Overview:

This mono-green deck revolves around Sasaya, Orochi Ascendant, leveraging a unique "lands in hand" strategy to flip into Sasaya's Essence and generate exponential mana. The primary game plan involves stockpiling lands in hand via discard/draw effects (e.g., Hermit Druid, Nantuko Cultivator) and land recursion (Life from the Loam, Aftermath Analyst), then deploying massive threats like Avenger of Zendikar, Cultivator Colossus, or Helix Pincacle. Sasaya is the linchpin, enabling explosive turns where mana multipliers like Kamahl, Heart of Krosa or Genesis Wave overwhelm opponents. The deck also includes backup plans with token swarms (Scute Swarm, Hydra Broodmaster) and land animation synergies.

Primer:

Core Strategy Execution:

1. Setup Phase (Turns 1-5): Prioritize land-fetching tools (Armillary Sphere, Realms Uncharted, Wrenn and Seven) and hand sculpting (Scroll Rack, Abundance) to accumulate 7+ lands in hand. Use Manabond or Azusa, Lost but Seeking to deploy lands while retaining others in hand.
2. Flip Sasaya (Turns 4-6): Once 7+ lands are in hand, reveal to transform Sasaya. Prioritize protection (Heroic Intervention, Dosan the Falling Leaf) to safeguard her post-flip.
3. Mana Explosion (Turns 5+): Tap lands for massive mana (e.g., 5 Forests = 25+ mana with Sasaya’s Essence). Cast Genesis Wave for X=20, Cultivator Colossus to chain land drops/draws, or Helix Pinnacle to win via tower counters.
4. Win Conditions:
   • Combat Overkill: Craterhoof Behemoth, Pathbreaker Ibex, or Kamahl, Heart of Krosa to buff land-animated creatures.
   • Token Swarm: Avenger of Zendikar + landfall triggers or Hydra Broodmaster’s X/X tokens.
   • Alt Wincons: Helix Pinnacle with infinite mana (e.g., Wakeroot Elemental + Nissa, Worldwaker).

Mulligan Priorities:

• Keep hands with 3+ lands, at least one land tutor (Winding Way, Sprouting Vines), and a setup engine (Sylvan Library, Hermit Druid).
• Avoid hands lacking early land acceleration or with too many high-CMC cards.

Key Tips:

• Use Life from the Loam + cycling lands (Tranquil Thicket) to refill hand with lands post-flip.
• Scroll Rack + Abundance bypasses land draws, ensuring consistent access to gas.
• Cultivator Colossus can chain land drops from hand to draw most of your deck if Sasaya is active.

Weaknesses:

Critical

• Commander Dependency: Removing Sasaya pre-flip or exiling her Essence cripples the mana engine.
• Hand Disruption: Forced discard (e.g., Opposition Agent, Thoughtseize) disrupts the 7-land requirement.

Moderate

• Board Wipes: Resets token armies and animated lands. Recovery relies on Creeping Renaissance or Praetor’s Counsel.
• Graveyard Hate: Rest in Peace nullifies Life from the Loam and recursion tools.

Minor

• Slow Setup: Struggles against hyper-aggressive decks before Sasaya flips.
• Artifact/Enchantment Removal: Targets key pieces like Wild Pair or Helix Pinnacle.

Most Important Cards:

• Sasaya, Orochi Ascendant (Core engine for mana generation)
• Life from the Loam (Recurs lands for hand-stocking)
• Cultivator Colossus (Draws deck/ramps when Sasaya is active)
• Genesis Wave (Dumps entire library onto battlefield)
• Helix Pinnacle (Uncounterable alt-win with Sasaya’s mana)
• Scroll Rack (Manages hand for Sasaya flip)
• Avenger of Zendikar (Primary token generator)
• Hermit Druid (Mill lands into graveyard for recursion)
• Craterhoof Behemoth (Combat finisher)
• Wrenn and Seven (Land recursion and token generation)

Attribute Ratings:

Speed: 6/10

• Can threaten wins via Helix Pinnacle or Genesis Wave as early as Turn 6-7 with optimal setup, but requires significant buildup.

Resilience: 5/10

• Vulnerable to commander removal and hand disruption, but recursion tools (Timeless Witness, Praetor’s Counsel) provide recovery options.

Consistency: 7/10

• High density of land tutors and hand-filtering ensures reliable access to Sasaya’s flip condition.

Interaction: 3/10

• Minimal removal outside Polukranos, World Eater and Heroic Intervention; focuses on solitaire-style gameplay.

Rating Justification:

This deck can generate overwhelming board states or alt-win conditions by Turn 6-8 with proper setup, aligning with the "Focused" tier (6.0). However, its reliance on an unprotected commander and vulnerability to disruption caps its resilience, preventing higher optimization tiers.

Power level: 5.5 - 6.0