Overview:

This Abzan (W/B/G) deck led by Felothar the Steadfast focuses on high-toughness creatures and defender synergies, using them as both mana engines and combat threats. The strategy revolves around converting defensive stats into offensive pressure through damage assignment based on toughness, supported by key enchantments and recursion tools.

Primer:

Core Strategy:
The deck aims to establish a critical mass of defenders (e.g., Axebane Guardian, Overgrown Battlement) for ramp, then convert them into threats using Felothar's combat damage rule change. Key phases:

1. Early Setup (T1-4): Play mana dorks/defenders like Sylvan Caryatid and Wall of Roots, using Cultivate/Skyshroud Claim to accelerate.
2. Midgame Transition (T5-7): Deploy Felothar with protection (Swiftfoot Boots, Shalai, Voice of Plenty), enabling defender attacks. Activate value engines like Mentor of the Meek and Colfenor's Urn.
3. Win Conditions:
   • Combat: Pump defenses with Unnatural Growth/Tower Defense, swing with 10+ toughness creatures.
   • Life Swap: Tree of Perdition + Jaws of Defeat for instant kills.
   • Total Toughness Payoffs: Trigger Betor, Kin to All's 40-toughness life halving via Indomitable Ancients/recursion.

Mulligan Priorities:

• Keep hands with 3 lands + 2 ramp pieces (e.g., Arcane Signet, Axebane Guardian).
• Prioritize early defenders over reactive spells.
• Avoid hands without green mana sources.

Key Tips:

• Time Felothar's entry after establishing 2-3 defenders to mitigate commander tax.
• Use Crashing Drawbridge to enable surprise attacks.
• Sacrifice high-toughness creatures to Felothar for massive card draw during opponents' end steps.

Weaknesses:

Critical

• Commander Dependency: Foldsto 3+ removals on Felothar (no redundancy for damage rule change).
• Slow Wincons: Total toughness payoffs (Betor) require 40+ toughness, achievable only by T8+ in goldfish.

Moderate

• Board Wipe Vulnerability: Limited recovery outside Reunion of the House/Colfenor's Urn.
• Graveyard Reliance: Recursion targets are easily exiled.

Minor

• Mana Base Fragility: 11 enters-tapped lands and no fast mana outside Sol Ring.

Most Important Cards:

• Assault Formation (Backup damage enabler)
• Seedborn Muse (Untap engine)
• Unnatural Growth (Combat multiplier)
• Betor, Kin to All (Alt wincon)
• Colfenor's Urn (Recursion)
• Tree of Perdition (Life swap combo)
• Arbor Adherent (Mana scaling)
• Towering Titan (Scaling threat)
• Slaughter the Strong (Asymmetric board wipe)
• Phyrexian Arena (Card advantage)

Attribute Ratings:

Speed: 4/10
Goldfish win around T8-10 via combat; no fast combos or mana cheating.

Resilience: 3/10
Heavily commander-dependent with limited protection; struggles through stax.

Consistency: 5/10
Moderate card draw and 8 ramp spells, but only 3 tutors (Skyshroud Claim, Cultivate, Rampart Architect).

Interaction: 6/10
12 targeted removals (e.g., Swords to Plowshares, Abrupt Decay) but lacks counterspells.

Rating Justification:

A focused casual deck with a unique theme but slow clock and commander reliance. Matches T10-12 combat benchmarks with some stalling tools.

Power level: 4.0 - 5.0