Overview:

This K'rrik, Son of Yawgmoth deck is a high-speed life-payment engine focused on explosive combo finishes and reanimation value. The core strategy leverages K'rrik's mana-cheating ability to power out game-ending combos like Exquisite Blood/Sanguine Bond or Aetherflux Reservoir while using extensive tutor/reanimation packages and black's signature card draw engines. The deck can threaten wins as early as T3 with perfect hands but averages T5-6 kills in practice.

Primer:

Core Strategy: This deck uses K'rrik's life-for-mana ability to cheat costs on game-winning combos and massive card draw. Key phases:

1. Acceleration: Deploy K'rrik by T2-3 using Dark Ritual, Culling the Weak, or Blood Pet, enabling life payment for all black mana symbols.
2. Card Velocity: Activate Necropotence, Ad Nauseam, or Peer into the Abyss to dig for combo pieces while K'rrik accumulates +1/+1 counters from black spells.
3. Combo Execution: Tutor/reanimate key combo pairs (Exquisite Blood/Sanguine Bond) or storm off with Aetherflux Reservoir. Backup plans include Gray Merchant of Asphodel devotion kills or Repay in Kind + life drain.

Mulligan Priorities:

• Keep hands with K'rrik enablers (rituals, swamps) and at least 1 card draw/tutor
• Reject slow hands lacking life payment outlets or acceleration
• Accept 2-land hands with Sol Ring/Arcane Signet

Key Tips:

• Sequence life payments carefully - Font of Agonies turns every life loss into removal
• Use Bolas's Citadel with topdeck manipulation (Sensei's Divining Top)
• Protect K'rrik with Lightning Greaves - his growing body becomes a voltron backup
• Sacrifice outlets like Phyrexian Tower enable Razaketh/Victimize value

Avoid Traps:

• Overextending life total without Exquisite Blood recovery
• Casting Peer into the Abyss without a follow-up wincon
• Wasting tutors on non-combo pieces in mid-power pods

Weaknesses:

Critical:

• Dies to graveyard hate (Rest in Peace/Leyline of the Void)
• No protection for critical combo pieces
• Life total becomes precarious against aggressive decks

Moderate:

• Relies on commander for mana acceleration
• Limited stack interaction (only Withering Boon/Imp's Mischief)

Minor:

• Some high-CMC dead draws (Hoarding Broodlord)

Most Important Cards:

• Necropotence
• Ad Nauseam
• Exquisite Blood
• Sanguine Bond
• Aetherflux Reservoir
• Demonic Tutor
• Razaketh, the Foulblooded
• Dark Ritual
• Peer into the Abyss
• Gray Merchant of Asphodel

Attribute Ratings:

Speed: 8/10

• T3 potential with ritual -> K'rrik -> Necropotence
• T4-5 average combo execution
• Multiple 1-card wincons (Peer into the Abyss)

Resilience: 6/10

• Redundant combo pieces (3x tutors for Exquisite Blood)
• Limited protection for critical engines
• Weak to graveyard hate but can pivot to storm

Consistency: 8/10

• 14 tutors including Demonic Tutor/Razaketh
• 8 mass draw engines (Necropotence/Ad Nauseam/etc)
• K'rrik enables all black spells as combo accelerants

Interaction: 5/10

• 7 targeted removal (Snuff Out/Toxic Deluge)
• 2 counterspells (Withering Boon/Imp's Mischief)
• No free interaction or stax pieces

Rating Justification:

This deck sits between the "Focused Competitive" (7.0) and "Highly Optimized" (7.5) tiers. It surpasses T5-6 win benchmarks through explosive mana and card advantage but lacks the free interaction/stack control of true cEDH builds. While faster than most 7.0 decks, its reliance on commander-centric lines and vulnerability to common hate keeps it below 8.0. The presence of multiple A+B combos with redundant tutors pushes it above typical "Optimized" (6.5) lists.

Power level: 7.0 - 7.5