Overview:

This Sultai (B/G/U) deck helmed by The Wise Mothman combines mill strategies with +1/+1 counter synergies and life-drain combos. The primary game plan leverages mass mill effects like Traumatize and Mind Grind to fuel The Mothman's counter distribution while enabling secondary win conditions through Syr Konrad, the Grim pings and Exquisite Blood/Sanguine Bond combos. The commander serves as both a counter engine and flying threat, though the deck maintains multiple paths to victory that don't strictly require it. Key subthemes include rad counter proliferation (Inexorable Tide), zombie token generation (Zellix, Sanity Flayer), and graveyard recursion (The Master, Transcendent).

Primer:

Core Strategy Execution:

1. Early Setup (Turns 1-4): Deploy mana rocks (Sol Ring, Dimir Signet) and mill enablers like Mesmeric Orb or Mindcrank. Use Farseek/Cultivate to fix mana. Protect key pieces with Swiftfoot Boots.
2. Midgame Engine (Turns 4-6): Cast The Wise Mothman to start distributing counters. Activate mass mill payoffs (Bruvac the Grandiloquent + Cut Your Losses). Begin recurring threats with Animate Dead or Port of Karfell.
3. Win Conditions (Turns 6-8):
   • Mill Out: Amplify mill triggers with Fraying Sanity and Mind Grind
   • Life Drain: Activate Exquisite Blood + Sanguine Bond combo
   • Combat: Swing with pumped creatures (Consuming Aberration, Guiltfeeder) enhanced by proliferated +1/+1 counters
   • Alternate: Bloodchief Ascension activation with consistent milling

Mulligan Priorities:

• Keep hands with 3 lands including color-fixing (Command Tower, Opulent Palace)
• Prioritize early mill enablers (Mesmeric Orb, Zellix, Sanity Flayer) or combo pieces (Exquisite Blood)
• Ensure at least one recursion tool (Animate Dead, Extract from Darkness) or protection (Negate, Swiftfoot Boots)
• Avoid hands clogged with high-CMC spells without ramp

Key Tips:

• Use Nesting Grounds to move rad counters to Feral Ghoul for explosive growth
• The Master, Transcendent can reanimate opponents' milled creatures as 3/3 Mutants
• Mindcrank combos with Bloodchief Ascension for incremental damage
• Vexing Bauble disrupts free spells while enabling card draw
• Struggle for Project Purity's Enclave mode doubles rad counter distribution on attacks

Weaknesses:

Critical

• Graveyard hate (Rest in Peace, Leyline of the Void) cripples recursion and Syr Konrad triggers
• Enchantment removal dismantles key engines (Exquisite Blood/Sanguine Bond, Fraying Sanity)
• Lacks board wipes beyond Nuclear Fallout, struggles against wide strategies

Moderate

• Slow mana base with 15+ tapped lands delays critical turns
• Minimal instant-speed interaction for combos (only 3 counterspells)
• Cursed Totem nullifies activated abilities of key creatures

Minor

• Life gain strategies outpace incremental mill/drain
• Limited protection for The Wise Mothman beyond equipment
• Mindlock Orb/Ashiok, Dream Render blocks tutor effects

Most Important Cards:

• Exquisite Blood (Life-drain combo half)
• Sanguine Bond (Life-drain combo half)
• Bruvac the Grandiloquent (Mill doubler)
• Syr Konrad, the Grim (Passive damage engine)
• Mesmeric Orb (Continuous mill)
• The Master, Transcendent (Graveyard recursion)
• Mind Grind (Scalable mill payoff)
• Grim Tutor (Combo piece tutor)
• Bloodchief Ascension (Alternative win condition)
• Zellix, Sanity Flayer (Token generation engine)

Attribute Ratings:

Speed: 6/10

• Can threaten combo/mill wins by T7-8 with optimal draws, but tapped lands and high-CMC enablers slow consistency.

Resilience: 5/10

• Multiple recursion options and protection equipment help, but over-reliance on fragile enchantments and vulnerable graveyard strategies.

Consistency: 7/10

• Strong tutor suite (7 tutors) and card draw from mill synergies ensure access to key pieces despite varied win conditions.

Interaction: 5/10

• Limited to spot removal (Atomize, Unsummon) and a few counterspells, though Painful Quandary provides persistent disruption.

Rating Justification:

This deck demonstrates focused mill/combo elements with strong synergy and tutoring, capable of T7-8 wins through multiple avenues. However, its vulnerability to common hate cards and reliance on 4-5 mana enablers prevent higher optimization. The balance between speed and fragility aligns with upper Casual tiers.

Power level: 5.5 - 6.0