Overview:

This Gruul deck leverages Etali, Primal Conqueror as a central value engine and win condition, focusing on explosive ramp to cast Etali early and maximize its ETB trigger. The strategy revolves around cheating high-impact spells from opponents' libraries while utilizing clone effects (e.g., Heat Shimmer, Twinflame) to multiply Etali triggers. Secondary win conditions include combat overruns enabled by extra combat/turn spells (Aggravated Assault, Last Chance) and poison via Etali's transformed side. The commander is essential for both value generation and closing games, though its high cost makes recasting challenging without dedicated protection.

Primer:

Core Strategy Execution:

1. Accelerate Mana (Turns 1-4): Prioritize land-based ramp (Nature's Lore, Three Visits, Utopia Sprawl) and mana dorks (Llanowar Elves, Elvish Mystic). Use burst mana sources like Mana Geyser, Orcish Lumberjack, or Somberwald Sage to cast Etali ahead of curve.
2. Deploy/Clone Etali (Turns 4-6): Cast Etali to exile and cast free spells from opponents' libraries. Protect it with Hammer of Nazahn or Destiny Spinner. Clone Etali using Heat Shimmer, Twinflame, or Delina, Wild Mage for additional triggers. Emergence Zone enables flash-speed clones.
3. Overwhelm or Combo Out (Turns 5-7):
   • Value/Combat: Use extra combats (Aggravated Assault + Neheb mana) or extra turns (Last Chance) for multiple Etali triggers. Finish with Beastmaster Ascension or Inferno Titan.
   • Poison: Transform Etali (using mana from Neheb, the Eternal or Shaman of Forgotten Ways) to poison opponents via combat damage.
   • Infinite Combos: Dualcaster Mage + Twinflame creates infinite hasty tokens. Rionya, Fire Dancer with low-cost instants can also generate overwhelming boards.

Mulligan Priorities:

• Keep hands with 2-3 lands (prioritize green sources), 1-2 ramp spells, and either a clone effect, burst mana, or protection.
• Avoid hands lacking ramp or with only high-CMC cards. Hands with Sol Ring + Simian Spirit Guide enable T3 Etali.
• Prioritize Faithless Looting/Wheel of Fortune if holding redundant pieces.

Key Tips:

• Sequence Ramp Intelligently: Use land-fetching before non-land ramp to maximize Crop Rotation for Emergence Zone/Command Tower. Orcish Lumberjack sacrifices Forests enchanted with Wild Growth/Utopia Sprawl for explosive red mana.
• Protect Critical Turns: Cast Destiny Spinner or Vexing Shusher before Etali/clones against counterspells. Temur Sabertooth bounces Etali to recast for more triggers.
• Leverage Graveyard: Past in Flames/Mizzix's Mastery recur key instants/sorceries (e.g., extra turns, wheels, clones). Seasons Past retrieves multiple answers.
• Exploit Opponents' Decks: Time Etali casts when opponents have loaded graveyards or after they tutor. Stranglehold locks out library searches.

Weaknesses:

Critical

• Commander Reliance: Removal/counters on Etali cripples the game plan. The deck lacks efficient ways to recast it repeatedly without setup.
• Graveyard Hate: Rest in Peace/Leyline of the Void nullifies flashback, recursion (Eternal Witness, Seasons Past), and Past in Flames.
• Torpor Orb Effects: Shuts off Etali's ETB, Inferno Titan, Reclamation Sage, and clone exile triggers.

Moderate

• Board Wipes: Recovering from mass removal (e.g., Farewell) is slow without Etali triggers.
• Stack Interaction: Limited counterspell protection beyond Vexing Shusher; relies on resolving one big spell per turn.
• Anti-Tutor/Extra Turn Hate: Opposition Agent/Drannith Magistrate disrupts key exiles, while Urabrask negates extra combats/turns.

Minor

• Artifact/Enchantment Reliance: Vulnerable to mass removal (e.g., Bane of Progress) targeting ramp/clone enablers.
• Life Loss Risks: Last Chance and Mana Geyser life payments can enable opponents' strategies.

Most Important Cards:

• Etali, Primal Conqueror (Primary value engine/win condition)
• Twinflame (Infinite combo with Dualcaster, clones Etali)
• Heat Shimmer (Clones Etali for additional triggers)
• Mana Geyser (Burst mana for early Etali/extra combats)
• Aggravated Assault (Enables multiple Etali attacks)
• Dualcaster Mage (Infinite combo piece, copies key spells)
• Past in Flames (Recurs instants/sorceries for explosive turns)
• Emergence Zone (Flash-speed Etali/clones)
• Wheel of Fortune (Refills hand, enables graveyard synergies)
• Destiny Spinner (Protects key spells from counters)

Attribute Ratings:

Speed: 8/10

• Capable of T3-4 Etali with perfect ramp into T5-6 wins via multiple triggers or infinite combos. Extra turns/combats accelerate this significantly.

Resilience: 5/10

• Some protection/recursion exists (Hammer of Nazahn, Temur Sabertooth, Seasons Past), but heavy reliance on Etali and graveyard makes it vulnerable to targeted disruption.

Consistency: 7/10

• Abundant ramp and card draw (wheels, Sylvan Library, Beast Whisperer) find key pieces, but win conditions depend on opponents' decks and lack dedicated tutors.

Interaction: 6/10

• Efficient artifact/enchantment removal (Nature's Claim, Krosan Grip, Vandalblast) and board wipes (Blasphemous Act), but minimal stack interaction beyond Destiny Spinner/Vexing Shusher.

Rating Justification:

This deck achieves high-power speed (T5-6 wins) through explosive ramp, Etali/clone synergy, and efficient combos, aligning with the "Focused Competitive" tier. However, its reliance on the commander and vulnerability to graveyard/ETB hate reduce resilience, preventing it from reaching cEDH viability.

Power level: 7.0 - 7.5