Overview:

This mono-black deck leverages Sephiroth, Fabled SOLDIER as a synergistic engine in an aristocrats strategy focused on sacrificing creatures for value. The core game plan revolves around generating disposable creatures (tokens, recurrable creatures), sacrificing them for card advantage/life drain, and amplifying death triggers with doublers like Drivnod, Carnage Dominus and The Masamune. Sephiroth enables card draw on entry/attack and provides a transformative win condition by converting death triggers into an emblem after four resolves in a turn. The deck wins primarily through incremental life drain from cards like Blood Artist, Zulaport Cutthroat, and Bastion of Remembrance, with backup from Gray Merchant of Asphodel and Massacre Wurm. Secondary threats include Braids, Arisen Nightmare stax pressure and Syr Konrad, the Grim graveyard synergy.

Primer:

Core Strategy Execution:

1. Early Setup (Turns 1-3): Deploy mana accelerants (Sol Ring, Crypt Ghast, Jet Medallion) and token generators (Bitterblossom, Jadar, Ghoulcaller of Nephalia, Ophiomancer). Cast Sephiroth early if possible, sacrificing tokens to draw cards. Use cheap sac outlets like Viscera Seer or Carrion Feeder to enable death triggers.
2. Engine Assembly (Turns 3-5): Establish key sacrifice payoffs (Pitiless Plunderer, Pawn of Ulamog) and death trigger amplifiers (Drivnod, Carnage Dominus, The Masamune). Recur cheap creatures (Gravecrawler, Reassembling Skeleton) for repeated sacrifice. Use tutors (Demonic Tutor, Victimize) to find critical pieces like Phyrexian Altar or Grave Pact.
3. Trigger Overload & Transformation (Turns 5-7): Generate multiple deaths per turn via mass sacrifice (Ashnod's Altar, Forsaken Miner loops) or forced sacrifices (Braids, Cabal Minion). Aim to resolve Sephiroth's death trigger four times in a turn to transform him and gain the emblem. Protect key pieces with Lightning Greaves.
4. Win Condition Execution:
   • Life Drain: Leverage amplified death triggers from Blood Artist effects and Sephiroth's emblem to drain opponents incrementally. Gray Merchant of Asphodel provides a large life swing with high devotion.
   • Combat/Stax: Overwhelm with token armies or deploy Massacre Wurm after a board wipe. Lock opponents with Grave Pact/Dictate of Erebos + sacrifice engine.
   • Synergy Kills: Syr Konrad, the Grim punishes graveyard movement. Ogre Slumlord creates deathtouch blockers while pressuring life totals.

Mulligan Priorities:

• Keep hands with 2-3 lands (prioritize Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth, Cabal Coffers).
• Essential: Early token generator, sac outlet, or mana accelerator (Sol Ring, Dark Ritual).
• Prioritize hands containing Sephiroth, a payoff (e.g., Blood Artist), or a tutor.
• Avoid hands lacking early plays or reliant solely on high-CMC cards.

Key Tips:

• Maximize Triggers: Sequence deaths to hit Sephiroth's fourth trigger reliably. The Masamune equipped to Sephiroth doubles emblem triggers. Drivnod, Carnage Dominus doubles all death triggers.
• Resource Loops: Gravecrawler + Phyrexian Altar + payoff creates infinite deaths/mana. Reassembling Skeleton/Nether Traitor provide repeatable sac fodder.
• Protect Engines: Use Malakir Rebirth on key pieces like Pitiless Plunderer. Lightning Greaves protects Sephiroth or Drivnod.
• Exploit Recursion: Volrath's Stronghold/Takenuma, Abandoned Mire retrieve creatures. Reanimate/Victimize cheat costs.
• Manage Life Total: Bitterblossom/Phyrexian Arena life loss requires balancing with drain effects. Use Black Market Connections judiciously.

Weaknesses:

Critical

• Graveyard Reliance: Heavy dependence on recursion (Gravecrawler, Reassembling Skeleton, Victimize) makes it critically vulnerable to graveyard hate (Rest in Peace, Leyline of the Void).
• Board Wipe Vulnerability: Lacks robust recovery after mass removal; relies on slow rebuild from token engines or recursion.
• Anti-Sacrifice Effects: Torpor Orb/Hushbringer nullifies death triggers. Sigarda, Host of Herons prevents forced sacrifices.

Moderate

• Enchantment Focus: Core engines (Grave Pact, Bitterblossom, Bastion of Remembrance) are vulnerable to enchantment removal.
• Combo Disruption: Lacks stack interaction; struggles to stop faster combo decks. Relies on discard/edicts which may miss key pieces.
• Mana Base Fragility: Cabal Coffers/Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx are prime targets for land destruction.

Minor

• Life Total Pressure: Self-damage from Bitterblossom, Phyrexian Arena, and Black Market Connections can become problematic against aggressive decks.
• Limited Card Draw: Draw relies heavily on sacrificing creatures; can stall without a board presence.

Most Important Cards:

• Drivnod, Carnage Dominus (Doubles all death triggers, enabling faster wins)
• Pitiless Plunderer (Generates mana from deaths, enabling combos)
• Phyrexian Altar (Sac outlet that provides mana, key for infinite loops)
• Gravecrawler (Recurrable sac fodder, combo piece)
• The Masamune (Amplifies Sephiroth's emblem triggers)
• Bitterblossom (Consistent token generation for sacrifice)
• Gray Merchant of Asphodel (Massive life swing win condition)
• Blood Artist (Primary life drain payoff)
• Demonic Tutor (Finds critical pieces/answers)
• Cabal Coffers (Mana amplification for late-game plays)

Attribute Ratings:

Speed: 6/10

• Can threaten wins via amplified drain triggers or Gray Merchant around turns 6-8, but lacks turbo fast mana for earlier explosive starts.

Resilience: 5/10

• Recursion and redundancy mitigate single-target removal, but board wipes and graveyard hate cripple the strategy. Limited protection for key pieces.

Consistency: 7/10

• High density of token generators, sac outlets, and payoffs. Tutors (Demonic Tutor, Victimize) and card draw (Phyrexian Arena, Black Market Connections) reliably assemble engines.

Interaction: 5/10

• Focused on edicts (Grave Pact, Dictate of Erebos) and sacrifice-forcing. Lacks instant-speed removal diversity and counterspells, relying on meta-dependent disruption.

Rating Justification:

This deck demonstrates focused speed and strong consistency in executing its aristocrats plan, typically threatening wins around T7-8 through amplified life drain or Gray Merchant. However, its critical vulnerability to graveyard hate and board wipes, combined with limited stack interaction, caps its resilience and prevents higher optimization. It aligns with the "Focused" tier (T7-8 wins) but lacks the protection and speed for cEDH viability.

Power level: 6.0 - 6.5