So I am just starting to craft a Marchesa deck for myself and I have read through the entire thread, but I figure it may be best to ask this and get my answers all in one place.
At this current point, what cards would you say have pulled their weight the most in this deck? I would like a general framework so I know what cards to start trying to acquire.
In addition, I think Cavern of Souls would be a good addition to the deck because of the Wizard subtheme here.
Cavern does seem like a good add, I guess I'll have to make it my next foil in my main deck so it can spill into here. As for what pulls its weight, it'd be easier to say what doesn't, but even that can be hard. You said you read the whole thread, I know I have spoken in the past of cards in my list not here. Most of them are budget replacements or added for flavor, but it is still a very solid deck with far more wins than losses. Grenzo, Dungeon Warden is probably my strongest card not in rune's list. If you run 47+ creatures it's almost always a hit and without much instant speed interaction it gives a use to excess mana. While sneak attack drops fatties from hand grenzo used the left over black and blue mana to try and fill the board more. There have also been plenty enough times where I've responded to a play that'd knock me off board with him and hit something to keep me in. mer ek nightblade and goblin sharpshooter are pretty great on their own (cloning goblin can be pretty effective against a lot of decks) but if the two can come together it's a pretty solid board lock.
Cavern of Souls can be a powerful card if you do plan to use a lot of wizards. It's also searchable with Tolaria West. In my build, I wouldn't see much use of it due to my subpar use of wizards, but each build is different.
The cards that pull their weight will vary between everyone due to different gaming groups, but I would definitely vouch for these cards pulling all of their weight:
Fleshwrither - if you can cast him and then transfigure him in the same turn, he is a wonderful toolbox for anything you might need in your deck (assuming you run a good amount of CMC 4) Unspeakable Symbol - Great synergy with Marchesa, and lets us not only get away from the throne, but also add counters for Marchesa's recursion. Clever Impersonator - Being able to get a copy of just about anything is fairly awesome. Disciple of Bolas - One of the better cards in my opinion, and one of the most searched cards by me with Fleshwrither. He helps to get our hand up in a pinch and gives us some life incase we've lost just a bit too much. Spellskite - Great for not only saving things on our board while losing life (if you choose to do it that way), but also lets us steal other people's possibly buffs and even politic saving someone for a later favor. Tolaria West - Easy way to find Cabal Coffers, Urborg, Tomb of Yagmoth, and Bojuka Bog. Aura Thief - Do you like that pillow fort they have, or maybe that Rhystic Study? Great, sac this guy and TAKE ALL THE ENCHANTMENTS! Necropotence - Works wonders mid-game when you either need new cards or need to get off the throne. Sage of Fables - If she is on the board before Marchesa is on the field, she's pretty neat and sets up for an immortal Marchesa. Profaner of the Dead - It's a pseudo board wipe and if timed correctly can be down right nasty!
These next ones are helpful for my play groups, and may not be great in other builds: Dragonlord Silumgar - I thought I would just try him for kicks, but in my group he really shines. He steals, flies, and murders. Flying is a bit of an issue in the groups I play with, so flying defense is a must. Desecration Demon - Speaking of flying defense, this guy is also a nice flight deterrent. If Marchesa is out and they tap him, I can simply sac him and have him return later. Grave Betrayal - Good in my build, but, also makes me an instant target. Probably going to take this out for the new Sidisi once I get her. Rakdos Charm - Just like flying is a problem in my groups, so is reanimation, and for 2 mana I can get a quick fix. It also allows me to kills a token deck for 2 mana if they decide to spam their tokens. Soul Manipulation - Small counter and allows for me to fetch something I might need from the grave. Usually both. Perplex - Only running this other counter because it will force them to make a decision, or I can transmute it for something else I might need. Lim-Dul's Vault - Helps me to scry 5, and if I don't like them, then I can take 1 and move farther from the throne and scry some more. Plus it's an instant so I can do it at my opponents end step. Dimir Doppelganger - Did I mention that reanimation was a thing in my groups? This also lets me hit my own grave. I've had to do this a few times after my Living Death has been countered. It's an all around versatile mid to late game card. Tauren Mauler - This...This guy is fun. Either everyone buffs him and he becomes threatening, or someone kills him with Marchesa present and he gets to come back and be threatening again. Mauler is all around a win in my deck.
