Overview:

This Etali, Primal Conqueror deck combines explosive ramp, creature cloning synergies, and multiple infinite combos to dominate through overwhelming value and alternate win conditions. The strategy revolves around cheating out massive threats early, cloning Etali for cascading value from exile triggers, and deploying game-ending combos through redundant mana engines.

Primer:

Core Strategy: The deck accelerates into Etali using premium ramp (Gaea's Cradle, Mana Vault) and clones (Splinter Twin, Helm of the Host) to multiply its cascade triggers. Backup plans include:

1. Food Chain Combos: Food Chain + Squee, the Immortal generates infinite mana to cast Etali repeatedly, flooding the board with exiled spells.
2. Dualcaster Lines: Dualcaster Mage + Twinflame creates infinite hasty tokens with sufficient reducers like Goblin Anarchomancer.
3. Poison Kill: Transformed Etali's infect via Roaming Throne (naming Dinosaur) and evasion enablers like Rogue's Passage.

Key Interactions:

• Selvala, Heart of the Wilds/Nyxbloom Ancient turbocharges mana for early Etali casts
• Panharmonicon/Conjurer's Closet doubles ETB value from cloned creatures
• Temur Sabertooth protects combo pieces while resetting ETBs

Mulligan Priorities:

• Keep hands with 2+ ramp sources (e.g., Sol Ring + Nature's Lore)
• Prioritize T3-4 Etali casts or T3 Food Chain setups
• Reject hands without acceleration or color fixing

Critical Sequencing:

1. Early Game: Deploy dorks/rocks, tutor Food Chain with Worldly Tutor
2. Mid Game: Resolve Etali/Blightsteel Colossus, clone for exponential value
3. Endgame: Protect infinite combos with Deflecting Swat/Heroic Intervention

Weaknesses:

Critical:

• Relies on 2-card combos vulnerable to instant-speed interaction (e.g., Food Chain disruption)
• Limited stack interaction for protecting non-creature combos

Moderate:

• Heavy commander dependence for primary value engine
• Struggles against Drannith Magistrate/Cursed Totem effects

Minor:

• Mitigated by diverse wincons (poison, combat, exile value)

Most Important Cards:

• Food Chain
• Squee, the Immortal
• Selvala, Heart of the Wilds
• Gaea's Cradle
• Dualcaster Mage
• Nyxbloom Ancient
• Deflecting Swat
• Sylvan Library
• Blightsteel Colossus
• Roaming Throne

Attribute Ratings:

Speed: 8/10

• T3-4 wins via Food Chain/Mana Vault acceleration
• T5 goldfish kills common through cloned Etali triggers

Resilience: 6/10

• 6 protection spells (e.g., Heroic Intervention, Tamiyo's Safekeeping)
• Limited graveyard reliance outside Eternal Witness loops

Consistency: 7/10

• 5 tutors (Worldly Tutor, Sylvan Tutor, etc.) + 8 card advantage engines
• Redundant mana multipliers (Selvala/Nyxbloom/Mirror Box)

Interaction: 5/10

• 7 targeted removal spells (Chaos Warp, Archdruid's Charm)
• Lacks free counterspells/stax to delay opponents

Rating Justification:

This deck operates at the high-power EDH tier with cEDH-adjacent combos but lacks the interaction density and T2-3 consistency of top-tier lists. Its T3-5 goldfish speed and layered threats align with Rubric 7.5-8.0 ("T3-4 win/lock"), but vulnerability to early interaction and commander dependence prevent higher ratings. Outpaces optimized casual (5.5) through compact combos, but falls short of cEDH's redundancy/protection standards.

Power level: 7.5 - 8.0