Unsavory as their methods may be, you can't deny how industrious the Orzhov are with their ambitions. The Syndicate never have the biggest creatures on board, but power and toughness aren't the numbers that interest them. It's all about quantity. Take a few measly tokens, add a sacrifice enabler and payoff, and the White/Black Guild can craft an absolute engine that'd make the Izzet blush.

Chip in with small creatures whenever able, then trade them in for value or attrition. It's the classic Aristocrats machine, one that the Orzhov have prided themselves on since Teysa, Orzhov Scion made her debut in Guildpact. Originally poised as the "bleeder" guild, whittling away enemy life totals (Pillory of the Sleepless, Blind Hunter, and of course, Ghost Council of Orzhova), Orzhov's skill at graveyard manipulation would see it equally thrive among sacrifice strategies. That's not to say life drain isn't still a part of their DNA, as the Extort ability (Pontiff of Blight) illustrates. It's just that the best drain-engines tend to pair up with an Aristocrats gameplan (Blood Artist, Zulaport Cutthroat, Elas il-Kor, Sadistic Pilgrim). Orzhov's not the only guild to bleed-out enemies (Here's a Rakdos-flavored approach), but White/Black's recursion library offers more opportunity to recover sacrificed cards (Ex. Lurrus of the Dream-Den, Liesa, Forgotten Archangel, and Athreos, God of Passage).

Much like her original incarnation, Teysa, Opulent Oligarch recycles her way through permanents for value. Only in her case, Clue tokens are in equal measure to her usual ghostly companions. Adding a healthy artifact count alongside creatures opens up a new world of payoffs. These can pertain directly to Clue tokens (Ex. Merchant of Truth) or simply raw artifact quantity (Cranial Plating). Once we've amassed enough clues for the next Knives Out sequel , we can do more than simply cash them in for cards. Sure, we could do that too, but a whole bunch of other Artifact- and Sacrifice-strategies are on the menu. Cards like Thousand Moons Smithy // Barracks of the Thousand and Academy Manufactor imbue Clue-production with versatility. On the Aristocrats-angle, Teysa already rewards us with Spirit tokens for sacrificing Clues, but she's not alone. Cards like Krark-Clan Ironworks turn Clues into win-conditions that fuel massive Torment of Hailfire or Debt to the Deathless plays, finishing the initial bleeding Teysa's spirit tokens start.

But in order to enable all that fun, we first need life loss. And it needs to be both frequent and spread out among all opponents. The timing of life drain also needs to be taken into consideration, as though we can crack Clues for a Spirit token on any turn, Teysa only hands out Clues at the end of our own turn. This means cards like Suture Priest won't usually work. Further, to maximize Clue-production, we want to damage all opponents simultaneously, nixing Aristocrat-staples like Disciple of the Vault and Blood Artist, as they only hit single players with each trigger. Our Spirits tend to be on the smaller side, making mass-damage effects like Pestilence less effective. With these limitations in mind, Orzhov still packs plenty of options, rewarding us with life loss triggers off playing creatures (Corpse Knight), sacrificing creatures (Denethor, Ruling Steward), sacrificing tokens (Mirkwood Bats, Nadier's Nightblade), or simply by sitting in play (Sanctum of Stone Fangs, Creeping Bloodsucker). Orzhov's signature Extort ability also plays into this vein (Blind Obedience, Thrull Parasite). Just remember to use Extort mainly on your own turn while your commander is in play.

When it comes to Teysa's Spirit tokens, the timing is far more flexible. In this case, we'll want to sacrifice Clues on opposing turns. Ideally, once per each opponent's turn, as she can't generate more than one at a time. Once we've a few Spirits, their evasion will further enable the spread-out life loss needed to keep future Clues coming. Clues have a built-in sacrifice mechanism, but popping one-per-enemy-turn requires six open mana, which is a tall ask. To get around that, consider other forms of sacrifice for value via cards like Kuldotha Forgemaster] or Tamiyo's Journal. Creating tokens each turn does more than simply provide an army of flyers, as we can further use them for card advantage (Bennie Bracks, Zoologist), sacrifice fodder (Fanatical Devotion), or to serve as a "host body" (Kaya, Spirits' Justice). We can also include effects that reward us for sacrificing all these permanents...

Tarrian's Soulcleaver by Marzena Nereida Piwowar

Your enemies can admire the pretty rose whilst getting skewered.

As a character, Teysa's been a central player on Ravnica since the Plane's inception. Related to original guild leader Karlov of the Ghost Council of Ghost Council of Orzhova and Obzedat, Ghost Council fame, Teysa grown up in a world of elite opulence and cutthroat politics. No surprise then, that she began her career as a lawyer. If you're interested in hearing more about Teysa, Orzhov Scion's original background, check out Lore and Consequences: Teysa vs Niv-Mizzet, where I build deck's thematic to Guildpact's novel.

