Teysa Karlov - "What is the worth of a soul?"

A Black-White Aristocrat deck with infinite loop potential. Heavily themed for the Orzhov Syndicate, not just their colors.

I love jank. I have a moderate distaste for combat. I wanted a deck that would allow me to leech my opponent's life in ways they can't interact directly with. So, I decided to try to make a deck where even board wipes would benefit me, using vast death triggers and ETB effects to make me mostly untouchable.

Instants and Sorceries are alright until you realize you can cast them all ONCE. Creatures, on the other hand, can be recurred, often as many times as you like, and often have the same effects on them, with only a slightly higher initial cost and risk.

Goals

The primary goal of the deck is to deal massive damage by gaining life, through a combo of ETB and Death triggers.

This ends up being an infinite value engine, where the base resource is the ethereal remains of those who pledged loyalty to you. Hmmm, sounds familiar.

The biggest weaknesses would easily be a combination of a slower tempo, graveyard reliance (an opponent's Bojuka Bog will knock you out if it's timed right), and becoming the arch enemy.

I recommend holding on to major pieces until you can field 2 sac outlets at the same time (Getting your Razaketh, the Foulblooded exiled sucks. Sacrificing him out from under the trigger and bringing him back later is a much more pleasing deal).

Remember King Richard's statement when the Scottish tried to surrender when facing the War Wolf:

"You do not deserve any grace, but must surrender to my will."

Things leave the battlefield when you want them to, in the way you want, and only when it works for you.
Sacrifice is a cost that cannot be countered or blocked.

Mechanisms

> Weaponized Lifegain

This section contains all 4 instances of the Sanguine Bond card text, with Vizkopa Guildmage being a strictly stronger "Each Opponent" variant.

These cards are the primary method of sealing the deal, as they act as massive multipliers to the damage done by leech effects, and turn every life gain trigger into a leech.

> Combo Game Enders

These are cards that can trigger an instant player ejection using the above card effects.

An example is the second mode of Revival // Revenge, where one instance of the Sanguine Bond effect can insta-kill a target, even if you've lost half your health.

Aetherflux Reservoir remains an alternative way to nuke a target opponent without relying on a combo, as long as you have high enough health to ensure a "next turn".

> Life Gain/Leech

The primary mechanism to power the engine. These come in both ETB and Death trigger variants, with the Death Triggers being multiplied by Teysa Karlov.

Epicure of Blood and Cliffhaven Vampire are added for a bit of extra multiplication. They seem small until you realize they are triggered by every single life gain event, which can be previously duplicated Death Triggers. Exponential damage...

> Token Generation

The generator of souls required to power the engine.

Note that not all of these are strictly creature tokens. "Treasure" tokens add extra color mana that can work to infinite mana loops. Set up properly, and you'll be able to end the game without ending your turn.

Teysa Infinite Spirits

A great infinite spirit generator. Darkest hour turns all creatures black, so Teysa, Orzhov Scion can replace them with now-Black spirits. Add the commander, and you get a 2:1 on every debt collected, for an infinite army.

> Spell Recursion

Multiple effects to enable bringing back non-token bodies for the cycle to begin again. You also have some utility of removal protection, graveyard theft, and some noncreature permanent removal.

Mass Resurrect Loop

This breaks minds. Lightning Greaves grants haste, so you can use tap effects without worrying for summoning sickness to wear off.

• Ensure the Sparring Mummy is in your graveyard. This can be done with any sac outlet, and often generates Spirit tokens.
• Use the Champion of Stray Souls effect to sacrifice spirits (or anything else where letting it die would be beneficial), and bring back non-token creatures.
• Make sure you bring the Sparring Mummy back. Target the Champion of Stray Souls.
• Sacrifice the Sparring Mummy.
• Rinse, repeat. Infinite bodies/mana/damage.

> Instant Speed Sacrifice W/O Tapping

Contains cards that can let you capitalize on your growing liquid asset of mana-bearing souls to turn the gears, often with other benefits included.

Scry, dig, gain colorless mana, and nuke lives as needed. The primary Life Leech effects will ensure your life remains in the black, and your token generation will ensure you don't run out of fuel.

> Opponent Control

Interact with the opponent, who may not like your play style.

• Tax them with Smothering Tithes
• Nuke a troublesome nonland permanent type with Merciless Eviction
• Empty their graves with Bojuka Bog
• Angel of Despair is an expensive body but can be recurred after hitting the graveyard to nuke most permanents on demand.
  • Use it after nuking all lands with Fall of Thran to ensure your soul-mana is the only mana, and leave all your opponents out of the game.
• Teysa, Envoy of Ghosts can stall Aggro opponents
• Tainted Remedy will ensure you're the only player with a life total of 3+ figures.
• Price of Knowledge can punish a greedy opponent for holding too much, while giving you that thick deck-sized hand I know you desire.

> Draw/Scry/Filter Utility

Not getting up running fast enough? Some additional tools exclusively for helping pull out answers.

Life is a resource you'll have plenty of, so let Bolas's Citadel turn that into life. Then, sacrifice copious tokens to drop the opponent's life.

10:10 isn't a bad deal when the the price of 10 spirit tokens turns directly into mana, life, damage, and more bodies. Now that's value.

Skullclamp weak spirits, and ensure every sac is extra helpful with the Smothering Abomination.

> Thorn of the Black Rose

Always put Monarch in Commander, for extra fun.