I have a Standard Aristocrats-style deck (BFZ Aristocrats - Acceptable Losses ) that I'm looking to convert to Modern on the cheap, so here goes!
The main damage engines here are Blood Artist and Zulaport Cutthroat, of course. With eight of them in the deck I'm sure to get them onto the battlefield. Blood Artist is the superior card between the two, but Zulaport Cutthroat is still worth having around just to drive the point home. They're both high-value targets, so all the more reason to have as many of them around as I can manage.
Bloodsoaked Champion and Eldrazi Scion tokens generated from Eyeless Watcher, Blisterpod, and Catacomb Sifter are the primary cannon fodder. Bloodsoaked Champion can pop back from the grave without a fuss, and Eldrazi Scion tokens can self-destruct to trigger secondary effects if no sacrifice engines are available.
Smothering Abomination, Viscera Seer, and Catacomb Sifter help manage card draw. Smothering Abomination also makes a pretty good fighter, which could be handy. This deck may not need it. Catacomb Sifter is more expensive to cast than Viscera Seer, but it comes in with a token, isn't picky about how a creature dies, and is more durable. That said, Viscera Seer is a one-drop sacrifice engine, which could have its uses depending on what happens with Rally the Ancestors.
Bone Splinters helps keep the battlefield clear or deal with threats that can't be ignored. The two Ruinous Paths in the sideboard can deal with Planeswalkers, and the Caustic catterpillars can replace Blisterpods in the event of troublesome artifacts or enchantments.
Cartel Aristocrat and Viscera Seer are the primary sacrifice engines. Cartel Aristocrat is also a decent fighter or blocker given how difficult she is to kill.
Rally the Ancestors is way more fun than it has any right to be and is probably the best way to finish a match. Call back everything from the graveyard, detonate everything via whatever sacrifice outlet I have around, and kaboom!
Sideboard is grossly incomplete.
As for changes I'm considering, I'm not sure how to balance Smothering Abominations, Catacomb Sifters, Grim Haruspexs, and Viscera Seers. The latter two are more common in this format, but I like the higher toughness and combat strength of the former. The former are also less finicky with how and what kinds of creatures died before triggering their effect, though they come with higher CMC which limits their usefulness with Rally the Ancestors. I'm considering swapping out Eyeless Watchers for Lingering Souls as token generators, but I need to playtest this deck a bunch to see how things tend to play out. I do like that Scion tokens don't need a sac outlet, and Eyeless Watcher would make the Rally the Ancestors combo even better if I've got the mana to burn.
With regards to lands, I may upgrade to things like Isolated Chapel, Sunpetal Grove, and Woodland Cemetery. Sandsteppe Citadel and Evolving Wilds are useful cards for mana fixing, and they're cheap, but they're slow.
Feedback is appreciated!