I honestly built mine with a base of Solrune's, and aside from cards I'll not be able to afford for a long time, I've modified it to my personal play style and group setting. For example, I've never found uses for Puppeteer Clique or Gray merchant of Asphodel, so I swapped them out for something I could find more useful. When I get more free time later, I'll have to post a current version of my deck.
Olivia is honestly a flavor card in relation to the rest of my deck. She and Grenzo are both just the creatures I hope to hit if I have an empty board and hand from some crazy turn of mass removals. I usually try to go at a faster pace but a lot of my games can be trolly and its nice to make sure I have something to do. I unfortunately haven't played her enough to really give too much of a solid judgement on her, but I never really had the mana to use her second ability, but she did pair up with Mer Ek nightblade once and that was great. Overall I think it's a budget choice, but would be one of the last I'd cut as I upgraded
As for mulligans, I keep pretty much anything 4 cmc or under unless its very specific removal (Aura Thief etc) not relevant at the table I send back anything 5 cmc plus but River Kelpie. You kind of want to just be dropping dudes or rocks from turn 2 on and set up a nice board by turn 6. Marchesa excels at keeping a board so long as you can keep your life down. Lands like Cephalid Coliseum that deal damage to you are a must and tapping them for damage is huge. Over time I need to ping myself whenever I can, including tapping them just for damage even if the mana can't be used or letting a shock come into play untapped without needing mana there either. She kind of works like a boomerang, you need to swing all the way around the table and hopefully once you've gone around once you're poised to either take the board or pressure for it the following turn. My list is unquestionably inferior to Rune's (intentionally) and I can still manage a turn five 38 damage swing with an extra combat phase every time I could target a player with higher life. She honestly only needs certain cards to really click. Get your pain lands, Fleshwrither, Dimir House Guard, Clutch of the Undercity, Unspeakable Symbol, Profaner of the Dead and start saving for Sneak Attack. Build a 4 cmc toolbox and hurry and grab Scourge of the Throne. His price might stay, but he has been going up for some time now.
In my opinion no. Maxing creatures is the main goal, and in personal experience it won't net as much as arena and arenas life loss is beneficial. I'd probably run dark tutalage over study
I tested Flesh Carver and he was a bit too slow for me. Anything meant to be aggressive you don't want to invest extra mana in (this applies to the exterminator as well). It also stinks to turn to your sac outlet and only have an X amount of times to use it, for multiple reasons.Sadistic Hypnotist is great but singles out a player and may buy you hate. Again, anything that slow you usually want to be protection. Goblin Flectomancer has been my odd slot and it's worked great. Tuck is gone but eventually your meta will learn to kill marchesa before a board wipe. Goblin protects against that as well as redirecting certain draw spells, an aspect a lot of players will overlook and net you a free hand. Im not the OP of this list, but I have been playing her long enough to at least be confident about these points. The more I lean towards Rune's builds, my W/L ratio goes up and I win in more bizarre ways than the last.
Modern: UUUBlue Man Group
Legacy: UWBMiracles
Edh: UUUThassa Control WWWHokori Stax GGGJolrael, Empress of Land Stompy BBBGriselbrand French List RBGShattergang(Super Villians) RWGHazezon Flicker UBRMarchesa Aggro URGMaelstom Wanderer (Maelstorm)
So with the cutting of Chaos Warp, how crippling would Blood Moon or Back to Basics be for those of us with particularly greedy mana bases? I played a game against a GAAIV deck that dropped B2B on turn 3 and I spent like 8 turns doing literally nothing (I kept drawing into nonbasics and nothing worth tapping them for).
