{"ops":[{"insert":"Life and Taxes"},{"attributes":{"header":1},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Liesa, Shroud of Dusk"}},{"insert":" is a super fun commander that focuses on making everyone pay life to cast spells, while boosting your own life total through lifegain. In addition to the taxing effect, she is a 5/5 flyer, creating significant board presence. Since she is such a likely target, she can consistently be cast for 5 mana through her second ability which trades the traditional commander tax (2 mana) for 2 life.\n\nMain Objectives"},{"attributes":{"header":2},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"\nEarly game tax collection"},{"attributes":{"header":3},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"In addition to "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Liesa, Shroud of Dusk"}},{"insert":" , cards like "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Mai, Scornful Striker"}},{"insert":", "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Rug of Smothering"}},{"insert":" , and "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Kambal, Consul of Allocation"}},{"insert":" also force your opponents to pay up. Having just one of these cards out can change your opponents' strategies, having two or more is game-changing. Suddenly a storm deck is thinking about how many spells they truly can afford to cast. Cheap 1 mana cantraps are no longer the value engine they once were.\n\nExtort is also a mechanic that fits the theme perfectly. "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Blind Obedience"}},{"insert":" feels great to cast earlier to slow down artifact ramp, while also being useful later when you have excess mana to pay.\n\nMid-game, consistent commander presence "},{"attributes":{"header":3},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"While earlier on in the game getting key tax collection creatures online is important, later on, a lot of the focus shifts to the commander. "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Liesa, Shroud of Dusk"}},{"insert":" derives so much value that there is little else that makes sense casting at 5 mana, save a board wipe. For this reason, the deck doesn't contain too many things that compete with her at that point in the mana curve. Due to her unique commander tax ability, we also know that she will "},{"attributes":{"italic":true},"insert":"always "},{"insert":"be a 5 mana play, and so can consistently cast her once we are beyond turn five.\n\nIn comparison to decks that contain green mana, you likely won't have as many creatures on the board as your opponents, and so playing defensive is key, giving the tax collection system enough time to whittle down everyone else's lifetotal. Keep "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Liesa, Shroud of Dusk"}},{"insert":" untapped unless you have an opportunity to swing with "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Blackblade Reforged"}},{"insert":" for some heavy commander damage, or you have vigilance through "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Angelic Field Marshal"}},{"insert":".\n\nLate-game, stay alive"},{"attributes":{"header":3},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"Your opponents will likely have decks that scale more than yours, and so the key to winning late is to either bait them into a full board swing, then use something like "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Angel's Grace"}},{"insert":" , "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Inkshield"}},{"insert":" or "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Tainted Sigil"}},{"insert":" to get an extra turn. Protective enchantments like "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Ghostly Prison"}},{"insert":" , "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Island Sanctuary"}},{"insert":" , and "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Solitary Confinement"}},{"insert":" can make it so that you are untouchable, while you look for a finisher like "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Exsanguinate"}},{"insert":" or "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Debt to the Deathless"}},{"insert":" . Note that there is some intentional support for the protective spells that cause you to skip your draw phase through "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Phyrexian Arena"}},{"insert":" , "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Erebos, God of the Dead"}},{"insert":" and "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Lunar Convocation"}},{"insert":" \n\nPlaystyle"},{"attributes":{"header":2},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"This deck doesn't contain any infinite combos, and so winning is always done through either taxing everyone to death, or through a finisher. This means that wins are almost always satisfying, because you feel like you really earned it. Throughout the game, you will have to pay attention to lots of triggers on your opponents turn (gently reminding them to pay life for spells, or that things come in tapped), and so make sure to maintain a lighthearted nature about it. In my experience most pods actually enjoy the tax system because it applies to everyone, and adds an interesting dynamic to the game. As opposed to controlling spells, this deck allows everyone to play at the same tempo, just with an extra resource (their life total) to worry about.\n\nKey weaknesses"},{"attributes":{"header":2},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"This deck doesn't have anything to prevent spells from being countered, and so playing against blue-heavy decks can feel annoying. Additionally, in orzhov colours, there isn't as much ramp as decks with access to green, and so the deck can feel under-powered if an opponent begins to snowball.\n\nUpgrades to increase the power level"},{"attributes":{"header":2},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Liesa, Shroud of Dusk"}},{"insert":" is never going to be able to compete at a high bracket 4 level, however you could add an "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Exquisite Blood"}},{"insert":" if you wanted the possibility for an infinite combo with "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Sanguine Bond"}},{"insert":" . Treasure creators like "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Smothering Tithe"}},{"insert":" or "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Lotho, Corrupt Shirriff"}},{"insert":" would also give you access to a lot more mana.\n"}]}