Jump a forward in Ravnican time a few decades (and invasions) later, and Teysa, Opulent Oligarch finds herself Orzhov Guildmaster after Kaya, Ghost Assassin had a... confrontation, we'll say, with the old Ghost Council (Kaya's Wrath). Murders at Karlov Manor sees Ravnica in a period of rebuilding after The World Tree carried Phyrexians across the Multiverse. Most guilds are in tatters, so independent detective agencies have popped up to fill the gaps left by the depleted Azorius and Boros. Good thing, too, as the story doesn't take long to embrace the set's title. Though a few cards in the set depict the events, if you'd like to avoid spoilers then you'll want to skip the next paragraph:

Jumping back to her card, Teysa, Opulent Oligarch embodies both Aristocrat and Bleeder-style synergies with an added Artifact-edge. Incremental life loss will yield tokens, and as we sacrifice those tokens, we'll receive ghostly rewards. Those rewards will then fly over and whittle away enemy life totals. Eventually, we'll accumulate enough resources to pour into a finisher (Krark-Clan Ironworks + Exsanguinate, for example) to close the book on this mystery.

Case closed!

Teysa, Orzhov Oligarch | Commander | Matthew Lotti

• Commander (1)
• 1 Teysa, Opulent Oligarch

• Creatures (24)
• 1 Academy Manufactor
• 1 Bennie Bracks, Zoologist
• 1 Braids, Arisen Nightmare
• 1 Corpse Knight
• 1 Creeping Bloodsucker
• 1 Delney, Streetwise Lookout
• 1 Denethor, Ruling Steward
• 1 Elas il-Kor, Sadistic Pilgrim
• 1 Gixian Puppeteer
• 1 Great Unclean One
• 1 Kuldotha Forgemaster
• 1 Lobelia, Defender of Bag End
• 1 Loyal Subordinate
• 1 Merchant of Truth
• 1 Mirkwood Bats
• 1 Mondrak, Glory Dominus
• 1 Nadier's Nightblade
• 1 Oswald Fiddlebender
• 1 Roaming Throne
• 1 Thalisse, Reverent Medium
• 1 Thrull Parasite
• 1 Twilight Prophet
• 1 Welcoming Vampire
• 1 Wernog, Rider's Chaplain

• Planeswalkers (1)
• 1 Kaya, Spirits' Justice

• Instants (7)
• 1 Clever Concealment
• 1 Deadly Dispute
• 1 Fanatical Offering
• 1 Kabira Takedown // Kabira Plateau
• 1 Malakir Rebirth // Malakir Mire
• 1 Sejiri Shelter // Sejiri Glacier
• 1 Treacherous Greed

• Sorceries (7)
• 1 Agadeem's Awakening // Agadeem, the Undercrypt
• 1 Damn
• 1 Debt to the Deathless
• 1 Expel the Interlopers
• 1 Exsanguinate
• 1 Rite of Oblivion
• 1 Torment of Hailfire

• Enchantments (6)
• 1 Anointed Procession
• 1 Bastion of Remembrance
• 1 Blind Obedience
• 1 Sanctum of Stone Fangs
• 1 Smothering Tithe
• 1 Thorough Investigation

• Artifacts (20)
• 1 Arcane Signet
• 1 Archaeomancer's Map
• 1 Bontu's Monument
• 1 Cranial Plating
• 1 Cryptolith Fragment // Aurora of Emrakul
• 1 Fellwar Stone
• 1 Idol of Oblivion
• 1 Inspiring Statuary
• 1 Krark-Clan Ironworks
• 1 Lightning Greaves
• 1 Nettlecyst
• 1 Orzhov Signet
• 1 Skullclamp
• 1 Sol Ring
• 1 Swiftfoot Boots
• 1 Talisman of Hierarchy
• 1 Tamiyo's Journal
• 1 Tarrian's Journal // The Tomb of Aclazotz
• 1 Tarrian's Soulcleaver
• 1 Thousand Moons Smithy // Barracks of the Thousand

• Lands (34)
• 5 Plains
• 6 Swamp
• 1 Arch of Orazca
• 1 Barad-dur
• 1 Brightclimb Pathway // Grimclimb Pathway
• 1 Castle Locthwain
• 1 Caves of Koilos
• 1 Command Tower
• 1 Fetid Heath
• 1 Godless Shrine
• 1 Havengul Laboratory // Havengul Mystery
• 1 Isolated Chapel
• 1 Leechridden Swamp
• 1 Marsh Flats
• 1 Minas Tirith
• 1 Mistveil Plains
• 1 Phyrexian Tower
• 1 Piranha Marsh
• 1 Restless Fortress
• 1 Shadowy Backstreet
• 1 Shattered Sanctum
• 1 Silent Clearing
• 1 The Black Gate
• 1 Vault of Champions
• 1 Westvale Abbey // Ormendahl, Profane Prince

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Life-Loss Matters: Our first line of offense starts the bleeding. Ideally, we're looking for life-loss on each of our turns, hitting all opponents, thus netting the most Clues off Teysa. Great Unclean One, Sanctum of Stone Fangs, Loyal Subordinate, Twilight Prophet, and Creeping Bloodsucker are some of our best enablers, as they require no additional work once their conditions are met. They just need to sit in play. Other drain-machines require effort, triggering off spells (Thrull Parasite, Blind Obedience), making Spirit tokens (Corpse Knight, Elas il-Kor, Sadistic Pilgrim), or doing what Aristocrat-decks do best (Nadier's Nightblade, Denethor, Ruling Steward, Lobelia, Defender of Bag End, Mirkwood Bats).