Private Mod Note
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Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
EDH: B Chainer, Dementia Master B | UG Edric, Spymaster of Trest UG | WRG Marath, Will of the Wild WRG | UBR Marchesa, the Black Rose UBR | UBG Tasigur, the Golden Fang UBG
Modern: WBG Abzan Company WBG | UBR Grixis Delver and/or Twin UBR | U Merfolk U
WBG Anafenza, the Foremost WBG WUR Shu Yun, the Silent Tempest WUR
WUBRG Horde of Notions WUBRG WUBRG Scion of the Ur-Dragon WUBRG URG Maelstrom Wanderer URG UBG Damia, Sage of Stone UBG WUG Roon of the Hidden Realm WUG WUG Rafiq of the Many WUG WUG Deveri, Empyrial Tactician WUG BRG Prossh, Skyraider of Kher BRG WBG Karador, Ghost Chieftain WBG UBR Nekusar, the Mind Razer UBR WBR Kaalia of the Vast WBR UG Prime Speaker Zegana UG UG Edric, Spymaster of Trest UG WB Vish Kal, Blood Arbiter WB WU Grand Arbiter Augustin IV WU
That sounds like it may be a meta problem or just the "greedy" mana base. Mana rocks can help you get missing colors and Urborg gets you the black mana. Maybe adjust your mana base and allow for more basics. If its a common issue, fetch for basic swamps and islands as a preemptive.
Modern: UUUBlue Man Group
Legacy: UWBMiracles
Edh: UUUThassa Control WWWHokori Stax GGGJolrael, Empress of Land Stompy BBBGriselbrand French List RBGShattergang(Super Villians) RWGHazezon Flicker UBRMarchesa Aggro URGMaelstom Wanderer (Maelstorm)
I run 13 basics and rarely have issues hitting my colors. I'm keeping my Chaos Warp though. Even if it's less good, it's still cheap removal, especially when it comes to grixis and problem enchantments.
Hah I run 36 nonbasic lands :)) I had a great EDH day; played and won 4 out of 6 games, including one of them at down to ONE life :)) The following are on the chopping block for my list:
JTMS - at 4cc he needs someone to protect him, and at T4 I-d rather drop a dork that yields me cards.
Mulldrifter - always was evoking it; never really got worth with Marchesa.
Consecrated Sphinx - at 6cc, this better draw me at least 4 cards which never happens.
Fleshwrither - I like the tutorability, but the total 7cc to activate it hurts. Also never got to synergize with 'Chesa.
Considered replacements: Pain Seer - early drop to draw me cards Shadowmage Infiltrator - creature-based innocuous card draw Falkenrath Aristocrat - sac outlet; just really haven't gotten hands on it yet. Manic Vandal - it's EDH; you're most likely gonna hit something.
Fleshwrither just needs to swing once and it'll come back. You don't activate it same turn. Mulldrifter is honestly an auto include. Pain Seer and Falkenreath Aristocrat over jams and Con Sphinx. I'd even cut a land. Also, you should really run some basics. 36 lands is enough on it's own, Im curious as to what non basics you're running cause I have about 8 and I run 35 lands. Im short fetch in this deck, but still.
@Welgo: Thanks for your opinion Maybe my Fleshwrither doesn't really feel too good because I don't run any Clone creatures since most of the time my opponents have relatively subpar dorks or unusable for me. I got 4 fetches in my 36 lands; I have 11 rocks as well. The reason for this and aside from my insane amount of tutors and draw effects is that our house rules are commonly Draw7-Drop7-Draw6-Drop6-etc to nerf combo decks. So I gotta have a decent amount of lands opnening hand. If it were partial Paris the deck will be built totally different. (I'd be playing Narset haha xD)
Anyone have any alternate sac outlets? Seems my deck gets hated on pretty quick and im always in the need of a sac outlet. Currently using ashnods, goblin bombardment, carrion feeder, falkenrath aristocrat, dimir house guard, disciple if bolas and grimgrin. Sadly added in a Fallen Angel to help out To get the engines going/ protecting my threats. Deck is a little different in using wildfire, keldon firebombers and thoughts of ruin
Don't forget as well, if you get Mikaeus and Marchesa out, you have an immortal Fleshwrither. I am able to do it constantly, which lets me tutor for days.
