Overview:

This mono-black K'rrik, Son of Yawgmoth deck employs a life-drain strategy, leveraging incremental life loss triggers and lifegain synergies. K'rrik serves as both a cost-reduction engine (enabling explosive plays through life payment) and a growing threat via +1/+1 counters from black spellcasts. The deck focuses on draining opponents through death triggers (Bastion of Remembrance), recurring ping effects (Dogged Pursuit, Underworld Dreams), and equipment-based finishers (Scytheclaw). While lacking infinite combos, it aims to grind out victories through attrition and occasional explosive turns with Tendrils of Agony storm potential.

Primer:

Core Strategy Execution:

1. Early Setup (T1-4): Prioritize casting K'rrik by T3-4 using life payments. Deploy foundational enchantments like Bastion of Remembrance, Underworld Dreams, or Dogged Pursuit. Use low-CMC creatures like Vermin Gorger and Child of Night for early board presence.
2. Midgame Acceleration (T4-6): Leverage K'rrik's cost reduction to deploy high-impact cards like Phyrexian Obliterator or Vilis, Broker of Blood. Activate multiple life-drain engines simultaneously through Tenured Inkcaster triggers and recurring Pestilence effects.
3. Endgame Execution (T7+): Close out games with equipment-enhanced attacks (Scytheclaw), mass life loss via Pestilence Demon, or storm turns enabled by K'rrik's cost reduction. Use Mutilate and Archfiend of Sorrows to control opposing boards while progressing your drain strategy.

Mulligan Priorities:

• Keep hands with 3-4 lands and at least one early play (K'rrik, 1-2 CMC creature, or key enchantment)
• Prioritize hands containing Bastion of Remembrance or Underworld Dreams
• Avoid hands with multiple high-CMC cards without K'rrik or ramp

Key Tips:

• Use K'rrik's life payment strategically - preserve enough life for critical Vilis, Broker of Blood activations
• Sequence removal carefully - Bleed Dry handles threats permanently, while Mutilate scales with Swamp count
• Workshop Assistant can recur critical artifacts like Scytheclaw after board wipes
• Tendrils of Agony works best when cast after multiple cheap spells enabled by K'rrik's cost reduction

Weaknesses:

Critical

• Extreme vulnerability to commander removal - K'rrik's cost reduction is essential for mana curve
• No graveyard recursion for key enchantments beyond Shifting Land (missing from list)
• Lacks board wipe protection beyond single Urza's Armor

Moderate

• Slow clock allows combo decks to outpace life drain
• Limited card draw outside Vilis, Broker of Blood and Crushing Disappointment
• High life payment requirements strain survivability against aggressive decks

Minor

• Weak to enchantment removal targeting critical pieces
• Limited instant-speed interaction for stack-based threats

Most Important Cards:

• K'rrik, Son of Yawgmoth (Cost reduction engine + wincon)
• Bastion of Remembrance (Primary drain engine)
• Underworld Dreams (Persistent damage engine)
• Phyrexian Obliterator (Must-answer threat)
• Scytheclaw (Combat damage amplifier)
• Vilis, Broker of Blood (Card draw + removal)
• Pestilence Demon (Repeatable board wipe)
• Mutilate (Scalable creature control)
• Tendrils of Agony (Potential storm finisher)
• Archfiend of Sorrows (Board control + recursion)

Attribute Ratings:

Speed: 3/10

• No fast combos and slow incremental damage typically wins T10+ at earliest

Resilience: 4/10

• Moderate recursion (Workshop Assistant, Archfiend of Sorrows) but over-reliant on commander

Consistency: 5/10

• Multiple redundant drain effects but lacks tutors for key pieces

Interaction: 6/10

• Good targeted removal suite but lacks counterspells and limited board wipes

Rating Justification:

This deck shows focused life-drain strategy but operates too slowly (T10+ wins) and lacks combo finishers or protection for its fragile engine. While more coherent than jank, it sits below precon-level efficiency due to mana inefficiency and commander dependency.

Power level: 3.0 - 3.5