Marchesa, Queen of Ashes

Commander / EDH Infinite Combo Monarch Multiplayer Pillow Fort RBW (Mardu)

Leonantti

Creature (28)

• 1x Abdel Adrian, Gorion's Ward
• 1x Archon of Coronation
• 1x Breena, the Demagogue
• 1x Burning-Rune Demon
• 1x Champions of Minas Tirith
• 1x Emberwilde Captain
• 1x Gisela, Blade of Goldnight
• 1x Grand Abolisher
• 1x Kambal, Consul of Allocation
• 1x Karazikar, the Eye Tyrant
• 1x Kazuul, Tyrant of the Cliffs
• 1x Leonin Relic-Warder
• 1x Master of Ceremonies
• 1x Mother of Runes
• 1x Purphoros, God of the Forge
• 1x Recruiter of the Guard
• 1x Royal Assassin
• 1x Sheoldred, the Apocalypse
• 1x Skyline Despot
• 1x Sun Titan
• 1x Suture Priest
• 1x Terror of the Peaks
• 1x Twilight Prophet
• 1x Weathered Wayfarer
• 1x Windborn Muse
• 1x Witch-king of Angmar
• 1x Witty Roastmaster
• 1x Worldgorger Dragon

Enchantment (6)

• 1x Animate Dead
• 1x Dance of the Dead
• 1x Ghostly Prison
• 1x Impact Tremors
• 1x Necromancy
• 1x Ripples of Undeath

Land (35)

• 1x Abraded Bluffs
• 1x Arid Mesa
• 1x Blood Crypt
• 1x Bloodstained Mire
• 1x Command Tower
• 1x Fetid Heath
• 1x Forlorn Flats
• 1x Godless Shrine
• 1x Graven Cairns
• 1x Jagged Barrens
• 1x Luxury Suite
• 1x Marsh Flats
• 4x Mountain
• 4x Plains
• 4x Plains
• 1x Prismatic Vista
• 1x Rugged Prairie
• 1x Sacred Foundry
• 1x Savai Triome
• 1x Spectator Seating
• 4x Swamp
• 1x Urza's Cave
• 1x Vault of Champions

Instant (10)

• 1x Anguished Unmaking
• 1x Chaos Warp
• 1x Comet Storm
• 1x Deflecting Palm
• 1x Deflecting Swat
• 1x Hostile Negotiations
• 1x Path to Exile
• 1x Return the Favor
• 1x Teferi's Protection
• 1x Vampiric TutorGC

Commander (1)

Artifact (12)

• 1x Arcane Signet
• 1x Boros Signet
• 1x Conqueror's Flail
• 1x Hierophant's Chalice
• 1x Lightning Greaves
• 1x Orzhov Signet
• 1x Rakdos Signet
• 1x Skullclamp
• 1x Sol Ring
• 1x Talisman of Conviction
• 1x Talisman of Hierarchy
• 1x Talisman of Indulgence

Sorcery (8)

• 1x Blasphemous Act
• 1x Demonic TutorGC
• 1x Farewell
• 1x Final Parting
• 1x Grim Tutor
• 1x Insatiable Avarice
• 1x Mythos of Snapdax
• 1x Ruinous Ultimatum

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Maybeboard

Instant (1)

• 1x Silence

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"The traitors want my city ... but I'll give them naught but ashes."

• Aerys II Targaryen the Mad King, A Song of Ice and Fire: A Storm of Swords

The King is dead (well, deader and for good this time), long live the Queen! After usurping the throne from Brago, the Blink King, Queen Marchesa wastes no time in asserting her dominance and right to rule, and she is making sure not to go down like her predecessor! With capable allies and strong protection, queen Marchesa is ready to defend her crown by any means necessary...even if it means becoming a queen ruling over ashes!

Fortifying defenses

Main focus of the deck is to build pillow fort to protect you and prevent opponents from attacking or at least slowing down their attacks. Ghostly Prison / Windborn Muse provide excellent protection under right circumstances since their tax effect forces opponents choose between either using their resources to attack you or play their own spells. Most often your opponents have to or will decide to attack someone else.

