Overview:

This Golgari deck helmed by Dina, Soul Steeper employs an aristocrats strategy focused on life-gain triggers and creature death synergies. The commander amplifies incremental life gain into opponent life loss while enabling sacrifice outlets for value. The deck wins primarily through passive drain effects (e.g., Zulaport Cutthroat, Blood Artist) and secondarily via token swarms from Zendikar's Roil/Rampaging Baloths or big threats like Massacre Wurm. Dina serves as both a win condition enabler and sacrifice outlet, though the deck can function without her through redundant drain effects.

Primer:

Core Strategy Execution:

1. Early Setup (Turns 1-4): Deploy mana dorks (Wood Elves, Sakura-Tribe Elder), life-gain engines (Basilisk Collar, Vampire Nighthawk), and value pieces like Awakening Zone.
2. Midgame Engine (Turns 4-6): Establish death triggers with Zulaport Cutthroat/Blood Artist, token generators (Zendikar's Roil), and recursion (Reassembling Skeleton). Use Viscera Seer and High Market to sacrifice fodder.
3. Win Conditions (Turns 6+):
   • Drain: Activate multiple death/life-gain triggers per turn via token sacrifices.
   • Combat: Overrun with token armies from Rampaging Baloths or Arasta of the Endless Web.
   • Burst Damage: Massacre Wurm paired with board wipes or Decree of Pain.

Mulligan Priorities:

• Keep hands with 3 lands (including Golgari sources)
• Prioritize early ramp (Cultivate, Farseek) or a 2-card synergy (e.g., Awakening Zone + sacrifice outlet)
• Avoid hands lacking creature generation or life-gain enablers

Key Tips:

• Use Fake Your Own Death on key creatures like Massacre Wurm for double ETB triggers
• Mortality Spear becomes nearly free with consistent life gain
• Necromantic Selection can steal opponents' creatures while preserving your death triggers
• Druid Class Level 3 turns lands into massive threats with Zendikar's Roil

Weaknesses:

Critical

• Heavy reliance on creature-based engines makes it vulnerable to board wipes (only 3 mass recursion effects)
• Limited answers to enchantment-based stax like Rest in Peace or Leyline of the Void

Moderate

• Slow setup against aggressive decks due to tapped lands (7 enters-tapped)
• Minimal stack interaction (only 4 instant-speed removals)

Minor

• Life-gain synergies partially countered by Tainted Remedy effects
• Token strategies weak to Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite

Most Important Cards:

• Zulaport Cutthroat (Primary drain engine)
• Blood Artist (Redundant life-loss trigger)
• Massacre Wurm (Board control + life loss)
• Awakening Zone (Token generation + sacrifice fodder)
• Moldervine Reclamation (Card advantage engine)
• Zendikar's Roil (Token generation for landfall)
• Viscera Seer (Free sacrifice outlet + scry)
• Deathreap Ritual (Consistent card draw)
• Diabolic Intent (Tutor + sacrifice synergy)
• Reassembling Skeleton (Recurring sacrifice fodder)

Attribute Ratings:

Speed: 4/10

• Goldfish win around T8-10 through incremental drain; lacks fast mana or compact combos

Resilience: 5/10

• Moderate recursion (Zombify, Reassembling Skeleton) but struggles to rebuild after multiple wipes

Consistency: 6/10

• Redundant drain effects and land-based token generation provide multiple angles, but limited tutors

Interaction: 5/10

• Targeted removal (Putrefy, Hero's Downfall) and board wipes, but minimal counterspells or artifact/enchantment removal

Rating Justification:

This deck demonstrates focused casual play with multiple synergistic lines but lacks the speed and protection of optimized builds. Its T8-10 win potential through combat/drain and moderate resilience align with the 4.0-4.5 tier, though mana base issues prevent higher consistency.

Power level: 4.0 - 4.5