Overview:

This Henzie "Toolbox" Torre deck leverages the commander's blitz ability to cheat out high-impact creatures MV4+, granting them haste and death-triggered card draw. The strategy revolves around ramping into explosive turns where multiple blitzed creatures cascade (e.g., Annoyed Altisaur, Apex Devastator), generate value on entry/attack (e.g., Etali, Primal Storm, Kogla, the Titan Ape), and recur via sacrifice/reanimation synergies (e.g., Riveteers Ascendancy, Archpriest of Shadows). Henzie is essential as the enabler, reducing blitz costs significantly after multiple casts and enabling card velocity. The deck wins through overwhelming combat damage amplified by finishers like God-Eternal Rhonas or Anzrag, the Quake-Mole, sacrifice payoffs like Ziatora, the Incinerator, and value-driven attrition. "Hidden commanders" include Ognis, the Dragon's Lash for Treasure generation and Soul of Windgrace for land recursion.

Primer:

Core Strategy Execution:

1. Early Setup (Turns 1-3): Prioritize ramping with Farseek, Rampant Growth, Sakura-Tribe Elder, or Primal Growth. Cast Henzie ASAP (ideally T3). Mulligan aggressively for 3+ lands and ramp. Use cheap interaction (Golgari Charm, Village Rites) if needed.
2. Blitz Engine Activation (Turns 4-6): Cast Henzie-blitzed MV4+ creatures for reduced costs. Focus on cascade (Boarding Party, Apex Devastator), ETB value (Ravenous Chupacabra, Acidic Slime), or attack triggers (Etali, Primal Storm). Sacrifice creatures before end step to draw cards and fuel Riveteers Ascendancy/Evolutionary Leap.
3. Recursion & Value Looping (Turns 5+): Recur key creatures from graveyard using Archpriest of Shadows, Victimize, or Rise of the Witch-king. Leverage death/sacrifice synergies with Ziatora, the Incinerator, Corrupted Conviction, and Fanatical Offering for card draw and Treasures. Recur ETB creatures like Woodfall Primus with persist/blitz.
4. Win Condition Execution (Turns 6-8):
   • Combat: Deploy finishers like God-Eternal Rhonas (doubles power), Anzrag, the Quake-Mole (extra combats), or Ziatora, the Incinerator (sacrifice for damage). Use Garruk's Uprising/Brawn for trample.
   • Value/Attrition: Overwhelm with cascaded/blitzed threats, recurred ETBs, and card advantage from blitz/death triggers. Apex Devastator often wins games outright.

Mulligan Priorities:

• Keep hands with 3+ lands (including all colors), at least 1 ramp spell, and Henzie or a T3/T4 blitz target (e.g., Ravenous Chupacabra, Ognis, the Dragon's Lash).
• Prioritize hands with early card draw (Village Rites, Up the Beanstalk) or protection (Wrap in Vigor).
• Avoid hands lacking ramp, lands, or early plays. Hands with only high-MV non-blitz creatures are risky.

Key Tips:

• Sequence Blitz Wisely: Blitz cascade creatures first to potentially cheat more spells. Sacrifice creatures before the end step to draw cards and enable Riveteers Ascendancy.
• Protect Henzie: Recasting Henzie increases blitz discounts. Use recursion auras (Fungal Fortitude, Infuse with Vitality) or Fake Your Own Death to save him from removal.
• Maximize Death Triggers: Sacrifice blitzed creatures proactively to Evolutionary Leap, Ziatora, or card draw spells. Riveteers Ascendancy recurs smaller creatures like Sakura-Tribe Elder.
• Leverage Recursion Loops: Archpriest of Shadows + blitzed creature creates recurring value. Woodfall Primus with blitz/sacrifice destroys multiple permanents.
• Manage Resources: Use land-sac outlets (Nurturing Peatland, Shire Terrace) late-game. Soul of Windgrace recovers lands from any graveyard.

Weaknesses:

Critical

• Board Wipes: Mass removal (e.g., Wrath of God) cripples the board-dependent strategy. Recovery relies heavily on graveyard recursion, which is vulnerable to hate.
• Graveyard Hate: Rest in Peace or Leyline of the Void shuts down Riveteers Ascendancy, Archpriest of Shadows, Victimize, and persist/eternalize.
• Anti-Sacrifice Effects: Tajuru Preserver or Sigarda, Host of Herons nullifies blitz sacrifices and key payoffs like Ziatora.

Moderate

• Taxing Effects: Thalia, Guardian of Thraben or Sphere of Resistance slows blitzing multiple creatures per turn.
• Instant-Speed Removal: Killing Henzie in response to blitz casting denies the card draw and increases future costs. The deck has limited protection.
• Combo Decks: Minimal stack interaction makes racing fast combo difficult. Relies on disruptive ETBs (e.g., Dalek Drone) which may be too slow.

Minor

• Artifact/Enchantment Focus: While packing answers (Acidic Slime, Kogla), heavy enchantment/artifact decks can out-value if key removal is buried.
• Fliers: Limited reach/flying blockers; relies on Sweet-Gum Recluse or deathtouchers to stall.

Most Important Cards:

• Henzie "Toolbox" Torre (Core enabler: blitz cost reduction & card draw)
• Riveteers Ascendancy (Recursion engine for sacrificed creatures)
• Apex Devastator (Game-winning cascade chain, ideal blitz target)
• Ziatora, the Incinerator (Sacrifice payoff, direct damage, Treasure generation)
• Archpriest of Shadows (Recurs creatures on combat damage, enables loops)
• Ognis, the Dragon's Lash (Treasure generation for ramp/fixing, haste synergy)
• God-Eternal Rhonas (Combat finisher, doubles power for lethal)
• Etali, Primal Storm (Value engine, cheats opponents' spells)
• Up the Beanstalk (Draw engine for high-MV blitz/cascade spells)
• Evolutionary Leap (Sacrifice outlet & creature tutor)

Attribute Ratings:

Speed: 7/10

• Capable of T4-5 explosive plays with ramp + early Henzie into blitzed cascade threats (e.g., Apex Devastator), but typically wins via sustained pressure on T6-8.

Resilience: 6/10

• Strong recursion (Riveteers Ascendancy, Archpriest, recursion auras) and card draw mitigate losses, but heavily reliant on the graveyard and vulnerable to wipes/hate. Limited protection for key pieces.

Consistency: 7/10

• High density of ramp and blitz targets ensures early plays. Tutors are limited, but cascade, card draw, and redundancy in sacrifice/draw effects provide reliable access to the game plan.

Interaction: 5/10

• Focused on creature ETB removal (Ravenous Chupacabra, Acidic Slime), instant-speed sacrifice (Golgari Charm, Village Rites), and board protection (Wrap in Vigor). Lacks countermagic and struggles with non-creature permanents without specific blitzes.

Rating Justification:

The deck achieves high-speed T6-8 wins through blitzed cascade threats, combat finishers, and recursive value, aligning with the "Focused" tier (T7-8 wins). Its resilience is hampered by graveyard reliance and limited stack interaction, preventing higher optimization. Speed and consistency place it solidly in the 6.0-6.5 range.

Power level: 6.0 - 6.5