Kazuul, Tyrant of the Cliffs gives you 3/3 tokens for each attacking creature that you can use as blockers if they don't pay 3 mana for each attacker. While it won't stop creatures with evasion from attacking you like some other pillow fort pieces, it still gives you a decent size creature that you can use to build an army to attack or intimidate your opponents from attacking in future.

Mother of Runes is a great protection for any of your creatures. You can also use the protection from certain color to make a creature evasive and get through to an opponent.

Grand Abolisher / Conqueror's Flail

Gisela, Blade of Goldnight

Protect the Monarch!

In addition to pillow fort, this deck has many other means to protect the monarch, be it you, Marchesa or the Monarch emblem. A real flavor move is never allowing your opponents to get your Monarch emblem.

Deflecting Palm is a fun instant to surprise your opponents with. It works well protecting against one big damage source from a spell or a creature, and it not only prevents the damage but send it back to their source too!

Similarly good damage prevention is Teferi's Protection, though it does not have the added spice of using your opponents tactics against themselves.

Deflecting Swat allows you to snatch your opponent's targeting spell or ability and redirect it to a new more suitable target. It also essentially works as a red counterspell to counterspells your opponents cast (you cast something, they in response cast a counterspell and in response to the opponent's counterspell you cast Deflecting Swat targeting that counterspell and it changes to counter your Deflecting Swat instead the first spell you cast).

Return the Favor

Archon of Coronation / Champions of Minas Tirith / Emberwilde Captain / Skyline Despot gives you the Monarch emblem back on ETB trigger, same as your commander, Queen Marchesa. Though it is little unorthodox flavor wise, sometimes it is actually a good strategy to allow your commander to die or at least let your enemies assume she is dead, "The rumours of my death have been greatly exaggerated" after all. By allowing Queen Marchesa go back to the command zone, you can cast her again and gain back the Monarch emblem without having to attack and deal damage.

Death & Taxes and politics

As the rightful sovereign, it is only fitting that you're demanding taxes from your subjects. The deck contains multiple cards that slow down your opponents or make them lose life when they dare to raise their hands against you.

Kambal, Consul of Allocation

Sheoldred, the Apocalypse

Suture Priest

Breena, the Demagogue / Karazikar, the Eye Tyrant

Queen of Ashes

All the defenses and protection so far has lead to this, the endgame! While your opponents have been busy trying to get to you, you have been drawing cards and assembling a board state to unleash your master plan: a truly terrifying world ending combo of Worldgorger Dragon + Animate Dead / Dance of the Dead / Necromancy that causes your opponents to burn with any of the following cards:

• Purphoros, God of the Forge
• Terror of the Peaks
• Witty Roastmaster
• Impact Tremors
• Hierophant's Chalice
• Abraded Bluffs / Forlorn Flats / Jagged Barrens
• Comet Storm

Additionally you can replace Worldgorger Dragon with Leonin Relic-Warder and win the game with any of the four first listed permanents, or you can replace Worldgorger Dragon with Abdel Adrian, Gorion's Ward and win the game with any of the five first listed permanents.

Cards have been grouped by custom order.

Comments on the deck are welcome!

Top Ranked	Achieved #43 position overall 5 years ago Achieved #32 position in Commander / EDH 5 years ago Achieved #1 position in Commander / EDH Pillow Fort 5 years ago
Date added	8 years
Last updated	1 week
Legality	This deck is Commander / EDH legal.
Rarity (main - side)	17 - 0 Mythic Rares 38 - 0 Rares 19 - 0 Uncommons 7 - 0 Commons
Cards	100
Avg. CMC	3.35
Tokens	Assassin 1/1 B w/ Haste, City's Blessing, Dragon 5/5 R, Ogre 3/3 R, Monarch Emblem
Folders	edh, EDH, EDH Decks, Decks, Decklists, Mardu WBR, Mardu