Overview:

This Lord of the Nazgûl deck is a Dimir spellslinger/token hybrid focused on generating Wraith tokens through instant/sorcery casts and eventually overwhelming opponents with 9/9 evasive threats. While it contains strong interaction and card advantage engines, it lacks true combo finishers and has moderate recovery from board wipes.

Primer:

Core Strategy: The deck aims to cast 10+ instants/sorceries to create a critical mass of Wraith tokens, using countermagic to protect its board while leveraging card draw engines like Kindred Discovery and Proft's Eidetic Memory. The main win condition involves achieving 9+ Wraiths for a surprise alpha strike, supported by planeswalker value from Mordenkainen and Tamiyo, the Moon Sage.

Key Phases:

1. Early Game (Turns 1-4): Deploy mana rocks (Sol Ring, Dimir Signet), cantrips (Brainstorm, Serum Visions), and hold up interaction (Counterspell, Essence Scatter).
2. Mid Game (Turns 5-7): Activate commander's token generation while establishing draw engines like Wizard Class and Body of Knowledge.
3. Late Game (Turns 8+): Deploy game-enders like Finale of Revelation to refuel, using Sublime Epiphany and Cryptic Command to protect the Wraith swarm.

Mulligan Priorities:

• Keep hands with 3 lands and early interaction/cantrips
• Prioritize Jet Medallion/Kindred Discovery in slower metas
• Mulligan hands without blue/black sources or early plays

Critical Synergies:

• Proft's Eidetic Memory + token generation = +1/+1 counter scaling
• Change of Plans phasing protects Wraiths while enabling connive
• Marina Vendrell's Grimoire enables hand size synergies with Body of Knowledge/Triskaidekaphile

Weaknesses:

Critical:

• No board wipe recovery beyond counterspells
• Relies entirely on combat damage with no alternate wincons

Moderate:

• Vulnerable to Cursed Totem-effects shutting off token generation
• Limited graveyard recursion for key pieces

Minor:

• Some enters-tapped lands slightly slow early development
• Multiple commander removals delay token engine

Most Important Cards:

• Kindred Discovery
• Cryptic Command
• Sublime Epiphany
• Finale of Revelation
• Proft's Eidetic Memory
• Mordenkainen
• Body of Knowledge
• Spell Swindle
• Marina Vendrell's Grimoire
• Tamiyo, the Moon Sage

Attribute Ratings:

Speed: 5/10
Reaches critical Wraith mass ~T8-10 without disruption. Locks require multiple spell casts per turn cycle.

Resilience: 6/10
12 counterspells and protection effects (Shell Shield, Plaza of Heroes), but token armies vulnerable to common wipes.

Consistency: 6/10
16 cantrips/draw spells and 4 mana rocks, but only 2 tutors (Spell Swindle, Three Steps Ahead).

Interaction: 8/10
14 targeted removal/counters including Mindbreak Trap and Flusterstorm, plus phasing protection.

Rating Justification:

This deck sits between Optimized Casual (5.0) and High-Power Casual (5.5) on the rubric. It has stronger interaction than typical precons and focused draw engines, but lacks the speed (T8-10 wins vs T8-10 benchmark) and combo redundancy of true optimized decks. The reliance on combat damage without trample/enabler limits its ceiling, while the countermagic density raises its floor compared to jankier token strategies.

Power level: 5.0 - 5.5