Overview:

This Rakdos Dragon tribal deck helmed by Rivaz of the Claw leverages graveyard recursion and cost reduction to flood the board with high-impact Dragons. The strategy revolves around cheating out threats through Rivaz's graveyard-casting ability, supported by reanimation spells like Animate Dead and Necromancy. Key Dragons like Utvara Hellkite, Lathliss, Dragon Queen, and Terror of the Peaks generate exponential value through token creation and damage triggers. While combat is the primary win condition, synergies like Scourge of Valkas + Bladewing the Risen and Wrathful Red Dragon + board-wide damage enable explosive finishes. Rivaz acts as both an enabler (via mana acceleration and recursion) and a critical value engine, though the deck can function temporarily without it.

Primer:

Core Strategy Execution:

1. Early Setup (Turns 1-3):
   • Deploy mana rocks (Sol Ring, Ruby Medallion, Dragonlord's Servant) or Entomb/Buried Alive to set up graveyard targets.
   • Use Faithless Looting or Bitter Reunion to discard high-value Dragons.
2. Midgame Explosion (Turns 4-6):
   • Cast Rivaz to enable graveyard recursion and cast discounted Dragons.
   • Reanimate key pieces like Ancient Copper Dragon (Treasure generation) or Terror of the Peaks (damage triggers).
   • Deploy token generators (Utvara Hellkite, Ganax, Astral Hunter) to build board presence.
3. Late-Game Dominance:
   • Overwhelm with Dragon tokens enhanced by Dragon Tempest and Lathliss, Dragon Queen.
   • Use Patriarch's Bidding for mass recursion after a board wipe.
   • Leverage Insult // Injury or Twinflame Tyrant to amplify combat damage.

Mulligan Priorities:

• Keep hands with 2-3 lands (prioritize untapped duals like Blood Crypt).
• Ensure access to early ramp (mana rocks, Dragonlord's Servant) or graveyard setup (Entomb, Faithless Looting).
• Prioritize hands containing Rivaz or reanimation spells if high-CMC Dragons are present.

Key Tips:

• Use Roaming Throne (naming Dragon) to double Rivaz's recursion trigger and other Dragon ETBs.
• Sacrifice Dragons to Victimize or Bone Devourer for recursion/value, then reanimate them with Rivaz.
• Wrathful Red Dragon turns board wipes like Blasphemous Act into player-damage nukes.

Weaknesses:

Critical

• Graveyard hate (Rest in Peace, Leyline of the Void) shuts down Rivaz’s recursion and reanimation spells.
• Heavy reliance on Rivaz’s survival: Repeated removal can stall the deck’s engine.

Moderate

• Limited stack interaction (only 3 counterspells/removal like Tibalt's Trickery, Chaos Warp).
• Vulnerable to flyer-specific hate (Sandwurm Convergence, Aetherize).

Minor

• High average CMC (4.1) risks slow starts if ramp is disrupted.
• Treasure-dependent mana base (Ancient Copper Dragon, Ganax, Astral Hunter) falters against Stony Silence.

Most Important Cards:

• Rivaz of the Claw (Engine: recursion + mana acceleration)
• Utvara Hellkite (Token swarm generator)
• Terror of the Peaks (Damage amplifier)
• Buried Alive (Graveyard setup)
• Ancient Copper Dragon (Mana generation)
• Patriarch's Bidding (Mass recursion)
• Dragon Tempest (Haste enabler + damage)
• Blasphemous Act (Board wipe + Wrathful Red Dragon synergy)
• Roaming Throne (Trigger doubler)
• Scourge of Valkas (Scaling damage output)

Attribute Ratings:

Speed: 6/10

• Can deploy game-ending boards by turns 6-7 via reanimation/recursion but lacks fast mana for earlier explosive plays.

Resilience: 5/10

• Graveyard recursion provides recovery, but over-reliance on Rivaz and key Dragons makes it vulnerable to targeted removal.

Consistency: 7/10

• Multiple tutors (Entomb, Buried Alive) and card selection (Faithless Looting, Bitter Reunion) ensure access to key pieces.

Interaction: 4/10

• Minimal instant-speed removal and no counterspounds beyond Tibalt's Trickery, relying on reactive board wipes.

Rating Justification:

The deck’s focused Dragon synergy and efficient recursion engines enable T6-8 wins through combat or damage loops, aligning with the "Focused" tier. However, its vulnerability to graveyard hate and limited interaction prevent higher optimization.

Power level: 5.5 - 6.0