Overview:

This Orzhov deck helmed by Liesa, Shroud of Dusk combines life-drain stax with lifegain synergies, leveraging opponents' spellcasting to grind value. The commander amplifies life-loss triggers from cards like Kambal, Consul of Allocation and Sheoldred, the Apocalypse, while enabling explosive reanimation via life payment. Primary win conditions include infinite combos (Exquisite Blood + Vito, Thorn of the Dusk Rose), massive Exsanguinate/Bolas's Citadel turns, and creature-based drain via Archangel of Thune or Marauding Blight-Priest. Liesa serves as both a persistent stax piece and a resilient threat, with the deck's life manipulation offsetting her recast costs.

Primer:

Core Strategy Execution:

1. Early Setup (Turns 1-3): Deploy life-gain engines (Soul Warden, Authority of the Consuls), stax pieces (Blind Obedience), and ramp (Smothering Tithe, Talisman of Hierarchy).
2. Midgame Pressure (Turns 4-6): Cast Liesa to amplify spell-tax effects. Assemble combo pieces (Exquisite Blood + Vito) or value engines (The One Ring, Black Market Connections). Use tutors (Demonic Tutor, Enlightened Tutor) to find key cards.
3. Win Conditions (Turns 5-8):
   • Infinite Drain: Resolve Exquisite Blood and Vito, Thorn of the Dusk Rose to loop life loss.
   • Burst Damage: Exsanguinate for X=10+ with treasures from Smothering Tithe.
   • Combat Overrun: Amplify creatures via Heliod, Sun-Crowned or Archangel of Thune with lifelink from Vault of the Archangel.

Mulligan Priorities:

• Keep hands with 2-3 lands (including duals/untapped sources).
• Prioritize early lifegain creatures, ramp (Smothering Tithe, Arcane Signet), or a tutor.
• Avoid hands lacking interaction or lifegain triggers against aggressive metas.

Key Tips:

• Use Teferi's Protection/Clever Concealment to protect combo turns or dodge board wipes.
• Bolas's Citadel + Sensei's Divining Top (not listed) is a common wincon; use The One Ring as a substitute for card advantage.
• Sun Titan recurs key pieces like Walking Ballista or stax enchantments.

Weaknesses:

Critical

• Relies heavily on fragile 1-toughness creatures (Soul Sisters) for lifegain triggers.
• Infinite combo requires two specific enchantments with limited redundancy.
• Minimal stack interaction (only 3 counterspell-like effects).

Moderate

• Vulnerable to artifact/enchantment hate (Bane of Progress, Austere Command).
• Life payment mechanics (Bolas's Citadel, Stinging Study) risk self-damage in prolonged games.

Minor

• Limited graveyard recursion beyond Agadeem's Awakening.
• Some mana inefficiency from tapped lands (Isolated Chapel, Bojuka Bog).

Most Important Cards:

• Exquisite Blood (Infinite combo enabler)
• Smothering Tithe (Ramp, enables explosive turns)
• Bolas's Citadel (Unlocks free spells and life-drain synergy)
• Teferi's Protection (Protects board state/combo)
• Demonic Tutor (Finds key combo pieces)
• Vito, Thorn of the Dusk Rose (Primary combo payoff)
• Sheoldred, the Apocalypse (Passive life drain and card advantage)
• The One Ring (Card draw and protection)
• Kambal, Consul of Allocation (Early stax pressure)
• Archangel of Thune (Scaling threat with lifegain)

Attribute Ratings:

Speed: 6/10

• Can threaten T5-7 wins with ideal draws (Exquisite Blood + Vito), but relies on resolving high-CMC enchantments.

Resilience: 5/10

• Protection spells and Liesa’s recastability mitigate removal, but core combo pieces are vulnerable to enchantment hate.

Consistency: 7/10

• Strong tutor density (7 tutors) and card draw (The One Ring, Dark Confidant) ensure reliable access to key pieces.

Interaction: 5/10

• Efficient spot removal (Swords to Plowshares, Anguished Unmaking) but lacks counterspells beyond Grand Abolisher protection.

Rating Justification:

This deck operates at an optimized casual level, leveraging tutors and a clear infinite combo to threaten T5-7 wins, but its reliance on vulnerable enchantments and slow stax elements prevent higher-tier consistency. Resilience is middling due to susceptibility to targeted hate, aligning with the Focused tier.

Power level: 5.5 - 6.0