Queen Marchesa: Politically Inspired

Commander / EDH* Control Multiplayer Pillow Fort RBW (Mardu)

ThaneGarrus

Land (37)

• 1x Arid Mesa
• 1x Badlands
• 1x Blackcleave Cliffs
• 1x Blood Crypt
• 1x Bloodstained Mire
• 1x Caves of Koilos
• 1x Command Tower
• 1x Concealed Courtyard
• 1x Dark Depths
• 1x Eiganjo, Seat of the Empire
• 1x Exotic Orchard
• 1x Flooded Strand
• 1x Godless Shrine
• 1x Inspiring Vantage
• 1x Kor Haven
• 1x Luxury Suite
• 1x Mana Confluence
• 1x Marsh Flats
• 1x Maze of Ith
• 1x Mountain
• 1x Plains
• 1x Plateau
• 1x Polluted Delta
• 1x Reflecting Pool
• 1x Rogue's Passage
• 1x Sacred Foundry
• 1x Savai Triome
• 1x Scalding Tarn
• 1x Scrubland
• 1x Spectator Seating
• 1x Swamp
• 1x Thespian's Stage
• 1x Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
• 1x Vault of Champions
• 1x Verdant Catacombs
• 1x Windswept Heath
• 1x Wooded Foothills

Instant (17)

• 1x Backlash
• 1x Boros Charm
• 1x Deflecting Palm
• 1x Deflecting Swat
• 1x Enlightened Tutor
• 1x Fork
• 1x Galadriel's Dismissal
• 1x Inkshield
• 1x Olorin's Searing Light
• 1x Rakdos Charm
• 1x Stroke of Midnight
• 1x Surge of Salvation
• 1x Swords to Plowshares
• 1x Take the Bait
• 1x Tibalt's Trickery
• 1x Vampiric Tutor
• 1x Vanishing Verse

Enchantment (11)

• 1x Black Market Connections
• 1x Blind Obedience
• 1x Curse of Opulence
• 1x Delaying Shield
• 1x Duelist's Heritage
• 1x Ghostly Prison
• 1x No Mercy
• 1x Phyrexian Unlife
• 1x Solemnity
• 1x Trouble in Pairs
• 1x Wound Reflection

Sorcery (7)

• 1x Beseech the Mirror
• 1x Damn
• 1x Demonic Tutor
• 1x Forth Eorlingas!
• 1x Imperial Seal
• 1x Spectacular Showdown
• 1x Wheel of Fortune

Commander (1)

Creature (16)

• 1x Aven Mindcensor
• 1x Bloodletter of Aclazotz
• 1x Brash Taunter
• 1x Dauntless Dismantler
• 1x Dauthi Voidwalker
• 1x Delney, Streetwise Lookout
• 1x Dockside Extortionist
• 1x Esper Sentinel
• 1x MacCready, Lamplight Mayor
• 1x Mangara, the Diplomat
• 1x Nighthawk Scavenger
• 1x Orcish Bowmasters
• 1x Ragavan, Nimble Pilferer
• 1x Serra Ascendant
• 1x Sheoldred, the Apocalypse
• 1x Weathered Wayfarer

Artifact (11)

• 1x Arcane Signet
• 1x Boros Signet
• 1x Fellwar Stone
• 1x Mirage Mirror
• 1x Orzhov Signet
• 1x Rakdos Signet
• 1x Sunforger
• 1x Talisman of Conviction
• 1x Talisman of Hierarchy
• 1x Talisman of Indulgence
• 1x The One Ring

---

Maybeboard

Creature (24)

• 1x Anathemancer
• 1x Archon of Emeria
• 1x Crashing Drawbridge
• 1x Dauthi Voidwalker
• 1x Dualcaster Mage
• 1x Duergar Hedge-Mage
• 1x Grand Abolisher
• 1x Grenzo, Havoc Raiser
• 1x Hushbringer
• 1x Kazuul, Tyrant of the Cliffs
• 1x Linvala, Keeper of Silence
• 1x Master of Cruelties
• 1x Mindblade Render
• 1x Nighthawk Scavenger
• 1x Opposition Agent
• 1x Orzhov Advokist
• 1x Phyrexian Revoker
• 1x Skyclave Apparition
• 1x Stoneforge Mystic
• 1x Twilight Prophet
• 1x Valki, God of Lies  ^Flip
• 1x Vampire of the Dire Moon
• 1x Wandering Archaic  ^Flip
• 1x Weathered Wayfarer

Enchantment (11)

