Overview:

This BR attrition deck leverages Valgavoth's life-loss triggers and damage multipliers to grind opponents down through incremental pain. It combines stax elements (Manabarbs, Rampaging Ferocidon), universal pingers (Underworld Dreams, Syr Konrad), and lifegain denial to create a slow death clock. While lacking infinite combos, it achieves redundancy through 15+ persistent damage sources and recursion tools like Bastion of Remembrance.

Primer:

Core Strategy:
Deploy asymmetric life-loss engines (Mogis, God of Slaughter, Sulfuric Vortex) while protecting Valgavoth to accumulate +1/+1 counters and card advantage. Transition into midgame with damage amplifiers like Solphim, Mayhem Dominus and mass triggers via Massacre Wurm or Gray Merchant. Finish with commander damage or Exsanguinate-style drain effects from scaled-up Sheoldred, the Apocalypse.

Key Interactions:

• Syr Konrad + Blasphemous Act = 13 damage per creature
• Solphim doubles Ob Nixilis, the Hate-Twisted's spell-cast triggers
• Kardur, Doomscourge forces combat to enable Mayhem Devil/Bastion triggers

Mulligan Priorities:

1. 3+ lands (prioritize untapped)
2. Early accelerant (Sol Ring, Rakdos Signet)
3. Turn 3-4 engine (Phyrexian Arena, Theater of Horrors)
   Reject hands without damage starters by turn 4.

Critical Sequencing:

• Deploy stax before damage multipliers (e.g., Sulfuric Vortex before Solphim)
• Time board wipes (Decree of Pain) after establishing recursion engines
• Use Swiftfoot Boots proactively on Valgavoth rather than reactionarily

Weaknesses:

Critical:

• No answer to enchantment-based lifegain (e.g., Leyline of Sanctity)
• Relies on 4+ mana engines vulnerable to counterspells

Moderate:

• Slow recovery from mass artifact/enchantment removal
• Limited card advantage without Valgavoth triggers

Minor:

• Basic-heavy manabase struggles with Blood Moon effects

Most Important Cards:

• Syr Konrad, the Grim
• Underworld Dreams
• Sulfuric Vortex
• Mogis, God of Slaughter
• Sheoldred, the Apocalypse
• Solphim, Mayhem Dominus
• Gray Merchant of Asphodel
• Painful Quandary
• Bastion of Remembrance
• Massacre Wurm

Attribute Ratings:

Speed: 5/10
Establishes meaningful threats by turn 4-5 but lacks explosive combo potential. Damage engines require 2-3 turns to become lethal.

Resilience: 6/10
Redundant damage sources mitigate single removal, and recursive elements (Bastion, Persistent Constrictor) provide late-game staying power.

Consistency: 7/10
15+ redundant pingers and 5 tutors (Grim Tutor, Tainted Pact) ensure engine assembly. Land-heavy deck rarely stumbles on mana.

Interaction: 5/10
Limited instant-speed removal (Terminate, Chaos Warp), no counterspells. Relies on asymmetric damage as "soft" interaction.

Rating Justification:

Positioned between Optimized Casual (5.0) and High-Power Casual (5.5):

• Outpaces precons through stax/drain synergy but lacks cEDH-speed combos
• Comparable to upgraded Mogis decks with better recursion
• Struggles against T6+ combo decks but dominates battlecruiser metas

Power level: 5.0 - 5.5