"Death smiles at us all. All one can do is smile back." -Gladiator, movie
OBJECTIVE
Win, by consistent merciless offensive. Keep board pressure and opponents on the defensive. In a bind, magic can handle what might cannot.
ALESHA WHO?
She's a khan of the Mardu, a field commander, victorious in battle against the dragons of Kolaghan. Much like her title suggests, she's not afraid of death, happy to risk her life for the sake of glory. A teenage boy self-identifying as a female under her grandmother's name, she has much to prove, and a horde of dedicated warriors to exact her will.
She's powerful enough and can be played with confidence, without the guilt of having to play an overpowered leader like Geist of Saint Traft or Ezuri, Renegade Leader, responsible for breaking the format and virtually killing it, just to get a win. If you want fun, play Alesha; if you want to win competitively (you're already playing the wrong format), play Geist or Ezuri.
FOR THE HORDE!
Legendary help: Since I don't have any expensive protection swords (yet), Hero's Blade is in the deck, but can be quickly wielded by a legend just for showing up. Dropped on your second turn, it can make Alesha a fearsome 6/4 first-striker on your third!
So let's talk about those other legends: Kari Zev, Skyship Raider and her monkey account for 2 bodies to block and are great company beside Alesha. Tymaret, the Murder King is a zombie leader, hard to keep down, and lets you sac dudes so Alesha can milk their ETB effects. Drana, Liberator of Malakir represents vampire leadership amongst the horde and helps the deck scale late by buffing your attackers. After all, What raiding party isn't complete without zombies, pirates, and vampires?!
SUPPORT MENTIONABLES
Let me explain a few of the supporting cast... The ETB guys are pretty self-explanatory, so I'll spend more time on the others: High Priest of Penance guarantees one of two things when he attacks: take damage, or lose a nonland permanent, what's not to love?
Master of Diversion
isn't a huge threat by himself, but taking a blocker out of the way isn't a bad thing, is it? See also
Frenzied Goblin
.
Heartlash Cinder
is one of the flimsier cards in the list because it's only 1 health, but it's at least a 2/1 when it enters or bigger when Alesha'ed.
Sunhome Guildmage
isn't much of a fighter himself, but his abilities support the decks strategy, so he's okay for now. When Alesha's not alone, Cartel Aristocrat can make herself color-immune, giving herself protection and/or evasion by letting you sac someone, then getting them back in combat. She plays well with token producers like Mogg War Marshal. ... Speaking of goblins, Goblin Rabblemaster isn't here for one major reason: He's working for Purphoros, God of the Forge in my EDH deck. Acquiring a second copy isn't plausible at the present time, but when that time comes, he's a shoe-in for the list.