• 1x Blind Obedience
• 1x Court of Ambition
• 1x Deafening Silence
• 1x Luminarch Ascension
• 1x No Mercy
• 1x Painful Quandary
• 1x Rest in Peace
• 1x Rite of the Raging Storm
• 1x Sphere of Safety
• 1x The Meathook Massacre
• 1x Unquenchable Fury

Artifact (6)

• 1x Bloodthirsty Blade
• 1x Forcefield
• 1x Key to the City
• 1x Manascape Refractor
• 1x Pithing Needle
• 1x Wishclaw Talisman

Instant (7)

• 1x Ad Nauseam
• 1x Arcbond
• 1x Generous Gift
• 1x Kaya's Guile
• 1x Red Elemental Blast
• 1x Sudden Spoiling
• 1x Warping Wail

Sorcery (7)

• 1x Grim Tutor
• 1x Painful Truths
• 1x Toil / Trouble
• 1x Torment of Hailfire
• 1x Toxic Deluge
• 1x Twinflame
• 1x Yawgmoth's Will

Land (3)

• 1x Mistveil Plains
• 1x Rogue's Passage
• 1x Slayers' Stronghold

---

This deck aims to win out of nowhere, maneuvering through multiplayer games with politics and grace, every win will be earned and every loss will be a lesson that will one day help you surmount the mountain.

Updates: As my meta evolves the typical political trickery and defensive nature of the deck has become less effective and obvious. In addition, with the prevelance of more combo, life loss and value based decks, I was finding less opportunity to surgically take down opponents. In light of facing increasingly stronger decks, I have chosen to tighten the control and draw nature of the deck while still maintaining the decks ability to surprise enemies in an aikido fashion.

Some thoughts:

Gifted Aetherborn is often difficult to play consistently on turn 2 due to its colour restriction and does little for the deck in the late game

Necropotence is heavily restricted by its colour, necropotence is a house in the late game when you need to dig hard for a particular answer, however this is a surgically reactive deck and not every card you draw will matter. losing your natural draw is a hefty price to pay. The deck is a hoarder and we should often persuade opponents to deal with threats for us while retaining resources.

Strip Mine the biggest downside of having targeted land destruction in this deck is that it puts you behind a land as well which is compounded horribly because we operate on tight resource.

Notable exclusions:

Smothering Tithe - An amazing mana generator no doubt but unlike Rhystic Study big mana means little if you do not have a cards to utilize it. As mentioned above the deck is a surgical tool and does not necessarily allow you to throw out your hand with excess mana. Also it is well known in the community at this point that such game warping enchantments are a kill on sight. you would prefer not to time walk yourself if it gets removed

Chrome Mox - Exiling a card really hurts

Mox Amber - insufficient legends, Marchesa seldom lives because she generates value on her own

Ad Nauseam combo- If I do choose to support these cards. it would require too much resources and I’d be creating a different deck

Deck inspirations: Queen Marchesa: Politics, Aikido, and Control - precociousapprentice

Akiri-Bruse (RW) Aggro-Control - cgomes

[Cunning Queen] - Queen Marchesa Political Control - Frankstar

Personal advice if you face a harsh meta: Unfortunately for us Queen Marchesa (Long May she reign) isn’t a particularly consistent deck to play at a competitive table, We certainly have the tools to hamstring them and (sometimes) steal a win with akido tactics but more often than not we will be heavily reliant on other players to take the strongest decks down.

Playing at a mixed power table yields the best opportunity for a win. As a politics deck it’s to your benefit to shout and point at every key combo piece your opponents put down.

That being said mardu has some great hatebears and you should fully utilise them if going against a stronger table. Linvala, Keeper of Silence, Pithing Needle, Aven Mindcensor, Rest in Peace, Hushbringer, Containment Priest, Rule of Law can completely house certain decks when played right and you have black to tutor them up

Of course, if you decide to go down that route you’ll be playing a totally different deck. Losing the soul of this beautiful deck is the price we pay to stay interactive.

Maybe the best advise would be to have several decks that you can pick to match the tables power level, and remember that who you sit down to play with is ultimately your choice.

Date added	5 years
Last updated	8 months
Legality	This deck is not Commander / EDH legal.
Rarity (main - side)	11 - 0 Mythic Rares 67 - 0 Rares 16 - 0 Uncommons 3 - 0 Commons
Cards	100
Avg. CMC	2.56
Tokens	Assassin 1/1 B w/ Haste, Gold, Human 1/1 W, Human Knight 2/2 R, Inkling 2/1 WB, Marit Lage, Orc Army, Shapeshifter 3/2 C, The Monarch, Treasure
Folders	Commander Decks, EDH Decks, possible deck ideas, Long May She Reign
Based on	Queen Marchesa: Politics, Aikido, and Control precociousapprentice EDH