Deck Name: Clerics Black & White

Format: Legacy
Deck Type: Tribal-Control
Deck Theme: Cleric Lifegain & Attrition
Colors: White-Black (Orzhov)

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Description

“Clerics Black & White” is a Legacy tribal-control deck rooted in the old-school synergy of Clerics, blending lifegain, damage prevention, and attrition into a resilient defensive shell. Built across multiple eras of Magic, the deck pays homage to the Orzhov aesthetic of draining, protecting, and outlasting opponents, even when outgunned.

The deck thrives on small, incremental value engines — Soul Warden, Suture Priest, and Cabal Archon — while leveraging tribal synergies through Edgewalker, Battlefield Medic, and Rotlung Reanimator. It uses classic removal like Doom Blade and Unmake, and taxes aggression with lifegain triggers and damage prevention tools. Though unoptimized by modern standards, it shines in nostalgic matchups, low-power casual pods, or multiplayer games where politics and patience prevail.

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How to Play

Early Game:
Deploy Soul Warden, Soulmender, or Suture Priest early to begin the lifegain engine.
Use Battlefield Medic and Shieldmage Advocate to protect key Clerics.
Play defensive spells like Doom Blade, Unmake, or Safe Passage to stabilize against early threats.

Mid-Game:
Start building board presence with Edgewalker, Doubtless One, and Profane Prayers for scalable impact.
Use Rotlung Reanimator and Cabal Archon for value and reach.
Hold mana for activations (Medic, Advocate) or instant-speed reactions (Mortify, Misery Charm).

Late Game:
Shift into an attrition winplan: drain life with Cabal Archon, go tall with Doubtless One, or drop a surprise finisher like Serra Avatar.
If behind, stabilize with Archangel’s Light, Crypt Incursion, or Death Grasp.
Leverage Cleric recursion and onboard utility to slowly grind out value.

Ideal Opening Hand:
2–3 Lands (at least one of each color)
One lifegain Cleric (Soul Warden, Suture Priest)
One removal spell (Mortify, Doom Blade)
One synergy piece (Edgewalker, Battlefield Medic)
→ Keep if curve is low and plays line up; mulligan if hand is all 4+ drops or has only 1 land.

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How the Tribal-Control Strategy Works

This deck doesn't win fast — it wins by staying alive longer than everyone else. Each Cleric brings a unique support effect: lifegain, reanimation, taxing, prevention, or scaling. You swarm the board with low-cost Clerics, protect them with defensive abilities, and slowly sap your opponent’s will to fight.

Prevent: Battlefield Medic, Safe Passage, Shieldmage Advocate
Drain: Cabal Archon, Suture Priest, Profane Prayers
Scale: Doubtless One, Soul Warden with board presence
Recur: Entomber Exarch, Disentomb
Finish: Serra Avatar, Death Grasp, overwhelming soft lock

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Skill Level and Playability

This is a deck for players who appreciate synergy over power, old-school flavor over efficiency. It rewards tight board management and understanding Cleric interactions, but doesn’t demand modern stack-level decision making.

Difficulty Level: Beginner to Intermediate
Playstyle: Defensive, grindy, synergy-based value attrition
Best For: Casual 1v1 games or 3–5 player multiplayer pods

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Competitive Profile and Ratings

Power Level: ⭐⭐☆☆☆ (2/5)
Mostly thematic, underpowered for modern play but charmingly resilient in casual settings.

Tribal vs Control Ratio: 70% Tribal / 30% Control
It’s a Cleric-first deck with light reactive tools, not a full-blown control shell.

Speed: ⭐☆☆☆☆ (1/5)
Starts slow, stabilizes slowly, and wins even slower — patience is vital.

Resilience: ⭐⭐☆☆☆ (2/5)
Relies on synergy; a single board wipe can undo 5 turns of setup. Needs protection.

Best Format Fit:
⭐⭐⭐☆☆ Multiplayer (3–5 players)
⭐⭐☆☆☆ 1v1 Casual
☆☆☆☆☆ Legacy Competitive

Complexity: ⭐⭐☆☆☆ (2/5)
Simple game plan with many niche card effects. Great for learning timing and synergy.

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Play Like a Pro – 5 Tips for Mastering the Deck

Soul Warden is your turn 1 MVP. Always play her first when possible.

Don’t rush your bombs. Holding back a Serra Avatar until after you stabilize is often smarter.

Use Starlit Sanctum proactively. Turning Clerics into life or damage makes combat math messy for opponents.

Edgewalker isn’t just a cost reducer — it’s a tempo enabler. Abuse it when possible.

Battlefield Medic wins games. Protect her, and she’ll protect your entire board.

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Quote:
“Blessed are those who heal — and feared are those who turn healing into judgment.”

Last Update: 14/7/2025