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Average CMC
Cost
Salt Score
Overview:
This Athreos, God of Passage deck focuses on Cleric tribal synergies and sacrifice/reanimation loops to drain opponents through death triggers. The strategy leverages recursive creatures like Orah, Skyclave Hierophant and Doomed Necromancer alongside payoff cards like Zulaport Cutthroat and Exquisite Blood. While capable of assembling a game-ending Exquisite Blood + Enduring Tenacity combo, the deck primarily grinds value through incremental life loss from Cleric attrition.
Primer:
Core Strategy:
- Sacrifice Engine: Use Clerics like Priest of Forgotten Gods and Ayli, Eternal Pilgrim to sacrifice creatures for value, triggering Athreos’ recursion and death payoff cards.
- Life Drain: Amplify death triggers with Bastion of Remembrance, Marauding Blight-Priest, and Elas il-Kor, Sadistic Pilgrim to pressure opponents’ life totals.
- Recursion Loops: Chain Cleric deaths with Orah, Skyclave Hierophant and Whisper, Blood Liturgist to maintain board presence while draining opponents.
- Combo Finish: Assemble Exquisite Blood + Enduring Tenacity for infinite life drain (requires 9 mana and both enchantments in play).
Mulligan Priorities:
- Keep hands with 3 lands and early Clerics (Soul Warden, Benevolent Bodyguard).
- Prioritize payoff cards (Zulaport Cutthroat, Bastion of Remembrance) over enablers.
- Avoid hands without sac outlets or recursion in grindy matchups.
Key Tips:
- Time Kaya’s Wrath after establishing death triggers for maximum value.
- Use Pyre of Heroes to chain Clerics into key pieces like Taborax, Hope’s Demise.
- Protect Exquisite Blood with Benevolent Bodyguard before attempting combo turns.
Weaknesses:
Critical
- Foldsto grave hate (Rest in Peace disables recursion)
- No protection for key combo pieces
- Limited answers to enchantments/artifacts
Moderate
- Slow recovery from board wipes
- Relies on creature-based value engines
Minor
- Tapped lands slow early development
- Minimal stack interaction
Most Important Cards:
- Exquisite Blood
- Zulaport Cutthroat
- Bastion of Remembrance
- Elas il-Kor, Sadistic Pilgrim
- Orah, Skyclave Hierophant
- Grave Pact
- Enduring Tenacity
- Pontiff of Blight
- Priest of Forgotten Gods
- Taborax, Hope’s Demise
Attribute Ratings:
Speed: 4/10
Grindiest wins at T10+, combo potential T8-9 with perfect draws.
Resilience: 5/10
Moderate recursion but vulnerable to grave hate and lacks protection spells.
Consistency: 4/10
Limited tutors (Pyre of Heroes, Entomber Exarch) and draw power.
Interaction: 3/10
Relies on sorcery-speed removal (Baleful Mastery, Demon’s Disciple).
Rating Justification:
This deck operates as a focused casual build with slow but persistent life drain strategies and one fragile combo line. Its reliance on creature-based value engines and lack of free interaction place it below optimized casual tiers.
Power level: 4.0 - 4.5
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