Overview:

This Simic deck leverages Zimone, Mystery Unraveler to generate value through landfall-triggered manifest effects, land ramp synergies, and incremental creature-based pressure. While lacking infinite combos, it uses efficient ramp, manifest synergies, and late-game bombs to overwhelm opponents. The power level sits in the upgraded casual range due to moderate speed and resilience.

Primer:

Core Strategy: The deck aims to flood the board with manifested creatures and landfall triggers while ramping into game-ending threats like Ashaya, Soul of the Wild or Overwhelming Stampede. Key phases:

1. Ramp & Setup: Use Wayward Swordtooth, Lotus Cobra, and land-fetching spells to accelerate mana while triggering Zimone’s manifest ability.
2. Manifest Value: Convert face-down permanents into threats using Trail of Mystery (+2/+2 on flip) and Paranormal Analyst (graveyard recursion).
3. Payoffs: Deploy bombs like The Great Henge for card advantage or Valgavoth's Onslaught to create an army of 4/4s.

Mulligan Priorities:

• Keep hands with 3 lands and 1-2 ramp spells (Rampant Growth, Sakura-Tribe Elder)
• Prioritize early manifest enablers like Scroll of Fate or Threats Around Every Corner
• Avoid slow hands without land drops or Zimone enablers

Key Tips:

• Use Life from the Loam with cycling lands (Drownyard Temple) for recurring manifest triggers
• Yedora, Grave Gardener turns destroyed creatures into Forest manifests for recursion loops
• Scroll Rack enables topdeck manipulation to manifest high-value creatures

Avoid Traps:

• Don’t overcommit manifests before board wipe protection like Heroic Intervention
• Prioritize flipping Protean Hulk only when immediate value can be gained

Weaknesses:

Critical: None
Moderate:

• Vulnerable to graveyard hate (Rest in Peace disrupts Life from the Loam/Protean Hulk)
• Slow recovery from mass removal (limited recursion beyond Yedora)
• Weak to flying/evasion strategies (only Wonder provides flying)
  Minor:
• Moderate stax vulnerability (Blood Moon impacts nonbasic lands)

Most Important Cards:

• Trail of Mystery
• Paranormal Analyst
• Valgavoth's Onslaught
• Ashaya, Soul of the Wild
• The Great Henge
• Lotus Cobra
• Life from the Loam
• Scroll Rack
• Protean Hulk
• Yedora, Grave Gardener

Attribute Ratings:

Speed: 5/10

• Goldfish win ~T9-10 via land ramp into Overwhelming Stampede/Ezuri's Predation
• No fast mana beyond Sol Ring, relies on incremental value

Resilience: 6/10

• Heroic Intervention, counterspells, and Yedora recursion provide recovery paths
• Vulnerable to stacked removal on key enablers like Trail of Mystery

Consistency: 6/10

• 8 land tutors (Entish Restoration, Harrow, etc.) ensure land drops
• Limited creature tutors beyond Protean Hulk

Interaction: 5/10

• 6 counterspells (Fierce Guardianship, Counterspell) and 4 removal spells (Cyclonic Rift, Reality Shift)
• Light on permanent removal for resolved threats

Rating Justification:

This deck exceeds precon-level consistency with redundant ramp and manifest synergies (Rubric 4.5) but lacks the speed/tutors of optimized lists. The T9-10 goldfish benchmark and moderate interaction suite align with Focused Casual (5.0). However, its vulnerability to common removal strategies prevents reaching optimized tiers.

Power level: 4.5 - 5.0