Anyone have any alternate sac outlets? Seems my deck gets hated on pretty quick and im always in the need of a sac outlet. Currently using ashnods, goblin bombardment, carrion feeder, falkenrath aristocrat, dimir house guard, disciple if bolas and grimgrin. Sadly added in a Fallen Angel to help out To get the engines going/ protecting my threats. Deck is a little different in using wildfire, keldon firebombers and thoughts of ruin
EDH: B Chainer, Dementia Master B | UG Edric, Spymaster of Trest UG | WRG Marath, Will of the Wild WRG | UBR Marchesa, the Black Rose UBR | UBG Tasigur, the Golden Fang UBG
Modern: WBG Abzan Company WBG | UBR Grixis Delver and/or Twin UBR | U Merfolk U
WBG Anafenza, the Foremost WBG WUR Shu Yun, the Silent Tempest WUR
WUBRG Horde of Notions WUBRG WUBRG Scion of the Ur-Dragon WUBRG URG Maelstrom Wanderer URG UBG Damia, Sage of Stone UBG WUG Roon of the Hidden Realm WUG WUG Rafiq of the Many WUG WUG Deveri, Empyrial Tactician WUG BRG Prossh, Skyraider of Kher BRG WBG Karador, Ghost Chieftain WBG UBR Nekusar, the Mind Razer UBR WBR Kaalia of the Vast WBR UG Prime Speaker Zegana UG UG Edric, Spymaster of Trest UG WB Vish Kal, Blood Arbiter WB WU Grand Arbiter Augustin IV WU
Personally, I would cut Ashnod's Altar for Falkenrath Aristocrat. Ashnod's is fine but the reality is this deck runs into colored mana problems way more than general mana problems. Any time you're running a non-creature it better really count. Ashnod's is fine but it does nothing without other creatures and even once you've met that criteria it's not guaranteed that you can use it.
Aristocrat is honestly a super secret all-star. It's the tech you didn't know you needed but once you try it you wonder how you lived without him. 4 mana - check. Natural haste - awesome. 4 power on a flyer - amazingly effective deterrent. And honestly quite possibly the best sac outlet we have available. The human caveat is what makes him deceptive, you think its a drawback but in reality its a bonus. What we really have is 4 power on a hasty flyer with a sac outlet that can protect himself without marchesa, the fact that he gets counters for protecting marchesa is icing on the cake.
I would also add that I really don't like Ingot Chewer for the reasons you said. In my experience when someone shoots a T1 Sol Ring with a chewer it actually ends up costing both of them the game. Yes, the person with the sol ring goes from ahead to behind but what people forget is so do you. You've now cost yourself a card, a creature and most likely a key early turn to set one opponent out of 3/4 behind. Basically, it usually seems to me that both players end up playing from behind. Evoke is also pretty bad for Marchesa, we don't have a whole lot of recursion and we don't keep the dude, and chewer's non-evoke cost is really really underwhelming.
I don't mind Torch Fiend, he seems alright. And if Torpor Orb is a problem in your meta than that makes total sense. Personally though I think I would add Manic Vandals over him if I wanted more general artifact destruction since I get to shoot an artifact immediately on ETB. That combining marchesa with him seems more like a bonus than a necessity.
EDH: B Chainer, Dementia Master B | UG Edric, Spymaster of Trest UG | WRG Marath, Will of the Wild WRG | UBR Marchesa, the Black Rose UBR | UBG Tasigur, the Golden Fang UBG
Modern: WBG Abzan Company WBG | UBR Grixis Delver and/or Twin UBR | U Merfolk U
WBG Anafenza, the Foremost WBG WUR Shu Yun, the Silent Tempest WUR
WUBRG Horde of Notions WUBRG WUBRG Scion of the Ur-Dragon WUBRG URG Maelstrom Wanderer URG UBG Damia, Sage of Stone UBG WUG Roon of the Hidden Realm WUG WUG Rafiq of the Many WUG WUG Deveri, Empyrial Tactician WUG BRG Prossh, Skyraider of Kher BRG WBG Karador, Ghost Chieftain WBG UBR Nekusar, the Mind Razer UBR WBR Kaalia of the Vast WBR UG Prime Speaker Zegana UG UG Edric, Spymaster of Trest UG WB Vish Kal, Blood Arbiter WB WU Grand Arbiter Augustin IV WU
I'm in the same spot. Someone recently mentioned saccing Mindslicer to Sidisi to find it which to me was very appealing given the amount of control decks I fight. I personally have Puppeteer Clique and Goblin Flectomancer on the chopping board. I've managed to assemble all the fetches with swamp in them so I think assembling three black mana and still gathering red sources will work out.
