Overview:

This mono-black Chainer, Dementia Master deck is a high-synergy reanimator strategy focused on exploiting the graveyard as a resource. The commander serves as the engine, enabling instant-speed reanimation of powerful creatures from any graveyard while draining life. The deck combines efficient reanimation spells (Reanimate, Animate Dead), self-mill/discard (Buried Alive, Putrid Imp), and explosive mana acceleration (Cabal Coffers, Crypt Ghast) to deploy game-ending threats like Gray Merchant of Asphodel, Archon of Cruelty, and combo pieces. Chainer's ability to repeatedly reanimate creatures synergizes with ETB/death triggers and infinite loops enabled by Mikaeus, the Unhallowed + Walking Ballista or sac outlets.

Primer:

Core Strategy Execution:

1. Early Setup (T1-3):
   • Ramp with Sol Ring, Dark Ritual, or Cabal Ritual. Use Entomb/Buried Alive to dump key creatures (e.g., Gray Merchant, Mikaeus) into the graveyard.
   • Deploy discard outlets like Putrid Imp or Vilis, Broker of Blood to stock the graveyard.
   • Cast Chainer as early as T3 using rituals or Jet Medallion.

2. Midgame Value (T4-6):

   • Reanimate high-impact creatures: Gray Merchant for life swings, Razaketh for tutoring, or Archon of Cruelty for attrition.
   • Use Necropotence or Bolas's Citadel to dig for combo pieces.
   • Set up infinite loops: Mikaeus + Walking Ballista (infinite damage) or Mikaeus + Gray Merchant + sac outlet (infinite life drain).

3. Win Conditions:

   • Combat/ETB Drain: Overwhelm with Gray Merchant loops or Kokusho recursion.
   • Infinite Combos: Mikaeus + Ballista (direct damage) or Mikaeus + sac outlet + Aetherflux Reservoir (life-gain nuke).
   • Mass Reanimation: Living Death to flood the board with threats.

Mulligan Priorities:

• Keep hands with early ramp (rituals, Sol Ring), a reanimation spell, and a discard/entomb effect.
• Prioritize black sources and cards enabling graveyard setup (Entomb, Putrid Imp).
• Avoid hands lacking ramp or graveyard interaction.

Key Tips:

• Use Phyrexian Tower/Altar of Dementia to sacrifice reanimated creatures for value before Chainer is removed.
• Opposition Agent disrupts opponents' tutors while stealing their win conditions.
• Emergence Zone enables flash-speed reanimation with Chainer to dodge sorcery-speed removal.

Weaknesses:

Critical

• Graveyard Hate: Bojuka Bog, Rest in Peace, or Leyline of the Void cripple the deck’s core strategy.
• Commander Reliance: Chainer’s exile-on-leave clause forces overcommitment to protecting him.

Moderate

• Spot Removal: Targeting Mikaeus, sac outlets, or key mana sources (Cabal Coffers) slows combos.
• Rule of Law Effects: Limits reanimation loops and spell density.

Minor

• Life Total Pressure: Aggressive decks can exploit life payments from Necropotence/reanimation costs.

Most Important Cards:

• Mikaeus, the Unhallowed (Combo enabler with undying)
• Gray Merchant of Asphodel (Primary life-drain engine)
• Buried Alive (Tutor 3 creatures to graveyard)
• Demonic Tutor (Flexible combo piece fetcher)
• Cabal Coffers (Mana amplification)
• Necropotence (Unmatched card advantage)
• Living Death (Board reset + mass reanimation)
• Walking Ballista (Infinite damage combo payoff)
• Razaketh, the Foulblooded (Tutor-on-a-stick)
• Animate Dead (Low-cost reanimation)

Attribute Ratings:

Speed: 7/10

• Capable of T4-5 wins with perfect draws (e.g., T1 Entomb Mikaeus, T2 Reanimate + setup), but typically threatens T5-7 victories.

Resilience: 5/10

• Recovers from single removals via recursion but folds to graveyard exile. Limited protection beyond Lightning Greaves.

Consistency: 8/10

• 10+ tutors, 8+ reanimation spells, and dense card draw ensure reliable access to key pieces.

Interaction: 5/10

• Targeted removal (Snuff Out, Damnation) and hand disruption (Thoughtseize) are present but lack stack interaction beyond Imp's Mischief.

Rating Justification:

This deck operates at a Focused Competitive level, leveraging tutors and fast mana to execute T5-6 combo kills or attrition locks. However, its critical vulnerability to graveyard hate and reliance on Chainer’s survival cap its ceiling below cEDH tiers.

Power level: 6.5 - 7.0