Overview:

This Ardenn/Thrasios deck is a high-powered Voltron/Combo hybrid leveraging Ardenn's unique ability to freely attach Equipment/Auras at combat. The primary strategy involves suiting up Ardenn or Thrasios with massive power-boosting Equipment (e.g., Colossus Hammer, Kaldra Compleat, Blackblade Reforged) and evasion/protection Auras (e.g., Spirit Mantle, Alpha Authority) to eliminate opponents via commander damage. Thrasios provides card advantage and a mana sink, while also enabling a backup Isochron Scepter + Dramatic Reversal infinite mana combo to draw the deck or deploy threats instantly. Ardenn is essential for bypassing equip costs, making the strategy highly efficient.

Primer:

Core Strategy Execution:

1. Early Setup (Turns 1-3): Deploy mana dorks (Birds of Paradise, Delighted Halfling), rocks (Sol Ring, Mox Opal), or land tutors (Three Visits, Nature's Lore). Prioritize casting Ardenn by turn 2-3. Use tutors (Stoneforge Mystic, Enlightened Tutor, Open the Armory) to fetch key Equipment like Colossus Hammer or protection like Lightning Greaves.
2. Voltron Assembly (Turns 3-5): Cast Ardenn if not already out. Use his trigger to attach all Equipment/Auras for free at combat. Equip Colossus Hammer + evasion (Aqueous Form, Rogue's Passage) for lethal commander damage. Protect threats with Heroic Intervention, Robe of Stars, or Giver of Runes. Draw cards via Sram, Senior Edificer, Argothian Enchantress, or Rhystic Study.
3. Win Condition Execution:
   • Combat: Kill opponents in 1-2 hits with Ardenn/Thrasios using power multipliers (All That Glitters, Ancestral Mask) and double strike (Battle Mastery, Twinblade Blessing).
   • Combo: Generate infinite mana with Isochron Scepter (imprinting Dramatic Reversal) + nonland mana sources (e.g., Sol Ring). Use Thrasios to draw the deck and win via Walking Ballista (not listed but implied by infinite mana) or combat with an infinitely large creature.
   • Recursion: Rebuild after disruption with Replenish, Hall of Heliod's Generosity, or Academy Ruins.

Mulligan Priorities:

• Keep hands with Ardenn + 2-3 lands/mana sources. Prioritize hands with turn 1-2 ramp or a tutor.
• Essential: Early mana (dork/rock) + a way to find/protect key Equipment (e.g., Stoneforge Mystic, Puresteel Paladin, Lightning Greaves).
• Avoid hands lacking mana acceleration or Voltron payoffs.

Key Tips:

• Protect Aggressively: Use phasing (Robe of Stars, Slip Out the Back), counterspells (Mana Drain, Dovin's Veto), or Grand Abolisher to safeguard your combat phase and key pieces.
• Leverage Thrasios: Generate infinite colored mana with Scepter/Reversal to draw your deck with Thrasios, finding all protection/wincons.
• Stack Triggers: Order Ardenn's attach trigger to equip Swiftfoot Boots/Lightning Greaves first for instant hexproof/haste.
• Recursion Wins: Replenish or Mantle of the Ancients can instantly reattach multiple Auras/Equipment for a surprise kill.

Weaknesses:

Critical

• Board Wipes: Mass removal (e.g., Toxic Deluge, Damnation) decimates invested resources with poor recovery outside recursion spells.
• Commander Focus: Reliance on Ardenn makes the deck vulnerable to repeated removal; tax effects cripple tempo.
• Anti-Equipment/Antifun: Collector Ouphe, Karn, the Great Creator, or Stony Silence shut down Equipment synergies and tutors.

Moderate

• Graveyard Hate: Rest in Peace/Leyline of the Void disrupts Replenish, Academy Ruins, and Hall of Heliod's Generosity.
• Stack Interaction: Heavy counterspell decks can disrupt combo setup and protection spells.
• Enchantment Removal: Targeted hate (Aura Shards, Boseiju, Who Endures) hits key Auras like Ancestral Mask.

Minor

• Flyers/Evasion: Lacks reach; evasive blockers can stall combat wins without sufficient trample/unblockable sources.
• Hand Disruption: Thoughtseize effects can strip key tutors/combo pieces preemptively.

Most Important Cards:

• Ardenn, Intrepid Archaeologist (Enables free equips, core strategy)
• Colossus Hammer (Primary damage multiplier)
• Stoneforge Mystic (Tutors key Equipment)
• Puresteel Paladin (Free equips, card draw)
• Isochron Scepter (Combo piece with Dramatic Reversal)
• Dramatic Reversal (Infinite mana combo enabler)
• Replenish (Mass recursion for Auras/Equipment)
• Enlightened Tutor (Finds Equipment/Auras/Combo)
• Lightning Greaves (Protection/Haste for Voltron target)
• Grand Abolisher (Protects combat/combo turns)

Attribute Ratings:

Speed: 8/10

• Can threaten T4 kills with Ardenn + Hammer/evasion and T3-4 infinite mana combos with ideal draws.

Resilience: 6/10

• Multiple protection spells and recursion mitigate disruption, but over-reliance on Ardenn and vulnerability to wipes limits recovery.

Consistency: 8/10

• Abundant tutors (10+), card draw engines, and redundancy in Equipment/Auras ensure reliable access to wincons.

Interaction: 7/10

• Efficient counterspells (Mana Drain, Swan Song), targeted removal (Swords to Plowshares), and stax (Grand Abolisher) disrupt opponents while protecting its plan.

Rating Justification:

The deck achieves T3-4 win potential through explosive Voltron setups and compact combos, aligning with High Power (8.0) speed. However, its reliance on Ardenn and vulnerability to board wipes reduces resilience, preventing cEDH viability. The consistency from tutors and interaction suite supports a high-power classification.

Power level: 8.0 - 8.5