Overview:

This Mardu deck leverages Olivia, Opulent Outlaw as a synergistic engine and win-condition enabler, focusing on explosive Treasure generation through Outlaw tribal combat damage. The primary strategy combines fast mana acceleration, high-density tutoring, and graveyard recursion to assemble game-winning combos or overwhelming board states by turns 3-5. Olivia enables both ramp (via Treasures) and a finisher ability (+1/+1 counters), while "hidden commanders" like Kelsien, the Plague and Mari, the Killing Quill amplify the Outlaw theme. The deck operates at cEDH-adjacent speeds but relies heavily on fragile artifact/graveyard synergies.

Primer:

Core Strategy Execution:

1. Acceleration (Turns 0-2): Deploy fast mana (Mox Diamond, Lion's Eye Diamond, Dark Ritual) and tutors (Vampiric Tutor, Demonic Tutor) to find combo pieces or reanimation targets. Prioritize Grim Monolith, Mana Vault, or Chrome Mox for explosive starts.
2. Setup (Turns 2-3): Cast Olivia or an alternative Outlaw engine (Mari, Kelsien). Use Entomb/Gamble to bin key creatures like Rakdos, the Muscle or Opposition Agent. Reanimate them with Animate Dead/Reanimate. Generate Treasures via combat or death triggers.
3. Win Condition Execution (Turns 3-5):
   • Combo: Underworld Breach + Lion's Eye Diamond/Wheel of Fortune + Yawgmoth's Will for storm finishers. Ad Nauseam draws the deck to find Thassa's Oracle lines.
   • Combat: Activate Olivia's mass +1/+1 counters ability (sacrificing Treasures) for lethal swings, enabled by evasion from Dauthi Voidwalker or Ragavan.
   • Lock: Opposition Agent + Tainted Pact/Demonic Tutor to strip opponents' libraries.

Mulligan Priorities:

• Keep hands with 1-2 lands, 1+ fast mana artifact, and a tutor/reanimation spell.
• Prioritize Entomb + reanimation, or Lion's Eye Diamond + Underworld Breach.
• Reject hands lacking acceleration or without a T1-T2 play.

Key Tips:

• Treasure Synergy: Use Smothering Tithe and Deadly Dispute to fuel Olivia's ability or combo turns. Vihaan, Goldwaker turns Treasures into threats.
• Protection: Cast Silence/Orim's Chant before comboing. Use Deflecting Swat to redirect removal.
• Graveyard Management: Underworld Breach enables recursive tutoring; exile key pieces early to avoid hate.
• Timing: Leverage Emergence Zone for instant-speed reanimation or combo finishes.

Weaknesses:

Critical

• Graveyard Hate: Rest in Peace or Leyline of the Void cripples reanimation, Breach, and Yawgmoth's Will.
• Artifact Nullification: Null Rod/Collector Ouphe shuts down fast mana, Treasures, and combo enablers like Grim Monolith.
• Rule of Law Effects: Prevents storm turns and limits multiple spell sequences.

Moderate

• Board Wipes: Lacks mass recursion; rebuilds slowly if key engines (Olivia, Mari) are removed early.
• Life Total Pressure: Painlands and Ad Nauseam risk self-burn against aggressive decks.

Minor

• Stack Interaction: Limited counterspells beyond Deflecting Swat; struggles against free interaction.
• Color Screw: Manabase relies on non-basics; Blood Moon effects can disrupt casting.

Most Important Cards:

• Underworld Breach (Combo engine, recursive value)
• Lion's Eye Diamond (Mana explosion, Breach synergy)
• Ad Nauseam (Primary draw engine, finds win conditions)
• Yawgmoth's Will (Recursive storm turns)
• Demonic Tutor (Consistent combo piece fetching)
• Entomb (Sets up reanimation targets)
• Ragavan, Nimble Pilferer (Early Treasure generation, evasion)
• Mari, the Killing Quill (Outlaw value engine, card advantage)
• Opposition Agent (Disruption, resource denial)
• Dark Ritual (Critical early mana acceleration)

Attribute Ratings:

Speed: 9/10

• Capable of T2-T3 wins with perfect hands (e.g., Entomb + Reanimate on Rakdos, LED + Breach storm), consistently threatens T4-T5 victories.

Resilience: 6/10

• Multiple protection spells (Deflecting Swat, Silence) and recursion (Breach, Yawgmoth's Will), but folds to resolved graveyard/artifact hate.

Consistency: 8/10

• 10+ tutors and extensive card draw (Ad Nauseam, Wheel) ensure reliable access to combo pieces despite high variance.

Interaction: 7/10

• Targeted removal (Swords to Plowshares, Thoughtseize), stack protection (Orim's Chant), and disruptive creatures (Opposition Agent), but lacks board wipes.

Rating Justification:

This deck operates at cEDH speeds with T2-T3 win potential through optimized fast mana, tutoring, and compact combos, aligning with Tier 1.5-2 cEDH benchmarks. However, its vulnerability to pervasive graveyard/artifact hate and reliance on fragile engines prevent it from achieving top-tier robustness, placing it just below Tier 1 dominance.

Power level: 8.5 - 9.0