Overview:

This Bant (GWU) deck leverages Tidus, Yuna's Guardian as a central engine for a +1/+1 counter synergy and proliferation strategy. The commander enables counter redistribution at combat, fuels card draw via "Cheer," and facilitates proliferate triggers. The deck wins through overwhelming combat damage (amplified by unblockable effects like Herald of Secret Streams), infinite turns (Sage of Hours + mass counter doubling), infinite mana combos (e.g., Freed from the Real/Pemmin's Aura on Kami of Whispered Hopes), and alt-win cons like Simic Ascendancy. Tidus acts as both an enabler (counter movement) and payoff (card draw), making the strategy commander-dependent but resilient to removal through counter redundancy and protection spells.

Primer:

Core Strategy Execution:

1. Early Setup (Turns 1-3): Deploy mana accelerants (Sol Ring, Nature's Lore, Three Visits) and counter enablers (Hardened Scales, Pir, Imaginative Rascal). Prioritize creatures that generate value on entry or attack (Esper Sentinel, Biophagus, Kami of Whispered Hopes).
2. Board Development & Counter Synergy (Turns 3-5): Cast Tidus and deploy key counter engines (Doubling Season, The Ozolith, The Great Henge). Use counter distributors like Bristly Bill, Spine Sower or Zimone, Paradox Sculptor. Protect key pieces with Slip Out the Back or Galadriel's Dismissal.
3. Win Condition Execution (Turns 5-7+):
   • Combat: Make creatures unblockable via Herald of Secret Streams or Rikku, Resourceful Guardian, then alpha-strike with pumped creatures. Use Akroma's Will for lethal.
   • Infinite Turns: Generate 5+ counters on Sage of Hours (e.g., via Doubling Season + Zimone, Paradox Sculptor), then remove counters for extra turns.
   • Infinite Mana: Attach Freed from the Real/Pemmin's Aura to Kami of Whispered Hopes (with sufficient counters) to generate infinite mana, enabling Walking Ballista or massive Finale of Devastation.
   • Alt-Win: Accumulate 20+ growth counters on Simic Ascendancy via proliferation/counter doubling.

Mulligan Priorities:

• Keep hands with 2-3 lands (including color fixing), 1-2 ramp pieces, and at least one counter engine/synergy piece (e.g., Hardened Scales, Pir, Imaginative Rascal, Kami of Whispered Hopes).
• Prioritize hands containing Tidus protection (Swiftfoot Boots, Slip Out the Back) or early draw (Rhystic Study, Sylvan Library) in interactive metas.
• Avoid hands lacking ramp or counter synergy enablers.

Key Tips:

• Maximize Proliferation: Trigger Tidus' "Cheer" ability consistently to draw and proliferate. Use Lulu, Stern Guardian, Ripples of Potential, and Tekuthal, Inquiry Dominus for additional proliferate bursts.
• Protect Combos: Shield critical combo pieces (Sage, Kami, Ascendancy) with phasing effects (Slip Out the Back, Ripples of Potential) or counterspells. Plaza of Heroes protects Tidus.
• Leverage Counter Movement: Use Agatha's Soul Cauldron and Rikku, Resourceful Guardian to steal/redistribute counters. The Ozolith safeguards counters from board wipes.
• Tutor Wisely: Fetch combo pieces (Sage, Freed, Herald) or value engines (Henge, Doubling Season) based on board state.

Weaknesses:

Critical

• Severely hampered by Cursed Totem/Linvala, Keeper of Silence: Shuts down Kami, Kinnan, Sage, Biophagus, and mana dorks.
• Vulnerable to board wipes: Struggles to rebuild quickly if key counter engines (Doubling Season, Ozolith) are removed early.
• Torpor Orb/Hushbringer: Nullifies ETB triggers from Eternal Witness, Rikku, Slippery Bogbonder, and The Great Henge.

Moderate

• Graveyard hate: Disrupts Bala Ged Recovery and Hall of Heliod's Generosity recursion.
• Counter removal: Targeted -1/-1 effects or Suncleanser cripple Sage/Kami.
• Rule of Law effects: Limit ability to chain spells/combo off in one turn.

Minor

• Artifact/Enchantment focus: Key pieces (Doubling Season, Ascendancy, Henge) are vulnerable to mass removal like Farewell.
• Flying threats: Limited reach/flying blockers outside Kodama of the West Tree activation.

Most Important Cards:

• Doubling Season (Doubles all counters, accelerates wins)
• Sage of Hours (Primary infinite turns win condition)
• Kami of Whispered Hopes (Mana engine, combo piece with Freed/Pemmin's)
• Herald of Secret Streams (Enables combat wins by making creatures unblockable)
• The Ozolith (Counter preservation after wipes/removal)
• Simic Ascendancy (Alt-win condition)
• Hardened Scales (Essential counter multiplier)
• Pir, Imaginative Rascal (Doubles all counters alongside Doubling Season)
• Freed from the Real (Infinite mana enabler with Kami)
• The Great Henge (Card draw, ramp, counter source)

Attribute Ratings:

Speed: 7/10

• Capable of T5-6 wins via Sage of Hours combo or infinite mana -> Ballista/Finale, accelerated by fast ramp and counter doubling.

Resilience: 5/10

• Has protection (phasing, counterspells) and recursion (Ozolith, Hall of Heliod's), but heavily reliant on creatures/counters vulnerable to widespread removal/stax.

Consistency: 7/10

• High density of counter synergies and proliferate effects; lacks direct tutors for non-creature combo pieces (Freed, Ascendancy), relying on card draw.

Interaction: 6/10

• Solid counterspell suite (Counterspell, Swan Song, Permission Denied) and targeted removal (Galadriel's Dismissal, Farewell), but limited stack control beyond blue counters.

Rating Justification:

The deck achieves T5-6 wins consistently through efficient combos (Sage, Freed/Kami) and combat synergy, aligning with the "Focused Competitive" (7.0) speed benchmark. However, its vulnerability to creature-centric disruption and stax pieces reduces resilience below cEDH thresholds, placing it in the high-power optimized range.

Power level: 7.0 - 7.5