Overview:

This Kaalia of the Vast deck is a high-powered combo/stax hybrid leveraging multiple avenues to cheat out game-ending threats. It combines explosive mana acceleration with reanimation packages, infinite combos, and stax elements like Armageddon/Grand Abolisher to dominate the board. The deck can win through combat overkill with Angels/Demons/Dragons or execute deterministic combo kills as early as T3.

Primer:

Core Strategy:

1. Early Acceleration: Deploy fast mana (Mana Vault, Dark Ritual, Lion's Eye Diamond) to power out Kaalia or combo enablers by T1-3.
2. Dual Win Paths:
   • Combat Overload: Use Kaalia/Sneak Attack to cheat massive threats like Avacyn, Angel of Hope/Terror of the Peaks
   • Infinite Combos: Worldgorger Dragon + Dance of the Dead generates infinite ETB/death triggers. Pair with Terror of the Peaks for instant kill or Vilis, Broker of Blood to draw the deck.
   • Storm Lines: Underworld Breach + Lion's Eye Diamond enables Peer into the Abyss/Ad Nauseam to fuel game-ending turns.
3. Stax Backups: Armageddon with Kaalia-powered board presence or Grand Abolisher/Drana and Linvala to lock out interaction.

Mulligan Priorities:

• Keep hands with 2+ mana accelerants (e.g., Mox Diamond + Sol Ring)
• Prioritize combo pieces (Entomb/Worldgorger Dragon) or protection (Deflecting Swat) in interactive metas
• Reject slow hands without T1-2 plays

Key Tips:

• Use Entomb as both combo enabler (Worldgorger) and value tool (fetch Razaketh, the Foulblooded)
• Underworld Breach can recur entire graveyard for 3R when paired with LED/Rituals
• Armageddon is most effective after establishing Kaalia + 1-2 threats

Avoid Traps:

• Don't overcommit creatures before establishing protection
• Reserve Ad Nauseam until life total is safe (avg CMC ~2.5)

Weaknesses:

Critical:

• Fold to Rest in Peace/Leyline of the Void effects (shuts 60% of wincons)
• Drannith Magistrate/Containment Priest blocks all cheat engines

Moderate:

• Relies on resolving 2-card combos (limited protection redundancy)
• Blood Moon disrupts greedy mana base

Minor:

• Recoverable from single Kaalia removal via reanimation

Most Important Cards:

• Underworld Breach
• Worldgorger Dragon
• Lion's Eye Diamond
• Ad Nauseam
• Demonic Tutor
• Vampiric Tutor
• Sneak Attack
• Reanimate
• Grand Abolisher
• Smothering Tithe

Attribute Ratings:

Speed: 9/10

• T1 Entomb + T2 Reanimate Worldgorger = T2 kill with Terror of the Peaks
• T3 Ad Nauseam often draws into win

Resilience: 7/10

• 8 free/low-cost protection spells (Deflecting Swat, Pyroblast)
• Multiple combo lines but vulnerable to graveyard hate

Consistency: 9/10

• 14 tutors + Necropotence/Peer into the Abyss
• 4 redundant cheat engines (Kaalia/Sneak Attack/Reanimate/Dance)

Interaction: 8/10

• 10 targeted removal (5 instant-speed)
• 4 counterspells + Opposition Agent
• Lacks board wipes beyond Toxic Deluge

Rating Justification:

This deck operates at cEDH Tier 2 levels due to:

1. T2-3 Goldfish Wins matching 9.0 benchmarks
2. Robust Protection Suite (Grand Abolisher + free interaction)
3. Meta Resilience via multiple angles (combat/combo/stax)
   It falls short of Tier 1 due to:

• Overreliance on graveyard for key combos
• No native Thassa's Oracle/Demonic Consultation lines

Power level: 8.5 - 9.0