Overview:

This K'rrik, Son of Yawgmoth deck is a high-octane life-payment engine focused on explosive combo turns. It leverages K'rrik's mana-cheating ability to power out game-winning synergies through massive card advantage (Ad Nauseam, Necropotence) and recursive combos. The deck operates at cEDH-adjacent speeds but lacks the interaction density and protection suite of true Tier 1 lists.

Primer:

Core Strategy: The deck aims to resolve K'rrik by T2-3 using fast mana (Dark Ritual, Cabal Ritual), then convert life into overwhelming advantage through three primary lines:

1. Storm Finish: Aetherflux Reservoir/Tendrils of Agony fueled by Bolas's Citadel chains
2. Infinite Combos: Chain of Smog + Professor Onyx (T4 kill) or Gravecrawler + Phyrexian Altar + payoff
3. Big Mana: Cabal Coffers/Urborg into Exsanguinate or Gray Merchant recursion

Mulligan Priorities:

• Keep hands with T1-2 K'rrik enablers (Sol Ring, Dark Ritual)
• Prioritize black-heavy mana bases
• Reject hands without life payment outlets or combo pieces

Key Tips:

• Use Buried Alive as combo assembly (dump Necrotic Ooze/Gravecrawler/Asmodeus)
• Skirge Familiar converts discarded cards into storm fuel
• Defense Grid protects critical combo turns
• Font of Agonies provides repeatable removal for stax pieces

Weaknesses:

Critical:

• Foldsto early K'rrik removal (3+ kills cripple the strategy)
• No answer to Rest in Peace/Leyline of the Void graveyard shutdown

Moderate:

• Life total fragility against aggressive decks
• Limited board wipes (only Toxic Deluge)

Minor:

• High variance without K'rrik (15+ cards require commander)

Most Important Cards:

• Ad Nauseam
• Necropotence
• Phyrexian Altar
• Chain of Smog
• Professor Onyx
• Gravecrawler
• Aetherflux Reservoir
• Demonic Tutor
• Razaketh, the Foulblooded
• Exquisite Blood

Attribute Ratings:

Speed: 9/10

• Goldfish T3 wins possible (T1 Ritual+K'rrik → T2 Buried Alive → T3 Reanimate combo)
• Average goldfish win: T4-5

Resilience: 6/10

• 7 recursion spells but commander-dependent
• Limited free protection (only Imp's Mischief)

Consistency: 8/10

• 14 tutors + 8 draw engines
• Multiple redundant combo lines

Interaction: 5/10

• 8 targeted removal, 1 board wipe
• No free counterspells

Rating Justification:

This deck straddles high-power and cEDH with T3-4 deterministic win potential (matching 8.0 benchmarks) but lacks the interaction density and stax resilience of true Tier 1 lists. Its tutor density and combo redundancy exceed 7.5-level decks, while the fragile mana base and commander dependence prevent Tier 2 cEDH status.

Power level: 7.5 - 8.0