Overview:

This mono-black Tinybones discard deck employs a strategy of forced discard to deplete opponents' hands, leveraging discard-triggered value engines like Waste Not and Geth's Grimoire while pressuring life totals via Liliana's Caress and Tinybones, Trinket Thief's 10-life drain. The deck combines stax elements (Contamination, Ensnaring Bridge) with reanimation (Reanimate, Animate Dead) and a potential infinite combo using Bloodchief Ascension + Mindcrank. Tinybones serves as both a card advantage engine and a finisher, supported by "hidden commanders" like Braids, Arisen Nightmare and Yawgmoth, Thran Physician.

Primer:

Core Strategy Execution:

1. Early Disruption (Turns 1-3): Deploy discard engines like Burglar Rat, Elderfang Disciple, or Hymn to Tourach. Use fast mana (Dark Ritual, Cabal Ritual) to accelerate into Tinybones or asymmetric discard effects like Bottomless Pit.
2. Midgame Lock Setup (Turns 4-6): Establish stax with Contamination (backed by Phyrexian Tower/sac outlets) or Ensnaring Bridge. Reanimate key threats like Sheoldred, the Apocalypse or Gray Merchant of Asphodel. Activate Necropotence for card advantage.
3. Win Condition Execution:
   • Life Drain: Amplify discard triggers with Liliana's Caress, Waste Not, and Sangromancer. Finish with Tinybones' activated ability or Torment of Hailfire.
   • Infinite Combo: Tutor for Bloodchief Ascension and Mindcrank to create a loop where discarded/milled cards trigger infinite life loss.
   • Reanimation Swings: Recur The Haunt of Hightower or Aclazotz, Deepest Betrayal for lethal commander damage.

Mulligan Priorities:

• Keep hands with 2-3 lands, including utility like Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth.
• Prioritize early discard (1-3 CMC creatures/sorceries) and at least one value engine (Waste Not, Geth's Grimoire).
• Avoid hands lacking discard triggers or with only high-CMC spells.

Key Tips:

• Use Dauthi Voidwalker to steal opponents' win conditions from exile.
• Imp's Mischief can redirect critical removal targeting Tinybones or stax pieces.
• Phyrexian Reclamation ensures recurring discard creatures while dodging graveyard hate.

Weaknesses:

Critical

• Struggles against low-hand-size strategies (aggro, madness, recursion decks).
• Rest in Peace/Leyline of the Void neuter graveyard synergies and Mindcrank combo.

Moderate

• Vulnerable to artifact/enchantment removal targeting Contamination, Waste Not, or Ensnaring Bridge.
• Torpor Orb nullifies ETB discard creatures and Gray Merchant.

Minor

• Limited board presence makes it susceptible to direct damage/commander damage.
• Underworld Dreams punishes own Necropotence/Peer into the Abyss.

Most Important Cards:

• Waste Not (Mana, tokens, and card advantage engine)
• Necropotence (Unrestricted card draw)
• Contamination (Mana denial lock)
• Bloodchief Ascension + Mindcrank (Infinite combo)
• Torment of Hailfire (Scalable finisher)
• Cabal Coffers/Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx (Mana amplification)
• Tinybones, Trinket Thief (Card draw + win condition)
• Braids, Arisen Nightmare (Sacrifice pressure)
• Yawgmoth, Thran Physician (Proliferation + removal)
• Beseech the Mirror (Tutor for combo pieces)

Attribute Ratings:

Speed: 6/10
Can establish stax locks or combo wins by T6-8 with optimal draws, but relies on opponents' discard responses for early momentum.

Resilience: 5/10
Limited protection for key pieces beyond Malakir Rebirth and Swiftfoot Boots, but recursion (Phyrexian Reclamation, Victimize) provides recovery.

Consistency: 7/10
Abundant discard triggers, 8+ tutors, and Necropotence ensure reliable access to combo/stax elements.

Interaction: 6/10
Targeted removal (Feed the Swarm, Deadly Rollick) and stack interaction (Imp's Mischief) are present but narrow.

Rating Justification:

This deck threatens T6-8 wins via discard synergies or combo but lacks the speed and protection to compete with cEDH. Its stax elements and tutor density place it above casual tiers, while reliance on opponent-dependent triggers limits consistency.

Power level: 6.0 - 6.5