Overview:

This Golgari Spider tribal deck helmed by Shelob, Child of Ungoliant focuses on leveraging deathtouch creatures and fight spells to control the board while generating value from Food tokens. The deck aims to grind opponents down through attrition, using Shelob's ability to copy defeated creatures as Food artifacts and synergizing with sacrifice outlets like Mirkwood Bats for incremental damage. A secondary poison win condition via Fynn, the Fangbearer and a Thornbite Staff + deathtouch creature combo provide alternative paths to victory. Shelob acts as both a value engine and board control tool, though the deck isn't fully dependent on her presence.

Primer:

Core Strategy Execution:

1. Early Setup (T1-4): Deploy mana dorks (Llanowar Elves, Boreal Druid) and ramp (Sakura-Tribe Elder, Farhaven Elf). Use early spiders like Kessig Recluse or Penumbra Spider to establish deathtouch blockers.
2. Board Control (T3-6): Cast Shelob and use fight spells (Prey Upon, Primal Might) to eliminate threats, generating Food copies. Activate Arasta of the Endless Web against spell-heavy decks.
3. Value Engine Activation: Sacrifice Food tokens from Shelob to Mirkwood Bats for life loss or use Whip of Erebos for recursion. Leverage Guardian Project and Elemental Bond for card advantage.
4. Win Conditions:
   • Combat/Deathtouch: Overwhelm with spider tokens and poison via Fynn.
   • Combo: Equip Thornbite Staff to a deathtouch creature (e.g., Shelob) to repeatedly ping opponents.
   • Attrition: Outvalue opponents with recursive threats (Back for More, Whip of Erebos) and copied Food creatures.

Mulligan Priorities:

• Keep hands with 2-3 lands (including green/black sources).
• Prioritize early ramp (dorks, Utopia Sprawl) and at least one deathtouch creature.
• Look for Fynn, the Fangbearer or Thornbite Staff in aggressive metas.

Key Tips:

• Use Golgari Charm to regenerate spiders during board wipes.
• Skyfisher Spider can sacrifice Food tokens to destroy key nonland permanents.
• Shelob, Dread Weaver provides late-game recursion for exiled creatures.

Weaknesses:

Critical

• Board wipes cripple spider tokens and key creatures with limited recovery outside Wrap in Vigor.
• Graveyard hate (Rest in Peace, Leyline of the Void) disrupts recursion engines like Whip of Erebos and Back for More.

Moderate

• Artifact removal targets critical pieces like Thornbite Staff and Metallic Mimic.
• Fast combo decks outpace this deck's grindy strategy.

Minor

• Flying threats can bypass most spiders unless Arasta of the Endless Web is active.
• Mana inconsistency due to tapped lands (Jungle Hollow, Foul Orchard).

Most Important Cards:

• Shelob, Child of Ungoliant (Board control & Food generation)
• Thornbite Staff (Combo enabler with deathtouch)
• Fynn, the Fangbearer (Alternative poison wincon)
• Mirkwood Bats (Sacrifice payoff for Food tokens)
• Arasta of the Endless Web (Token generation vs. spells)
• Guardian Project (Card advantage engine)
• Whip of Erebos (Recursion & lifelink)
• Casualties of War (Versatile removal)
• Primal Might (Scaling fight spell)
• Metallic Mimic (Spider tribal synergy)

Attribute Ratings:

Speed: 4/10

• Wins typically occur around T10+ via incremental damage or Fynn poison. The Thornbite combo requires setup and lacks tutors.

Resilience: 5/10

• Moderate recursion and protection (Swarmyard, Wrap in Vigor), but struggles against repeated board wipes.

Consistency: 6/10

• Limited tutors but strong card draw (Guardian Project, Phyrexian Arena) and redundancy in fight spells/spiders.

Interaction: 5/10

• Targeted removal (Murderous Rider, Bite Down) and board control via deathtouch, but lacks stack interaction.

Rating Justification:

This deck operates as a tuned casual build with a clear combat-focused game plan and a slow but potent combo backup. Its T10-12 win potential and moderate resilience against single-target removal align it with upgraded precons, though its vulnerability to board wipes caps its power.

Power level: 4.0 - 4.5