Overview:

This Gruul Werewolf tribal deck leverages Tovolar, Dire Overlord to generate card advantage through combat damage and control the day/night cycle. The primary strategy involves deploying aggressive Werewolves and Wolf tokens, utilizing transformation synergies to overwhelm opponents with combat damage. Key upgrades like Craterhoof Behemoth, Shared Animosity, and Aggravated Assault provide explosive finishes. Tovolar is essential as both a card draw engine and a mana sink for trample, though the deck can function temporarily without him due to its high creature density.

Primer:

Core Strategy Execution:

1. Early Setup (Turns 1-3): Prioritize ramp (Sol Ring, Rampant Growth, Three Visits) and low-cost Werewolves (Village Messenger, Duskwatch Recruiter). Cast Tovolar ASAP to enable card draw. Use Moonmist or Into the Night to force transformations.
2. Board Development (Turns 3-5): Deploy lords like Immerwolf, Mayor of Avabruck, and Nightpack Ambusher to buff the pack. Utilize card advantage engines (Sylvan Library, Beast Whisperer, Guardian Project) to refill. Maintain night with Tovolar’s ability or The Celestus.
3. Win Condition Execution (Turns 5-7):
   • Combat Overkill: Swing wide with transformed Werewolves/Wolves, then cast Craterhoof Behemoth or activate Kessig Wolf Run for lethal.
   • Synergy Amplification: Use Shared Animosity for exponential power boosts or Aggravated Assault for multiple combats fueled by Kessig Naturalist/Weaver of Blossoms.
   • Commander Damage: Pump key creatures with Tovolar’s ability for trample commander damage.

Mulligan Priorities:

• Keep hands with 2-3 lands (including green/red sources), Tovolar, and at least one ramp spell or 1-2 CMC creature.
• Prioritize hands with early card draw (Sylvan Library, Duskwatch Recruiter) or night control (Moonmist, The Celestus).
• Avoid hands lacking ramp, low creature density, or only high-CMC spells.

Key Tips:

• Control the Cycle: Force night early to maximize transformed states. Moonmist protects against combat damage while transforming Humans.
• Protect Key Pieces: Use Heroic Intervention/Asceticism to defend against wipes. Immerwolf locks Werewolves in night form.
• Exploit Triggers: Silverfur Partisan generates tokens when your pack is targeted. Sacrifice Outland Liberator pre-transformation for instant-speed artifact/enchantment removal.
• Tutor Wisely: Howlpack Piper cheats creatures; prioritize Craterhoof or lords when ready to alpha strike.

Weaknesses:

Critical

• Board Wipes: Mass removal (Blasphemous Act, Damnation) devastates the creature-dependent strategy. Limited recovery beyond card draw.
• Transformation Disruption: Torpor Orb/Humility nullifies ETB triggers (Craterhoof, token generators). Immerwolf is the only counterplay.

Moderate

• Day/Night Manipulation: Opponents forcing day via spellcasting nullifies Werewolf bonuses and Tovolar’s draw trigger.
• Stax Effects: Cursed Totem shuts off Tovolar’s pump and mana abilities (Kessig Naturalist, Weaver of Blossoms).

Minor

• Graveyard Hate: Limited recursion (Unnatural Moonrise flashback) is disrupted but not essential.
• Flying Threats: Limited reach; relies on Daybreak Ranger or combat tricks like Bite Down.

Most Important Cards:

• Craterhoof Behemoth (Primary combat finisher)
• Tovolar, Dire Overlord (Card draw, night control, win enabler)
• Immerwolf (Locks Werewolves transformed, anthem effect)
• Shared Animosity (Massive power boost for alpha strikes)
• Aggravated Assault (Extra combats with mana dorks)
• Sylvan Library (Premium card selection/advantage)
• Nightpack Ambusher (Flash threat, token generation, anthem)
• Heroic Intervention (Critical wipe protection)
• Kessig Naturalist (Ramp that transforms into lord)
• Mayor of Avabruck (Token generation and anthem)

Attribute Ratings:

Speed: 7/10

• Can threaten wins via combat as early as T5 with Craterhoof or multiple combats, leveraging efficient ramp and aggressive curves.

Resilience: 6/10

• Runs protection (Heroic Intervention, Asceticism) and card draw to recover, but heavily reliant on board state; weak to back-to-back wipes.

Consistency: 7/10

• Strong creature density and card draw (Tovolar, Sylvan Library, Beast Whisperer) ensure board presence, but lacks tutors for key non-creature pieces like Aggravated Assault.

Interaction: 5/10

• Targeted removal (Abrade, Decimate, Bite Down) handles threats, but minimal stack interaction and no counterspells leave combos unprotected.

Rating Justification:

This deck achieves T5-7 wins through potent combat synergies and Craterhoof, placing it in the Focused tier. Its resilience is hampered by board wipe vulnerability and meta-dependent day/night mechanics, preventing higher optimization.

Power level: 6.0 - 6.5