Overview:

This Grixis (U/B/R) deck leverages Kefka, Court Mage as a discard engine and card advantage piece, transforming into Kefka, Ruler of Ruin for life-based draw and permanent control. The primary strategy is turbo-combo, utilizing efficient tutors, fast mana, and graveyard recursion to assemble instant-win conditions like Thassa's Oracle/Demonic Consultation or Underworld Breach/Brain Freeze loops. Secondary plans include leveraging discard synergies (e.g., Waste Not) and stealing opponents' resources via Mnemonic Betrayal or Opposition Agent. Kefka enables the strategy by forcing discards and providing card draw/life loss triggers but isn't strictly essential for combo execution.

Primer:

Core Strategy Execution:

1. Early Acceleration (Turns 0-2): Deploy fast mana (Mox Diamond, Chrome Mox, Sol Ring, Mana Vault, Dark Ritual) to cast Kefka early or activate tutors (Demonic Tutor, Vampiric Tutor, Imperial Seal). Prioritize free interaction (Fierce Guardianship, Deflecting Swat) for protection.
2. Combo Assembly (Turns 1-4): Tutor for key pieces:
   • Oracle/Consultation Line: Fetch Thassa's Oracle + Demonic Consultation/Tainted Pact.
   • Breach Line: Fetch Underworld Breach + Brain Freeze + free mana (e.g., Lion's Eye Diamond proxy via Generator Servant or rituals).
   • Storm: Use Windfall, Kefka triggers, or Breach to fuel Brain Freeze storm kills.
3. Win Execution (Turns 2-5):
   • Cast Oracle, then Consultation/Pact exiling the library.
   • Generate infinite storm/mana with Breach + Brain Freeze + Lion's Eye Diamond effect, milling opponents.
   • Leverage Kefka's transformed ability with life-loss draw to dig for combos.
4. Backup/Disruption: Use stax pieces (Dauthi Voidwalker, Opposition Agent) to hinder opponents while assembling your win. Reanimate threats (Animate Dead, Reanimate) or steal resources post-wipe.

Mulligan Priorities:

• Keep hands with fast mana (≥2 rocks/rituals), a tutor, or a combo piece + protection.
• Prioritize blue sources for free counters. Avoid hands lacking acceleration or blue mana.
• Accept 1-lander only with multiple 0-1 mana accelerants.

Key Tips:

• Sequence Safely: Cast tutors on opponents' end steps. Hold free counters for critical disruption.
• Breach Lines: Brain Freeze yourself to fuel Breach escapes if needed. Dark Ritual/Jeska's Will enable Breach activation.
• Kefka Triggers: Time attacks to maximize card draw from life loss (e.g., post-Niv-Mizzet, Parun cast).
• Graveyard Management: Use Dauthi Voidwalker to exile key combo pieces from opponents' yards.

Weaknesses:

Critical

• Graveyard Hate: Rest in Peace, Leyline of the Void, or Dauthi Voidwalker cripple Breach, reanimation, and Mnemonic Betrayal.
• Nonbasic Land Hate: Blood Moon/Back to Basics disrupt the greedy mana base (only 5 basics).
• Anti-Tutor Effects: Opposition Agent/Aven Mindcensor block Demonic Tutor lines.

Moderate

• Stack Interaction: Loses to well-timed Flusterstorm or Mindbreak Trap on combo turns.
• Stax Pieces: Rule of Law/Eidolon of Rhetoric prevent multi-spell combo turns.
• Aggro Pressure: Low creature count struggles against fast combat decks pre-combo.

Minor

• Board Wipes: Blasphemous Act/Toxic Deluge reset Kefka but combo wins ignore boards.
• Discard Synergy Reliance: Waste Not/Bloodchief Ascension are slow without forced discards.

Most Important Cards:

• Demonic Consultation (Primary win enabler with Thassa's Oracle)
• Underworld Breach (Recurs combo pieces/free spells for storm wins)
• Thassa's Oracle (Instant-win condition)
• Demonic Tutor (Fetches any combo piece)
• Mox Diamond (Critical fast mana for T1-2 plays)
• Force of Will (Free protection for combos)
• Brain Freeze (Storm wincon with Breach)
• Dark Ritual (Accelerates Breach/Oracle lines)
• Vampiric Tutor (Instant-speed setup)
• Fierce Guardianship (Free countermagic to protect wins)

Attribute Ratings:

Speed: 9/10

• Capable of T1 wins (e.g., Ritual → Breach → LED → Brain Freeze) and consistently threatens T3-4 wins with tutors and fast mana.

Resilience: 8/10

• 12+ free/cheap interaction spells protect combos, and Breach provides recursion. However, relies heavily on noncreature spells vulnerable to specific hate.

Consistency: 9/10

• 8 tutors, abundant draw (Rhystic, Mystic Remora, Kefka), and redundant combo lines ensure reliable access to win conditions.

Interaction: 9/10

• Exceptional density of free counterspells (Force, Fierce, Misstep), targeted removal (Deadly Rollick, Snuff Out), and stack control (Flusterstorm, Pact).

Rating Justification:

This deck operates at cEDH viability with T1-3 win potential through efficient combos, unparalleled tutor density, and robust free interaction. Its speed and consistency align with Tier 2 cEDH, but reliance on graveyard strategies and vulnerability to specific stax keep it below Tier 1 dominance.

Power level: 8.5 - 9.0