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Licia, Angelic Rebirth (Evolved to New Deck)

Commander / EDH Angels Lifegain Midrange RBW (Mardu)

Gofralighto


I like to think of this more as a life investment deck then a life gain deck. You spend your life trying to gain a competitive advantage in the game like: Color Fixing (Fetch/Shock lands), Card Draw (Necropotence), Repeatable Removal (Vona, Butcher of Magan), Big Monsters (Phyrexian Processor, Moltensteel Dragon), or even haste (Hall of the Bandit Lord). You recoup your life via lifelink, passive life gain (Soul Warden, Authority of the Consuls), and burst life gain effects upon cast (Archon of Redemption, Seraph Sanctuary).

Also runs an angel sub-theme. Also, no Felidar Sovereign type win conditions.

-Necropotence: Best card draw engine you have - only costs as much blood as you're willing to give. Combos well with Tainted Sigil and a Reliquary Tower.

-Phyrexian Arena: Some good incremental card draw.

-Greed: Not as good as Necropotence, because it costs more life and one , but it's still useful and at least you get the cards in your hand immediately.

-Twilight Prophet: Drains life from your opponents as you draw. Very nice.

-Tymna the Weaver: Can be some nice small card draw as you'll be swinging at folks anyway.

-Soul Warden: Just put her down and she does the rest.

-Authority of the Consuls: Another soul warden, but this also leaves your opponents vulnerable to attack.

-Wall of Reverence: Most of your creatures are 4 - 5 power so it's going to be some great life gain every turn.

-Exquisite Blood: Doubles your life gain when attacking with a lifelinker and gives you life when opponents lose any life period.

-Archon of Redemption: Turns your creature spells into life gain spells.

-Shattered Angel: Everyone plays lands. What are they supposed to do, not play lands?

-Twilight Prophet: Gain life at your upkeep as you draw a card. Nice.

-Seraph Sanctuary: Half your creatures are angels and you have Angelic Accord for more incremental life gain.

-Aetherflux Reservoir: Naturally this is in here.

-Phyrexian Processor: More life gain decks should use this card. All it costs is 4 mana and an upfront casting fee of however many life you want to give and you can consistently crank out a high-powered blocker/attacker every round. I usually invest between 8 - 12 life. Quick anecdote: This card was once vital in helping me make a come back from having 3 life against a 1v1 duel against a high-pressure voltron Zurgo Helmsmasher deck.

-Vona, Butcher of Magan: A slightly more limited Vindicate on a stick. Really only costs 3 life since you can attack first.

-Moltensteel Dragon: If you have the life to spend, this can knock someone out of the game. Best if you surprise your table with a haste enabler like Fervor, Slayers' Stronghold, Swiftfoot Boots or Vedalken Orrery. This card also pairs well with Tainted Sigil so you can get your investment back and even profit off of it.

-Hatred: Turns a creature (preferably any of your lifelinkers) into a Moltensteel Dragon for half the cost!! Also a surprise way to take someone out of the game.

-Toxic Deluge: Oh your indestructible creatures can't be "Destroyed"? Okay, I'll spend X life to wipe the board.

-Necropotence: Can draw up to most of your deck out if you 1. have the life to spend, 2. Sack Tainted Sigil afterward, and 3. Have Reliquary Tower out so you don't immediately discard. A risky maneuver so only do it if you're sure you're going to be able to win.

-Licia, Sanguine Tribune: Your commander can keep herself relevant and threatening on the board by getting bigger every turn.

-Hall of the Bandit Lord: Another haste enabler for three life.

-Shock Lands/Pain Lands/Fetch Lands/Mana Crypt/Mana Vault: The price to pay to get your creatures out earlier. You'll take a hit in the early game, but you'll make your life back.

-Resolute Archangel: Your best angel investor! Comes in clutch when you've been spending a lot of your life playing dangerously.

-Linvala, the Preserver: She can fill an empty board state and bring your life back up to speed in a pinch.

-Tainted Sigil: Simply allows you to do things you wouldn't normally be able to afford.

-Chandra's Ignition: Who needs to get a ton of mana for Exsanguinate when you got this beauty? Not only is it a massive burst life gain card that deals face damage, but it's a board wipe too? Only caveat is you need to choose a lifelinker as your target to get the life gain, but that's usually not too hard in this deck. I usually never fail to go in the triple digits of life with this card. Works doubly well with Exquisite Blood and/or Gisela, Blade of Goldnight on the board. This can bring you back in the game when you're falling behind.

-Teferi's Protection: Gives you a whole turn cycle of protection. You can't lose life, but you can't gain any life either.

Not all my creatures have lifelink so I run a few lifelink givers:

-Angelic Skirmisher: Being able to give first strike, vigilance, or lifelink to your creatures EACH combat is so incredibly powerful.

-Battlegrace Angel: Boosts a creature and allows me to attack with somebody while keeping my guard up.

-Lyra Dawnbringer: Limited in that it only affects angels, but half my creatures are angels so it's not bad.

-Bruse Tarl, Boorish Herder: Also gives double-strike which means double life gain.

-Whip of Erebos: Gives all creatures lifelink and can even act as minor recursion if need be.

-Exquisite Blood: Virtually gives all my creatures life link when I deal combat damage to an opponent.

-Vault of the Archangel: Deathtouch and lifelink. Can be used defensively very well.

-Mana Crypt/Mana Vault: These are essential in getting your angels out in the early game and starting your life venture early.

-Sol Ring: Ramp

-Talisman of Indulgence: Can help with color fixing.

-Chromatic Lantern: Enables all your lands to make colored mana of any type.

-Boros Signet: Can help with color fixing.

Win Conditions: Serra Avatar / Moltensteel Dragon + Brion Stoutarm, Serra Avatar / Licia, Sanguine Tribune / Moltensteel Dragon + Chandra's Ignition, Any Creature + Hatred, Exquisite Blood + Aetherflux Reservoir, Aetherflux Reservoir, Licia Commander Damage, & bolstering flyers with anthem effects.

I certainly embrace the side of Mardu with this deck and it's an aggressive deck as a result. You actively recoup your life by attacking other players with your lifelinkers then spend that life, sometimes a risky amount, to deal insane damage to someone or get an advantage in the game. Thankfully, with the life gain, you certainly can take a hit if need be as long as you watch out for commander damage and massive lethal sized hits.

Flaws: Depending on the opening draw, you may be vulnerable in the early game if you don't get any of your mana ramp or card draw spells to be able to use to cast your creatures (the majority of which are cmc 5) before turn 5-6, but once you stabilize in that respect - it's usually not hard to come back. Note: This has not been the case in the majority of my games, but it is a possibility.

Suggestions

Updates Add

I've since updated the strategy of this deck to move away from the mid-range style towards a more competitive, burn style deck that utilizes Licia in a more active role as well. It can be found here: Licia, First Sword of the Mardu {Primer}

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49% Casual

51% Competitive

Date added 7 years
Last updated 2 years
Exclude colors UG
Splash colors R
Legality

This deck is Commander / EDH legal.

Rarity (main - side)

19 - 0 Mythic Rares

48 - 0 Rares

14 - 0 Uncommons

9 - 0 Commons

Cards 100
Avg. CMC 3.64
Tokens Angel 3/3 W, Angel 4/4 W, Angel 4/4 W w/ Vigilance, City's Blessing, Minion X/X B, Morph 2/2 C, Servo 1/1 C
Folders EDH, Inspiring Decks, Licia, Decks from this web
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