Overview:

This Tourach, Dread Cantor deck focuses on discard synergy and attrition, leveraging forced-discard effects to grow Tourach while punishing opponents with damage triggers like Megrim and The Rack. It combines stax elements (Leyline of the Void, Grave Pact) with reanimation tools (Reanimate, Living Death) and black's signature tutors for consistency. While capable of explosive discard turns and commander-centric beatdown, it lacks infinite combos or deterministic wins.

Primer:

Core Strategy:
Deploy early discard enablers (Hypnotic Specter, Hymn to Tourach) to disrupt hands and grow Tourach. Transition to board control via Grave Pact and Damnation, then finish with accumulated discard damage (Megrim/Liliana's Caress) or reanimated threats like Visara the Dreadful. Key lines include:

• T1 Sarcomancy into T2 kicked Tourach (via Dark Ritual) for immediate 2-card discard
• Living Death after stocking graveyard with Specters and Grief
• Peer into the Abyss + Sheoldred, the Apocalypse for 20+ life swing

Mulligan Priorities:

• 3+ Swamps or fast mana (Sol Ring, Mana Vault)
• At least 1 early discard outlet (Thoughtseize, Carnophage)
• Presence of Bad Moon/Jet Medallion to enable turn 2 Tourach kick Avoid hands without discard triggers or excessive high-CMC cards.

Key Tips:

• Time Mind Twist/Persecute after opponents tutor or draw
• Use Phyrexian Tower to sacrifice Zombie tokens for mana while fueling Grave Pact
• Library of Leng turns discard into card selection with Syphon Mind/Ill-Gotten Gains

Avoid Traps:

• Overextending creatures into board wipes
• Casting Yawgmoth's Bargain without life buffer
• Holding interaction against non-critical threats

Weaknesses:

Critical:

• Graveyard hate (Rest in Peace) nullifies reanimation and Leyline of the Void
• Underworld Cookbook/Ovalchase Daredevil negates discard punishment

Moderate:

• Weak to flying/evasive threats (only Royal Assassin for tapped creatures)
• Relies on 3 key discard-punishment enchantments

Minor:

• Slow vs. token/go-wide strategies

Most Important Cards:

• Hymn to Tourach
• Mind Twist
• Megrim
• The Rack
• Grave Pact
• Leyline of the Void
• Demonic Tutor
• Vampiric Tutor
• Sheoldred, the Apocalypse
• Living Death

Attribute Ratings:

Speed: 5/10
Best-case T4 win via Dark Ritual → kicked Tourach + Hatred, but typically grinds over 8+ turns. No true fast combos.

Resilience: 6/10
Tutors and recursion (Disturbed Burial, Coffin Queen) provide redundancy, but critical enchantments lack protection.

Consistency: 7/10
12 tutors (including Rhystic Tutor, Unmask) and 8+ card draw engines ensure regular access to key pieces.

Interaction: 6/10
Efficient creature removal (Toxic Deluge, Diabolic Edict) but limited answers to artifacts/enchantments.

Rating Justification:

Matches 5.0-5.5 criteria:

• Focused discard/stax plan with multiple win angles
• Tutors provide T8-10 wins consistently
• Lacks free interaction/instant-speed combos of 6.0+ decks
• Outclassed by cEDH's T3 wins but dominates casual tables

Power level: 5.0 - 5.5