Overview:

Karador Reanimator combines graveyard recursion with stax elements to control the game and win through incremental value or creature-based combos. The deck leverages efficient tutors, reanimation engines, and disruptive creatures to out-resource opponents. While it lacks definitive infinite combos, it can generate overwhelming board states and soft locks through stax pieces like Archon of Emeria and Thalia, Guardian of Thraben, supported by recursive threats like Karmic Guide and Priest of Fell Rites. Key weaknesses include reliance on the graveyard and vulnerability to fast combo decks.

Primer:

Core Strategy: This deck aims to stall opponents with stax effects while filling the graveyard via Hermit Druid, Survival of the Fittest, and Entomb. Reanimation engines like Birthing Pod and Animate Dead cheat high-impact creatures into play, while Karador provides backup recursion. Win conditions include:

• Stax locks with Archon of Emeria + Thalia, Heretic Cathar
• Drain effects via Corpse Knight and recursive ETBs
• Overwhelming value from The Great Henge and Greater Good

Mulligan Priorities:

• Keep hands with 3 lands and 1-2 ramp creatures (e.g., Birds of Paradise, Elvish Mystic)
• Prioritize early stax pieces or graveyard enablers (Hermit Druid, Buried Alive)
• Avoid slow hands without acceleration or graveyard setup

Key Tips:

• Use Phyrexian Altar to fuel recursive loops with Karmic Guide
• Teferi's Protection protects against board wipes during critical turns
• Dauthi Voidwalker disrupts opponents' graveyards while enabling your plays
• Survival of the Fittest should chain creatures into the graveyard for Karador recursion

Avoid Traps:

• Overextending into graveyard hate without Dauthi Voidwalker protection
• Casting Karador too early before establishing graveyard density
• Holding interaction for minor threats instead of protecting key engines

Weaknesses:

Critical:

• Graveyard dependency (folds to Rest in Peace/Leyline of the Void)
• Limited fast combo disruption (relies on stax rather than counterspells)

Moderate:

• Slow recovery from multiple wraths
• Mana curve clusters at 3-4 CMC

Minor:

• Vulnerable to land destruction (9 nonbasics with ETB-tapped clauses)

Most Important Cards:

• Survival of the Fittest
• Hermit Druid
• Phyrexian Altar
• Karmic Guide
• Birthing Pod
• Teferi's Protection
• Archon of Emeria
• Dauthi Voidwalker
• Entomb
• The Great Henge

Attribute Ratings:

Speed: 6/10

• Can establish stax locks by T4-5 with optimal draws
• Reanimation targets typically hit T5-7
• Lacks T3 win potential

Resilience: 7/10

• Redundant recursion engines (3+ reanimation spells)
• Vulnerable to graveyard exile but runs Dauthi Voidwalker mitigation
• Struggles against hyper-fast combo

Consistency: 8/10

• 10+ tutors for key creatures/engines
• Hermit Druid provides graveyard fuel
• Multiple card advantage engines (Greater Good, The Great Henge)

Interaction: 7/10

• A-tier removal (Swords to Plowshares, Assassin's Trophy)
• Stax pieces disrupt opponents' tempo
• Lacks free counterspells for combo protection

Rating Justification:

This deck exceeds "Focused" (6.0) benchmarks with its tutor density and stax synergies but falls short of "Optimized" (6.5) due to lack of deterministic combos and reliance on combat damage. It matches "T7-8 via combat/overwhelming value" (6.0) but gains half a point for stax lock potential. Comparable to upgraded casual decks with cEDH tools but not fully streamlined.

Power level: 6.0 - 6.5