Overview:

This Simic sea monster deck helmed by Kenessos, Priest of Thassa focuses on cheating massive Kraken, Leviathan, Octopus, and Serpent creatures into play using scry manipulation and commander-activated topdeck tutoring. The strategy combines ramp, scry engines, and tempo control through mass bounce effects like Whelming Wave and Scourge of Fleets. Kenessos serves as the critical enabler, reducing the cost of deploying threats while synergizing with the deck's 20+ sea creatures. Secondary win conditions include Spawning Kraken token swarms, Koma, Cosmos Serpent's inevitability, and value engines like Aesi, Tyrant of Gyre Strait.

Primer:

Core Strategy Execution:

1. Setup Phase (T1-4):
   • Prioritize ramp (Cultivate, Three Visits, Sol Ring) and scry tools (Sensei's Divining Top, Mirri's Guile).
   • Use Kenessos' ability to preemptively position sea creatures on top of your library.
   • Deploy early value pieces like Mystic Remora or Lifecrafter's Bestiary.

2. Mid-Game (T4-7):

   • Activate Kenessos' {3}{G/U} ability to cheat high-CMC threats like Hullbreaker Horror or Stormtide Leviathan.
   • Protect key pieces with Swiftfoot Boots and Heroic Intervention.
   • Reset opponents' boards with Crush of Tentacles or Slinn Voda, the Rising Deep while preserving your creatures.

3. Endgame (T7+):

   • Overwhelm with unblockable threats enabled by Serpent of Yawning Depths or Aqueous Form.
   • Generate exponential value with Spawning Kraken token triggers or Koma, Cosmos Serpent activations.
   • Leverage Intruder Alarm + Shapesharer to copy key creatures repeatedly.

Mulligan Priorities:

• Keep hands with 2-3 lands (including UG sources).
• Prioritize early ramp/scry (e.g., Growth Spiral + Opt).
• Avoid hands with multiple 7+ CMC creatures without setup tools.

Key Tips:

• Use Mystic Reflection to turn opponents' creature tokens into 1/1 Serpents.
• Retreat to Coralhelm combos with landfall triggers to scry/untap Kenessos.
• Vesuvan Duplimancy amplifies targeted abilities like Kenessos' activation.

Weaknesses:

Critical

• Commander-dependent strategy: Repeated removal of Kenessos cripples the deck's ability to cheat threats.
• Limited fast interaction: Relies heavily on bounce spells rather than permanent removal.

Moderate

• Vulnerable to Torpor Orb effects (disables ETB triggers from 60% of creatures).
• Struggles against flying/swarm strategies pre-Stormtide Leviathan.

Minor

• High-CMC creature density can lead to clunky draws without proper scry setup.
• Limited graveyard recursion beyond Bala Ged Recovery.

Most Important Cards:

• Kenessos, Priest of Thassa (Strategy enabler/cheat engine)
• Aesi, Tyrant of Gyre Strait (Landfall value engine)
• Hullbreaker Horror (Control piece/combo disruptor)
• Spawning Kraken (Token generator/win condition)
• Intruder Alarm (Synergy amplifier)
• Koma, Cosmos Serpent (Inevitable value engine)
• Training Grounds (Reduces Kenessos activation cost)
• Sensei's Divining Top (Scry manipulation)
• Stormtide Leviathan (Board lock)
• Crush of Tentacles (Reset button with upside)

Attribute Ratings:

Speed: 5/10

• Can deploy threats as early as T3-4 with perfect draws but typically aims for T6-8 wins via combat.

Resilience: 6/10

• Multiple protection spells and bounce effects mitigate removal, but commander dependency creates fragility.

Consistency: 7/10

• Strong scry/draw package and 12+ ramp spells ensure regular access to key pieces.

Interaction: 5/10

• Focused on bounce/tempo over permanent answers, but Beast Within and counterspells provide coverage.

Rating Justification:

The deck demonstrates focused casual power with T8-10 win potential through well-supported combat and synergistic value engines, but lacks the speed/protection of higher tiers. Its reliance on Kenessos and vulnerability to stax keep it below optimized levels.

Power level: 5.0 - 5.5