Overview:

This Grixis (UBR) deck leverages Sauron, Lord of the Rings as a powerful reanimation engine and Army generator. The primary strategy revolves around amassing a massive Orc Army token (created by Sauron's ETB and numerous other cards) to win via combat, supplemented by reanimating/value-cheating high-impact creatures (like The Balrog of Moria, Scourge of the Throne) from the graveyard. Secondary themes include Ring-tempting synergies (enabling Lord of the Nazgûl, Nazgûl) and grindy value through card draw and attrition. Sauron is essential, providing immediate board presence and setting up graveyard recursion, though his high cost (7CMC) makes him vulnerable to removal before impacting the board. Sauron, the Necromancer acts as a potent "hidden commander" for recurring threats.

Primer:

Core Strategy Execution:

1. Early Setup (Turns 1-4): Prioritize ramp (Sol Ring, Arcane Signet, Worn Powerstone) and value engines (The One Ring, Moria Scavenger). Mill yourself strategically (Sauron's cast trigger, Pilfered Plans, Surrounded by Orcs) to fuel reanimation. Develop early threats/blockers like Gothmog, Morgul Lieutenant or Nazgûl.
2. Deploy Commander/Key Engines (Turns 5-7): Cast Sauron, Lord of the Rings to amass 5, mill 5, and reanimate a key creature (e.g., The Balrog of Moria, Voracious Fell Beast). Protect Sauron with boots/indirect protection. Alternatively, deploy Sauron, the Necromancer or Lord of the Nazgûl to generate recurring value/threats. Utilize card draw (Fact or Fiction, Boon of the Wish-Giver) to find key pieces.
3. Amplify & Execute Win (Turns 6-10):
   • Combat: Swing with the massive Army token, boosted by lords (Gothmog, Morgul Lieutenant), combat tricks (Executioner's Hood), and finishers like Scourge of the Throne (enabling extra combats). Grond, the Gatebreaker provides another large attacker.
   • Reanimation Value: Cheat out powerful ETB/death triggers (Balrog of Moria, Knollspine Dragon, Witch-king, Sky Scourge) repeatedly using Sauron's ability, Reanimate, Extract from Darkness, or Living Death.
   • Synergy Wins: Leverage Lord of the Nazgûl to create an army of 9/9 Wraiths. Use Gríma Wormtongue + sacrifice outlets for life denial. In the Darkness Bind Them provides late-game creature theft.

Mulligan Priorities:

• Keep hands with 3+ lands, including fixing (Command Tower, duals).
• Prioritize hands containing ramp (Sol Ring, Signet, Powerstone) or early value (Moria Scavenger, Nazgûl).
• Look for hands enabling T5-6 Sauron OR containing a strong standalone threat/value piece (Lord of the Nazgûl, The One Ring, Balrog).
• Avoid hands lacking ramp, lands, or early plays; hands overloaded with high-CMC cards without setup.

Key Tips:

• Graveyard Management: Mill yourself proactively but selectively. Use Gravepurge/Crypt Incursion defensively. Prioritize reanimating creatures with ETB/death triggers (Balrog, Fell Beast) or evasion (Scourge).
• Protect Your Army: The Orc Army token is critical. Avoid overextending into wipes without protection/recursion. Use Necrobite or Swiftfoot Boots on it if needed.
• Leverage The Ring: Prioritize making Sauron your Ring-bearer for evasion and recursion protection. Nazgûl benefits immensely from repeated tempting.
• Living Death Timing: Cast Living Death as a board reset or win attempt when your graveyard has superior threats/ETBs compared to opponents. Ensure you can handle potential opposing threats.
• Gríma Combo: Use Gríma, Saruman's Footman to steal opponents' spells. Pair with sacrifice outlets (Gríma Wormtongue) or evasion enablers (Rogue's Passage).

Weaknesses:

Critical

• Extremely Vulnerable to Board Wipes: Relies heavily on a single Army token and key creatures. Lacks mass recursion outside Living Death. Recovery is slow.
• Severely Hosed by Graveyard Hate: Rest in Peace, Leyline of the Void, etc., cripple Sauron's ETB, reanimation spells, and value engines like Shelob/Balrog.
• Anti-Token Effects: Torpor Orb, Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite, Cursed Totem (shuts off Army activation) devastate the primary game plan.

Moderate

• Targeted Removal on Key Engines: Killing Sauron before his ETB resolves, removing Lord of the Nazgûl, or exiling The One Ring significantly slows the deck.
• Limited Fast Mana/Tutors: Lacks high-power ramp (Mana Crypt) and efficient tutors (Demonic Tutor), slowing combo/engine assembly.
• Susceptible to Flyers: The Army lacks flying/reach. Needs specific cards (Voracious Fell Beast, Lord of the Nazgûl) to block effectively.

Minor

• Life Total Pressure: Some cards cost life (Sulfurous Springs, Reanimate). Aggressive decks can pressure life total before the deck stabilizes.
• Artifact/Enchantment Reliance: Key pieces (The One Ring, Staff of Domination, Equipment) are vulnerable to removal, though the deck has some answers.

Most Important Cards:

• Sauron, Lord of the Rings (Primary engine: Army generation, reanimation, Ring tempting)
• Lord of the Nazgûl (Alternative win condition: Creates Wraith army, scales with spells)
• The One Ring (Critical card draw and protection engine)
• Living Death (Asymmetric board reset/win condition)
• Blasphemous Act (Primary board wipe, often cheap)
• Gríma Wormtongue (Life denial, Army synergy, sacrifice outlet)
• Voracious Fell Beast (Disruption, life gain, Army synergy via Food)
• Reanimate (Efficient reanimation)
• Scourge of the Throne (Combat finisher enabling extra turns)
• The Balrog of Moria (High-impact reanimation target, removal, Treasure generation)

Attribute Ratings:

Speed: 5/10

• Can threaten wins via combat/reanimation around turns 8-10 in ideal scenarios, but lacks fast mana or T4-5 combos. Relies on resolving costly commanders/key spells.

Resilience: 4/10

• Vulnerable to common disruption (wipes, gy hate). Has some recursion (Living Death, Ring tempting recursion) and protection (Necrobite), but recovery is often slow and resource-intensive.

Consistency: 5/10

• Moderate card draw (One Ring, Fact or Fiction) and some self-mill, but lacks efficient tutors for key combo pieces (Lord of the Nazgûl) or win conditions. Relies on drawing into engines naturally.

Interaction: 6/10

• Solid targeted removal suite (Claim the Precious, Wrecking Ball, Smite the Deathless, Reach of Shadows) and counterspells (Arcane Denial, Saruman's Trickery). Good board wipes (Blasphemous Act, Decree of Pain). Lacks stack interaction beyond counters.

Rating Justification:

This deck possesses a clear game plan centered around Sauron's ETB and reanimation, capable of generating significant value and threatening wins via combat or synergy around turns 8-10. However, its reliance on a vulnerable commander, susceptibility to common hate pieces (gy/tokens), and lack of high-speed combos or robust protection prevent it from reaching higher tiers. Its strengths align with Optimized Casual, but its critical weaknesses cap its ceiling.

Power level: 5.0 - 5.5