At this current point, what cards would you say have pulled their weight the most in this deck? I would like a general framework so I know what cards to start trying to acquire.
In addition, I think Cavern of Souls would be a good addition to the deck because of the Wizard subtheme here.
RGWMayael the AnimaRGW
UBRMarchesa, the Black RoseUBR
Modern Decks
RGWNaya BurnRGW
URXSurf's Up, Mizz Magnus!XRU
URGWKynaios and Tiro's Multiplayer MenagerieWGRU
The cards that pull their weight will vary between everyone due to different gaming groups, but I would definitely vouch for these cards pulling all of their weight:
Fleshwrither - if you can cast him and then transfigure him in the same turn, he is a wonderful toolbox for anything you might need in your deck (assuming you run a good amount of CMC 4)
Unspeakable Symbol - Great synergy with Marchesa, and lets us not only get away from the throne, but also add counters for Marchesa's recursion.
Clever Impersonator - Being able to get a copy of just about anything is fairly awesome.
Disciple of Bolas - One of the better cards in my opinion, and one of the most searched cards by me with Fleshwrither. He helps to get our hand up in a pinch and gives us some life incase we've lost just a bit too much.
Spellskite - Great for not only saving things on our board while losing life (if you choose to do it that way), but also lets us steal other people's possibly buffs and even politic saving someone for a later favor.
Tolaria West - Easy way to find Cabal Coffers, Urborg, Tomb of Yagmoth, and Bojuka Bog.
Aura Thief - Do you like that pillow fort they have, or maybe that Rhystic Study? Great, sac this guy and TAKE ALL THE ENCHANTMENTS!
Necropotence - Works wonders mid-game when you either need new cards or need to get off the throne.
Sage of Fables - If she is on the board before Marchesa is on the field, she's pretty neat and sets up for an immortal Marchesa.
Profaner of the Dead - It's a pseudo board wipe and if timed correctly can be down right nasty!
These next ones are helpful for my play groups, and may not be great in other builds:
Dragonlord Silumgar - I thought I would just try him for kicks, but in my group he really shines. He steals, flies, and murders. Flying is a bit of an issue in the groups I play with, so flying defense is a must.
Desecration Demon - Speaking of flying defense, this guy is also a nice flight deterrent. If Marchesa is out and they tap him, I can simply sac him and have him return later.
Grave Betrayal - Good in my build, but, also makes me an instant target. Probably going to take this out for the new Sidisi once I get her.
Rakdos Charm - Just like flying is a problem in my groups, so is reanimation, and for 2 mana I can get a quick fix. It also allows me to kills a token deck for 2 mana if they decide to spam their tokens.
Soul Manipulation - Small counter and allows for me to fetch something I might need from the grave. Usually both.
Perplex - Only running this other counter because it will force them to make a decision, or I can transmute it for something else I might need.
Lim-Dul's Vault - Helps me to scry 5, and if I don't like them, then I can take 1 and move farther from the throne and scry some more. Plus it's an instant so I can do it at my opponents end step.
Dimir Doppelganger - Did I mention that reanimation was a thing in my groups? This also lets me hit my own grave. I've had to do this a few times after my Living Death has been countered. It's an all around versatile mid to late game card.
Tauren Mauler - This...This guy is fun. Either everyone buffs him and he becomes threatening, or someone kills him with Marchesa present and he gets to come back and be threatening again. Mauler is all around a win in my deck.
I honestly built mine with a base of Solrune's, and aside from cards I'll not be able to afford for a long time, I've modified it to my personal play style and group setting. For example, I've never found uses for Puppeteer Clique or Gray merchant of Asphodel, so I swapped them out for something I could find more useful. When I get more free time later, I'll have to post a current version of my deck.
