Overview:

This Kaalia of the Vast deck focuses on cheating out high-impact Angels, Demons, and Dragons through its commander's attack trigger, supported by reanimation and protective elements. Kaalia serves as the linchpin, enabling explosive turns with threats like Avacyn, Angel of Hope, Archfiend of Despair, and Master of Cruelties. Secondary strategies include graveyard recursion (Animate Dead, Karmic Guide) and a Master of Cruelties one-shot kill combo. The deck balances aggressive creature deployment with robust protection (Teferi's Protection, Flawless Maneuver) and tutor density (Demonic Tutor, Hoarding Broodlord).

Primer:

Core Strategy Execution:

1. Early Setup (Turns 1-3): Prioritize ramp (Sol Ring, Talisman of Indulgence, Phyrexian Tower) and protection (Lightning Greaves). Use Entomb/Faithless Looting to stock graveyard for reanimation.
2. Kaalia Deployment (Turn 3-4): Cast Kaalia with haste enablers (Hall of the Bandit Lord). Equip with Swiftfoot Boots/Mother of Runes to protect against removal.
3. Threat Flood (Turns 4-6): Attack with Kaalia to cheat out:
   • Game-enders: Master of Cruelties (instant kill if unblocked), Gisela, Blade of Goldnight (damage multiplier)
   • Lock pieces: Avacyn, Angel of Hope (indestructible), Linvala, Keeper of Silence (ability shutdown)
4. Recovery/Alternative Lines: Use Living Death or Razaketh, the Foulblooded to rebuild after wipes. Hoarding Broodlord tutors key pieces like Teferi's Protection or Sneak Attack.

Mulligan Priorities:

• Keep hands with 3+ lands, at least 1 ramp artifact, and protection/Kaalia enabler.
• Prioritize Sol Ring, Entomb (to set up reanimation), or Mother of Runes.
• Avoid hands without early plays or excessive high-CMC creatures.

Key Tips:

• Use Phyrexian Reclamation to recycle Kaalia or combo pieces.
• Deflecting Swat/Ephemerate to protect Kaalia during combat.
• Sneak Attack + Karmic Guide enables recursive creature deployment.
• Blood Moon punishes greedy mana bases while your deck operates on basics.

Weaknesses:

Critical

• Commander-dependent strategy: Repeated Kaalia removal cripples the deck's primary engine.
• Weak to Drannith Magistrate/Aven Mindcensor, which block cheat/reanimation effects.

Moderate

• Struggles against flyer-heavy decks (limited reach/trample).
• Rest in Peace/Leyline of the Void nullifies reanimation package.

Minor

• High-CMC creatures clog hands if Kaalia is unavailable.
• Limited stack interaction beyond protection spells.

Most Important Cards:

• Kaalia of the Vast (Primary cheat engine)
• Master of Cruelties (One-shot kill combo)
• Avacyn, Angel of Hope (Indestructible lock)
• Demonic Tutor (Tutor any answer/combo piece)
• Teferi's Protection (Mass protection)
• Sneak Attack (Alternative cheat engine)
• Living Death (Graveyard reset button)
• Phyrexian Reclamation (Recursion engine)
• Deflecting Swat (Free commander protection)
• Blood Moon (Meta-disrupting stax)

Attribute Ratings:

Speed: 7/10
Capable of T4 kills with Kaalia + Master of Cruelties or T5-6 combat dominance via Avacyn/Gisela.

Resilience: 5/10
Multiple protection spells and recursion, but over-reliance on Kaalia creates fragility.

Consistency: 7/10
12 tutors and strong card selection (Faithless Looting, Demand Answers) ensure key pieces are accessible.

Interaction: 6/10
Efficient spot removal (Swords to Plowshares, Anguished Unmaking) but lacks counterspells for stack battles.

Rating Justification:

This deck can threaten wins as early as T4 with optimal draws and has strong redundancy in cheat/reanimation effects, but its commander dependency and vulnerability to common interaction keep it below cEDH tiers. The balance of speed and tutor density aligns with Focused Competitive tiers.

Power level: 6.5 - 7.0