http://www.wizards.com/magic/magazine/Article.aspx?x=mtg/daily/deck/1172

I've spent the last few weeks tweaking a variety of Orzhov-based decks. I've arrived at a deck I'm fairly happy with called The Aristocrats, because it's largely based on Cartel Aristocrat and Falkenrath Aristocrat.

This is an aggressive deck that exploits a variety of creature-based synergies while using several of the best creatures in the format.

The pressure starts early with Champion of the Parish, the heaviest-hitting one-mana creature in Standard, or Doomed Traveler, an all-star in this deck that fuels all the other cards.


Cartel Aristocrat, Skirsdag High Priest, and another Human to be determined (I'm considering Knight of Infamy; Nearheath Pilgrim; Thalia, Guardian of Thraben; Thrill-Kill Assassin; and Gather the Townsfolk) follow up on turn two.

Cartel Aristocrat is a deceptively good blocker against small creatures and a resilient threat, as well as a sacrifice outlet to allow Skirsdag High Priest to activate whenever I have two other creatures.

Lingering Souls provides those other creatures, which are excellent fuel to preserve my Aristocrats, or just flying attackers, and Boros Reckoner is a nightmare for aggressive strategies.

Falkenrath Aristocrat is at its best in this deck, with around twenty Humans to sacrifice to get +1/+1 counters. It presides over a far-more-nourishing public than we've usually seen in the Zombie cast it's supported in the past.

Zealous Conscripts deals a huge amount of damage, and, with eight creatures that let me sacrifice a creature at any time, my opponent is unlikely to ever get his or her conscripted creature back.

Orzhov Charm is an amazing removal spell in a format where most removal is extremely limited, and this can double as a threat against control decks that don't have creatures I need to kill. I believe it's a criminally overlooked card at the moment.