Overview:

This Hazezon, Shaper of Sand deck leverages a Desert-centric landfall strategy to generate massive token armies while recurring utility Deserts for value. Hazezon enables graveyard land play, triggering Sand Warrior token generation and synergizing with land recursion engines like Ancient Greenwarden and Life from the Loam. The deck wins via token swarms amplified by overrun effects (Kamahl, Heart of Krosa, Akroma's Will) or Purphoros-driven damage, with backup combos using Altar of Dementia and Zuran Orb. Hazezon is critical to the strategy, providing both token generation and graveyard recursion synergy, but the deck can function temporarily without it using redundant land-play effects.

Primer:

Core Strategy Execution:

1. Early Setup (T1-4): Prioritize ramp (Sol Ring, Cultivate, Dryad of the Ilysian Grove) and land recursion tools (Ramunap Excavator, Elvish Reclaimer). Use fetchlands (Evolving Wilds, Myriad Landscape) to stock the graveyard with Deserts.
2. Mid-Game Engine (T4-7): Deploy Hazezon and recur Deserts for token generation. Activate landfall payoffs like Avenger of Zendikar, Felidar Retreat, and Purphoros, God of the Forge to build board presence. Use Tireless Provisioner and Zendikar's Roil for incremental value.
3. Win Conditions (T7+):
   • Combat Overwhelm: Use Kamahl, Heart of Krosa or Akroma's Will to swing with massive tokens.
   • Purphoros Burn: Drain opponents via token ETBs with Purphoros, God of the Forge.
   • Altar of Dementia Mill: Sacrifice large token armies to mill opponents.
   • Landfall Synergy: Loop Deserts with Scavenger Grounds/Dunes of the Dead for recurring value.

Mulligan Priorities:

• Keep hands with 2-3 lands, including at least one green source.
• Prioritize early ramp (Sakura-Tribe Elder, Nature's Lore) or land recursion (Elvish Reclaimer, Crop Rotation).
• Look for key synergy pieces like Purphoros, God of the Forge or Ancient Greenwarden in slower metas.

Key Tips:

• Use Scavenger Grounds proactively to exile your own graveyard in response to hate, triggering Desert recursion via Desert Warfare.
• Splendid Reclamation can reset your graveyard while triggering massive landfall effects.
• Temur Sabertooth protects key creatures like Purphoros while rebuying ETB effects from Avenger of Zendikar or Reclamation Sage.

Weaknesses:

Critical

• Graveyard Reliance: Rest in Peace or Leyline of the Void cripples Desert recursion and landfall triggers.
• Board Wipes: Blasphemous Act or Toxic Deluge resets token armies with minimal recovery tools.

Moderate

• Enchantment/Artifact Hate: Loses key engines like Zendikar's Roil or Purphoros, God of the Forge to Bane of Progress.
• Stax Effects: Root Maze slows Desert recursion, while Blood Moon disrupts nonbasic land synergies.

Minor

• Single-Target Removal: Lacks protection for Purphoros beyond Heroic Intervention.
• Slow Mana: Limited fast mana outside Sol Ring delays critical turns.

Most Important Cards:

• Purphoros, God of the Forge (Primary win condition via token ETB damage)
• Ancient Greenwarden (Doubles landfall triggers, enables graveyard land play)
• Life from the Loam (Recurs Deserts and enables landfall loops)
• Avenger of Zendikar (Massive token generation with landfall scaling)
• Scute Swarm (Exponential token growth with land recursion)
• Zendikar's Roil (Token generation engine)
• Akroma's Will (Overrun effect and protection)
• Ramunap Excavator (Redundant graveyard land play)
• Altar of Dementia (Alternative win condition/combo piece)
• Felidar Retreat (Flexible token/counter generation)

Attribute Ratings:

Speed: 6/10
Can threaten wins via Purphoros or combat around T7-8 with optimal draws, but lacks fast mana for explosive starts.

Resilience: 5/10
Moderate recursion/protection, but collapses to resolved graveyard hate or repeated board wipes.

Consistency: 7/10
Strong land tutors (11+ effects) and card draw (Valakut Exploration, Rite of Harmony) ensure steady landfall triggers.

Interaction: 5/10
Efficient targeted removal (Swords to Plowshares, Chaos Warp) but lacks stack interaction beyond Heroic Intervention.

Rating Justification:

The deck’s T7-8 win potential via Purphoros or token swarms aligns with Focused (6.0) benchmarks, but its vulnerability to common disruption and slower mana base place it in the upper Casual range. Resilience limitations offset its strong consistency.

Power level: 5.5 - 6.0