This is a mono-black-leaning Orzhov lifegain-drain deck. Repeated small lifegain events become both opponent life loss, through a suite of "whenever you gain life" drain pieces, and card advantage, through Niv-Mizzet, Ghost Counsel, which converts each lifegain into a chance to pay that much life and draw that many cards. Lifelink creatures, drain spells that scale with Swamps or devotion, and the commander's own tap ability (each opponent loses 1, you gain 1) keep the triggers flowing. A heavy package of pay-life card draw, tutors and reanimation turns the life total into a resource for finding and rebuilding the engine. How it wins: Opponents are drained out by stacking lifegain triggers onto multiple "opponent loses life" payoffs, capped by big X drains, Gray Merchant, or an Aetherflux Reservoir shot. Key roles: - Lifegain-to-drain payoffs: These turn every point of life gained into opponent life loss. With Sanguine Bond effects, one lifegain event can chain into big swings and doubles up with Niv-Mizzet, Ghost Counsel's draw trigger. (Sanguine Bond, Enduring Tenacity, Vito, Thorn of the Dusk Rose) - Lifegain sources: Repeatable triggers come from lifelink granted or printed on evasive creatures, creature-enter lifegain, the commander's tap drain, and spell-chain lifegain, each event feeding the payoffs. (Whip of Erebos, Vampire Nighthawk, Aetherflux Reservoir) - Big drain finishers: X-scaling and Swamp- or devotion-scaling drain spells deal large damage and also gain large chunks of life, which re-trigger the payoffs and refill the hand via the commander. (Exsanguinate, Gray Merchant of Asphodel, Consume Spirit) - Life as a resource for cards: Pay-life draw spells and life-loss draw engines spend the large life buffer to dig deep, with Vilis turning every life payment, including the commander's, into even more cards. (Vilis, Broker of Blood, Promise of Power, Lunar Convocation) - Tutors: Tutors find whichever drain payoff or engine piece is missing, with Demonic Counsel also able to fetch the deck's high-cost demons. (Demonic Counsel, Razaketh, the Foulblooded, Lively Dirge) - Sacrifice and recursion: Death triggers and sac outlets draw cards and drain, while reanimation rebuys key drain creatures and high-cost demons. Indestructible equipment keeps the commander online. (Sephiroth, Fabled SOLDIER, Cruel Celebrant, Reanimate)

Niv-Mizzet, Ghost Counsel decklist

• Aetherflux Reservoir
• Enduring Tenacity
• Marauding Blight-Priest
• Starscape Cleric
• Vito, Thorn of the Dusk Rose
• Sanguine Bond
• Gray Merchant of Asphodel
• Exsanguinate
• Vampire Nighthawk
• Nighthawk Scavenger
• Blackbloom Rogue
• Dread Presence
• Consume Spirit
• Whip of Erebos
• Sephiroth, Fabled SOLDIER
• Promise of Power
• Village Rites
• Braids, Arisen Nightmare
• Vilis, Broker of Blood
• Sol Ring
• Arcane Signet
• Mind Stone
• Dark Ritual
• Orzhov Signet
• Talisman of Hierarchy
• Deadly Rollick
• Bitter Triumph
• Infernal Grasp
• Vraska's Contempt
• Toxic Deluge
• Path to Exile
• Swords to Plowshares
• Anguished Unmaking
• Damn
• Austere Command
• Merciless Eviction
• Demonic Counsel
• Razaketh, the Foulblooded
• Animate Dead
• Lively Dirge
• Reanimate
• Mithril Coat
• Darksteel Plate
• Lightning Greaves
• Command Tower
• Exotic Orchard
• Orzhov Basilica
• Shambling Vent
• Bojuka Bog
• Myriad Landscape
• Evolving Wilds
• War Room
• Reliquary Tower
• Tainted Field
• Isolated Chapel
• Caves of Koilos
• Fetid Heath
• Shattered Sanctum
• Scoured Barrens
• Temple of Silence
• 8× Plains
• 10× Swamp
• Cliffhaven Vampire
• Soul Warden
• Soul's Attendant
• Elas il-Kor, Sadistic Pilgrim
• Cruel Celebrant
• Indulging Patrician
• Lunar Convocation
• Debt to the Deathless
• Vault of the Archangel
• Fellwar Stone
• Thought Vessel
• Commander's Sphere
• Chromatic Lantern
• Guide of Souls
• Daxos, Blessed by the Sun
• Haliya, Guided by Light
• Authority of the Consuls
• Cleric Class
• Charming Prince
• Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
• Cabal Coffers
• South Wind Avatar
• Vizkopa Guildmage