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Average CMC
Cost
Salt Score
Overview:
This Athreos, Shroud-Veiled deck focuses on incremental value through death/ETB triggers and persistent recursion. The strategy leverages sacrifice outlets, death payoff engines, and Athreos' coin counter resurrection to outgrind opponents. While lacking infinite combos, it creates formidable board states through layered value engines like Teysa Karlov and Drivnod, Carnage Dominus doubling death triggers, supported by token generation from afterlife mechanics and Dramatic Finale. The deck operates at a midrange pace, aiming to win through attrition and life drain effects.
Primer:
Core Strategy:
This deck aims to establish recursive value engines by turn 4-6, using Athreos' coin counters and sacrifice outlets like Carrion Feeder to cycle high-impact creatures. Key phases:
- Early Setup: Play low-CMC value creatures (Orzhov Enforcer, Spirited Companion) while ramping with Sol Ring/Arcane Signet.
- Engine Assembly: Deploy death trigger doublers (Teysa Karlov, Drivnod) and sacrifice outlets (Yawgmoth, Thran Physician, Vampiric Rites).
- Value Looping: Recur ETB/drain creatures (Basilica Bell-Haunt, Elas il-Kor) using Athreos' resurrection and reanimation spells (Priest of Fell Rites).
Key Tips:
- Prioritize protecting Teysa Karlov/Drivnod over Athreos - their trigger doubling enables critical mass.
- Use Resourceful Defense to preserve counters from removed creatures.
- Chain afterlife token deaths into Dramatic Finale inkling generation.
Mulligan Priorities:
- 3 lands (ideally untapped)
- Early creature/value piece (Elas il-Kor, Grim Haruspex)
- Sacrifice outlet or engine piece
Avoid Traps:
- Don't overextend into board wipes without recursive protection
- Mangara of Corondor requires instant-speed sac outlets to avoid exile risks
Weaknesses:
Critical:
- Complete graveyard shutdown (Rest in Peace, Leyline of the Void)
- Exile-based removal targeting key engine creatures
Moderate:
- Slow recovery from mass land destruction
- Limited stack interaction (only 3 instant-speed answers)
Minor:
- Vulnerability to flyers (mitigated by Seraph of the Scales)
Most Important Cards:
- Teysa Karlov
- Drivnod, Carnage Dominus
- Yawgmoth, Thran Physician
- Dramatic Finale
- Elas il-Kor, Sadistic Pilgrim
- Resourceful Defense
- Felisa, Fang of Silverquill
- Vampiric Rites
- Carrion Feeder
- Priest of Fell Rites
Attribute Ratings:
Speed: 5/10
- Earliest possible win: T8 via life drain accumulation
- Typical win range: T10-12 through attrition
Resilience: 6/10
- Multiple recursion engines (Athreos, Spirit-Sister's Call, Young Necromancer)
- Vulnerable to exile effects and graveyard hate
Consistency: 7/10
- 8 creature tutors/recursion effects
- Redundant death trigger enablers (3 doublers + 7 afterlife sources)
Interaction: 5/10
- 7 targeted removal, 3 board wipes
- Lacks counterspells and instant-speed protection
Rating Justification:
This deck sits between "Focused Casual" (5.0) and "Optimized Casual" (5.5) on the rubric. It exceeds precon-level synergy with redundant engines and tutors, but lacks the fast mana/tutors needed for higher tiers. The T10-12 win clock and moderate resilience against non-exile interaction align with 5.0-5.5 descriptors. Upgrades like Demonic Tutor or Bolas's Citadel could push it to 6.0.
Power level: 5.0 - 5.5
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