Also, how do you tend to mulligan with your lists? What cards generally get mulliganed away?
RGWMayael the AnimaRGW
UBRMarchesa, the Black RoseUBR
Modern Decks
RGWNaya BurnRGW
As for mulligans, I keep pretty much anything 4 cmc or under unless its very specific removal (Aura Thief etc) not relevant at the table I send back anything 5 cmc plus but River Kelpie. You kind of want to just be dropping dudes or rocks from turn 2 on and set up a nice board by turn 6. Marchesa excels at keeping a board so long as you can keep your life down. Lands like Cephalid Coliseum that deal damage to you are a must and tapping them for damage is huge. Over time I need to ping myself whenever I can, including tapping them just for damage even if the mana can't be used or letting a shock come into play untapped without needing mana there either. She kind of works like a boomerang, you need to swing all the way around the table and hopefully once you've gone around once you're poised to either take the board or pressure for it the following turn. My list is unquestionably inferior to Rune's (intentionally) and I can still manage a turn five 38 damage swing with an extra combat phase every time I could target a player with higher life. She honestly only needs certain cards to really click. Get your pain lands, Fleshwrither, Dimir House Guard, Clutch of the Undercity, Unspeakable Symbol, Profaner of the Dead and start saving for Sneak Attack. Build a 4 cmc toolbox and hurry and grab Scourge of the Throne. His price might stay, but he has been going up for some time now.
URXSurf's Up, Mizz Magnus!XRU
URGWKynaios and Tiro's Multiplayer MenagerieWGRU
RGWMayael the AnimaRGW
UBRMarchesa, the Black RoseUBR
Modern Decks
RGWNaya BurnRGW
URXSurf's Up, Mizz Magnus!XRU
URGWKynaios and Tiro's Multiplayer MenagerieWGRU
URXSurf's Up, Mizz Magnus!XRU
URGWKynaios and Tiro's Multiplayer MenagerieWGRU
Draft it Here!
UUUBlue Man Group
Legacy:
UWBMiracles
Edh:
UUUThassa Control
WWWHokori Stax
GGGJolrael, Empress of Land Stompy
BBBGriselbrand French List
RBGShattergang(Super Villians)
RWGHazezon Flicker
UBRMarchesa Aggro
URGMaelstom Wanderer (Maelstorm)
B Chainer, Dementia Master B | UG Edric, Spymaster of Trest UG | WRG Marath, Will of the Wild WRG | UBR Marchesa, the Black Rose UBR | UBG Tasigur, the Golden Fang UBG
Modern:
WBG Abzan Company WBG | UBR Grixis Delver and/or Twin UBR | U Merfolk U
WBG Anafenza, the Foremost WBG
WUR Shu Yun, the Silent Tempest WUR
WUBRG Horde of Notions WUBRG
WUBRG Scion of the Ur-Dragon WUBRG
URG Maelstrom Wanderer URG
UBG Damia, Sage of Stone UBG
WUG Roon of the Hidden Realm WUG
WUG Rafiq of the Many WUG
WUG Deveri, Empyrial Tactician WUG
BRG Prossh, Skyraider of Kher BRG
WBG Karador, Ghost Chieftain WBG
UBR Nekusar, the Mind Razer UBR
WBR Kaalia of the Vast WBR
UG Prime Speaker Zegana UG
UG Edric, Spymaster of Trest UG
WB Vish Kal, Blood Arbiter WB
WU Grand Arbiter Augustin IV WU
URXSurf's Up, Mizz Magnus!XRU
URGWKynaios and Tiro's Multiplayer MenagerieWGRU
Draft it Here!
UUUBlue Man Group
Legacy:
UWBMiracles
Edh:
UUUThassa Control
WWWHokori Stax
GGGJolrael, Empress of Land Stompy
BBBGriselbrand French List
RBGShattergang(Super Villians)
RWGHazezon Flicker
UBRMarchesa Aggro
URGMaelstom Wanderer (Maelstorm)
JTMS - at 4cc he needs someone to protect him, and at T4 I-d rather drop a dork that yields me cards.
