This deck uses Umbral Mantle to make a Priest of Titania super huge, and then Fling it at your opponent with Rite of Consumption and gain that in life. Rite of Consumption is my new sorcery speed Fling in Shadowmoor that can only hit an opponent but gets you life as well. Its great for this sort of deck, and splashing Black for my Fling instead of Red allows me to run Gilt-Leaf Palace and Eyeblights Ending.
Outside of Ending, the Mantle, and the Rites, every other card in the deck is a Green elf.
Priest of Titania are classic mana accelerants that can tap for a bunch of mana if you have enough elves out. My hope is that they will stay alive longer because you have so many threats that appear to be a problem. Years of playing against elf decks with Timberwatch Elves, Wellwishers, Elvish Champions and so forth has taught casual players which elves are Public Enemy #1 (Wellwishers) and next in line (Champions if you have Forests, Timberwatch if you dont). People will use Swords and Expunges on your harmless combo elves, leaving your Priests alive thats my hope, anyway.
Getting a Priest to tap for three or more mana is easy enough. Have two other elves in play, such as a Harbinger and an Adept, and then you can go off. Your opponents will often supply two elves for you, and you can go off with just the Priest as your only creature.
I would recommend holding back the Umbral Mantle until you are ready to go off. Otherwise, if opponents see the Mantle and the Priest together, they may realize that you can make a 198/198 creature (with no evasive ability) and fear it enough to kill either the Mantle or the Priest. You dont want that, so save the Mantle and play it when it comes time to go off.
Note that Elvish Harbinger can find you a Priest of Titania. It can also get you a bunch of other elves if you have need, such as Eyeblights Ending, Elvish Champion, and so forth.
This deck is very elf heavy, and you can win just as a super aggro elf boy. Wins like that are not unusual.
Original deck build from:http://www.magicdeckvortex.com/DDB/dark_elves.htm
