Rakdos AristoCats - Dreadmalkin's March (Standard)

We're looking to pressure our opponent from turn one, generate damage and value with Priest, keep up the pressure with Invasion and Heartfire, and close games with a buffed horde of zombles (not zombies; zombles!).

Dreadmalkin is the queen of this deck. She is not up for debate. When the opponent targets your Priest with Moment of Craving - foolishly misjudging the true threat - Dreadmalkin eats the Priest and fizzles the spell. Dreadmalkin eats what she pleases. Omnomnom!

Side out Butcher against any creature deck if you're not on the play.

Side in Duress, Tibalt, and Reaper vs control. Side out Spawn of Mayhem, Death Baron, and Lazotep Reaver.
Side in Lava Coil vs Rekindling Phoenix, Seraph of the Scales, and Tempest Djinn. Side out Heartfire.
Side in Spark Harvest vs any creature-based deck. Side out Butcher.

Tips and tricks:

• If you play a Judith when you already have one, both trigger on the original's death; this can give you two points of reach! It's the main reason we're okay playing four.

• Know when to activate Priest. You can only get back Gutterbones during your main phases, so there's a strong incentive to activate her then (to spend the two free mana recovering one of the sacrifice targets). Against control, it's very important to hold your sacrifice - fizzling a Moment of Craving or Vraska's Contempt by sacrificing the target can be huge. Make them commit to killing your board, then get value from sacrificing it. Bonus points if you can respond to a sweeper by sacrificing two goons and Heartfiring your Priest.

• Don't forget that Dreadmalkin has menace! It helps enable Spawn of Mayhem. Keep up three mana when Dreadmalkin swings; the threat of activation may deter blocks.

• If you're not sacrificing a Gutterbones, you might want to declare your sacrifice targets as attackers BEFORE activating Priest/Heartfire; there's a chance your opponent doesn't block, even if the blocks are obvious, and you might get some free damage! If you know you can use the Priest's black mana (for a Spawn of Mayhem, say...), this doesn't apply.

• With Death Baron on the board, Dreadmalkin will always kill the two creatures that block it... if they DARE to block it!

• People who maindeck Cry of the Carnarium are rubes, and you shouldn't talk to them. Ever.

Best of luck, friends~ May the Dreadmalkin be with you :3