Necronomicon | Teysa Karlov | Primer

Commander / EDH Masterful

SCORE: 375 | 432 COMMENTS | 112491 VIEWS | IN 169 FOLDERS

March of the Machine —April 29, 2023

While there aren't any new additions to the deck from March of the Machine, I'm making an update to smooth out our gameplan. Unfortunately, the new set didn't have any great new additions to the aristocrat archetype, but it did have some interesting cards I cover below. I've been brainstorming ways to improve the deck and realized I should pay closer attention to Teysa's second ability, giving vigilance and lifelink to our tokens. While this isn't the most impactful with the small, incidental 1/1 tokens we get from our dying creatures, some recently released cards have easy ways of making bigger tokens.

IN

• Battle Angels of Tyr: The first card I'm quite excited about are these angels. At first glance, they seem like a strange inclusion in an aristocrats deck, but they provide a ton of utility for us. First, they're a must-kill threat. A 4/4 myriad flying attacker is no joke, and if left unchecked, they'll do a ton of damage on their own. However, they also can draw us a card, make us a treasure, and gain some life. Furthermore, with Teysa out, the myriad tokens will gain us 12 life, and the tokens can be sac'd before end of combat for aristocrat value.
• Black Market Connections: I've been back and forth on this card in the past because of how painful it is to use, but recently I realized how well it works with Teysa. Not only does it provide free sac fodder in addition to ramping and drawing us cards, but Teysa gives the tokens lifelink, recouping some of the lifeloss that comes with using the card.
• Vanquish the Horde: I decided to cut toxic deluge for vanquish the horde. Deluge is usually 1 more mana and costs us life which makes it worse most of the time. While it has some utility in boardwiping smaller creatures, we're usually the one with the smallest creatures anyway. The vast majority of the time, deluge is just vanquish for 1 more mana that also costs life. The fact that deluge can hit indestructible creatures isn't often relevant either.
• Cathar Commando: I like commando as a fodder piece that also disenchants. Having flash is super relevant as well since we can surprise our opponents with it, just like a removal instant. Similar to the earlier Solitude include, I'm hoping to shift more of our removal to be creature-based.
• Sultai Emissary: I'm always happy to put this guy back in the deck. He's premium fodder that potentially draws us cards plus the manifest doesn't count as a token and can proc more death triggers.

OUT

• Razaketh, the Foulblooded: We don't have a dedicated reanimation strategy, and we don't have enough ramp to justify an 8 drop creature, even if he practically wins the game when he hits.
• Anguished Unmaking: Unfortunately 3 mana seems to costly in the current metagame for removal. I like how costs for cathar commando can be split over two turns. She's also a creature. Unmaking is by no means bad, but I think moving forward, commando will have more utility.
• Ophiomancer: While she's a great combo with Bennie Bracks, Zoologist and a sac outlet, 1 token per turn is slower fodder than some of our other, more explosive pieces.
• Toxic Deluge: As I explained with vanquish the horde, deluge is going to be worse most of the time.
• Land Tax: We reaching the point where we have enough cheap card draw to consistently hit our land drops. Land tax becomes a lot weaker in those situations.

Omissions

• Corrupted Conviction: This is another Village Rites which is a great card, but not one that we have space for in the current build.
• Invasion of New Capenna  ^Flip: Battles are an interesting new addition. I like how they have a form of inherent card advantage since you can flip them. Of all the battles so far, this is the closest one to playable in Teysa, but unfortunately the flipside is essentially useless for us. The front side is decent, but we already have some sorcery speed removal spells in orzhov which do similar things.
• Knight-Errant of Eos: This is a strong card, and probably the closest to making the cut from the new set. A potentially 0 mana creature that draws 2 cards on entering is incredibly strong, but when not convoked, it's not great.

Like always, let me know if you think I missed anything, and I'll be sure to respond!