Aristocrats is a time honored archetype in magic's history. Every aristocrat deck has a similar core structure to each other. The idea of the deck is to play a free sacrifice outlet, creatures that like to be sacrificed, and effects that benefit from creatures dying. Lets break down the deck
THE SACRIFICE OUTLETS (ARISTOCRATS):
4x Carrion Feeder - Probably the best card in the deck. Carrion Feeder offers a free sacrifice effect while also growing in size after each sacrifice. He can also sacrifice himself to his own ability making it impossible to exile him from the battlefield. This is the main card that allows you to smash in for damage.
2x Bloodthrone Vampire - Similar to Carrion Feeder, however the pump effect is only useful for a single turn. Often the threat of activation is enough to force your opponent to block him. Give him trample to give your opponent no choice.
CREATURES THAT LIKE TO BE SACRIFICED
3x Blisterpod - Like the rest of the cards in this category, this card benefits by dying. It makes a scion that can either be sacrificed for mana or sacrificed to an aristocrat's ability. While it is the least excited creature in this category you will find it to do exactly what it needs to do.
4x Young Wolf - This one drop is very powerful. It is played in Stompy because of the pure stat value. With a sacrifice outlet this becomes a 1 mana 2/2 with no drawback.
4x Nest Invader - A card that also sees play in Stompy. This 2 mana 2/2 (bear) comes along with a scion. Scions are powerful in this deck because they are very flexible. You can sacrifice it for mana or sacrifice it to an aristocrat.
4x Brindle Shoat - This card definitely wants to be sacrificed as soon as possible. You will find the opponent will never block this creature. Hook it up with a rancor to force your opponents hand.
CARDS THAT BENEFIT FROM CREATURES DYING
2x Hunger of the Howlpack - A card that ALSO sees play in Stompy. You will never have a problem triggering the morbid effect. 1 mana to add 3 counters is almost unfair. There are only two in the deck because it opens the door to a 2 for 1 by your opponent.
4x Mortician Beetle - This card was reprinted in modern master 2017 and was downshifted FROM A RARE! Let me repeat that. This card used to be a rare. This card gets bigger as your aristocrat does. The incidental sacrifice outlets from Blisterpod and Nest Invader also help with the strength of this card. Interestingly, if your OPPONENT sacrifices a creature for whatever reason, the ability will still trigger.
4x Tragic Slip - This is the only piece of removal in the deck, but my god is it a good one. This will always be one mana to kill any creature in the format, including indestructible or regenerate effects. This kills anything from Gurmag Anglers to Ulamog's Crushers. Use your removal sparingly because it is all you have.
OTHER CARDS IN THE DECK
1x Bonesplitter and 3x Rancor - Overall, Rancor is probably the better of these two cards. I have them split 3/1 because Bonesplitter is better against heavy removal decks or control decks. If this resolves, your opponent will have a very hard time blocking for the rest of the game. Having said that, Rancor is the better card due to trample. Yes you can get 2 for 1 by the opponent but the 1 mana commitment is worth it. If they are countering this, they are not countering your more important spells.
2x Read the Bones - This just a very good card advantage card. There are only two copies because this is a midrange deck and will never want to play this turn 3. Only play this when you run out of other cards to play first. A midrange or aggro deck, this can help pull you ahead of the card advantage game.
3x Unearth - Every creature in the deck is CMC 3 or lower. So this is a reanimation affect for 1 mana. This is better than Reanimate in this deck. Most of the time you will save this for when your aristocrat gets killed but bringing back a brindle shoat also a pretty good idea. Even if you have no targets you can always cycle it away for a more relevant spell.
1x Right of Consumption - There will be some games that your opponent will lock you out of combat. Or your opponent will have more creatures than you. Or your opponent is going to swing in for lethal next turn. In these scenarios, you can finish the game out of nowhere. Be careful. This is an all-in affect. If your opponent has a counterspell or a way to gain life, you most likely lose the game. Use this if your opponent is tapped out or you will lose next turn if you don't do this.
SIDEBOARD:
Shape your sideboard to your meta. Offered here is a well rounded sideboard for many scenarios.
3x Contaminated Ground - Mostly for the Tron matchup, although some greedy decks that run Karoo Lands could also get screwed over by this card.
3x Duress - Great against control and combo decks (U/R faeries, Inside Out, Esper Familiars, Pieces of the Puzzle, U/R control, etc.) playing duress before you play your more important card almost guarantees they get successfully cast. You also wont run into any combat tricks unprepared.
3x Gleeful Sabotage - Good against any deck that runs artifacts or enchantments (Affinity, Bogles)
3x Life Goes On - Good against any low to the ground decks (Goblins, Burn). Use if you think your deck can win a longer battle.
3x Scattershot Archer - A big weakness of the deck is flyers. None of the creatures can fly. Play this against decks that utilize flyers to win the game (Soul Sisters, U/R Faeries). I do not recommend you board this in against delver of secrets. You need two archers in play to kill 1 flipped delver. That is never going to happen. You are better off racing it.
