Overview:

This Esper (WUB) deck helmed by Y'shtola, Night's Blessed focuses on incremental life manipulation, token generation, and noncreature spell synergies. The strategy leverages Y'shtola's triggered abilities to drain opponents and generate card advantage while building a board presence through tokens. Key themes include:

• Life Drain Engine: Queza, Augur of Agonies, Kambal, Consul of Allocation, and Enduring Tenacity convert life gain/loss into damage
• Token Swarm: Black Market Connections, Champions from Beyond, and Summon: Good King Mog XII generate disposable bodies
• Noncreature Payoffs: Cards like Emet-Selch of the Third Seat and Lyse Hext reward casting instants/sorceries
  Y'shtola acts as both a value engine (drawing cards when opponents lose life) and a win condition (chip damage via noncreature spells). The deck struggles to function without its commander but can partially operate through token synergies and backup payoffs like Fandaniel, Telophoroi Ascian.

Primer:

Core Strategy Execution:

1. Early Setup (Turns 1-4):
   • Deploy mana rocks (Sol Ring, Arcane Signet) and token generators (Black Market Connections, Bastion of Remembrance)
   • Cast Y'shtola on curve (turn 4) with protection like Neurok Stealthsuit
   • Establish life-drain triggers with Authority of the Consuls or Kambal, Profiteering Mayor

2. Midgame Value (Turns 5-7):

   • Cast high-CMC noncreature spells (Bolas's Citadel, Sublime Epiphany) to trigger Y'shtola's damage
   • Generate token armies with Champions from Beyond or Quantum Misalignment
   • Use recursion engines like Emet-Selch of the Third Seat to replay key instants/sorceries

3. Win Conditions (Turns 8+):

   • Drain: Amplify life loss with Exsanguinate, Fandaniel, Telophoroi Ascian, and Enduring Tenacity
   • Combat: Overwhelm with token buffs from Caretaker's Talent (level 3) or Dancer's Chakrams
   • Combo Potential: Bolas's Citadel + Sensei's Divining Top-like effects (missing from list) could enable storm turns

Mulligan Priorities:

• Keep hands with 3 lands (including color fixing)
• Prioritize early token generation or Y'shtola protection
• Ensure access to at least 1 life-drain payoff or card engine

Key Tips:

• Time Inkshield as a combat trick to create 10+ flying tokens
• Use Observed Stasis to neutralize key threats while refilling your hand
• Relic of Legends synergizes with the deck's numerous legendary creatures

Weaknesses:

Critical

• No graveyard recursion for permanents beyond limited creature recursion
• Minimal protection against mass artifact/enchantment removal (only Force of Vigor-like effects missing)
• Overreliance on Y'shtola for card advantage

Moderate

• Slow mana base with 15+ tapped lands delays critical turns
• Limited instant-speed interaction for stacked combos
• Token strategies vulnerable to Cursed Totem/Torpor Orb effects

Minor

• Life payment mechanics (Black Market Connections, Snuff Out) can become dangerous
• Some anti-synergy between goad (Eye of Nidhogg) and defensive tokens

Most Important Cards:

• Black Market Connections (Token generation, card advantage)
• Bolas's Citadel (Unrestricted casting, win condition enabler)
• Exsanguinate (Primary life-drain finisher)
• Emet-Selch of the Third Seat (Graveyard recursion engine)
• Queza, Augur of Agonies (Life-drain payoff)
• Inkshield (Token generation and combat defense)
• Sublime Epiphany (Versatile interaction/value)
• Authority of the Consuls (Early life gain/drain trigger)
• Bastion of Remembrance (Token synergy and life drain)
• Y'shtola, Night's Blessed (Core engine)

Attribute Ratings:

Speed: 5/10

• Can threaten wins via life drain or token swarms around T8-10, but lacks fast mana for explosive starts.

Resilience: 4/10

• Limited protection for key pieces beyond equipment. Recovers poorly from board wipes or commander lockdown.

Consistency: 6/10

• Multiple overlapping token/life-drain engines provide redundancy, but lacks tutors for critical combo pieces.

Interaction: 5/10

• Runs premium removal (Swords to Plowshares, Void Rend) but light on counterspells and no stax pieces.

Rating Justification:

This deck operates as a focused casual build with clear life-drain themes and moderate synergy, typically threatening wins via combat or incremental damage around T8-10. While it includes some powerful cards like Bolas's Citadel, its slow mana base and vulnerability to common disruption anchor it below optimized tiers.

Power level: 4.0 - 4.5