Overview:
A focused mill strategy helmed by Phenax, God of Deception that combines high-toughness creatures with mill effects to deplete opponents' libraries while maintaining control through countermagic and defensive elements.
Primer:
The deck operates primarily through its commander Phenax, God of Deception, enabling creatures to mill opponents based on their toughness. Key creatures like Eater of the Dead and Tree of Perdition provide powerful mill engines, while cards like Bruvac the Grandiloquent double the effectiveness of mill effects. The deck includes multiple tutors and card draw effects to find these pieces consistently.
The strategy is supported by a strong control package including premium counterspells like Force of Will and Fierce Guardianship, allowing the deck to protect its key pieces while disrupting opponents' strategies. Additional mill enchantments and artifacts create redundancy, while cards like Mindcrank and Bloodchief Ascension provide alternative win conditions through combo potential.
Weaknesses:
- Heavily reliant on the commander for its primary strategy
- Vulnerable to graveyard strategies that benefit from being milled
- Limited creature removal options make it susceptible to aggressive strategies
- Can struggle against decks with Eldrazi titans or other shuffle effects
Most Important Cards:
- Bruvac the Grandiloquent
- Eater of the Dead
- Tree of Perdition
- Mindcrank
- Bloodchief Ascension
- Fraying Sanity
- Mesmeric Orb
- Demonic Tutor
- Rhystic Study
- Force of Will
Attribute Ratings:
- Speed: 6/10
- Resilience: 7/10
- Consistency: 8/10
- Interaction: 8/10
Rating Justification:
This deck sits comfortably in the 7.0-7.5 range due to its ability to establish strong control and potentially win through mill combos by turns 5-6. The presence of premium interaction, multiple tutors, and efficient mana rocks provides consistency, while the inclusion of several powerful counterspells allows it to protect its strategy. While not quite reaching cEDH levels of speed and efficiency, it's significantly more powerful than casual builds due to its optimization and ability to handle multiple opponents simultaneously.
Final power level rating: 7.0 - 7.5
Phenax, God of Deception