Hey Y'all back with another Deck Tech this time focusing on a color pair I don't have the most experience with but with a theme a lot of people love to make work. That is we are doing Liesa Aristocrats. So in addition to this write up I have posted a decklist and a video. If you like the write up and want to see the deck in action I'd really appreciate it if you check out the video. If you have anything you would change or do differently leave a comment below. As anyone who's seen me on other posts knows I love talking about different ideas or best in slot cards. I think its really helpful to get feedback from others to make sure that you don't fall victim to preconceived notions on cards or strategies.

Onto the deck!
So this deck uses a fairly low to the ground curve to attempt to have a small board presence that we can sacrifice while our commander Liesa, Forgotten Archangel is out to generate value by having them return to our hand. Some of the small ways we do that are with our protection pieces Alseid of Life's Bounty and Selfless Savior to help protect our commander from removal. We also use effects like Plaguecrafter and Demon's Disciple to turn into 3 mana your opponent sac's a creature to give us repeatable removal. We even try to use die triggers to draw off Morbid Opportunist and Midnight Reaper. 

Some of the bigger ways we do this are with our win cons Bastion of Remembrance, Blood Artist, Cruel Celebrant, and especially Syr Konrad, the Grim. Who pulls double duty since when the card leaves to go to our hand he pings again. Teysa Karlov can also help to speed up our opponents loss and we do keep a few sac outlets on hand with Yahenni, Woe Strider, and Yawgmoth, Thran Physician. 
As for removal we even tried to tie several of our removal pieces to creatures that we can get back with Skyclave Apparition and Cathar Commando working amazingingly with Liesa. 

A few of our other win cons include alternating Hope of Ghirapur and Ranger-Captain of Eos to keep our opponent from getting to cast non creatures during their turns. With Ranger Captain able to grab the other part of the combo. This doesn't seem amazing at first and in some matchups it really isn't too effective but its important to note that it keeps control decks off sweepers and some combo decks from being able to go off during their turn. We also have Overwhelming Splendor in the deck as we can generally stall long enough to get it out and it hoses creature based decks so well that it can really be the stabilizer that spells the end for them. 
A few other pieces from Midnight Hunt that have been working out well have been Jadar, Ghoulcaller of Nephalia since he gives us pieces to sac to generate value for free and on his own has been an incredible backbone to some wins. Jerren, Corrupted Bishop // Ormendahl, the Corrupter also has a nice place since a lot of the deck actually does consist of humans we do generate more value there. I have yet to get to flip him but the option being there is really nice. Fateful Absence and Infernal Grasp already appear to be strong enough to be mainstays in most BW removal suites. Lastly Morbid Opportunist gives us another way to generate draws with the best part being that it is any creature so he works like chevill in a way. I've been very happy with how the new pieces have performed and am excited to test them in other Aristocrats style decks in the future as I think that they really provide a strong value for what we have access to on Arena. 

Last thing to note is that Priest of Fell Rites is an amazing card at helping us to get back things from the graveyard that we need while then coming back herself if she isn't unearthed. This can really help us to get back on top of things from a deck that had a lot of early removal and can really set our opponent back. This card has heavily overperformed compared to my expectations. 

Things I would potentially look to replace right now would be Elenda, the Dusk Rose. She doesn't really feel all that impactful outside of some board wipe protection and life gain. Lolth, Spider Queen has also felt very meh so far compared to other lists I've ran with her. Though that may just be due to the matchups we draw her in. 

Last some thoughts on the matchups. 

Control - We fair decently into control since we have just enough quick sticking power that if we can get a value engine going they have a hard time answering the card advantage we gain from it. Assuming we can avoid early wraths I'd even put us at favored due to a low curve and the ability to double spell often in the midgame. 

Midrange - This is a coin flip based on what style they are going. If they are going fairly disruptive then I'd say we are favored since its honestly quite hard to disrupt this deck and we have a lot of different synergies and lines based on what zone everything is in. If they are a pure value based midrange or another combo deck I'd put them at favored. Since we have some disruption but are really trying to get our engine online before we do too much of it. Which can allow them to either setup early or for us to delay the payoff to our engine. 

Aggro - We are unfavored here in most matchups if they are go wide or can put out 10 damage before turn 4. So we struggle against things like Mono R and the faster Mono G aggro decks you'll see on the ladder. However, I do think that against some of the slower ones like Boros where they rely on certain pieces to generate threat and value we can stabilize by holding removal for those threats. 
It's incredibly important to think about what type of deck your opponent is playing when you mulligan to really get an idea of what you need to mulligan for. Don't be scared to go to 6 if you know your first two are bad. It's more important to get the game plan that you want against your opponent than it is to have one extra card. 

