Overview:

This Selesnya Cat tribal deck leverages Arahbo, Roar of the World's Eminence ability to passively buff Cats and its activated ability to create explosive combat turns. The strategy focuses on deploying efficient Cats early, amplifying their power through +1/+1 counters and anthem effects (e.g., King of the Pride, Feline Sovereign), and winning via overwhelming combat damage—often accelerated by finishers like Triumph of the Hordes, Unnatural Growth, or Regal Behemoth. Arahbo acts as both an enabler (providing consistent pressure from the command zone) and a late-game mana sink. Secondary value engines like Descendants' Path and Realmwalker enable creature-based card advantage, while tutors (Worldly Tutor, Chord of Calling) ensure access to key pieces.

Primer:

Core Strategy Execution:

1. Early Setup (Turns 1-3): Prioritize ramp (Sol Ring, Utopia Sprawl, Nature's Lore) and low-cost Cats (Wild Nacatl, Trained Caracal, Adorned Pouncer). Use Burgeoning with land-heavy hands. Cavern of Souls ensures uncounterable Cats.
2. Board Development (Turns 3-5): Deploy anthem effects (Feline Sovereign, King of the Pride) and value engines (Keeper of Fables, The Great Henge). Utilize Arahbo's Eminence to pressure life totals. Tutor for key pieces like Unnatural Growth or Sovereign Okinec Ahau to amplify power.
3. Combat Dominance (Turns 5-7):
   • Overrun: Cast Triumph of the Hordes for infect kills, Unnatural Growth for doubled power, or Regal Behemoth for monarch-fueled mana advantage.
   • Token Swarm: Generate Cat tokens with Regal Caracal, Leonin Warleader, or Brimaz, King of Oreskos, then buff the board.
   • Commander Synergy: Pay {1}{G}{W} with Arahbo to give an attacking Cat +X/+X (where X is its power) and trample, often for lethal commander damage or one-shot kills.
4. Alternative Wins: Activate Felidar Sovereign with 40+ life or leverage Lost Leonin/Triumph for poison.

Mulligan Priorities:

• Keep hands with 2-3 lands, including green/white sources.
• Prioritize early ramp (1-2 CMC) or a 1-3 CMC Cat.
• Value hands with a tutor, anthem effect, or protection piece (Heroic Intervention, Teferi's Protection).
• Avoid hands lacking ramp or low-threat density.

Key Tips:

• Maximize Eminence: Attack with multiple Cats to spread Arahbo's +3/+3 buff. Save mana for Arahbo's activated ability on key attackers (e.g., Mirri, Weatherlight Duelist with double strike).
• Protect Your Board: Use Swiftfoot Boots, Heroic Intervention, Flare of Fortitude, or Teferi's Protection to defend against wipes. Alms Collector disrupts opponent draw.
• Leverage Synergies: Sovereign Okinec Ahau + Mirri, Weatherlight Duelist forces unfavorable blocks. Realmwalker/Descendants' Path cast Cats for free. Rogue's Passage ensures unblocked lethal.
• Tutor Wisely: Fetch Triumph of the Hordes for surprise wins, Felidar Sovereign for lifegain decks, or Qasali Slingers for artifact/enchantment removal.

Weaknesses:

Critical

• Board Wipes: Heavy reliance on creatures makes Wrath of God-effects devastating; limited mass recursion.
• Anti-Tribal Hate: Cursed Totem/Linvala, Keeper of Silence shut down key activated abilities (Arahbo, Lion Sash, Rogue's Passage).
• Stax Locks: Rule of Law/Archon of Emeria severely limit combat-trick mana usage and multiple spell turns.

Moderate

• Graveyard Disruption: Exiling Adorned Pouncer/Sacred Cat negates embalm/eternalize value.
• Artifact/Enchantment Removal: Destroying The Great Henge, Descendants' Path, or Unnatural Growth slows the deck significantly.
• Flying Threats: Limited reach; relies on Skyhunter Skirmisher or Qasali Slingers for defense.

Minor

• Spot Removal: Losing key lords (King of the Pride) hurts but is mitigated by redundancy.
• Life Total Pressure: Aggressive decks can outpace lifegain from Cats like Regal Caracal.

Most Important Cards:

• Triumph of the Hordes (Primary combat finisher; infect win)
• Unnatural Growth (Massive power doubling for lethal swings)
• Arahbo, the First Fang (Token generation and anthem; "hidden commander")
• The Great Henge (Card draw, ramp, +1/+1 counters)
• Chord of Calling (Tutor any Cat/combo piece at instant speed)
• Felidar Sovereign (Alternate win condition)
• Sovereign Okinec Ahau (Synergy with +1/+1 counters; scales threat power)
• Descendants' Path (Free Cat casts; card advantage)
• Teferi's Protection (Board wipe protection)
• Cavern of Souls (Ensures uncounterable Cats; mana fixing)

Attribute Ratings:

Speed: 6/10

• Can threaten lethal via combat with pump effects or Triumph by turns 6-8, but lacks fast mana for earlier explosive starts.

Resilience: 5/10

• Includes protection spells and some recursion (embalm/eternalize), but heavily reliant on board presence; struggles to rebuild after multiple wipes.

Consistency: 7/10

• Strong tutor suite (Worldly Tutor, Eladamri's Call, Chord of Calling), card draw (Sylvan Library, Rishkar's Expertise), and tribal synergy ensure key pieces are accessible.

Interaction: 5/10

• Efficient targeted removal (Swords to Plowshares, Beast Within, Get Lost) and artifact/enchantment hate, but minimal stack interaction or graveyard disruption.

Rating Justification:

This deck demonstrates focused combat synergy with efficient tutors and explosive finishers, enabling T6-8 wins in ideal conditions. However, its vulnerability to board wipes and reliance on creature-based strategies limit its resilience against heavy interaction, placing it in the optimized casual tier.

Power level: 5.0 - 5.5