This is my Dega Innistrad-themed deck, Light and Shadow. It's a Modern Aristocrats build with a heavy cult ritual sub-theme. I want to beat the enemy into submission and drain the life out of them, then flood the skies over the battlefield with both divine and demonic celestial forces to ensure many crushing defeats through shear might!
I believe that the ability to sacrifice your own creatures is one of the most powerful abilities in Magic and the Aristocrats archetype abuses this with great effect. The Aristocrats is a well designed midrange deck with a plethora of threats and engaging complexities both in and out of combat. The amount of serious threats makes it difficult for the opponent to overcome the onslaught of damage you're bringing to the table.
Spells
Your key spells are, of course, Falkenrath Aristocrat and Cartel Aristocrat; these are the engine of this build allowing you to take advantage of your value creatures. My take on this deck involves a heavier emphasis on the Humans matter theme that came out of Innistrad. An early Champion of the Parish can get out of control fast if left unchecked which makes for great aggression. An ideal situation would be a turn one
Doomed Traveler
with a turn two
Skirsdag High Priest
followed up by a Cartel Aristocrat for a beefy Demon by turn three.
Skirsdag High Priest
is highly underestimated and I find most decks even today can't deal with multiple Demons on the battlefield, couple that with an on curve Falkenrath Aristocrat for a crushing blow.
Blood Artist with Cartel Aristocrat also make for a great strategy, a steady stream of bodies and a
Lingering Souls
can hit the enemy hard and fast then you can finish him with a
Lightning Bolt
to the face. There are many combinations and ways to play, this versatility makes Aristocrats fun and unpredictable.
Additions
I decided to use Liliana, Heretical Healer
//Liliana, Defiant Necromancer
as my planeswalker, she is flavorful and has beautiful synergy with The Aristocrats. Xathrid Necromancer is a nice inclusion as he adds to the tribal element and keeps bodies on the battlefield. I also included
Entreat the Angels
for some fun surprises, a miracle can bring down enough beatdown from the Heavens to end wars! I am very tempted to bring in
Impact Tremors
to make the deck very aggressive.
Mana
The realm of Innistrad is a unique and beautiful land rich with the white, black and red mana that you'll find to be crucial.
Isolated Chapel
,
Godless Shrine
,
Blood Crypt
and
Sacred Foundry
are vital for having the appropriate colors of mana when necessary. The deck also uses
Vault of the Archangel
as its utility land; it may never get to this, but Her shear shadow alone can end a tense standoff.
I want this to be competitive, so suggestions are welcome.
(BTW, I'm going to make a prediction here, mark my words, when Shadows over Innistrad comes out The Aristocrats is going surge in power and popularity once again. I'm super excited, all aboard the hype train!!)
