Overview:

This Rakdos deck helmed by Valgavoth, Harrower of Souls employs a group slug strategy focused on incremental life loss through forced card draw triggers, noncreature spell punishment, and damage amplification. The commander serves as a card advantage engine and scaling threat, but the deck doesn't rely entirely on it. Key synergies involve Underworld Dreams, Spiteful Visions, and Kederekt Parasite to drain opponents, while Solphim, Mayhem Dominus doubles damage output. Secondary win conditions include Gray Merchant of Asphodel devotion bursts and Bolas's Citadel topdeck manipulation.

Primer:

Core Strategy Execution:

1. Early Setup (Turns 1-4): Deploy mana rocks (Sol Ring, Rakdos Signet) and low-cost enablers like Stormfist Crusader or Kederekt Parasite. Use Dark Ritual for explosive starts with Painful Quandary or Underworld Dreams.
2. Midgame Pressure (Turns 4-7): Activate damage multipliers with Solphim, Mayhem Dominus and scale Valgavoth's counters through Pyrohemia pings or Razorkin Needlehead triggers. Deploy Massacre Wurm or Balor for board control.
3. Endgame Closure (Turns 7+): Amplify damage via Chandra's Ignition on a pumped Valgavoth or activate Bolas's Citadel for free spells. Use Descent into Avernus treasures to fuel game-ending X spells.

Mulligan Priorities:

• Keep hands with 2-3 lands and at least one early enabler (mana rock or 2-3 CMC damage trigger).
• Prioritize Underworld Dreams, Spiteful Visions, or Stormfist Crusader in opening hands.
• Avoid hands lacking black mana sources or with only high-CMC cards.

Key Tips:

• Use Geier Reach Sanitarium strategically to trigger draw-damage effects during opponents' turns.
• Underworld Breach can recur critical enchantments or Gray Merchant for lethal swings.
• Bloodchief Ascension becomes a win condition once active - protect it with Shadowspear's indestructible removal.

Weaknesses:

Critical

• Extreme vulnerability to enchantment removal (Disenchant effects), which dismantles the core engine.
• Limited board wipe recovery outside Massacre Girl and Blasphemous Act.

Moderate

• Life-gain strategies can outpace incremental damage without Rampaging Ferocidon.
• Struggles against fast combo decks due to slow setup and minimal counterspells.

Minor

• Symmetrical draw effects like Howling Mine can empower opponents.
• High life payment costs (Bolas's Citadel, Phyrexian Arena) risk self-burn.

Most Important Cards:

• Solphim, Mayhem Dominus (Damage amplifier)
• Underworld Dreams (Primary engine)
• Bolas's Citadel (Topdeck manipulation/finisher)
• Gray Merchant of Asphodel (Life swing bomb)
• Painful Quandary (Spell punishment)
• Spiteful Visions (Symmetrical draw/damage)
• Massacre Wurm (Board control + life loss)
• Bloodchief Ascension (Late-game win condition)
• Underworld Breach (Recursion engine)
• Chandra's Ignition (Finisher with pumped creatures)

Attribute Ratings:

Speed: 5/10

• Can establish pressure by T4-5 but typically closes games around T8-10 through attrition.

Resilience: 4/10

• Limited protection for key enchantments and relies on recursive spells for recovery.

Consistency: 6/10

• Multiple redundant damage triggers but lacks tutors for critical combo pieces.

Interaction: 5/10

• Runs targeted removal (Bedevil, Feed the Swarm) but minimal stack interaction beyond Tibalt's Trickery.

Rating Justification:

This deck operates as a focused casual build with moderate speed (T8-10 wins) through damage amplification and life-drain synergies. While it has strong engine pieces, its vulnerability to common removal and lack of fast combo finishes cap its power level.

Power level: 4.5 - 5.0