Overview:

This Golgari deck helmed by Dina, Soul Steeper employs a life-gain aristocrats strategy with a potent infinite combo finish. The primary game plan revolves around generating value through Pest tokens, life-gain triggers, and death effects like Zulaport Cutthroat and The Meathook Massacre, while threatening a game-ending loop with Exquisite Blood + Dina. The commander serves as both a critical combo piece (enabling infinite drain with Exquisite Blood) and a value engine that converts incidental life gain into damage. The deck leverages high-powered mana acceleration (Gaea's Cradle, Mana Vault, Grim Monolith) and premium tutors (Demonic Tutor, Imperial Seal) to execute its strategy efficiently.

Primer:

Core Strategy Execution:

1. Early Setup (Turns 1-3): Deploy fast mana (Mox Diamond, Sol Ring, Elvish Mystic), life-gain enablers (Essence Warden, Jaddi Offshoot), and token generators (Sedgemoor Witch, Blight Mound). Use tutors to find key pieces like Exquisite Blood or Beledros Witherbloom.
2. Value Engine Activation (Turns 3-5): Resolve payoff engines like Phyrexian Arena, Bastion of Remembrance, or Beledros Witherbloom. Sacrifice tokens to Diabolic Intent or Culling the Weak for explosive plays. Activate Gaea's Cradle for massive mana.
3. Win Condition Execution:
   • Infinite Combo: Resolve Exquisite Blood with Dina in play. Any life-gain trigger (e.g., Pest death) starts an infinite drain loop.
   • Mass Drain: Overwhelm opponents with stacked triggers from The Meathook Massacre, Marauding Blight-Priest, and Witherbloom Apprentice using Pest swarms.
   • Alternate Lines: Beledros Witherbloom enables land untap loops with Pest Infestation or Scute Swarm for exponential tokens.

Mulligan Priorities:

• Keep hands with 2-3 lands including green/black sources.
• Prioritize fast mana (Sol Ring, Mox Diamond) or 1-drop accelerants (Deathrite Shaman).
• Look for early life-gain enablers (Essence Warden) or tutors.
• Avoid hands without black mana or excessive high-CMC spells.

Key Tips:

• Use Veinwitch Coven to recur combo pieces like Dina if removed.
• Sacrifice Dina herself to Diabolic Intent (post-combo setup) for instant-speed tutor responses.
• Heroic Intervention protects against board wipes targeting your engine pieces.
• Pest Infestation doubles as interaction and token generation.

Weaknesses:

Critical

• Combo Reliance: The Exquisite Blood combo is fragile to enchantment removal (Nature's Claim, Assassin's Trophy).
• Graveyard Vulnerability: Recursion engines (Reanimate, Veinwitch Coven) fold to Rest in Peace.
• Commander Dependency: Dina is essential for the primary combo; repeated removal slows the deck significantly.

Moderate

• Board Wipes: Damnation-effects reset token boards and force rebuilds.
• Anti-Life Gain: Solemnity or Tainted Remedy nullifies the core strategy.

Minor

• Artifact Hate: Collector Ouphe disrupts fast mana and Grim Monolith.
• Stack Interaction: Limited counterspells make resolving key sorceries (Exquisite Blood) vulnerable.

Most Important Cards:

• Exquisite Blood (Primary combo piece)
• Gaea's Cradle (Explosive mana for token swarms)
• Demonic Tutor (Finds combo pieces/answers)
• The Meathook Massacre (Board wipe + drain engine)
• Beledros Witherbloom (Token generation + mana doubling)
• Diabolic Intent (Sacrifice outlet + tutor)
• Sedgemoor Witch (Token generation + magecraft synergy)
• Mana Vault (Early combo acceleration)
• Imperial Seal (Consistency for combo assembly)
• Heroic Intervention (Protects critical board states)

Attribute Ratings:

Speed: 8/10
Capable of T3-4 wins with perfect draws (fast mana into Exquisite Blood + Dina), though typically threatens T5-6 kills through tutors and redundancy.

Resilience: 6/10
Multiple recursion options and protection spells, but core combo remains vulnerable to targeted removal. Token strategies recover slowly from wipes.

Consistency: 9/10
12 tutors (including Worldly Tutor, Vampiric Tutor) and strong card draw ensure reliable access to combo pieces.

Interaction: 5/10
Efficient targeted removal (Assassin's Trophy, Deadly Rollick), but lacks counterspells to protect combos proactively.

Rating Justification:

This deck operates at cEDH-adjacent speeds with T3-4 win potential through optimized mana and tutors, but its reliance on a fragile two-card combo and vulnerability to common interaction keeps it below top-tier viability. The robust consistency and explosive starts align with High Power tiers, while resilience limitations cap its ceiling.

Power level: 7.5 - 8.0