{"ops":[{"insert":"Reminders\n---\nSleeve shields: Ultimate Guard Katana\n\nSatanic Raphael\n\nThe deck is a Rakdos Demon/Devil aristocrats and reanimator list built around Raphael, Fiendish Savior. Raphael gives Demons, Devils, Imps and Tieflings +1/+1 and lifelink, while creating Devil tokens whenever creature cards go to your graveyard. The deck uses recursive creatures, sacrifice outlets, death triggers and reanimation to turn every death into damage, life gain, card advantage or board control.\n\nThis is not a pure Demon tribal aggro deck. It is an attrition deck with a Demon top-end. The early game is spent developing mana, sacrifice outlets and small recursive creatures. The mid game is where Raphael starts converting deaths into Devil tokens and lifelinking pressure. The late game closes through Archfiend of Despair, Sower of Discord, Liliana's Contract, Bolas's Citadel, Living Death or Torment of Hailfire.\n\nThe deck wants to make dying profitable. Blood Artist, Zulaport Cutthroat, Bastion of Remembrance, Mayhem Devil, Grave Pact, Dictate of Erebos, Skullclamp and Species Specialist allow the deck to grind through removal and punish creature-heavy boards. Reanimation effects let the deck reuse its best Demons instead of simply casting one expensive threat per turn.\n\nMain engines\n\nRaphael, Fiendish Savior: buffs the relevant creature types and gives them lifelink; creates Devil tokens whenever creature cards go to your graveyard\nReassembling Skeleton / Nether Traitor: recurring creature cards that repeatedly trigger Raphael\nGoblin Bombardment / Viscera Seer / Carrion Feeder / Ashnod's Altar / Phyrexian Altar: sacrifice outlets\nBlood Artist / Zulaport Cutthroat / Bastion of Remembrance: drain engines\nMayhem Devil: turns sacrifices into damage\nPitiless Plunderer / Mahadi, Emporium Master / Warren Soultrader: convert deaths into mana\nGrave Pact / Dictate of Erebos: turn your sacrifices into creature control\nSkullclamp / Species Specialist / Morbid Opportunist / Necropotence / Black Market Connections: card advantage\nAnimate Dead / Reanimate / Victimize / Living Death / Phyrexian Reclamation: recursion package\nArchfiend of Despair / Sower of Discord / Torment of Hailfire / Liliana's Contract: finishers\n\nGame plan\n\nEarly game\n\nKeep hands with two or three lands, at least one ramp piece or cheap engine, and preferably a sacrifice outlet or recursive creature. Do not keep hands that only cast a six-mana Demon and pass. The deck is much stronger when Raphael enters after the sacrifice engine is already partially assembled.\n\nMid game\n\nCast Raphael and start converting creature cards going to the graveyard into Devil tokens. Use your tokens and recursive creatures to feed Skullclamp, Goblin Bombardment, Priest of Forgotten Gods, Grave Pact, Dictate of Erebos and mana engines. The goal is to make opponents lose resources every time you lose a creature.\n\nLate game\n\nReanimate large Demons, resolve Living Death after filling the graveyard, or use a big Torment of Hailfire. Archfiend of Despair and Sower of Discord can end games quickly after opponents have already been drained by smaller triggers. Liliana's Contract becomes a real alternate win condition once the deck has multiple Demons in play.\n\nStrengths\n\nStrong attrition plan\nHigh lifegain through Raphael\nMany sacrifice outlets\nGood recursion\nGood Demon top-end\nCan punish board wipes\nCan pressure life totals without attacking\nCan win through combat, drain, reanimation or Torment of Hailfire\n\nWeaknesses\n\nStill mana-hungry\nDepends on engines more than raw speed\nGraveyard hate hurts\nExile removal is much worse than destroy removal\nRaphael does not trigger from token deaths\nSome opening hands with too many top-end Demons must be mulliganed\n"}]}