Overview:

This Skullbriar, the Walking Grave deck focuses on aggressive +1/+1 counter synergy, leveraging the commander’s unique ability to retain counters across zones. The primary strategy involves rapidly growing Skullbriar into a lethal commander damage threat while using sacrifice outlets, recursion, and counter-doubling effects to maintain momentum. Secondary win conditions include Jarad, Golgari Lich Lord drain effects, Altar of Dementia mill via massive creatures, and The Skullspore Nexus token swarms. Skullbriar is the linchpin, enabling explosive starts and serving as a resilient, recastable threat.

Primer:

Core Strategy Execution:

1. Early Aggression (Turns 1-3): Deploy mana dorks (Llanowar Elves, Elvish Mystic), Sol Ring, or Birds of Paradise to cast Skullbriar as early as turn 2. Begin attacking immediately to accumulate counters.
2. Counter Acceleration (Turns 3-5): Use Invigorating Surge, Kalonian Hydra, or Ozolith, the Shattered Spire to double Skullbriar’s counters. The Ozolith safeguards counters during removal.
3. Sacrifice/Recursion Loops (Mid-Late Game): Sacrifice Skullbriar to Greater Good, Life’s Legacy, or Mask of Griselbrand for massive card draw, then reanimate it with Animate Dead, Reanimate, or Malakir Rebirth to retain counters.
4. Win Conditions:
   • Commander Damage: Swing with a 21+ power Skullbriar (easily achievable with counter doublers).
   • Jarad Drain: Sacrifice Skullbriar to Jarad to drain all opponents.
   • Altar of Dementia Mill: Sacrifice a 20+ power creature to mill opponents out.
   • Skullspore Nexus: Replace dead creatures with massive Fungus Dinosaurs.

Mulligan Priorities:

• Keep hands with Skullbriar + 1-2 ramp sources (e.g., Elvish Mystic + Sol Ring).
• Prioritize early counter accelerators (Bone Sabres, Fight Rigging).
• Avoid hands without green/black mana or ramp.

Key Tips:

• Use Slippery Bogbonder to give Skullbriar hexproof and redistribute counters.
• Feign Death and Undying Malice protect Skullbriar while adding counters.
• Toxic Deluge clears the board while sparing your high-toughness creatures.
• Selvala, Heart of the Wilds generates explosive mana for counter doublers.

Weaknesses:

Critical

• Exile Effects: Path to Exile, Swords to Plowshares, or Leyline of the Void permanently remove Skullbriar’s counters.
• -X/-X Board Wipes: Toxic Deluge or Black Sun’s Zenith reset Skullbriar’s power.

Moderate

• Graveyard Hate: Rest in Peace disrupts recursion engines like Meren of Clan Nel Toth.
• Flying/Evasion Threats: Limited reach to block flyers.

Minor

• Artifact/Enchantment Removal: Targets key pieces like The Great Henge but has redundancy.

Most Important Cards:

• Skullbriar, the Walking Grave (Primary threat and counter engine)
• The Ozolith (Counter preservation and redistribution)
• Greater Good (Card draw and sac outlet)
• Kalonian Hydra (Doubles counters on attack)
• Selvala, Heart of the Wilds (Mana generation tied to power)
• Invigorating Surge (Instant-speed counter doubling)
• Jarad, Golgari Lich Lord (Alternate win condition)
• The Great Henge (Card draw and counter generation)
• Altar of Dementia (Mill win condition)
• Toxic Deluge (Board wipe that spares Skullbriar)

Attribute Ratings:

Speed: 7/10

• Can threaten lethal commander damage by turns 5-6 with optimal counter acceleration.

Resilience: 6/10

• Strong recursion and counter protection, but heavily reliant on Skullbriar and vulnerable to exile.

Consistency: 7/10

• Redundant counter synergies and tutors (Finale of Devastation, Chord of Calling), but lacks blue’s card selection.

Interaction: 5/10

• Efficient removal (Assassin’s Trophy, Go for the Throat), but minimal stack interaction or stax.

Rating Justification:

This deck operates at a 6.0 - 6.5 power level. It combines fast, focused aggression with resilient recursion, capable of threatening wins by turn 6-7 via commander damage or combos. However, reliance on Skullbriar and vulnerability to exile effects prevent it from reaching higher optimization tiers.

Power level: 6.0 - 6.5