Overview:

This Varragoth, Bloodsky Sire deck is a high-velocity mono-black combo list leveraging fast mana, extensive tutoring, and life-drain synergies to assemble game-ending loops. The strategy revolves around tutoring key combo pieces (e.g., Exquisite Blood/Sanguine Bond) or explosive mana engines (Cabal Coffers, Crypt Ghast) to fuel Torment of Hailfire or Exsanguinate. Varragoth’s Boast ability supplements a dense tutor package to ensure consistency.

Primer:

Core Strategy:
Deploy Varragoth early (T1-2 via Mox Diamond, Dark Ritual) to begin tutoring combo pieces or stax-resistant wincons. The deck operates on three axes:

1. Infinite Life-Drain Combos: Exquisite Blood + Sanguine Bond/Vito, Thorn of the Dusk Rose instantly kills the table.
2. Mana Overload: Cabal Coffers/Bubbling Muck fuel Torment of Hailfire or Exsanguinate for lethal.
3. Stax-Resistant Grind: Sheoldred, the Apocalypse + Necropotence punishes draws, while Bloodchief Ascension + Mindcrank mills opponents.

Mulligan Priorities:

• Keep hands with 2+ mana sources (including fast mana like Mana Vault).
• Prioritize hands with a T1-T2 Varragoth or tutor (Demonic Tutor).
• Avoid hands lacking black mana or payoff spells.

Key Tips:

• Sequence Fast Mana First: Deploy Grim Monolith/Chrome Mox before Varragoth to enable early Boast activations.
• Protect Critical Turns: Use Toxic Deluge pre-combo to clear interaction.
• Leverage Graveyard: Reanimate/Persist retrieve combo creatures like Bloodthirsty Conqueror if exiled.

Weaknesses:

Critical

• Fragile to Early Interaction: Lacks free counterspells; combos fold to Stifle or instant-speed enchantment removal.
• No Wincon Under Rule of Law: Cannot combo through Archon of Emeria-type effects.

Moderate

• Graveyard Reliance: Animate Dead/Persist lines fail to Rest in Peace.
• Artifact Vulnerability: Vandalblast cripples fast mana.

Minor

• Life Total Pressure: Necropotence and Bolas's Citadel self-damage risk against aggro.

Most Important Cards:

• Exquisite Blood
• Sanguine Bond
• Demonic Tutor
• Vampiric Tutor
• Imperial Seal
• Necropotence
• Cabal Coffers
• Sheoldred, the Apocalypse
• Torment of Hailfire
• Mindcrank

Attribute Ratings:

Speed: 8/10
Fast mana enables T3-4 combo kills (e.g., T1 Dark Ritual into Necropotence, T2 Exquisite Blood + Vito).

Resilience: 5/10
Relies on redundancy over protection; combos are easily disrupted but can rebuild via tutors.

Consistency: 9/10
12 tutors (including Varragoth) and top-deck manipulation (Sensei's Divining Top) ensure combo access.

Interaction: 4/10
Limited to targeted removal (Feed the Swarm, Bitter Triumph); no counterspells or stax.

Rating Justification:

This deck’s explosive combo potential (T3-5 theoretical wins) and extreme consistency place it at the upper end of optimized casual, but its fragility to interaction prevents cEDH viability.

Power level: 6.5 - 7.0