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Average CMC
Cost
Salt Score
Overview:
This Karador, Ghost Chieftain deck focuses on graveyard recursion and cycling synergies, leveraging creature-based value engines and reanimation to outlast opponents. Karador acts as a recursion enabler, allowing repeated casting of creatures like Bone Shredder or Eternal Witness analogues (e.g., Acolyte of Affliction). The deck uses cycling to fuel the graveyard while triggering Astral Slide/Astral Drift for tempo, with Herald of the Forgotten as a late-game payoff. Primary win conditions include attrition via recursive threats, Lotleth Giant graveyard bursts, and Bringer of the Last Gift board resets.
Primer:
Core Strategy Execution:
- Early Setup (Turns 1-4):
- Cycle low-cost creatures (e.g., Valiant Rescuer, Drannith Healer) to fill the graveyard and trigger Slide/Drift.
- Use landcyclers (e.g., Twisted Abomination, Orchard Strider) to fix mana.
- Deploy self-mill engines like Satyr Wayfinder or Glowspore Shaman.
Midgame Value (Turns 5-7):
- Cast Karador (often discounted to 3-5 mana) to recur key creatures like Bone Shredder (removal) or Skullport Merchant (draw).
- Blink threats with Slide/Drift to dodge removal and trigger ETBs.
- Stabilize with board wipes (Kirtar's Wrath, Shefet Archfiend).
Win Conditions (Turns 8+):
- Lotleth Giant for lethal damage based on graveyard size.
- Bringer of the Last Gift to reset the board and reanimate your stocked graveyard.
- Grind opponents out with recursive value from Cartel Aristocrat, Lampad of Death's Vigil, and Voracious Fell Beast.
Mulligan Priorities:
- Keep hands with 3 lands (including cycling lands like Tranquil Thicket).
- Prioritize early cyclers (e.g., Horror of the Broken Lands) or self-mill creatures.
- Ensure at least one piece of interaction (e.g., Mob, Cast Out).
Key Tips:
- Use Astral Slide to protect Karador from removal or reset ETB creatures.
- Herald of the Forgotten can recover multiple cycled permanents in one swing.
- Krosan Verge and Deceptive Landscape fix colors but delay tempo—sequence them early.
Weaknesses:
Critical
- Graveyard hate (Rest in Peace, Leyline of the Void) cripples recursion and Karador’s cost reduction.
- Slow mana base (12+ tapped lands) delays key plays like Karador or Bringer of the Last Gift.
Moderate
- Limited instant-speed interaction for combos (relies on sorcery-speed removal like Extract a Confession).
- Weak to flyers (only Winged Shepherd and Shefet Archfiend block effectively).
Minor
- Low threat density for early aggression; relies on late-game recursion.
- Minimal card advantage outside graveyard synergies.
Most Important Cards:
- Astral Slide/Astral Drift (Blink engine, protection, and tempo)
- Herald of the Forgotten (Mass reanimation for cycled permanents)
- Karador, Ghost Chieftain (Recurrence engine and cost reducer)
- Lotleth Giant (Primary finisher via graveyard size)
- Bringer of the Last Gift (Board reset and reanimation)
- Kirtar's Wrath (Scalable board wipe)
- Bone Shredder (Repeatable creature removal)
- Skullport Merchant (Sacrifice outlet and card draw)
- Glowspore Shaman (Graveyard setup and land recovery)
- Cast Out (Flexible removal with cycling)
Attribute Ratings:
Speed: 3/10
- Wins typically occur post-Turn 8 due to slow setup and high-CMC payoffs.
Resilience: 6/10
- Recursive threats and Slide/Drift provide recovery, but graveyard dependency creates fragility.
Consistency: 5/10
- Cycling provides filtering, but lacks tutors for key pieces like Herald or Slide/Drift.
Interaction: 5/10
- Targeted removal (Mob, Bone Shredder) and wipes are present but slow and sorcery-speed.
Rating Justification:
This deck operates as Structured Jank, relying on slow graveyard synergies and lacking fast win conditions. Its T12+ win benchmark and vulnerability to common graveyard hate align it with lower power tiers. Resilience from recursion is offset by critical weaknesses.
Power level: 3.0 - 3.5
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