Thank you Everyone who made this deck what it ended as. I had an enormous amount of fun playing it, learning from it, and manipulating it over the past few months. This deck is officially RETIRED! Please look at my new Theros-ready deck Fate of the Dead and comment and +1 if you like it.
Extort and Control.
Wincons: Debt to the Deathless - Easy to hit big with Crypt Ghast , and may even transform Blood Baron of Vizkopa. Cheap removal spells that can be extorted easily.
Sideboard:Blind Obedience for aggro decks.Elixir of Immortality mill decks. Rise of the Dark Realms Sin Collector and Duress for Mill/Control. Pithing Needle for AEtherling, Nephalia Drownyard & superfriends and whatever else that sucks. Ratchet Bomb has alot of utility, cheap token wipe, and can do well against low cost decks. Oblivion Ring for added, specialized removal.
Be sure to check out my sister deck Orzhov's the Name, Lifegain's the game by cptjmaverick. Similar playstyle, with a different take on some of the mechanics (and a bit more budget)
Ideal Hand / Turn by Turn.
T1 - Godless Shrine tapped.
T2 - Swamp Strionic Resonator
T3 - Swamp Vampire Nighthawk
T4 - Swamp Crypt Ghast
T5 - Godless Shrine Sanguine Bond
Rhox Faithmender
Extort. They lose 2 you gain 1.
T6 - Swamp Debt to the Deathless for 6X. Remaining 2 mana to Strionic Resonator the Sanguine Bond. 12 to opponent, you gain 12 life (24 because of
Rhox Faithmender
) Sanguine Bond triggers x2 because of Strionic Resonator so opponent loses 48 life + the initial 12. 60 total life lost precombat phase. assuming no creatures have died at this point, the Lifelink from Vampire Nighthawk
Rhox Faithmender
and is 6 more life gained, thus 6 more damage to opponent, if all creatures are blocked. 66 Damage total, 30 life gained turn 6 alone, assuming all creatures were blocked, and nothing got through.
This is of course not exactly the most probable of circumstances (though you can up the numbers on every card that isnt at 4 already to increase this) but with all the lifegain that M-14 has included, it's nice to know that you can still overcome all of that turn 6. It's not by any means a turn 2 Naya or anything consistently fast, and its not meant to be.
Another fun Combo:
Strionic Resonator an Obzedat, Ghost Council with
Rhox Faithmender
and Sanguine Bond on field. His ETB effect with deal 12 damage to opponent and you gain 8.Math: (2 to opponent, 2 gained to you) times 2 strionic resonator) 4 to opponent 4 gained. Rhox ability triggers, gaining you an additional 4. opponent 4 you gain 8. Sanguine Triggers, opponent loses 8 more, for a total of 12 lost, you gain 8.Every upkeep. :)
