Overview:

This Karador, Ghost Chieftain deck is a resilient graveyard-focused toolbox that leverages creature recursion and tutor effects to outvalue opponents. The core strategy involves self-milling with cards like Hermit Druid and Buried Alive, then recurring threats through Karador's ability and powerful reanimation effects like Necromancy and Karmic Guide. Key threats include stax pieces (Archon of Emeria, Dauthi Voidwalker), value engines (Luminous Broodmoth, Greater Good), and combo finishers using Phyrexian Altar + recursive creatures.

Primer:

Core Strategy: The deck operates in three phases:

1. Graveyard Setup: Use Hermit Druid, Entomb, and self-mill creatures to stock the graveyard with key targets like Karmic Guide, Ashen Rider, and combo pieces.
2. Value Engine Activation: Leverage Karador's cost reduction to repeatedly cast creatures from graveyard while using Birthing Pod/Survival of the Fittest chains to find silver bullets.
3. Win Conditions:
   • Stax Lock: Archon of Emeria + Grand Abolisher to restrict opponents
   • Combo Finish: Phyrexian Altar + Karmic Guide + Reveillark (though Reveillark not listed, similar loops possible with available pieces)
   • Overwhelming Value: Eerie Ultimatum recurring multiple threats

Mulligan Priorities:

• Keep hands with 3 lands and at least 1 graveyard enabler (Hermit Druid, Entomb)
• Prioritize early ramp (Birds of Paradise, Utopia Sprawl)
• Accept 2-land hands only with Crop Rotation/fetchland

Key Tips:

• Use Dauthi Voidwalker as both graveyard hate and combo enabler
• Volrath's Stronghold enables infinite Karador recasts with sufficient creatures
• Tombstone Stairwell becomes lethal with Poison-Tip Archer/Corpse Knight
• Protect critical turns with Silence/Veil of Summer

Avoid Traps:

• Don't overextend into board wipes without Eerie Ultimatum backup
• Reserve Force of Vigor for critical stax pieces like Rest in Peace

Weaknesses:

Critical:

• Graveyard hate (Rest in Peace, Leyline of the Void)
• Early combo disruption before recursion engines online

Moderate:

• Board wipe resilience (mitigated by Karador recursion)
• Mana base vulnerable to Blood Moon effects

Minor:

• Limited instant-speed interaction

Most Important Cards:

• Hermit Druid
• Survival of the Fittest
• Phyrexian Altar
• Entomb
• Necromancy
• Greater Good
• Dauthi Voidwalker
• Birthing Pod
• Finale of Devastation
• Eldritch Evolution

Attribute Ratings:

Speed: 7/10

• Can assemble stax locks by T4-5 with optimal draws
• Eerie Ultimatum/Ashen Rider recursion provides T6-7 overwhelming boards

Resilience: 6/10

• Multiple recursion engines (Karador, Volrath's Stronghold, Priest of Fell Rites)
• Vulnerable to early graveyard hate before protection is established

Consistency: 8/10

• 10+ tutors (Survival, Entomb, Fiend Artisan)
• Redundant recursion effects (Karmic Guide/Necromancy/Loyal Retainers)

Interaction: 7/10

• S-Tier: Force of Vigor, Assassin's Trophy
• A-Tier: Swords to Plowshares, Anguished Unmaking
• Stax-based interaction through Archon of Emeria/Deafening Silence

Rating Justification:

This deck sits between Optimized (6.5) and Focused Competitive (7.0) due to:

• Tutor density rivaling cEDH decks
• Ability to lock games by T5 with stax pieces
• Lacks free counterspells/consultation lines of top-tier decks
• Slower than pure combo decks but more resilient

Power level: 6.5 - 7.0