Overview:

This mono-green deck is built around Grunn, the Lonely King and Raised by Giants, focusing on a Voltron/combat strategy amplified by +1/+1 counters and land ramp. The core plan involves ramping aggressively to cast Grunn kicked (making it a 10/10) and equipping/enchanting it to enable lethal commander damage in 1-2 attacks. Secondary threats like Ghalta, Primal Hunger and Shifting Ceratops provide backup win conditions through combat, supported by token generation from Scute Swarm and Awaken the Woods. Grunn serves as the primary win condition, leveraging Raised by Giants to become a base 10/10 Giant, while the deck provides evasion (trample, unblockable), protection (hexproof, indestructible), and power doubling to secure kills.

Primer:

Core Strategy Execution:

1. Early Ramp & Setup (Turns 1-4): Prioritize mana dorks (Llanowar Elves, Fyndhorn Elves, Birds of Paradise), land enchantments (Wild Growth, Fertile Ground), and land fetch (Rampant Growth, Cultivate). Deploy value engines like Colossal Majesty or Thickest in the Thicket if possible. Cast Raised by Giants as soon as feasible to enable Grunn's base 10/10 statline.
2. Deploy & Protect Grunn (Turns 4-6): Cast Grunn kicked (ideally for {G}{G} with sufficient ramp). Immediately equip/enchant it for evasion and protection: Swiftfoot Boots/Alpha Authority for hexproof, Rancor/Power Fist/Loxodon Warhammer for trample, Cloak of the Bat for flying/unblockable. Use protection spells (Gaea's Gift, Overprotect, Collective Resistance) to counter removal.
3. Attack & Win (Turns 5-8): Attack alone with Grunn to trigger its power/toughness doubling (20/20 base with Raised by Giants). Stack equipment/enchantments (e.g., Blackblade Reforged, Blanchwood Armor) to push power over 21+ for lethal commander damage in one hit. Use Terrifying Presence or Hunter's Ambush to nullify blockers if needed.
4. Secondary Lines: If Grunn is repeatedly removed, pivot to Ghalta, Primal Hunger or other high-power creatures enhanced by +1/+1 counter synergies (Bristly Bill, Spine Sower, Forgotten Ancient). Overwhelm with token armies from Scute Swarm or Awaken the Woods boosted by Craterhoof Behemoth-like effects (e.g., Pathbreaker Ibex absent, but Zopandrel, Hunger Dominus could fit).

Mulligan Priorities:

• Keep hands with 2-3 lands (including green sources) and at least one ramp spell (e.g., Llanowar Elves, Cultivate).
• Prioritize hands containing Raised by Giants, Grunn, or a key protection/evasion piece (Swiftfoot Boots, Alpha Authority, Rancor).
• Value hands with early card draw (Colossal Majesty, Harmonize) or protection (Asceticism, Gaea's Gift).
• Avoid hands lacking ramp, Grunn, or a clear path to protect it.

Key Tips:

• Evasion is Critical: Ensure Grunn can connect. Prioritize trample (Rancor, Power Fist), flying (Cloak of the Bat), or unblockable (Alpha Authority + Familiar Ground). Rogue's Passage would be a strong addition.
• Protect Relentlessly: Hold up protection mana (Gaea's Gift, Overprotect) when casting Grunn or before attacking. Asceticism provides ongoing hexproof and regeneration.
• Leverage Power Doublers: Bristly Bill, Spine Sower doubles +1/+1 counters on all creatures, turning Grunn into a 40/40+ threat instantly. Time this ability for maximum impact.
• Maximize Land Synergies: Nissa, Who Shakes the World and Mana Reflection amplify mana for big spells. Awaken the Woods creates multiple land creatures, synergizing with landfall (Scute Swarm) and power-based effects.
• Recover from Setbacks: Use planeswalkers (Garruk, Primal Hunter, Freyalise, Llanowar's Fury) for card advantage if Grunn is countered or removed repeatedly. Silverback Shaman draws on death.

Weaknesses:

Critical

• Extremely vulnerable to targeted removal and counterspells: Grunn has no innate protection. Losing it repeatedly to Swords to Plowshares or Counterspell cripples the primary win condition. Limited counterspell protection.
• Struggles against flying/evasive threats: Minimal flying blockers or reach enablers beyond Spider Umbra and Colossadactyl. Can be raced by aerial strategies.
• Susceptible to sacrifice effects: Fleshbag Marauder or Grave Pact bypass hexproof/indestructible, forcing Grunn to be sacrificed.

Moderate

• Slow against fast combo decks: Minimal stack interaction and average speed (T6-8 wins) struggles against T4-5 combo decks.
• Artifact/Enchantment reliance: Key equipment/enchantments (Blackblade Reforged, Swiftfoot Boots, Asceticism) are vulnerable to mass removal like Farewell or Bane of Progress.
• Weak board wipe recovery: Limited mass recursion. Wipes reset Voltron setup and token armies painfully.

Minor

• Graveyard hate disrupts minor recursion: Eternal Witness absent, but Mosswort Bridge and Bala Ged Recovery are hindered by Rest in Peace.
• Can be out-valued by go-wide strategies: Lacks consistent board wipes, relying on combat tricks like Terrifying Presence for defense.

Most Important Cards:

• Raised by Giants (Enables Grunn as 10/10, core to strategy)
• Swiftfoot Boots (Essential protection/evasion for Grunn)
• Blackblade Reforged (Massive power boost scaling with lands)
• Asceticism (Global hexproof and regeneration)
• Bristly Bill, Spine Sower (Game-winning +1/+1 counter doubling)
• Nissa, Who Shakes the World (Explosive ramp and land animation)
• Alpha Authority (Evasion and hexproof for Grunn)
• Gaea's Gift (Protection and indestructible in one card)
• Awaken the Woods (Token generation and land synergy)
• Scute Swarm (Secondary win condition and board presence)

Attribute Ratings:

Speed: 5/10

• Can threaten a T6-8 win with ideal ramp into protected Grunn, but lacks fast mana or combos for earlier kills. Secondary combat wins are slower.

Resilience: 4/10

• Good protection for Grunn (hexproof, indestructible sources) and some recovery (planeswalkers, card draw), but heavily reliant on the commander and vulnerable to sacrifice effects/board wipes.

Consistency: 6/10

• Strong ramp package and card draw (Colossal Majesty, Harmonize, planeswalkers) ensure land drops and threats, but lacks tutors for key equipment/protection.

Interaction: 3/10

• Focused on creature combat interaction (Master's Rebuke, Nature's Way) and artifact/enchantment removal (Thrashing Brontodon, Stomp and Howl). Lacks countermagic, instant-speed board interaction, and answers to non-creature permanents like planeswalkers.

Rating Justification:

This deck executes a focused Voltron strategy with solid ramp and protection, enabling T6-8 wins through commander damage, placing it firmly in the Optimized Casual range. However, its reliance on the commander, vulnerability to common removal types, and lack of fast interaction prevent it from reaching higher power tiers.

Power level: 5.0 - 5.5