Overview:

This Ob Nixilis, Captive Kingpin deck focuses on incremental life loss triggers to grow the commander and generate card advantage, using damage amplification from cards like All Will Be One to convert +1/+1 counters into lethal damage. The strategy combines ping effects, exile-cast synergies, and value engines to pressure opponents through sustained damage output.

Primer:

Core Strategy: The deck leverages 1-damage life loss triggers (Kederekt Parasite, Orcish Bowmasters) to grow Ob Nixilis and generate exiled card fuel. Key payoffs like All Will Be One convert counters into direct damage while Prosper, Tome-Bound and Jeska's Will provide resource acceleration. Secondary wincons include Heartless Hidetsugu halving life totals and Chandra, Awakened Inferno emblems.

Key Phases:

1. Early Setup (T1-3): Deploy pingers (Blood Seeker, Firebrand Archer) and damage engines (Roiling Vortex, Underworld Dreams)
2. Midgame Value (T4-6): Cast Ob Nixilis with protection (Lightning Greaves), activate exile-cast engines, and accumulate counters
3. Endgame (T7+): Convert board state into lethal through All Will Be One triggers or mass damage spells (Devil's Play, Burn from Within)

Mulligan Priorities:

• Keep hands with 3 lands and 1-2 early pingers/ramp
• Prioritize Sol Ring/Arcane Signet for T2 Ob Nixilis
• Avoid hands without red/black mana sources

Critical Sequencing:

• Time Ob Nixilis casts after establishing 1-2 persistent damage sources
• Pair exile-cast effects (Wrenn's Resolve, Bonehoard Dracosaur) with Prosper/Ob Nixilis triggers
• Save All Will Be One until Ob Nixilis has 4+ counters

Weaknesses:

Critical:

• Commander dependence (3+ removals cripples strategy)
• No infinite combos for sudden wins
• Minimal stack interaction (only 3 counterspell equivalents)

Moderate:

• Slow recovery from board wipes
• Limited card advantage outside commander/exile

Minor:

• Vulnerable to life gain strategies
• Moderate artifact/enchantment removal suite

Most Important Cards:

• All Will Be One
• Prosper, Tome-Bound
• Jeska's Will
• Underworld Dreams
• Syr Konrad, the Grim
• Roiling Vortex
• Manabarbs
• Orcish Bowmasters
• Blood Moon
• Sol Ring

Attribute Ratings:

Speed: 6/10 Can establish threatening board by T4-5 but needs 2-3 turns to convert to lethal. Fast mana enables T2 Ob Nixilis but payoff timing remains midgame.

Resilience: 4/10 Heavily commander-dependent with limited protection. Recovers poorly from multiple removals but has some redundancy in ping effects.

Consistency: 7/10 12+ persistent damage sources and 8 exile-cast enablers provide multiple angles. Lacks tutors but draws/extensive exile play compensates.

Interaction: 5/10 10 targeted removal spells but only 3 counterspells. Reactive answers are sorcery-speed outside Abrade/Chaos Warp.

Rating Justification:

The deck exceeds precon levels through focused life loss synergies and strong value engines (Power 5.0-5.5 traits) but lacks:

• cEDH-speed combos
• Free interaction
• Commander-independent wincons While faster than casual decks, it can't reliably win before T8 against focused disruption. Stax elements (Blood Moon, Manabarbs) give it mid-power edge but inconsistency keeps it below optimized tiers.

Power level: 5.0-5.5