[CMD] Queen Marchesa, the Eternal Monarch

Commander / EDH

thisjourneyends

Land (35)

• 1x Akoum Refuge
• 1x Blood Crypt
• 1x Bloodfell Caves
• 1x Boros Garrison
• 1x Boros Guildgate
• 1x Caves of Koilos
• 1x Command Tower
• 1x Evolving Wilds
• 1x Hanweir Battlements  ^Meld
• 1x Lavaclaw Reaches
• 3x Mountain
• 1x Nomad Outpost
• 1x Orzhov Basilica
• 1x Orzhov Guildgate
• 5x Plains
• 1x Rakdos Carnarium
• 1x Rakdos Guildgate
• 1x Reliquary Tower
• 1x Scoured Barrens
• 4x Swamp
• 1x Temple of Malice
• 1x Temple of Silence
• 1x Temple of Triumph
• 1x Terramorphic Expanse
• 1x Westvale Abbey  ^Flip
• 1x Wind-Scarred Crag

Sorcery (10)

• 1x Blasphemous Act
• 1x Council's Judgment
• 1x Decree of Justice
• 1x Decree of Pain
• 1x Dreadbore
• 1x Insurrection
• 1x Martial Coup
• 1x Merciless Eviction
• 1x Toxic Deluge
• 1x Vindicate

Creature (16)

• 1x Angel of Invention
• 1x Butcher of the Horde
• 1x Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite
• 1x Goblin Matron
• 1x Hanweir Garrison  ^Meld
• 1x Kazuul, Tyrant of the Cliffs
• 1x Krenko, Mob Boss
• 1x Mirror Entity
• 1x Nekrataal
• 1x Sadistic Hypnotist
• 1x Siege-Gang Commander
• 1x Stoneforge Mystic
• 1x Stronghold Assassin
• 1x Windborn Muse
• 1x Zealous Conscripts
• 1x Zulaport Cutthroat

Artifact (13)

• 1x Boros Signet
• 1x Charcoal Diamond
• 1x Fire Diamond
• 1x Immortal Coil
• 1x Marble Diamond
• 1x Mind Stone
• 1x Orzhov Signet
• 1x Rakdos Signet
• 1x Skullclamp
• 1x Sol Ring
• 1x Sunforger
• 1x Talisman of Indulgence
• 1x Whip of Erebos

Planeswalker (1)

• 1x Kaya, Ghost Assassin

Commander (1)

Instant (13)

• 1x Allay
• 1x Anguished Unmaking
• 1x Chaos Warp
• 1x Fire Covenant
• 1x Mortify
• 1x Orim's Thunder
• 1x Rakdos Charm
• 1x Secure the Wastes
• 1x Shattering Pulse
• 1x Swords to Plowshares
• 1x Tragic Slip
• 1x Utter End
• 1x Word of Seizing

Enchantment (11)

• 1x Assemble the Legion
• 1x Blind Obedience
• 1x Ghostly Prison
• 1x Goblin Trenches
• 1x Karmic Justice
• 1x Necropotence
• 1x No Mercy
• 1x Phyrexian Arena
• 1x Solitary Confinement
• 1x Subversion
• 1x Underworld Connections

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Maybeboard

Creature (5)

• 1x Angel of Serenity
• 1x Eldrazi Displacer
• 1x Galepowder Mage
• 1x Guul Draz Assassin
• 1x Restoration Angel

Artifact (1)

• 1x Tawnos's Coffin

Instant (4)

• 1x Eerie Interlude
• 1x Ghostway
• 1x Tainted Strike
• 1x Wear / Tear

Enchantment (4)

• 1x First Response
• 1x Goblin Bombardment
• 1x Parallax Wave
• 1x Shadows of the Past

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This is my Queen Marchesa commander deck. I really enjoyed the flavor of the Conspiracy sets, and took a fairly flavor-oriented approach in designing this deck. My goals for making this deck were the following:

1. Depict Queen Marchesa's ascension to the throne of Paliano, and her attempts to keep the throne firmly under her control.

2. Give off a sensation of Marchesa's personality - cunning, precise, calculated. Marchesa determines what she wants and seizes it with swift, deliberate action. She does not resort to crude or overly heavy-handed methods unless absolutely necessary.

3. I like to think that Marchesa was inspired by the ghost king Brago, who was able to bear the title King Eternal because of his undead condition. Marchesa also seeks a way to secure her throne for eternity.

Card examples to exemplify the above:

• I am deliberately running a lot of targeted removal options. When Marchesa needs to eliminate an enemy, she does so with swift, precise action, and in such a way with minimal disruption to her other subjects.

• Similar to the above, board wipes must be thematic. Something like Wrath of God or Day of Judgment just doesn't say "Marchesa" to me, but Martial Coup (literally seizing power) and Blasphemous Act (slaughtering your foes mercilessly) do.

• I have opted to not give Marchesa access to ping effects such as Thornbite Staff and its kin. Marchesa isn't afraid to get shit done on her own, but I see her as more of a poisons and cloak and dagger sort than a long-range sniper. I might soften on this stance in time (depending on how much I like Stoneforge Mystic in this deck), but for now Marchesa

• I have a bit of a goblin / token subtheme. I imagine that these make for perfect fodder for her regime - cheap, expendable, and loyal.

• Marchesa seeks to secure her throne for eternity. Thematically, this means "become the Monarch and then never ose it again." There are a number of ways to accomplish this in the deck - perhaps she isolates herself for a time using Solitary Confinement, or secures the powerful Immortal Coil artifact to simply live forever.

• Marchesa is utterly ruthless to any who would seek to move against her claim to the High Throne of Paliano. Enchantments like No Mercy and Karmic Justice capture a bit of that.

• Following her ascent to the throne, Marchesa is more than willing to continue to employ some of the underhand methods she used to get there. She still has Kaya, Ghost Assassin on retainer, and employs other assassins - Nekrataal and Stronghold Assassin. She has maintained her Underworld Connections and even runs an underground fighting pit (Phyrexian Arena) for additional profit.

Date added	7 years
Last updated	6 years
Legality	This deck is Commander / EDH legal.
Rarity (main - side)	5 - 0 Mythic Rares 44 - 0 Rares 18 - 0 Uncommons 18 - 0 Commons
Cards	100
Avg. CMC	3.37
Tokens	Angel 4/4 W, Assassin 1/1 B w/ Haste, Goblin 1/1 R, Goblin Soldier 1/1 RW, Human 1/1 R, Human Cleric 1/1 BW, Ogre 3/3 R, Servo 1/1 C, Soldier 1/1 RW, Soldier 1/1 W, The Monarch, Warrior 1/1 W