Licia: Tribal Lifegain

Commander / EDH Lifegain RBW (Mardu)

TheParadoxicalSon

Land (40)

• 1x Arch of Orazca
• 1x Arid Mesa
• 1x Badlands
• 1x Blood Crypt
• 1x Bloodstained Mire
• 1x Clifftop Retreat
• 1x Command Tower
• 1x Concealed Courtyard
• 1x Dragonskull Summit
• 1x Godless Shrine
• 1x Inspiring Vantage
• 1x Isolated Chapel
• 1x Marsh Flats
• 3x Mountain
• 1x Myriad Landscape
• 1x Needle Spires
• 7x Plains
• 1x Plateau
• 1x Reflecting Pool
• 1x Sacred Foundry
• 1x Scrubland
• 1x Sea Gate Wreckage
• 1x Shadowblood Ridge
• 1x Shambling Vent
• 1x Smoldering Marsh
• 5x Swamp
• 1x Terrain Generator
• 1x Vault of the Archangel

Artifact (8)

• 1x Boros Signet
• 1x Darksteel Ingot
• 1x Mind Stone
• 1x Orzhov Signet
• 1x Rakdos Signet
• 1x Sol Ring
• 1x Sunforger
• 1x Well of Lost Dreams

Creature (27)

• 1x Archangel of Thune
• 1x Aurelia, the Warleader
• 1x Ayli, Eternal Pilgrim
• 1x Bastion Protector
• 1x Blood Baron of Vizkopa
• 1x Brimaz, King of Oreskos
• 1x Brion Stoutarm *f-pre*
• 1x Bruse Tarl, Boorish Herder
• 1x Burnished Hart
• 1x Divinity of Pride
• 1x Drana, Liberator of Malakir
• 1x Gisela, the Broken Blade  ^Meld
• 1x Hero of Bladehold
• 1x It That Rides as One  ^Flip
• 1x Kalitas, Traitor of Ghet
• 1x Karlov of the Ghost Council
• 1x Knight of the White Orchid
• 1x Massacre Wurm
• 1x Mathas, Fiend Seeker
• 1x Mogis, God of Slaughter
• 1x Monastery Mentor
• 1x Queen Marchesa
• 1x Serra Ascendant
• 1x Twilight Prophet
• 1x Tymna the Weaver
• 1x Urabrask the Hidden
• 1x Vona, Butcher of Magan

Enchantment (6)

• 1x Dictate of Erebos
• 1x Grave Pact
• 1x Greed
• 1x Martyr's Bond
• 1x Phyrexian Arena
• 1x Underworld Connections

Commander (1)

Instant (9)

• 1x Anguished Unmaking
• 1x Boros Charm
• 1x Crackling Doom
• 1x Mortify
• 1x Return to Dust
• 1x Swords to Plowshares
• 1x Teferi's Protection
• 1x Terminate
• 1x Wear / Tear

Sorcery (9)

• 1x Austere Command
• 1x Fumigate
• 1x Gamble
• 1x Hour of Revelation
• 1x Merciless Eviction
• 1x Painful Truths
• 1x Unburial Rites
• 1x Vandalblast
• 1x Vindicate

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Maybeboard

Land (5)

• 1x Battlefield Forge
• 1x Caves of Koilos
• 1x Flagstones of Trokair
• 1x Sulfurous Springs
• 1x Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth

Enchantment (1)

• 1x Oppression

Creature (4)

• 1x Anya, Merciless Angel
• 1x Linvala, Keeper of Silence
• 1x Maralen of the Mornsong
• 1x Stormbreath Dragon

Sorcery (3)

• 1x Cruel Tutor
• 1x Golden Wish
• 1x Purify

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A Lifegain Tribal. Technically. There's none of the traditional lifegain cards simply because Oloro, Ageless Ascetic pulls that off better in every way, most notably with blue for more consistent card draw. The only advantage a Mardu colored deck would have over Esper in tribal lifegain is the Artifact/Creature removal in red. Technically, because all the red creature removal is dual colored. And there's not much of it. In fact, there's not much of red at all. However, the splashed red color provides superior Spells compared to simply Black/White ones, provide powerful Creatures in the form of Bruse Tarl, Boorish Herder and Aurelia, the Warleader, and probably the greatest equipment ever: Sunforger. The point is, this deck is mostly on Orzhov Beatown deck, (Tymna the Weaver is really the best example of what this deck wants to do), but Licia, and a few other relevant Creatures and Spells, help the deck considerably. Also, Sunforger. It's game-winning properties cannot be denied.

Another key point of this deck is the amount of Artifact hate which Red helps bring to the table. Being a non-green deck places Mardu EDH decks at a significant disadvantage. The last thing I need is for mana rocks (or some loser with a Paradox Engine, Extraplanar Lens, etc.) to outpace this deck even further. Planar Cleansing-esque effects help even out the mana matchup, if only barely. Because of those Mana issues, this deck needs to have a fairly low mana curve with cheap creatures that can compete late game. Thankfully, Mardu can still provide that even without green.

That cheap curve was what lead me to making Licia the commander. She's big, she's strong, and she can compete with other absurdly large creatures. And, with enough Creatures with Lifelink on board, easily cast and recast. Additionally, she can win through Commander damage unlike a number of other Commanders in Mardu, bar Zurgo. In fact, Zurgo was what made me shy away from equipment like Whispersilk Cloak because he simply pulls the deck better. Licia's purpose in the game is to deter larger threats from becoming problematic, and fills the awkward gap with Desolation Twin style scenarios where there's too many to spot remove and too few to wrath-effect. Licia can simply block one (or get spot-removed) and negate the rest of the damage via lifelink.

The other reason for the Lifegain theme is for black card draw. Normally, the life lost from Phyrexian Arena and Underworld Connections is negligent in EDH, but with the aggression Mardu forces me into (by virtue of lacking other options), and the subsequent hatred and riposte(s) from my opponents(s) makes the lifeloss very noticeable. The ability to keep a healthy life total is the only thing that keeps this deck slightly competitive. Anything that blocks lifegain, well, there is no anguish in Anguished Unmaking Erebos, God of the Dead.

Well, that's the deck analysis. Long story short: I'm just trying to do the best I can with the colors this deck has at its disposal while still trying to have fun. There's better builds with better strategies, but those decks have a different Commander (Zurgo or Marchesa), and other builds are just downright oppressive.

It's worth noting that the deck list isn't set in stone. Try changing things up and talking about how things go in the comments.

Or, you know, don't. Because this deck is fun to play, but isn't the most competitive. Which was really the whole point. If this deck was about winning then you would see a Master of Cruelties in the list.

It is fun though. Very.

Date added	6 years
Last updated	2 years
Exclude colors	UG
Splash colors	R
Legality	This deck is Commander / EDH legal.
Rarity (main - side)	17 - 0 Mythic Rares 49 - 0 Rares 17 - 0 Uncommons 2 - 0 Commons
Cards	100
Avg. CMC	3.54
Tokens	Assassin 1/1 B w/ Haste, Cat Soldier 1/1 W, City's Blessing, Monk 1/1 W, Soldier 1/1 W, Monarch Emblem, Zombie 2/2 B