The deck was an exercise of a. Is this possible?, and b. Will it work?. Other options would have been Gahiji, Honored One , or possibly Damia, Sage of Stone .Gahiji would have used his ability to pump the creatures along with Overrun and Titanic Ultimatum to force damage over the opponents creatures. Damia would have focused on slinging out pump spells and refilling the hand. In the end, I felt I wanted something with staying power and went with Marchesa, the Black Rose.
When choosing infect creatures, there isn't that big of a pool. They are pitiful at best for their costs. By using Marchesa, they become bigger every time you swing at the player with the highest life total. The benefit of infect is that when you connect with a player, their life total won't change, unlike with poisonous. Once one player has been hit with a poison counter or two and for one reason or another you can no longer gain dethrone triggers off them, you can swing away at someone else and proliferate the first player.
The deck remains resilient by the addition of counters and things that destroy, bounce, or tap your opponents board. My choices for these cards weren't the most optimal because I wanted something budget and different than what I've already seen/played. Damnation was ripped from my Nekusar deck as was the mana base.Adding to the resiliency of the deck is Marchesa's bottom ability of returning creatures to the field at the end of turn, as long as they have a +1/+1 counter. Unspeakable Symbol allows you to place a counter on a creature, that hasn't had a chance to gain one, in response to a board wipe or a kill spell. Unspeakable Symbol also allows you to keep your life just below the life of your current target for Dethrone purposes.
Running synergy with infect and Marchesa's last ability is Warstorm Surge . Warstorm Surge allows your creatures to get off a bit of damage as they enter the battlefield the first time, as well as when they come back onto the field after the recursion trigger.Relentless Assault and Aggravated Assault simply give you more combat phases.One of the local stores I play at have house ruled Infect at 15. This isn't an issue for this deck. 20 wouldn't be an issue for this deck, nor would anything higher but at that point I could just play something else.
It's not infect but Archaeomancer would allow you to recur you instances and sorcery cards. If you do run with more non-infect creatures you can put Grafted Exoskeleton in there for them. Maybe Inexorable Tide so you can proliferate on all your spells. Spread the Sickness for spot removal and proliferate.
Been working on an infect version of Marchesa as well - glad to find another list.
Couple cards I've been looking at that I'm curious to get your input on: Death Pit Offering: +2 is massive for infect creatures and the sac drawback is pretty marginal given Marchesa's recursion Bedlam/Intimidation: not sure if permanent-based evasion is better than one-shot instant speed effects but these seem like two solid options Gigadrowse: one-shot instant speed option similar to Blustersquall Heat Stroke: makes blocking very costly and works well with the low-power infect creatures Caress of Phyrexia: provides some reach to KO an opponent or can draw cards if need be Thrummingbird: no infect, but proliferate that works well with extra combat phases
Also, I see a lack of instant speed sacrifice outlets (Phyrexian Altar, Carrion Feeder, etc.) in your list. They seem very useful for protecting creatures - especially Marchesa, the Black Rose - however, they can be dead draws at times. Do you ever run into situations where they would have been beneficial?
No I don't run into anything like that. If they die, they just die and come back. I haven't needed to sac them to anything. I like a lot of your suggestions, especially Death Pit. I steered clear of Thrummingbird because its not infect and does actual damage.
I'm also trying out the Infect angle, and I feel like it's legit with Marchesa at the helm. Some notes from my own experiences:
As you pointed out, the pool of Infect creatures is shallow and quality is low. But you're not even running some of the best ones! Ichor Rats is simply incredible here, considering the amount of times they can hit the battlefield. Phyrexian Vatmother gives *5* (that's half) counters with Marchesa out. Suq'Ata Assassin has built-in evasion, and Fallen Ferromancer, while a little expensive, is very handy. You have some sub-par Infect guys (Phyrexian Digester, Scourge Servant) that could use upgrades.
With a decent Proliferate sub-theme, you can afford to run some non-Infect guys. Remember, you don't need to connect with your opponent all that often. Thalakos Deceiver, River Kelpie, and Needle Specter are among my favorite. Necroskitter is also hilarious.
Dire Undercurrents provides some crazy card advantage, considering how many creatures are coming in to play on your board.
You might consider some extra ways to keep Marchesa and your Infect guys protected. Spellskite does this AND keeps you "off the throne," and Kira, Great Glass-Spinner is really difficult to deal with.
I have to agree with the proliferate sub theme. I think it is the only way this deck could have any real longevity as your creatures become severely overpowered by other late game plays. There are some hectic combos with throne of geth. It would give use to your artifact infect creatures after their low power makes them obsolete. A proliferate sub theme also allows for a pretty decent mana ramp package with cards like everflowing chalice. Heck a Contagion Engine with an Unwinding Clock will win games by the time its your turn again!
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When choosing infect creatures, there isn't that big of a pool. They are pitiful at best for their costs. By using Marchesa, they become bigger every time you swing at the player with the highest life total. The benefit of infect is that when you connect with a player, their life total won't change, unlike with poisonous. Once one player has been hit with a poison counter or two and for one reason or another you can no longer gain dethrone triggers off them, you can swing away at someone else and proliferate the first player.