Mulldrifter - always was evoking it; never really got worth with Marchesa.
Consecrated Sphinx - at 6cc, this better draw me at least 4 cards which never happens.
Fleshwrither - I like the tutorability, but the total 7cc to activate it hurts. Also never got to synergize with 'Chesa.
Considered replacements:
Pain Seer - early drop to draw me cards
Shadowmage Infiltrator - creature-based innocuous card draw
Falkenrath Aristocrat - sac outlet; just really haven't gotten hands on it yet.
Manic Vandal - it's EDH; you're most likely gonna hit something.
What do you guys think? @theonecalledrune
URXSurf's Up, Mizz Magnus!XRU
URGWKynaios and Tiro's Multiplayer MenagerieWGRU
URXSurf's Up, Mizz Magnus!XRU
URGWKynaios and Tiro's Multiplayer MenagerieWGRU
B Chainer, Dementia Master B | UG Edric, Spymaster of Trest UG | WRG Marath, Will of the Wild WRG | UBR Marchesa, the Black Rose UBR | UBG Tasigur, the Golden Fang UBG
Modern:
WBG Abzan Company WBG | UBR Grixis Delver and/or Twin UBR | U Merfolk U
WBG Anafenza, the Foremost WBG
WUR Shu Yun, the Silent Tempest WUR
WUBRG Horde of Notions WUBRG
WUBRG Scion of the Ur-Dragon WUBRG
URG Maelstrom Wanderer URG
UBG Damia, Sage of Stone UBG
WUG Roon of the Hidden Realm WUG
WUG Rafiq of the Many WUG
WUG Deveri, Empyrial Tactician WUG
BRG Prossh, Skyraider of Kher BRG
WBG Karador, Ghost Chieftain WBG
UBR Nekusar, the Mind Razer UBR
WBR Kaalia of the Vast WBR
UG Prime Speaker Zegana UG
UG Edric, Spymaster of Trest UG
WB Vish Kal, Blood Arbiter WB
WU Grand Arbiter Augustin IV WU
Mulldrifter and Fleshwrither are musts IMHO. Shadowmage Infiltrator seems much worse than Mulldrifter. I could 15 other 4 CMC creatures in my build that Fleshwrither can get (only two of them are clones: Phyrexian Metamorph and Dack's Duplicate).
I like Ingot Chewer + Torch Fiend for artifact destruction. Chewer can hit a T1 Sol Ring and Fiend is searchable by Imperial Recruiter, plays well with Necrotic Ooze if necessary, and can answer Torpor Orb.
I'm probably a little light on sac outlets, but this is my current package:
Plus Profaner of the Dead and Sidisi, Undead Vizier if you want to count them.
Aristocrat is honestly a super secret all-star. It's the tech you didn't know you needed but once you try it you wonder how you lived without him. 4 mana - check. Natural haste - awesome. 4 power on a flyer - amazingly effective deterrent. And honestly quite possibly the best sac outlet we have available. The human caveat is what makes him deceptive, you think its a drawback but in reality its a bonus. What we really have is 4 power on a hasty flyer with a sac outlet that can protect himself without marchesa, the fact that he gets counters for protecting marchesa is icing on the cake.
I would also add that I really don't like Ingot Chewer for the reasons you said. In my experience when someone shoots a T1 Sol Ring with a chewer it actually ends up costing both of them the game. Yes, the person with the sol ring goes from ahead to behind but what people forget is so do you. You've now cost yourself a card, a creature and most likely a key early turn to set one opponent out of 3/4 behind. Basically, it usually seems to me that both players end up playing from behind. Evoke is also pretty bad for Marchesa, we don't have a whole lot of recursion and we don't keep the dude, and chewer's non-evoke cost is really really underwhelming.
I don't mind Torch Fiend, he seems alright. And if Torpor Orb is a problem in your meta than that makes total sense. Personally though I think I would add Manic Vandals over him if I wanted more general artifact destruction since I get to shoot an artifact immediately on ETB. That combining marchesa with him seems more like a bonus than a necessity.
