Overview:

This Dimir deck helmed by Emet-Selch, Unsundered is a high-velocity combo engine masquerading as a graveyard synergy build. While Emet-Selch provides incidental graveyard filling and eventual recursion via Hades, the deck's true power lies in its dense suite of cEDH-grade fast mana, tutors, and protected win conditions. Primary victory paths involve Thassa's Oracle + Demonic Consultation/Tainted Pact, Doomsday piles, and Brain Freeze storm lines, supported by an arsenal of free interaction to protect combos. The commander acts as a value engine but is non-essential to the core win conditions.

Primer:

Core Strategy Execution:

1. Early Acceleration (Turns 0-2): Deploy fast mana (Mana Vault, Lotus Petal, Chrome Mox) and tutors (Vampiric Tutor, Imperial Seal) to assemble combo pieces or stax elements like Cursed Totem. Use Dark Ritual/Cabal Ritual for explosive starts.
2. Combo Setup (Turns 1-3): Resolve Demonic Consultation/Tainted Pact with Thassa's Oracle, or cast Doomsday to create a 5-card pile (e.g., Oracle + Predict + protection). Brain Freeze leverages storm via cantrips (Brainstorm, Gitaxian Probe) and rituals.
3. Protection & Disruption: Deploy free counterspells (Force of Will, Fierce Guardianship, Pact of Negation) to defend combos. Use Opposition Agent to hijack opponents' tutors and Narset, Parter of Veils to limit draws.
4. Alternative Lines: Intruder Alarm + Emry, Lurker of the Loch for artifact recursion loops. Displacer Kitten blinks mana rocks for infinite storm/ETBs.

Mulligan Priorities:

• Keep hands with 1-2 lands, fast mana, and a tutor or combo piece.
• Prioritize free interaction (Force of Will, Mental Misstep) in unknown metas.
• Avoid hands lacking acceleration or that rely solely on Emet-Selch.

Key Tips:

• Use Mystic Sanctuary to recur key counterspells or tutors.
• Emergence Zone enables instant-speed Doomsday or Oracle wins.
• Necropotence fuels hand refills while dodging graveyard hate post-Hades flip.

Weaknesses:

Critical

• Dies to Drannith Magistrate/Lavinia, Azorius Renegade shutting off Consultation/Pact.
• Endurance/Dauthi Voidwalker disrupts Oracle wins and graveyard synergies.

Moderate

• Struggles under Rule of Law effects limiting spell chains.
• Cursed Totem/Collector Ouphe disable Emry and Displacer Kitten.

Minor

• High life payment from Necropotence/Mana Vault can be risky in aggressive pods.
• Limited board presence makes early combat pressure problematic.

Most Important Cards:

• Thassa's Oracle (Primary win condition)
• Demonic Consultation (Combo enabler)
• Force of Will (Free protection)
• Mana Vault (Explosive acceleration)
• Doomsday (Alternate win setup)
• Opposition Agent (Tutor denial & theft)
• Necropotence (Card advantage engine)
• Tainted Pact (Redundant combo piece)
• Brain Freeze (Storm win condition)
• Grim Monolith (Mana doubling for early combos)

Attribute Ratings:

Speed: 9/10
Capable of T1 wins with perfect hands (e.g., Ritual → Consultation → Oracle) and consistent T2-3 victories through redundant fast mana and tutors.

Resilience: 8/10
12 free interaction spells and recursive threats (Mystic Sanctuary, Emry) provide robust protection, though combos remain vulnerable to layered hate.

Consistency: 9/10
19 tutors and 10+ draw engines ensure near-deterministic access to combo pieces.

Interaction: 8/10
Premium counterspells and stax (Cursed Totem, Opposition Agent) disrupt opponents while advancing the game plan.

Rating Justification:

This deck operates at cEDH velocity with T1-3 win potential through protected, redundant combos, but lacks the absolute resilience of tiered cEDH lists against meta-specific hate. Its speed and consistency align with high-tier cEDH, but its fragility to common stax pieces slightly limits its ceiling.

Power level: 8.5 - 9.0