Overview:

This Grixis curse/enchantment deck helmed by Lynde, Cheerful Tormentor focuses on attaching multiple debilitating curses to opponents while leveraging constellation triggers and incremental value. Lynde enables recursive curse recursion and card advantage by cycling curses between players. The strategy combines life drain (Grim Guardian, Torment of Scarabs), forced sacrifices (Cruel Reality), and combat manipulation (Curse of Opulence, Curse of the Nightly Hunt) to slowly grind down opponents. Secondary themes include enchantment synergy (Doomwake Giant, Blightcaster) and limited creature theft (Curse of Unbinding). Lynde is critical as the engine for curse recursion and card draw but doesn't directly enable combos.

Primer:

Core Strategy Execution:

1. Early Setup (Turns 1-4):
   • Deploy mana rocks (Sol Ring, Signets) and defensive tools like Propaganda or Kazuul, Tyrant of the Cliffs.
   • Cast low-CMC curses (Curse of Disturbance, Curse of Opulence) to trigger Lynde's recursion and constellation effects.
2. Midgame Value (Turns 5-7):
   • Recur sacrificed curses via Lynde’s end-step trigger. Use Curse of Misfortunes to tutor additional curses.
   • Amplify damage with Curse of Bloodletting and Curse of Thirst. Control boards with Doomwake Giant and Extinguish All Hope.
3. Late Game (Turns 8+):
   • Lock opponents with layered curses (e.g., Cruel Reality + Torment of Scarabs) and steal threats via Curse of Unbinding.
   • Close games with cumulative life loss from Grim Guardian, Wicked Visitor, and amplified curse triggers.

Mulligan Priorities:

• Keep hands with 2-3 lands and early mana acceleration (Signets, Sol Ring).
• Prioritize at least one low-CMC curse or defensive piece (Propaganda).
• Avoid hands lacking early interaction or curse density.

Key Tips:

• Use Perilous Research or Thirst for Meaning to sacrifice curses for value before they’re naturally removed.
• Copy high-impact curses like Curse of Misfortunes with Mirrormade or Copy Enchantment.
• Protect Lynde with equipment (Saw) or leverage her deathtouch to deter attacks.

Weaknesses:

Critical

• Enchantment Wipes: Cleansing Nova or Austere Command resets the entire strategy with minimal recursion outside Lynde.
• Commander Reliance: Repeated removal of Lynde stalls curse recursion and card advantage.
• Slow Clock: Struggles against fast combo/aggro decks due to lack of early interaction.

Moderate

• Graveyard Hate: Rest in Peace disrupts Lynde’s recursion and Crystal Chimes.
• Artifact Reliance: Signets and Sol Ring are critical for fixing; Vandalblast cripples mana.

Minor

• Card Draw Variance: Relies on Lynde’s upkeep trigger for sustained card flow.
• Flying Threats: Limited answers to evasive creatures beyond Terminate.

Most Important Cards:

• Curse of Misfortunes (Tutor engine for curses)
• Bitterheart Witch (Curse tutor on death)
• Grim Guardian (Primary life-drain engine)
• Lynde, Cheerful Tormentor (Recursion and draw engine)
• Torment of Scarabs (Persistent life-tax effect)
• Crystal Chimes (Enchantment recursion)
• Doomwake Giant (Board control via constellation)
• Curse of Unbinding (Threat theft and pressure)
• Propaganda (Essential defense)
• Extinguish All Hope (Asymmetric board wipe)

Attribute Ratings:

Speed: 3/10

• Wins via incremental damage, typically threatening lethal around T10+ without fast combos.

Resilience: 5/10

• Moderate recursion (Lynde, Crystal Chimes) but folds to enchantment wipes. Commander-dependent.

Consistency: 6/10

• Multiple curse tutors and card draw from Lynde, but lacks redundancy for key non-curse pieces.

Interaction: 5/10

• Spot removal (Terminate, Bedevil) and asymmetric wipes, but minimal stack interaction.

Rating Justification:

This deck operates as a slow, synergy-driven control build with a T10+ win clock, placing it in the "Casual/Precon" tier. While it has focused enchantment synergies, its reliance on incremental damage and vulnerability to common hate keeps it below optimized levels.

Power level: 4.0 - 4.5