Overview:

This Muldrotha deck leverages graveyard recursion and fast combo potential, utilizing Hermit Druid/Laboratory Maniac and Protean Hulk lines as primary win conditions. It combines efficient tutors, free/cheap interaction, and explosive mana acceleration to threaten early victories while maintaining resilience through counterspells and redundancy.

Primer:

Core Strategy:
The deck operates on two axes:

1. Hermit Druid Combo: Activate Hermit Druid (enabled by zero basic lands) to mill the entire library, then win via Laboratory Maniac + draw effect (e.g., Consider, Windfall). Backup lines include Tainted Pact exiling the library.
2. Protean Hulk Piles: Fetch Blood Artist + Melira, Sylvok Outcast (not listed but implied via tutors) or similar death loops. Dread Return/Necromancy enable recursion.
3. Muldrotha Value: Recurs low-cost permanents (e.g., Mystic Remora, Seal of Removal) for incremental advantage if combos are disrupted.

Mulligan Priorities:

• Keep hands with fast mana (Sol Ring, Dark Ritual) + tutors (Entomb, Buried Alive).
• Prioritize Hermit Druid or Protean Hulk enablers. Avoid hands lacking acceleration or graveyard setup.

Key Tips:

• Use Sylvan Safekeeper/Lightning Greaves to protect combo pieces.
• Displacer Kitten resets ETB triggers (e.g., Eternal Witness) or dodges removal.
• Tainted Pact doubles as combo enabler and interaction (exiling key threats).

Avoid Traps:

• Overcommitting to the board before securing protection.
• Wasting tutors early; wait until interaction is available.

Weaknesses:

Critical:

• Graveyard hate (Rest in Peace, Leyline of the Void) cripples recursion and combo lines.
• Reliance on Hermit Druid/Protean Hulk with limited protection redundancy.

Moderate:

• Stax pieces (Drannith Magistrate, Opposition Agent) delay combo assembly.
• Limited basic lands make Blood Moon/Back to Basics impactful.

Minor:

• Slow recovery from multiple counterspell exchanges.

Most Important Cards:

• Hermit Druid
• Protean Hulk
• Laboratory Maniac
• Buried Alive
• Entomb
• Tainted Pact
• Diabolic Intent
• Dread Return
• Necromancy
• Mystic Remora

Attribute Ratings:

Speed: 9/10

• Turn 2 Hermit Druid wins are possible (e.g., T1 Lotus Petal + acceleration → T2 activation). Average goldfish: T3-4.

Resilience: 7/10

• 8+ counterspells and protection effects mitigate disruption, but combos fold to well-timed graveyard hate. Muldrotha provides backup value.

Consistency: 9/10

• 10+ tutors (Demonic Tutor-equivalent density via transmute, Final Parting, etc.) and redundant combo lines ensure frequent early threats.

Interaction: 7/10

• Efficient counters (Counterspell, An Offer You Can’t Refuse) and removal (Abrupt Decay), but lacks free spells (e.g., Force of Will).

Rating Justification:

This deck’s T2-3 deterministic win potential and cEDH-grade tutor density align with cEDH Tier 2 (9.0). It slightly trails Tier 1 due to reliance on graveyard synergies and fewer free interaction spells. The backup Muldrotha plan and robust redundancy prevent it from dropping below 8.5.

Power level: 8.5 - 9.0