And that's this weeks deck! Sorry its a little late in the week midterms are starting and I've got a buddy's wedding this weekend so I've been trying to get everything else taken care of to make time for those things. I always appreciate any feedback you have on my decks and hope y'all have a great weekend!

Be Radiant!

P.S. For those of you that payed attention to the video or read all this here is a secret angels list that I'll be iterating on for fun with Liessa. 

Commander
1 Liesa, Forgotten Archangel (MID) 232

Deck
1 Selfless Savior (M21) 36
3 Swamp (UST) 214
1 Alseid of Life's Bounty (THB) 1
1 Declaration in Stone (SOI) 12
1 Serra the Benevolent (MH1) 26
1 Eye of Vecna (AFR) 243
1 Borrowed Time (MID) 6
1 Doom Blade (STA) 28
1 Phyrexian Tower (JMP) 493
1 Day of Judgment (STA) 2
3 Plains (UST) 212
1 Lyra Dawnbringer (DAR) 26
1 Swords to Plowshares (STA) 10
1 Vito, Thorn of the Dusk Rose (M21) 127
4 Snow-Covered Plains (KHM) 276
1 Village Rites (STA) 35
1 Deadly Dispute (AFR) 94
1 Starnheim Aspirant (KHM) 380
1 Righteous Valkyrie (KHM) 24
1 Eradicator Valkyrie (KHM) 94
1 Tome of Legends (ELD) 332
1 Sephara, Sky's Blade (M20) 36
4 Snow-Covered Plains (KHM) 277
1 Valkyrie Harbinger (KHM) 374
1 Baneslayer Angel (M21) 6
1 Enduring Angel (MID) 17
1 Rampage of the Valkyries (KHM) 393
1 Mazemind Tome (M21) 232
1 Angel of Destiny (ZNR) 2
1 Power Word Kill (AFR) 114
1 Coldsteel Heart (CSP) 136
1 Bishop of Wings (M20) 8
1 Cleaving Reaper (KHM) 376
1 Malakir Rebirth (ZNR) 111
1 Agadeem's Awakening (ZNR) 90
1 Ondu Inversion (ZNR) 30
1 Fateful Absence (MID) 18
1 Priest of Fell Rites (MH2) 208
1 Teferi's Protection (STA) 11
1 Skyclave Apparition (ZNR) 39
1 Youthful Valkyrie (KHM) 382
1 Emeria's Call (ZNR) 12
1 Seraph of the Scales (RNA) 205
1 Exquisite Blood (JMP) 231
1 Speaker of the Heavens (M21) 38
1 Linvala, Keeper of Silence (JMP) 119
1 Phyrexian Arena (8ED) 152
1 Castle Locthwain (ELD) 241
1 Faceless Agent (J21) 1
1 Resplendent Angel (M19) 34
1 Arcane Signet (ELD) 331
1 Bojuka Bog (WWK) 132
1 Solemn Simulacrum (M21) 239
1 Smothering Tithe (RNA) 22
2 Snow-Covered Swamp (KHM) 280
1 Forsworn Paladin (AFR) 104
1 Skyclave Relic (ZNR) 252
1 Cleansing Nova (M19) 9
3 Snow-Covered Swamp (KHM) 281
1 The Book of Exalted Deeds (AFR) 4
1 Ornithopter of Paradise (MH2) 232
1 Overwhelming Splendor (AKR) 30
1 Firja's Retribution (KHM) 210
1 Mind Stone (WTH) 153
1 Esper Sentinel (MH2) 12
1 Sign in Blood (STA) 32
1 Brightclimb Pathway (ZNR) 259
1 Godless Shrine (RNA) 248
1 Isolated Chapel (DAR) 241
1 Shineshadow Snarl (STX) 272
1 Snowfield Sinkhole (KHM) 269
1 Temple of Silence (M21) 255
1 Segovian Angel (MH1) 25
1 Command Tower (ELD) 333
1 Evolving Wilds (IKO) 247
1 Fabled Passage (M21) 246
1 Field of Ruin (MID) 262
1 Field of the Dead (M20) 247
1 Ghost Quarter (ISD) 240
1 Scavenger Grounds (AKR) 328
1 Feed the Swarm (ZNR) 102
1 Infernal Grasp (MID) 107
1 Dire Tactics (IKO) 183
1 Mortify (RNA) 192
1 Great Hall of Starnheim (KHM) 259
1 Platinum Angel (M10) 218