Even our mana production assists with life-drain. Some of our rocks (Cryptolith Fragment) and lands (Leechridden Swamp, Restless Fortress, Piranha Marsh) provide a direct source, while others produce extra attackers (Westvale Abbey, Barad-dur), or evasion for said attackers (The Black Gate).

Just remember to stack your end-of-turn triggers accordingly. Teysa, Opulent Oligarch's Investigate ability will need to 'see' other life drain effects before it'll produce Clues. For example, at the beginning of your endstep, you'll want the ability of Great Unclean One to resolve first in order for Teysa to recognize the life loss. Alternatively, if you've already triggered a form of life drain for the turn and have a Teysa + Bennie Bracks, Zoologist in play, you'll want the ability of Teysa to resolve first, making Clue tokens that Bennie will then see once his ability resolves, then netting you the extra card.

As you'll can see, there are a lot of triggered abilities in our deck, allowing tons of mileage out of Roaming Throne and Delney, Streetwise Lookout. These cards easily break budget, so if you're looking for less wallet-busting alternatives, Strionic Resonator provides another route to copy abilities. You could also further maximize life drain via additional Extort effects (Syndic of Tithes, Tithe Drinker) or Psychosis Crawler.

Tokens Matter: We hope to make a million Clues, providing not only a critical mass of potential card draw, but directly synergizing with cards like Anointed Procession, Mondrak, Glory Dominus, Academy Manufactor, Thalisse, Reverent Medium, Bennie Bracks, Zoologist, Merchant of Truth, and Idol of Oblivion. The more creatures we generate, the more powerful cards like Welcoming Vampire, Braids, Arisen Nightmare, Kaya, Spirits' Justice get. Ample tokens also provide fuel for sacrifice-based card advantage (Treacherous Greed, Deadly Dispute, Fanatical Offering) and more potent spot removal (Rite of Oblivion, Kabira Takedown // Kabira Plateau).

On the budget-front, some of the most powerful token-producers like Mondrak, Glory Dominus and Anointed Procession command high price tags, so look to other quantity-matters cards like Invasion of New Capenna // Holy Frazzle-Cannon, Wojek Investigator, Case of the Gateway Express, and Carmen, Cruel Skymarcher to fill the void.

Artifacts Matter: Clues are more than simply card-draw appetizers. They're also Artifacts, and because Teysa, Opulent Oligarch can produce them in large quantities, can become finishers. Clues allow Kuldotha Forgemaster and Tamiyo's Journal to tutor up Krark-Clan Ironworks or Inspiring Statuary, either of which turn Clues into mana game-ending blasts of Torment of Hailfire, Debt to the Deathless, or Exsanguinate. That's just Plan A.

As a backup, copious artifacts buff 1/1 Spirit tokens into monsters via cards like Cranial Plating and Nettlecyst. With all the sacrifice-outlets, Tarrian's Soulcleaver also has the potential to supersize creatures. Another option is Thousand Moons Smithy // Barracks of the Thousand, which first provides a potentially-massive threat, then taps down a handful of Clues to transform into a threat-factory.

For both of these strategies, Oswald Fiddlebender is included to chain into more power. He can turn a Archaeomancer's Map or other three-mana rock into that game-winning Krark-Clan Ironworks, or reshape humble Clue tokens into ramp (Sol Ring) and card advantage (Skullclamp).

Playing Defense: We're building a Clue-powered death machine, so don't expect opponents to turn a blind eye. Once we establish our Commander and consistent life drain, the Clues, and thus the card advantage, will start to pile up. And with it, so will opposing pressure. Teysa, Opulent Oligarch plays well on defense, wielding Deathtouch and giving us a chump blocker each turn we crack a Clue. But the value she provides paints a bulls-eye onto her head, making protective cards like Malakir Rebirth // Malakir Mire, Sejiri Shelter // Sejira Glacier, and Clever Concealment necessary inclusions. The phasing-nature of Clever Concealment works especially well with our Spirit tokens, as a mass-blink effects (Ghostway) would've otherwise eliminated them and Indestructible-effects (Flawless Maneuver) won't protect against enemy exile-based sweepers (Farewell). Speaking of which, both of our own 'wrath effects have means to avoid hitting our own army. Damn can easily be utilized as spot-removal when we're ahead on-board, and due to the smaller stats on most of our creatures, Expel the Interlopers can be customized to spare the majority of our team while removing the biggest threats.

Corpse Knight by Karl Kopinski

Wait, wasn't this the bad guy from "Army of Darkness"?

Whether your next Commander night sees you go full-vampire mode to drain the table dry, or overwhelm foes with investigative knowledge, victory lay in following the clues. Teysa, Opulent Oligarch is here to hand you the magnifying glass. The Orzhov may not be the friendliest bunch, and you definitely don't want to borrow money from them, but their tactics can be quite potent. Especially when you combine their manipulation of the spectral realm with the artifice of our own.

Thanks for reading, and may you never be without a clue.

-Matt-

@Intrepid_Tautog