Overview:
This is an Esper lifegain deck that uses its commander Oloro, Ageless Ascetic as a consistent life engine to fuel various payoffs, including alternate win conditions and life drain effects. The deck combines control elements with powerful lifegain synergies.
Primer:
The deck operates on multiple axes, with Oloro, Ageless Ascetic providing a constant stream of lifegain that enables various strategies. The primary gameplan involves establishing early lifegain engines through cards like Soul Warden and Essence Channeler, then leveraging these triggers with payoff cards like Vito, Thorn of the Dusk Rose and Sanguine Bond. The deck can win through multiple paths: combat damage with growing creatures like Voice of the Blessed, alternate win conditions like Approach of the Second Sun or Felidar Sovereign, or through life drain combos using Exquisite Blood.
The control package, including counterspells and board wipes, helps protect the deck's strategy while disrupting opponents. The deck features strong tutors and card advantage engines, allowing it to find key pieces consistently. The mana base is well-optimized with fetchlands and shock lands, enabling reliable access to all three colors. The deck can transition between aggressive lifegain strategies and controlling gameplay depending on the game state.
Weaknesses:
- Vulnerable to graveyard hate and combo disruption
- Relies heavily on enchantments and artifacts, making it susceptible to mass removal of these permanent types
- Can struggle against aggressive strategies if early lifegain pieces are removed
- May have difficulty closing out games quickly without its key combo pieces
Most Important Cards:
- Exquisite Blood
- Aetherflux Reservoir
- Smothering Tithe
- Rhystic Study
- Bolas's Citadel
- Heliod, Sun-Crowned
- Walking Ballista
- Felidar Sovereign
- Vito, Thorn of the Dusk Rose
- Sanguine Bond
Attribute Ratings:
- Speed: 6/10
- Resilience: 8/10
- Consistency: 7/10
- Interaction: 8/10
Rating Justification:
This deck sits comfortably in the 7.0-7.5 range due to its strong tutoring package, efficient interaction suite, and multiple viable win conditions. While it's not fast enough to compete with true cEDH decks, it can establish strong board control by turn 5-6 and threaten wins shortly after. The presence of powerful control elements and multiple combo lines, combined with the consistent value engine from the command zone, pushes it above casual optimization levels but below true competitive builds.
Final power level rating: 7.0 - 7.5
The deck features strong interaction, multiple tutors, and efficient combo lines, but its reliance on permanent-based strategies and slightly slower setup time keeps it from reaching higher power levels. It's well-positioned to handle multiple opponents through its control elements and life-based strategy, making it a strong choice for focused competitive pods.
Oloro, Ageless Ascetic