Overview:

This Sultai graveyard synergy deck leverages Teval, the Balanced Scale to mill itself, recur lands, and generate Zombie tokens. The strategy focuses on incremental value through self-mill, land recursion, and reanimation of key creatures like Avenger of Zendikar and Colossal Grave-Reaver. While it lacks infinite combos, it can overwhelm opponents with zombie swarms and massive threats like Lord of Extinction. The deck operates at a midrange pace, aiming for T10-12 wins through combat and attrition.

Primer:

Core Strategy:
Deploy Teval early to enable land recursion and zombie generation while filling the graveyard with threats. Use self-mill engines like Mesmeric Orb and Stitcher's Supplier to stock the yard, then reanimate/value engines like Conduit of Worlds and Living Death to overwhelm opponents. Key wincons include:

• Zombie armies from Field of the Dead/Teval triggers
• Lord of Extinction + Jarad, Golgari Lich Lord life drain
• Avenger of Zendikar landfall synergies

Mulligan Priorities:

1. 3+ lands (prioritize untapped sources)
2. Early mill/ramp (Hedron Crab, Cultivate)
3. Graveyard enablers (Life from the Loam, Grapple with the Past)

Key Tips:

• Time Living Death after milling 3-5 creatures
• Use Command Beacon to replay Teval if removed
• Necropotence fuels hand while bypassing discard synergies

Avoid Traps:

• Overcommitting to graveyard before establishing recursion
• Holding back mill effects when low on lands
• Casting Eldrazi Monument without token generation

Weaknesses:

Critical:

• Graveyard hate (Rest in Peace, Leyline of the Void) shuts down 60% of strategy
• Limited stack interaction (only 3 targeted removal spells)

Moderate:

• Slow recovery from board wipes
• Reliant on 2-3 key engines (Conduit of Worlds, Kotis, Sibsig Champion)

Minor:

• Some taplands delay early plays

Most Important Cards:

• Mesmeric Orb
• Life from the Loam
• Conduit of Worlds
• Avenger of Zendikar
• Field of the Dead
• Lord of Extinction
• Jarad, Golgari Lich Lord
• Necropotence
• Living Death
• Gravecrawler

Attribute Ratings:

Speed: 5/10
Goldfishes wins around T10-12 through combat. No fast mana or combos, but Necropotence accelerates late-game plays.

Resilience: 6/10
Multiple graveyard recursion engines (Phyrexian Reclamation, Drownyard Temple) provide recovery, but over-reliance on yard makes it vulnerable to hate.

Consistency: 7/10
14 self-mill effects and 8 land recursion tools ensure steady graveyard fueling. Limited tutors offset by redundant effects.

Interaction: 4/10
Only 5 targeted removal spells and no counterspells. Relies on Dauthi Voidwalker for disruption.

Rating Justification:

This deck exceeds precon-level synergy (rubric 4.0) through its engine density but lacks the speed/protection of optimized casual (5.5). Comparable to rubric 4.5 ("Focused Casual") with T9-11 threat deployment but vulnerable to common hate. Falls short of 5.0 due to absence of:

• Infinite mana/damage lines
• Free interaction
• Tutor density

Power level: 4.0 - 4.5