The deck remains resilient by the addition of counters and things that destroy, bounce, or tap your opponents board. My choices for these cards weren't the most optimal because I wanted something budget and different than what I've already seen/played. Damnation was ripped from my Nekusar deck as was the mana base.Adding to the resiliency of the deck is Marchesa's bottom ability of returning creatures to the field at the end of turn, as long as they have a +1/+1 counter. Unspeakable Symbol allows you to place a counter on a creature, that hasn't had a chance to gain one, in response to a board wipe or a kill spell. Unspeakable Symbol also allows you to keep your life just below the life of your current target for Dethrone purposes.
Running synergy with infect and Marchesa's last ability is Warstorm Surge . Warstorm Surge allows your creatures to get off a bit of damage as they enter the battlefield the first time, as well as when they come back onto the field after the recursion trigger.Relentless Assault and Aggravated Assault simply give you more combat phases.One of the local stores I play at have house ruled Infect at 15. This isn't an issue for this deck. 20 wouldn't be an issue for this deck, nor would anything higher but at that point I could just play something else.
1x Marchesa, the Black Rose
1x Blackcleave Goblin
1x Blighted Agent
1x Blightsteel Colossus
1x Chained Throatseeker
1x Consecrated Sphinx
1x Contagious Nim
1x Core Prowler
1x Corpse Cur
1x Flayer of the Hatebound
1x Flensermite
1x Flesh-Eater Imp
1x Hand of the Praetors
1x Ichorclaw Myr
1x Necropede
1x Phyrexian Crusader
1x Phyrexian Digester
1x Phyrexian Metamorph
1x Plague Myr
1x Plague Stinger
1x Razor Swine
1x Scourge Servant
1x Septic Rats
1x Skithiryx, the Blight Dragon
1x Viral Drake
1x Whispering Specter
Enchantment (8)
1x Aggravated Assault
1x Corrupted Conscience
1x Fervor
1x Gratuitous Violence
1x Hammer of Purphoros
1x Inexorable Tide
1x Unspeakable Symbol
1x Warstorm Surge
1x AEtherize
1x Blustersquall
1x Chaos Warp
1x Counterflux
1x Counterspell
1x Cyclonic Rift
1x Dissipate
1x Fuel for the Cause
1x Hinder
1x Illusionist's Gambit
1x Mystical Tutor
1x Spell Crumple
1x Steady Progress
1x Turnabout
1x Vampiric Tutor
Artifact (9)
1x Chromatic Lantern
1x Contagion Clasp
1x Contagion Engine
1x Darksteel Ingot
1x Fellwar Stone
1x Gilded Lotus
1x Sol Ring
1x Talisman of Dominance
1x Talisman of Indulgence
Sorcery (8)
1x Damnation
1x Demonic Tutor
1x Diabolic Tutor
1x Relentless Assault
1x Sign in Blood
1x Sleep
1x Tezzeret's Gambit
1x Tidings
1x Blood Crypt
1x City of Brass
1x Command Tower
1x Dragonskull Summit
1x Drowned Catacomb
1x Exotic Orchard
1x Inkmoth Nexus
10x Island
1x Mana Confluence
4x Mountain
1x Reliquary Tower
1x Steam Vents
1x Sulfur Falls
8x Swamp
1x Watery Grave
Maybeboard (6)
1x Electropotence
1x In Garruk's Wake
1x In the Web of War
1x Mikaeus, the Unhallowed
1x Ogre Battledriver
1x Plague Wind
Krenko, Mob Boss
Nekusar, the Mindrazer
Marchesa Infect
Karona, False God | Sliver King | Horde of Notions | Marchesa, the Black Rose | Rhys the Redeemed | Selvala, Explorer Returned | Angus Mackenale
Vela the Night-Clad | Kaalia of the Vast | Merieke Ri Berit | Jhoira of the Ghitu | Ashling the Pilgrim | Arcum Dagsson
Ertai, Wizard Adept | Glissa, the Traitor | Oona, Queen of the Fae
Krenko, Mob Boss
Nekusar, the Mindrazer
Marchesa Infect
Couple cards I've been looking at that I'm curious to get your input on:
Death Pit Offering: +2 is massive for infect creatures and the sac drawback is pretty marginal given Marchesa's recursion
Bedlam/Intimidation: not sure if permanent-based evasion is better than one-shot instant speed effects but these seem like two solid options
Gigadrowse: one-shot instant speed option similar to Blustersquall
Heat Stroke: makes blocking very costly and works well with the low-power infect creatures
Caress of Phyrexia: provides some reach to KO an opponent or can draw cards if need be
Thrummingbird: no infect, but proliferate that works well with extra combat phases
Also, I see a lack of instant speed sacrifice outlets (Phyrexian Altar, Carrion Feeder, etc.) in your list. They seem very useful for protecting creatures - especially Marchesa, the Black Rose - however, they can be dead draws at times. Do you ever run into situations where they would have been beneficial?
Krenko, Mob Boss
Nekusar, the Mindrazer
Marchesa Infect
Karona, False God | Sliver King | Horde of Notions | Marchesa, the Black Rose | Rhys the Redeemed | Selvala, Explorer Returned | Angus Mackenale
Vela the Night-Clad | Kaalia of the Vast | Merieke Ri Berit | Jhoira of the Ghitu | Ashling the Pilgrim | Arcum Dagsson
Ertai, Wizard Adept | Glissa, the Traitor | Oona, Queen of the Fae
Hope this helps, good luck!