MTG Salvation

So every so often my group and I like to spice up our EDH games with a challenge. Last year we set a $75 budget and built decks for each other. This year we each got challenged to build a specific commander ourselves. I'm the only one in my group without a mono black commander so I got given Maralen of the Mornsong. The problem is...I have no idea how to build this. Every idea I've got screws me over more than my opponents, or is a silly meme deck that's good for a goof but ultimately either one note or just doesn't work if you can see it coming. I'm super open to suggestions and I'd love to get some help on this one.

Honestly? I'd try to switch to something else. Maralen is a one-trick-pony by design. If you have some OTK combo you can search for, people will realize this, and you give them the ability to tutor for whatever answer they need. And if you don't have an OTK, then other people will probably fetch up better stuff than you. Basically, as soon as people realize you're getting a benefit of any significance from your commander, you give them the ability to easily deal with it. That's not a good plan.

If you really have to build Maralen, I'd probably build a classic big mono-black build with the usual stuff - grave pact, cabal coffers, rise of the dark realms etc, as budget allows. And then you probably never end up casting Maralen unless you really have nothing else to do. But it'd probably be improved by putting almost any other legend in the command zone instead.

Agreed - Maralen is only good for combo, and that gets boring after one game (I know because I built it years ago). She just gives your opponents way too much with the tutor. Any time I've seen a Maralen on the opposite side of the table, I just tutor (off her ability) for something to kill her. I understand the challenge assigned her to you, but you should ask for a mulligan. Nearly every black commander would be better for this challenge than her, excepting Haakon and maybe Phage.

Well, Maralen's ability doesn't have to be symmetric at least? You might be able to get some mileage out of instant speed reanimators

betrayal of flesh
corpse dance
goryo's vengeance
makeshift mannequin
rescue from the underworld
shallow grave

dawn of the dead
strands of night
whip of erebos

(probably a lot of creatures as well)

also:
emergence zone
winding canyons
(I feel like there's an artifact I'm forgetting but it may be near the 20$ range.)

Then just... standard big threat reanimator that fits in the budget. Use maralen to tutor for answers or big threats to play on turn, then immediately sac her to any number of black sacrifice effects? Immediately sac her the first time you play her of course, or try to use her to draw out your opponents threats, eat a kill spell on her, then reanimate her right before your next turn?

Here is a video deck tech but it's about 3 years out of date.

In short, outside of using her to tutor and just combo, you can use her as an odd punishment effect since she turns off anything that says draw cards (the real benefit of running her!). You do have to change your own decks normal card draw to put-to-hand effects like moonlight bargain.

One of the ob nix is great with her out, and things like dark deal and teferi's puzzle box are good. Absolutely get a winding canyons to flash her out when possible so you benefit first.