Overview:

This Karador, Ghost Chieftain deck is a graveyard-centric value engine with reanimation combos and stax elements. It leverages creature recursion through Karador's ability and powerful synergy cards to generate overwhelming board states or execute infinite loops. The deck combines efficient tutors, self-mill engines, and creature-based value to out-resource opponents.

Primer:

Core Strategy: The deck aims to fill its graveyard with key creatures using Hermit Druid, Buried Alive, and Survival of the Fittest, then recur them through Karador's ability or reanimation spells. Win conditions include:

1. Infinite death/ETB loops using Karmic Guide + Loyal Retainers + Sac Outlets
2. Stax locks with Archon of Emeria/Thalia, Heretic Cathar + Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite
3. Value attrition via Kokusho, the Evening Star recursion and Poison-Tip Archer triggers
4. Eerie Ultimatum board revival backed by Dauthi Voidwalker disruption

Key Lines:

• T1 Entomb for Hermit Druid, T2 Druid activation to mill library
• Birthing Pod chains into Elesh Norn or Vorinclex for board dominance
• Phyrexian Altar + Ashen Rider + Karmic Guide for infinite exile triggers

Mulligan Priorities:

• Keep hands with 3 lands and 1-2 ramp pieces (Birds of Paradise, Utopia Sprawl)
• Prioritize early self-mill (Hermit Druid, Fiend Artisan)
• Acceptable to keep 1-land hands with Dryad Arbor + fetchland

Protection & Interaction:

• Silence/Teferi's Protection for combo protection
• Force of Vigor/Assassin's Trophy answers problematic permanents
• Dauthi Voidwalker disrupts opponents' graveyard strategies

Weaknesses:

Critical:

• Graveyard hate (Rest in Peace, Leyline of the Void)
• Fast combo decks pre-T6

Moderate:

• Blood Moon effects (relies on nonbasic mana fixing)
• Board wipe chains

Minor:

• Flying threats (limited reach beyond Six)

Most Important Cards:

• Hermit Druid
• Survival of the Fittest
• Phyrexian Altar
• Eerie Ultimatum
• Birthing Pod
• Kokusho, the Evening Star
• Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite
• Dauthi Voidwalker
• Loyal Retainers
• Entomb

Attribute Ratings:

Speed: 6/10
Can assemble T4 Hermit Druid mills into T5 Eerie Ultimatum wins. Infinite combos require 3+ pieces but have multiple redundant enablers.

Resilience: 7/10
Recursive threats and Volrath's Stronghold provide recovery. Weak to instant-speed graveyard exile but runs Veil of Summer protection.

Consistency: 8/10
12 tutors + 7 self-mill engines ensure key pieces are accessible. Karador provides inherent graveyard redundancy.

Interaction: 7/10
15 targeted removal spells + stax pieces. Lacks counterspells but uses Silence as proactive protection.

Rating Justification:

The deck operates at a "Focused Competitive" level (7.0) when goldfishing but lacks free interaction and fast mana seen in cEDH. It consistently threatens T5-7 wins through multiple redundant lines but folds to dedicated graveyard hate. Stax elements like Archon of Emeria + Thalia, Guardian of Thraben create effective lockdowns by T4-5. Compared to 6.5 decks, this has superior recursion and tutor density but lacks T3 win consistency.

Power level: 6.5 - 7.0