{"ops":[{"attributes":{"color":"#ffffff"},"insert":"Game Plan"},{"attributes":{"header":2},"insert":"\n"},{"attributes":{"color":"#ffffff"},"insert":"Elenda is a "},{"attributes":{"color":"#ffffff","bold":true},"insert":"Bracket 3 Orzhov aristocrats deck"},{"attributes":{"color":"#ffffff"},"insert":" built around creatures dying. Elenda grows whenever another creature dies, while Blood Artist, Zulaport Cutthroat, Cruel Celebrant, Elas il-Kor and Mirkwood Bats convert those deaths into damage and life."},{"insert":"\n"},{"attributes":{"color":"#ffffff"},"insert":"Your creatures are resources. Don't be afraid to sacrifice them."},{"insert":"\n"},{"attributes":{"color":"#ffffff"},"insert":"Mulligan"},{"attributes":{"header":2},"insert":"\n"},{"attributes":{"color":"#ffffff"},"insert":"Look for an opening hand containing "},{"attributes":{"color":"#ffffff","bold":true},"insert":"2–3 lands"},{"attributes":{"color":"#ffffff"},"insert":", preferably both colours, plus either ramp or an early engine."},{"insert":"\n"},{"attributes":{"color":"#ffffff"},"insert":"Strong keeps include a combination of:"},{"insert":"\n"},{"attributes":{"color":"#ffffff"},"insert":"Arcane Signet, Sol Ring, Orzhov Signet or Talisman of Hierarchy"},{"attributes":{"list":"bullet"},"insert":"\n"},{"attributes":{"color":"#ffffff"},"insert":"Shambling Ghast, Doomed Traveler or Hunted Witness"},{"attributes":{"list":"bullet"},"insert":"\n"},{"attributes":{"color":"#ffffff"},"insert":"Blood Artist, Skullclamp or Morbid Opportunist"},{"attributes":{"list":"bullet"},"insert":"\n"},{"attributes":{"color":"#ffffff"},"insert":"Viscera Seer, Carrion Feeder or Spawning Pit"},{"attributes":{"list":"bullet"},"insert":"\n"},{"attributes":{"color":"#ffffff"},"insert":"Avoid hands with only one land, excessive five-plus-mana cards, or several payoffs without creatures or sacrifice outlets."},{"insert":"\n"},{"attributes":{"color":"#ffffff"},"insert":"You don't need Elenda in your opening hand because she's always available from the command zone."},{"insert":"\n"},{"attributes":{"color":"#ffffff"},"insert":"Opening Game"},{"attributes":{"header":2},"insert":"\n"},{"attributes":{"color":"#ffffff"},"insert":"Spend turns 1–3 establishing infrastructure rather than attacking."},{"insert":"\n"},{"attributes":{"color":"#ffffff"},"insert":"Deploy cheap fodder, ramp and preferably a sacrifice outlet. Blood Artist-style effects are excellent, but don't expose every payoff immediately."},{"insert":"\n"},{"attributes":{"color":"#ffffff"},"insert":"Ideally Elenda enters when you already have creatures available to sacrifice. This allows you to gain value even if opponents immediately try to remove her."},{"insert":"\n"},{"attributes":{"color":"#ffffff"},"insert":"Mid Game"},{"attributes":{"header":2},"insert":"\n"},{"attributes":{"color":"#ffffff"},"insert":"Now assemble the three components of the engine:"},{"insert":"\n"},{"attributes":{"color":"#ffffff","bold":true},"insert":"Fodder + sacrifice outlet + payoff."},{"insert":"\n"},{"attributes":{"color":"#ffffff"},"insert":"Sacrifice creatures through Viscera Seer, Carrion Feeder, Woe Strider, Yahenni or Spawning Pit. Elenda grows while your aristocrats drain opponents."},{"insert":"\n"},{"attributes":{"color":"#ffffff"},"insert":"Pitiless Plunderer and Pawn of Ulamog turn deaths into additional resources. Skullclamp, Grim Haruspex, Midnight Reaper and Morbid Opportunist keep your hand full."},{"insert":"\n"},{"attributes":{"color":"#ffffff"},"insert":"Syr Vondam and Judge Magister Gabranth become secondary threats alongside Elenda."},{"insert":"\n"},{"attributes":{"color":"#ffffff"},"insert":"Don't sacrifice Elenda merely because you can. Let her accumulate counters until releasing her Vampire tokens materially changes the game."},{"insert":"\n"},{"attributes":{"color":"#ffffff"},"insert":"End Game & Win Conditions"},{"attributes":{"header":2},"insert":"\n"},{"attributes":{"color":"#ffffff"},"insert":"Your primary win condition is "},{"attributes":{"color":"#ffffff","bold":true},"insert":"aristocrat drain"},{"attributes":{"color":"#ffffff"},"insert":". Build a large token population and sacrifice creatures while Blood Artist, Zulaport Cutthroat, Cruel Celebrant, Elas or Mirkwood Bats convert the deaths into lethal damage."},{"insert":"\n"},{"attributes":{"color":"#ffffff"},"insert":"Your second route is "},{"attributes":{"color":"#ffffff","bold":true},"insert":"Elenda herself"},{"attributes":{"color":"#ffffff"},"insert":". She can become an enormous lifelinking attacker. When sacrificing her eventually produces 10–20+ Vampires, those creatures become both an army and fuel for another sacrifice chain."},{"insert":"\n"},{"attributes":{"color":"#ffffff","bold":true},"insert":"Cathars' Crusade"},{"attributes":{"color":"#ffffff"},"insert":" converts repeated token production into an enormous combat force."},{"insert":"\n"},{"attributes":{"color":"#ffffff","bold":true},"insert":"Living Death"},{"attributes":{"color":"#ffffff"},"insert":" is one of your strongest finishers. A graveyard full of creatures can turn it into simultaneous mass removal, mass recursion and a cascade of death triggers."},{"insert":"\n"},{"attributes":{"color":"#ffffff","bold":true},"insert":"White Sun's Twilight"},{"attributes":{"color":"#ffffff"},"insert":" provides another late-game reset while creating your next army."},{"insert":"\n"},{"attributes":{"color":"#ffffff"},"insert":"The key rule is simple: "},{"attributes":{"color":"#ffffff","bold":true},"insert":"don't sacrifice creatures without purpose."},{"attributes":{"color":"#ffffff"},"insert":" Every death should generate cards, mana, counters, removal, tokens or life loss. Once several of those effects overlap, ordinary creatures become the engine that closes the game."},{"insert":"\n"},{"attributes":{"header":2},"insert":"\n"}]}