Overview:

This mono-blue deck leverages Minn, Wily Illusionist as its central engine, focusing on mass card draw to create Illusion tokens that enable permanent cheating upon death. The strategy combines token generation, sacrifice outlets, and potent draw engines to assemble combos or overwhelm with value. Minn serves as the critical linchpin: enabling token creation, facilitating permanent cheating, and synergizing with Illusion lords like Lord of the Unreal. The deck wins primarily through lab-man effects, mill combos, or combat with amplified Illusions. Commander removal severely disrupts the engine, making protection essential.

Primer:

Core Strategy Execution:

1. Early Setup (Turns 1-3): Deploy cheap draw (Ponder, Preordain, Brainstorm) or engines (Mystic Remora, Rhystic Study). Establish mana rocks (Sol Ring, Sapphire Medallion) and protect Minn with Lightning Greaves. Prioritize casting Minn by turn 3.
2. Engine Activation (Turns 4-6): Trigger Minn's second draw consistently using cantrips, Frantic Search, or Perilous Research. Sacrifice Illusions to Altar of Dementia, Ashnod's Altar, or Phyrexian Altar to cheat high-impact permanents (e.g., Consecrated Sphinx, Hullbreaker Horror). Use Skullclamp on Illusions for massive draw.
3. Win Condition Execution:
   • Combo: Mill opponents out with Altar of Dementia + a large Illusion (boosted by lords) or infinite blinks via Displacer Kitten + noncreature spells. Win via Laboratory Maniac/Jace, Wielder of Mysteries after self-mill with Blue Sun's Zenith.
   • Combat: Overrun with lord-buffed Illusions (Lord of the Unreal, Krovikan Mist) or token swarms from Meloku the Clouded Mirror.
   • Control Lock: Establish Hullbreaker Horror + cheap spells to bounce all permanents, or Back to Basics to cripple mana bases.

Mulligan Priorities:

• Keep hands with Minn + 2-3 lands/rocks. Prioritize blue sources.
• Include at least one early draw spell or engine (e.g., Brainstorm, Rhystic Study).
• Hands with protection (Swan Song, Abjure) or a sacrifice outlet (Altar of Dementia) are ideal.
• Avoid hands lacking card draw or exceeding 4 CMC average.

Key Tips:

• Maximize Draw Triggers: Sequence multiple draws per turn (e.g., Preordain + Perilous Research) to ensure Minn triggers. Teferi's Ageless Insight doubles draw payoffs.
• Sacrifice Timing: Sacrifice Illusions before blockers to cheat permanents mid-combat. Use High Market for instant-speed sacrifices.
• Protect Minn: Equip Lightning Greaves immediately. Hold counterspells (Arcane Denial, Foil) for board wipes or targeted removal.
• Tutor Wisely: Solve the Equation/Whir of Invention for Kindred Discovery (naming Illusions) or combo pieces like Displacer Kitten.
• Leverage Death Triggers: Clone key creatures with Phantasmal Image before sacrificing. Aura Thief steals enchantments upon death.

Weaknesses:

Critical

• Board Wipes: Mass removal (e.g., Blasphemous Act) resets the board, negating token investment and Minn's death triggers. Limited recursion.
• Graveyard Hate: Rest in Peace/Leyline of the Void disrupts Laboratory Maniac/Jace, Wielder of Mysteries wins and cheated permanent recursion.
• Torpor Orb Effects: Shut off Minn's death trigger and ETB value from cards like Consecrated Sphinx.

Moderate

• Anti-Draw Effects: Narset, Parter of Veils/Notion Thief cripple the primary engine.
• Combo Disruption: Early removal on sacrifice altars or Displacer Kitten delays wins significantly.
• Stax Pieces: Cursed Totem disables Altars; Rule of Law limits draw-trigger stacking.

Minor

• Artifact/Enchantment Removal: Targeted removal on key pieces (e.g., Kindred Discovery) slows the deck but is manageable with counterspells.
• Mana Denial: Blood Moon-like effects hurt but basics mitigate impact.

Most Important Cards:

• Kindred Discovery (Draw engine: triggers on Illusion entry/attack)
• Altar of Dementia (Primary combo piece, enables mill win)
• Displacer Kitten (Infinite blinks with noncreature spells, value engine)
• Ashnod's Altar/Phyrexian Altar (Mana generation, sacrifice outlet)
• Rhystic Study/Mystic Remora (Early draw engine)
• Hullbreaker Horror (Control lock, win condition)
• Skullclamp (Draw amplification via Illusions)
• Lord of the Unreal (Illusion protection/power boost)
• Solve the Equation (Tutors combo/engine pieces)
• Teferi's Ageless Insight (Draw multiplier)

Attribute Ratings:

Speed: 8/10

• Capable of T4-5 wins via Altar mill combos or Displacer Kitten loops, accelerated by cheap draw and mana reduction.

Resilience: 6/10

• Counterspells and Greaves protect key pieces, but over-reliance on Minn and tokens makes it vulnerable to sweepers. Recursion is limited.

Consistency: 8/10

• High density of draw (25+ sources), multiple tutors, and redundancy in engines/combo pieces ensure reliable access to win conditions.

Interaction: 7/10

• Efficient counterspells (Swan Song, Archmage's Charm), targeted removal (Pongify, Resculpt), and stack control provide versatile disruption.

Rating Justification:

This deck operates at high-power competitive levels with T4-5 win potential through efficient combos and exceptional draw consistency, but its reliance on a vulnerable board state and susceptibility to sweepers prevent it from reaching top-tier cEDH resilience. Its speed aligns with Highly Optimized tiers, while disruption weaknesses cap its ceiling.

Power level: 7.5 - 8.0