The Tragical Deck of Doctor Faustus
Christopher Marlowe's 1604 play 'The Tragical History of the Life and Death of Doctor Faustus' is a morality tale that relates the story of a Doctor who, having reached the ends of what he thinks he can accomplish with human knowledge, turns to black magic to continue his progress. He summons the demon Mephistopheles, who grants him power in exchange for Dr. Faustus' soul. Faustus gladly agrees, and the demon grants him a spellbook full of new ideas and abilities, allowing him to summon demons and wreak havoc on those he dislikes.
It becomes clear eventually that Mephistopheles isn't actually Faustus' servant-- he gives Faustus the powers he wants to grant and refuses to answers some questions outright. Mephistopheles works for the powers of Hell, and is only marching Faustus down the road to his inevitable death and damnation.
I love this story; the way Faustus' glee at limitless power turns to desperation as he realizes all that power has a price and he's catapulting himself toward payment of it is some seriously dark scriptwriting. In that regard, I've designed this deck with some very Faustian rules in mind.
1- There is no free draw. Faust wasn't ever granted something for nothing, so draw in this deck is either based on the commander's ability to draw on the death of opponents' cards, or it comes from cards that let you simply draw at the price of your own life.
2- You can't have your life back. Mephistopheles granted Faustus power like he'd never imagined, but Faustus couldn't use it to save himself. There is no lifelink in here, or lifedrain, only life loss. This bargain only goes one way.
3- Mephistopheles does not serve you. He's here on contract, and while he does have to help you, he'll do it on his own terms. As such, there are no tutors in this deck-- Faustus doesn't get to decide what answers he's given. He has to trust that Mephistopheles will give him what he needs in time, all the while watching his life running out.
4- This is a reckless thing to do, and Faustus is absolutely fine with that. Because of this, cards like Demonic Pact and Abyssal Persecutor are basically required. Yes, you're putting yourself between a rock and a very VERY hot place, but that's the name of the game.
In a casual game this deck leads to some of the most exciting games I've ever played. Turn 1 6/6 demon flyers are a very real possibility, but so is getting killed by the sacrifice deck that forces you to draw into a mess of exciting cards you'll be too dead to use. I have rarely had any success with this deck while my life was still in the double digits. This often means that an opponent who holds onto a board wipe or removal til the very end can kill me with it outright.
The deck is an exercise in flavor, and I would say it's my favorite yet in that regard. Notably, I don't have a deck that LOOKS like a favorite story, with creatures that represent characters and whatnot, I have a deck that FEELS like that favorite story, with me going through the same experiences as the protagonist.
On-theme suggestions are welcome as I may have overlooked some, with the notable exception of Chains of Mephistopheles. This card is actually a nonbo with the feel of the deck, and it would cost at LEAST 1 human soul to actually buy. If you want to build something like this, I'd honestly suggest skipping Damnation as well-- super flavorful, but Languish actually works better and is much cheaper.
Let's make a deal with the Devil!
