Overview:

This Abzan (W/B/G) Dragon/reanimator deck leverages high-toughness creatures and Dragons to enable Betor, Kin to All's scaling end-step triggers (draw, untap, life loss). The primary strategy involves ramping into Betor, deploying resilient threats to meet toughness thresholds, and utilizing extensive graveyard recursion (Living Death, Eerie Ultimatum, Animate Dead) to overwhelm opponents. Betor acts as a critical engine and win condition enabler, but the deck can function independently with potent reanimation targets like Ancient Brass Dragon and Colossal Grave-Reaver. Secondary themes include Dragon tribal synergies and life-gain/loss payoffs via cards like Betor, Ancestor's Voice.

Primer:

Core Strategy Execution:

1. Early Setup (Turns 1-4): Prioritize ramp (Birds of Paradise, Bloom Tender, Farseek) and self-mill/entomb effects (Satyr Wayfinder, Hermit Druid, Entomb). Fix mana and stock the graveyard with key Dragons/reanimator targets. Cast Betor ASAP if possible.
2. Mid-Game Board Development (Turns 4-7): Deploy high-toughness creatures (Canopy Gargantuan, Dragonlord Dromoka) to trigger Betor's draw/untap abilities. Reanimate key threats (Old Gnawbone, Ancient Bronze Dragon) using Reanimate, Necromancy, or Diregraf Rebirth. Protect your board with Heroic Intervention/And They Shall Know No Fear.
3. Win Condition Execution (Turns 6-9+):
   • Betor Life Loss: Achieve 40+ total toughness to trigger Betor's life-halving ability, often enabled by untap triggers and massive creatures.
   • Combat Overwhelm: Attack with large, evasive Dragons buffed by Akroma's Will or Dragonstorm Globe. Leverage Old Gnawbone Treasures for explosive turns.
   • Mass Reanimation: Resolve Living Death, Rise of the Dark Realms, or Eerie Ultimatum to create an overwhelming board from graveyards.
   • Value Loops: Use Colossal Grave-Reaver + self-mill to cheat creatures into play repeatedly.

Mulligan Priorities:

• Keep hands with 3+ lands (including color fixing) and at least one ramp spell (e.g., Sol Ring, Farseek, Bloom Tender).
• Prioritize hands with early self-mill/entomb (Satyr Wayfinder, Entomb) or a reanimation spell + target setup.
• Hands lacking ramp, graveyard setup, or a path to cast Betor by turn 5 should be mulliganed.
• Include interaction (Swords to Plowshares, Beast Within) if facing aggressive metas.

Key Tips:

• Sequence Reanimation: Use cheap entomb effects (Unmarked Grave, Buried Alive) before casting reanimation spells. Prioritize targets offering immediate value (Ancient Brass Dragon, Guardian Scalelord).
• Exploit Betor's Triggers: Untap triggers enable surprise blockers or post-combat reanimation. Time lifegain/loss for Betor, Ancestor's Voice synergies.
• Protect Your Engine: Cast Betor with Emergence Zone flash or hold protection (Heroic Intervention, Steely Resolve) if removal is expected. Command Beacon bypasses commander tax.
• Leverage Graveyard Hate: Bojuka Bog disrupts opponents while fueling your mass reanimation.

Weaknesses:

Critical

• Graveyard Hate: Rest in Peace, Leyline of the Void, or Bojuka Bog cripples reanimation, entomb, and Betor Ancestor's Voice recursion.
• Betor Removal: Killing Betor repeatedly stalls the engine and increases casting cost significantly. The deck lacks reliable hexproof/shroud for commanders.
• Stax Effects: Torpor Orb nullifies ETB triggers (Ancient Dragons, Guardian Scalelord), while Cursed Totem shuts down mana dorks and Gwenna.

Moderate

• Board Wipes: Recoverable with mass reanimation, but wipes like Farewell exiling creatures/graveyards are devastating.
• Combo Speed: Struggles to race decks winning before turn 7-8 due to setup requirements.
• Mana Consistency: Many tapped lands (Temple Garden, Scattered Groves) and limited fast mana slow early development.

Minor

• Stack Interaction: Minimal counterspells make resolving key sorceries (Eerie Ultimatum) risky against blue decks.
• Artifact/Enchantment Reliance: Key pieces (Leyline Immersion, Dragonstorm Globe) are vulnerable to removal.

Most Important Cards:

• Hermit Druid (Self-mill engine enabling graveyard strategies)
• Living Death (Mass reanimation/reset, primary win condition)
• Buried Alive (Tutors 3 key creatures directly to graveyard)
• Ancient Brass Dragon (Grabs multiple threats from any graveyard on hit)
• Betor, Ancestor's Voice (Secondary engine: counters + reanimation)
• Bloom Tender (Explosive mana for Betor/ultimatums)
• Eerie Ultimatum (Recurs multiple key permanents for overwhelming advantage)
• Akroma's Will (Protection + combat finisher)
• Old Gnawbone (Generates massive Treasure for explosive turns)
• Entomb (Instant-speed graveyard setup)

Attribute Ratings:

Speed: 5/10

• Capable of threatening wins via mass reanimation or Betor triggers around turns 7-9, but setup-heavy and lacks fast mana/tutors for earlier combos.

Resilience: 6/10

• Multiple recursion engines (mass reanimation, Betor Ancestor's Voice) and protection spells provide recovery paths, but graveyard dependency creates a critical vulnerability.

Consistency: 6/10

• Solid card draw/selection (Betor triggers, Sylvan Library effects) and creature tutors (Buried Alive, Unmarked Grave), but lacks redundancy for non-creature spells and suffers from slow mana.

Interaction: 5/10

• Efficient targeted removal (Swords to Plowshares, Beast Within) and board wipes (Vanquish the Horde), but minimal stack interaction and no stax to proactively disrupt opponents.

Rating Justification:

This deck demonstrates focused synergy and potent late-game power through mass reanimation and Betor's scaling abilities, enabling T7-9 wins in ideal conditions. However, its reliance on the graveyard, vulnerability to commander removal, and moderate speed prevent it from consistently threatening earlier victories or competing with high-interaction decks. Its resilience and consistency are hampered by critical weaknesses.

Power level: 5.0 - 5.5