cards and that would be a perfectly fine deck, just like how Threaten based builds work well too, but I think an aristocrats control shell is the strongest over all and so whenever I'm evaluating cards it's usually to ask how they specifically fit into That strategy.

I've considered Ledger Shredder but it's ~$20 and I'm just not convinced it's exactly what I'm looking for (though it's certainly a good option so I'd say go for it if you have one) on a similar note, I'm also looking at Faerie Mastermind which fills a similar role, but also is a Rogue which plays well with my (perhaps foolish) desire to make Mari, the Killing Quill work in this deck.

Reins of Power sounds like a fun trick to pull off, especially if you have a free sacrifice outlet around. You can use it to stop a deadly attack from coming your way, to open someone up to another player's attack, or just to wipe a single player's board. Lots of ways to take advantage of it. Could even re-cast Marchesa after playing it to permanently steal a bunch of creatures from someone. I don't really play into the theft style deck that much as you can see though, since my goal is more to prevent everyone else from having anything to begin with.

scotchtapedsleeves on Marchesa, The Black Rose - Primer

11 months ago

Me again, dropping a few more cards that I'm currently playtesting.

Dockside Extortionist - Can definitely understand if you're not running it on principal, extremely strong though.

Ledger Shredder - Also very strong, good card selection. I play a bit more recursion than you so I like discarding creatures, but could have a home here.

The new Backup cards are decent. Can mess with your timing a bit as their backup effect only lasts until EOT so you'd have to activate during the end step.

Mirror-Style Master is expensive but the effect is great, especially if you can give her haste and have her backup someone else.

Saiba Cryptomancer - More backup, 2 mana flashed in hexproof. Not fantastic admittedly as it'll generally come back during end steps, but pumping her up with The Ozolith or other sources has worked well for me.

Scorn-Blade Berserker - More backup! 3 mana + a lamb for two cards? Not bad.

Voldaren Thrillseeker - Backup. Deals damage equal to power for 1 mana, not the best backup. I'm taking scorn blade over her

Terror of the Peaks - I get that you're not running flayer etc. But wanted to bring this card to mind anyway. 5 mana 5/4 flying is fine on its own, but couple it with the fact that it deals damage equal to power on ETB? Very good card.

Thundering Raiju - Lots of direct damage here along with a touch of +1/+1 counter distribution.

Lethal Scheme - Free, instant speed removal that distributes counters? Fantastic.

Reins of Power - Haven't had this one pop off in a game yet, but it seems decent. The most efficient mana:creatures stolen ratio I've been able to find. Only downside is Marchesa can't be on.

Aetherworks Marvel - Haven't had a chance to get this one out either, but free cards? For the measly cost of sacrificing creatures? Sounds good to me