1 Marchesa, the Black Rose
Creatures (45)
1 Agent of Erebos
1 Anger
1 Archaeomancer
1 Aura Thief
1 Baleful Strix
1 Burnished Hart
1 Carrion Feeder
1 Clever Impersonator
1 Dack's Duplicate
1 Disciple of Bolas
1 Feldon of the Third Path
1 Flayer of the Hatebound
1 Fleshwrither
1 Glen Elendra Archmage
1 Graveborn Muse
1 Gray Merchant of Asphodel
1 Grenzo, Dungeon Warden
1 Grim Haruspex
1 Grimgrin, Corpse-Born
1 Kiki-Jiki, Mirror Breaker
1 Marton Stromgald
1 Mikaeus, the Unhallowed
1 Mulldrifter
1 Necroplasm
1 Necrotic Ooze
1 Ogre Battledriver
1 Oona's Blackguard
1 Pain Seer
1 Phyrexian Metamorph
1 Preyseizer Dragon
1 Profaner of the Dead
1 River Kelpie
1 Rune-Scarred Demon
1 Sage of Fables
1 Sage of Hours
1 Sakashima the Impostor
1 Scourge of the Throne
1 Shriekmaw
1 Sidisi, Undead Vizier
1 Solemn Simulacrum
1 Thassa, God of the Sea
1 Treasonous Ogre
1 Trinket Mage
1 Tuktuk Scrapper
1 Venser, Shaper Savant
1 Chromatic Lantern
1 Dimir Signet
1 Eldrazi Monument
1 Fellwar Stone
1 Izzet Signet
1 Phyrexian Altar
1 Rakdos Signet
1 Sensei's Divining Top
1 Sol Ring
Enchantments (4)
1 Attrition
1 Goblin Bombardment
1 Sneak Attack
1 Unspeakable Symbol
Instants (3)
1 Clutch of the Undercity
1 Cyclonic Rift
1 Lim-Dul's Vault
Sorceries (3)
1 Demonic Tutor
1 Living Death
1 Wheel of Fortune
Land (35)
1 Ancient Tomb
1 Badlands
1 Blood Crypt
1 Bloodstained Mire
1 Bojuka Bog
1 Cascade Bluffs
1 City of Brass
1 Command Tower
1 Crumbling Necropolis
1 Dragonskull Summit
1 Drowned Catacomb
1 Graven Cairns
1 High Market
2 Island
1 Mana Confluence
1 Miren, the Moaning Well
1 Mountain
1 Polluted Delta
1 Reliquary Tower
1 Shivan Reef
1 Steam Vents
1 Sulfur Falls
1 Sulfurous Springs
1 Sunken Ruins
4 Swamp
1 Tolaria West
1 Underground River
1 Underground Sea
1 Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
1 Volcanic Island
1 Watery Grave
B Chainer, Dementia Master B | UG Edric, Spymaster of Trest UG | WRG Marath, Will of the Wild WRG | UBR Marchesa, the Black Rose UBR | UBG Tasigur, the Golden Fang UBG
Modern:
WBG Abzan Company WBG | UBR Grixis Delver and/or Twin UBR | U Merfolk U
WBG Anafenza, the Foremost WBG
WUR Shu Yun, the Silent Tempest WUR
WUBRG Horde of Notions WUBRG
WUBRG Scion of the Ur-Dragon WUBRG
URG Maelstrom Wanderer URG
UBG Damia, Sage of Stone UBG
WUG Roon of the Hidden Realm WUG
WUG Rafiq of the Many WUG
WUG Deveri, Empyrial Tactician WUG
BRG Prossh, Skyraider of Kher BRG
WBG Karador, Ghost Chieftain WBG
UBR Nekusar, the Mind Razer UBR
WBR Kaalia of the Vast WBR
UG Prime Speaker Zegana UG
UG Edric, Spymaster of Trest UG
WB Vish Kal, Blood Arbiter WB
WU Grand Arbiter Augustin IV WU
URXSurf's Up, Mizz Magnus!XRU
URGWKynaios and Tiro's Multiplayer MenagerieWGRU