Overview:

This Grixis deck helmed by Sauron, the Dark Lord combines Orc/Amass tribal synergies, Ring temptation value engines, and reanimation strategies. Sauron serves as both a resilient threat (warded by legendary sacrifices) and a card advantage engine when the Ring tempts you. The deck leverages amass triggers from Sauron, Saruman, the White Hand, and nine Nazgûl to build massive Armies, while using reanimation (Animate Dead, Living Death) and damage amplification (All Will Be One) to close games. Secondary win conditions include Archon of Cruelty attrition and Lord of the Nazgûl Wraith swarms.

Primer:

Core Strategy Execution:

1. Early Setup (Turns 1-4):
   • Ramp with Sol Ring, Dark Ritual, or Black Market Connections.
   • Deploy early amass enablers like Orcish Bowmasters or Grishnákh, Brash Instigator.
   • Cast Sauron by turn 4-5 using treasure tokens or rituals.

2. Midgame Value (Turns 5-7):

   • Trigger Sauron's card draw by attacking with Amass tokens using evasion from Cover of Darkness or Rogue's Passage.
   • Reanimate key threats like Archon of Cruelty or Sauron, Lord of the Rings using Reanimate/Animate Dead.
   • Amplify damage output with All Will Be One (synergizes with every amass/counter trigger).

3. Win Conditions:

   • Combat: Overwhelm with massive Amass tokens enhanced by The Reaver Cleaver or Orcish Siegemaster.
   • Combo: All Will Be One + repeated amass triggers (e.g., Sauron's passive + Saruman, the White Hand).
   • Control: Living Death swings with a stocked graveyard and Archon of Cruelty recursion.

Mulligan Priorities:

• Keep hands with 3+ lands, at least one ramp artifact, and either an early amass enabler or interaction.
• Prioritize The One Ring, Black Market Connections, or Mystical Tutor for consistency.
• Avoid hands lacking colored mana sources or proactive plays.

Key Tips:

• Use Slip Out the Back to protect Sauron or phase out key creatures before board wipes.
• Notion Thief punishes opponents' card draw while synergizing with your own Ring-tempting discard-to-draw effects.
• Living Death doubles as both a board reset and a reanimation tool for your graveyard's high-impact creatures.

Weaknesses:

Critical

• Graveyard hate (Rest in Peace, Leyline of the Void) cripples reanimation lines and Living Death payoffs.
• All Will Be One is a fragile lynchpin with no innate protection; its destruction nullifies the primary combo.

Moderate

• Board wipes reset Amass progress and force expensive Sauron recasts.
• Limited artifact/enchantment removal struggles against Cursed Totem-style effects that disable amass triggers.

Minor

• High life payment costs (Black Market Connections, Toxic Deluge) compound against aggressive decks.
• Mana base has minimal basics, making it vulnerable to Blood Moon effects.

Most Important Cards:

• All Will Be One (Primary combo/win condition)
• Sauron, the Dark Lord (Card advantage engine/amass trigger)
• The One Ring (Unblockable card draw/protection)
• Living Death (Board reset + reanimation)
• Nazgûl (Scalable threats with Ring synergy)
• Archon of Cruelty (Recurring value engine)
• Black Market Connections (Flexible ramp/draw)
• Reanimate (Early reanimation for key threats)
• Lord of the Nazgûl (Wraith swarm generator)
• Saruman, the White Hand (Amass accelerator)

Attribute Ratings:

Speed: 6/10

• Can establish threatening boards by turn 5-6 via amass/reanimation, but lacks turbo starts.

Resilience: 5/10

• Some recursion (Living Death, Sauron's Ransom) and protection (Lazotep Plating), but key pieces like All Will Be One are vulnerable.

Consistency: 7/10

• Multiple tutors (Mystical Tutor, Ringsight), card draw engines, and redundant amass triggers ensure strategy execution.

Interaction: 6/10

• Efficient removal (Terminate, Chaos Warp) and counterspells (Swan Song, Negate), but lacks board wipe protection.

Rating Justification:

This deck demonstrates focused synergy with multiple paths to victory (combat, combo, attrition) and strong card advantage engines, but its reliance on graveyards and critical non-creature permanents limits resilience. Its T6-8 win potential and moderate interaction place it in the optimized casual tier.

Power level: 5.5 - 6.0