Overview:

This Animar, Soul of Elements deck focuses on accelerating +1/+1 counters to reduce creature costs and overwhelm opponents with massive threats. Animar is the linchpin, enabling explosive creature chains through cost reduction. The strategy leverages proliferate effects (e.g., Merfolk Skydiver, Tezzeret's Gambit), counter doublers (e.g., Vorel of the Hull Clade, Solidarity of Heroes), and creature-based card draw (e.g., Elemental Bond, Beast Whisperer). While it can deploy large creatures like Ulamog's Crusher early, it lacks infinite combos and relies on combat or Warstorm Surge-backed damage. The deck is vulnerable to removal targeting Animar or key enablers but includes some protection (e.g., Swiftfoot Boots, Savage Summoning).

Primer:

Core Strategy Execution:

1. Ramp & Setup (Turns 1-3): Cast mana dorks (Llanowar Elves, Elvish Mystic) or Sol Ring to accelerate Animar. Use Hardened Scales or Forgotten Ancient to amplify counter generation.
2. Animar Growth (Turns 3-5): Cast Animar, then chain low-cost creatures (e.g., Incubation Druid, Rishkar, Peema Renegade) to stack counters. Use Rhythm of the Wild to ensure uncounterable creatures with haste or extra counters.
3. Threat Deployment (Turns 4-7): Drop high-impact creatures like Soul of the Harvest or Voracious Hydra for free/cheap. Activate Vorel of the Hull Clade or Biogenic Upgrade to double counters, enabling massive Zegana, Utopian Speaker or Stumpsquall Hydra.
4. Win Conditions:
   • Combat Overkill: Trample enablers (Garruk's Uprising, Rancor) and Craterhoof Behemoth-like effects (missing, but Shaman of the Great Hunt offers scaling).
   • Burn via Warstorm Surge: Pair with creatures like Artisan of Kozilek for direct damage.
   • Annihilator Pressure: Ulamog's Crusher and Artisan of Kozilek disrupt opponents’ resources.

Mulligan Priorities:

• Prioritize hands with Animar, 1-2 ramp pieces, and a counter generator (e.g., Hardened Scales, Forgotten Ancient).
• Avoid hands without early creatures or excessive high-CMC cards.

Key Tips:

• Use Swiftfoot Boots or Savage Summoning to protect Animar.
• Inspiring Call protects your board while refilling your hand.
• Karn's Bastion and Merfolk Skydiver ensure constant proliferate triggers.

Weaknesses:

Critical

• Animar Reliance: Removal of Animar (especially early) cripples the deck’s cost reduction engine.
• Lack of Infinite Combos: Relies on incremental value, making it slower than optimized lists.
• Minimal Board Wipe Recovery: Limited recursion beyond Artisan of Kozilek.

Moderate

• Counter-Hate Vulnerable: The Ozolith or Suncleanser disrupts counter synergies.
• Stack Interaction: Limited counterspells (only Mystic Snake, Frilled Mystic).

Minor

• Mana Base Fragility: Relies on basics and slow duals (e.g., Frontier Bivouac).
• Artifact/Enchantment Reliance: Key pieces like Hardened Scales are soft to removal.

Most Important Cards:

• Animar, Soul of Elements (Cost reduction engine)
• Hardened Scales (Counter multiplier)
• Vorel of the Hull Clade (Counter doubling)
• Warstorm Surge (Alternative win condition)
• Beast Whisperer (Card draw)
• Rhythm of the Wild (Protection & haste)
• Ulamog's Crusher (Annihilator pressure)
• Voracious Hydra (Scaling threat)
• Merfolk Skydiver (Proliferate enabler)
• Swiftfoot Boots (Animar protection)

Attribute Ratings:

Speed: 6/10

• Can deploy Animar by turn 3 and threaten lethal via combat by turns 7-8, but lacks fast combos.

Resilience: 5/10

• Limited protection for Animar and few ways to recover from board wipes.

Consistency: 7/10

• High creature density and card draw ensure steady counter generation but lacks tutors for key pieces.

Interaction: 4/10

• Minimal removal/counterspells; relies on combat tricks (Domri's Ambush) and situational counters.

Rating Justification:

This deck operates as a focused +1/+1 counter strategy with Animar enabling explosive turns, but its reliance on combat and vulnerability to removal cap its speed and resilience. While it can threaten wins by turn 7-8, it lacks the redundancy and interaction of optimized lists.

Power level: 6.0 - 6.5