Overview:

This mono-white deck helmed by Ao, the Dawn Sky combines stax elements, artifact synergy, and recursive value engines to control the game while assembling infinite mana/damage combos. The commander serves as both a resilient threat (via death triggers that cheat out key permanents or buff the board) and a combo enabler when paired with Blade of Selves or sacrifice outlets. The deck employs potent stax pieces like Eidolon of Rhetoric, Drannith Magistrate, and Archon of Emeria to slow opponents while leveraging explosive artifact mana (Mana Vault, Grim Monolith, Lion's Eye Diamond) to power out game-ending combos with Walking Ballista, Aetherflux Reservoir, or Blasting Station.

Primer:

Core Strategy Execution:

1. Early Game Setup (Turns 1-3):
   • Deploy mana rocks (Mox Opal, Sol Ring, Mana Vault) and stax pieces (Ethersworn Canonist, Spirit of the Labyrinth).
   • Tutor key artifacts with Enlightened Tutor, Stoneforge Mystic, or Oswald Fiddlebender.
   • Cheat out Enduring Renewal via Academy Rector to enable recursive loops.

2. Midgame Value (Turns 4-6):

   • Cast Ao with protection (Gift of Immortality, Loyal Retainers), using its death triggers to flood the board with 0-cost creatures or stax pieces.
   • Assemble infinite mana via Auriok Salvagers + Lion's Eye Diamond or Phyrexian Altar + Enduring Renewal + 0-cost creatures.
   • Lock opponents with layered stax (Phyrexian Censor + Grand Abolisher + Blind Obedience).

3. Win Conditions:

   • Infinite Mana Combos: Convert into damage via Walking Ballista or Aetherflux Reservoir.
   • Sacrifice Loops: Blasting Station + Enduring Renewal + 0-cost creatures.
   • Commander Synergy: Blade of Selves on Ao creates multiple death triggers to cheat out Nim Deathmantle or stax pieces.

Mulligan Priorities:

• Keep hands with 2-3 lands including utility (Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx, Ancient Tomb).
• Prioritize early stax pieces, mana acceleration, or tutors.
• Ensure at least one combo piece or Ao-enabler (sac outlet/equipment).

Key Tips:

• Use Karn, the Great Creator to fetch Liquimetal Coating from sideboard (not listed but implied by Karn's -2) to disrupt opponents.
• Enduring Renewal + Ornithopter + Phyrexian Altar generates infinite mana/storm count.
• Brought Back can recover sacrificed lands/artifacts for explosive turns.

Weaknesses:

Critical

• Artifact/Enchantment Removal: Stony Silence or Collector Ouphe cripples mana/combos.
• Graveyard Hate: Rest in Peace shuts down Loyal Retainers, Angelic Renewal, and Enduring Renewal loops.
• Board Wipes: Lacks mass recursion; relies on rebuilding via Ao triggers.

Moderate

• Countermagic: Limited protection for combos beyond Grand Abolisher.
• Fast Combo Decks: Stax may not stabilize quickly enough against T3-4 wins.

Minor

• Colorless Mana Reliance: Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx and artifact mana can be inconsistent.
• Life Total Pressure: Aetherflux Reservoir requires careful life management.

Most Important Cards:

• Enduring Renewal (Combo engine with 0-cost creatures)
• Auriok Salvagers (Infinite mana with LED)
• Lion's Eye Diamond (Combo piece, explosive mana)
• Walking Ballista (Primary win condition)
• Academy Rector (Tutors Enduring Renewal/Blind Obedience)
• Grand Abolisher (Protects combos)
• Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx (Mana amplification)
• Phyrexian Altar (Sac outlet/combo piece)
• Enlightened Tutor (Key consistency tool)
• Blade of Selves (Multiplies Ao's death triggers)

Attribute Ratings:

Speed: 8/10

• Capable of T3-4 wins with perfect hands (LED + Salvagers + Ballista), but typically threatens T5-6 through stax delays.

Resilience: 5/10

• Recursion (Ao triggers, Brought Back) and stax provide some protection, but combos are fragile to targeted hate.

Consistency: 7/10

• 10+ tutors and strong draw (Esper Sentinel, Smothering Tithe), but relies on assembling 3-card combos.

Interaction: 6/10

• Strong stax suite and spot removal (Swords to Plowshares, Grasp of Fate), but lacks stack interaction beyond Grand Abolisher.

Rating Justification:

This deck operates at high-power casual levels with cEDH-adjacent fast mana and combos, but its reliance on vulnerable artifact synergies and slower stax locks compared to top-tier lists limit its ceiling. The ability to threaten T3-4 wins under ideal conditions but typically executing T5-6 aligns with optimized/high-power tiers.

Power level: 7.5 - 8.0