Overview:

This Abzan (W/B/G) deck helmed by Felothar the Steadfast focuses on leveraging high-toughness creatures and defender synergies to control the board and win through unconventional damage sources. The strategy revolves around converting defensive tools into offensive threats using effects like Felothar's combat damage redirection and Assault Formation. Key themes include defender tribal, toughness-based value engines, and incremental life drain via cards like Blight Pile. Felothar serves as both an enabler for attacking with walls and a card advantage engine when sacrificing high-toughness creatures.

Primer:

Core Strategy Execution:

1. Early Setup (Turns 1-4): Deploy defender mana engines (Axebane Guardian, Overgrown Battlement) and value walls (Wall of Omens, Sylvan Caryatid). Use Rampant Growth/Cultivate to fix mana.
2. Midgame Pivot (Turns 4-6): Cast Felothar or Assault Formation to enable defender attacks. Activate Wakestone Gargoyle or Crashing Drawbridge for haste. Generate tokens with Wingmantle Chaplain and Arasta of the Endless Web.
3. Win Conditions:
   • Combat: Swing with massive-toughness creatures (e.g., Indomitable Ancients as a 10/10 attacker) enhanced by Bedrock Tortoise
   • Drain: Use Blight Pile with 4+ defenders for repeated life loss
   • Recursion Loops: Colfenor's Urn to recur high-toughness creatures
   • Mana Explosion: Axebane Guardian/Arbor Adherent into Reunion of the House or Will of the Abzan

Mulligan Priorities:

• Keep hands with 2-3 lands including green sources
• Prioritize early defender mana (Axebane/Overgrown Battlement) or card draw walls (Wall of Omens)
• Ensure at least one toughness-to-damage enabler (Felothar/Assault Formation/Bedrock Tortoise) or tutor (Abzan Charm)

Key Tips:

• Use Slaughter the Strong/Expel the Interlopers asymmetrically to clear threats while preserving your board
• Seedborn Muse supercharges Axebane Guardian's mana production for instant-speed activations
• Sacrifice walls to Felothar's ability strategically - prioritize sacrificing creatures with high toughness but low power (e.g., Tree of Redemption draws 13 cards)

Weaknesses:

Critical

• Heavy reliance on Felothar/Assault Formation effects - removal of these leaves defenders unable to attack effectively
• Limited protection for key pieces (only Snakeskin Veil/Swiftfoot Boots)

Moderate

• Vulnerable to mass artifact/enchantment removal (Assault Formation, Behind the Scenes, Colfenor's Urn are critical)
• Struggles against flying/swarm strategies despite reach enablers

Minor

• Slow board development against aggressive decks
• Limited stack interaction (only 6 targeted removal spells)

Most Important Cards:

• Axebane Guardian (Mana generation backbone)
• Assault Formation (Primary damage redirection)
• Blight Pile (Key life drain engine)
• Wingmantle Chaplain (Token generation & scaling)
• Seedborn Muse (Untap synergy with defenders)
• Colfenor's Urn (Recursion engine)
• Slaughter the Strong (Asymmetric board control)
• Abzan Charm (Flexible removal/draw)
• Arasta of the Endless Web (Token generation vs spell-heavy metas)
• Bedrock Tortoise (Redundancy for damage redirection)

Attribute Ratings:

Speed: 4/10

• Wins typically develop turns 7-9 through gradual board buildup. Fastest potential via Blight Pile drain with 5+ defenders around T6.

Resilience: 5/10

• Moderate recursion (Colfenor's Urn, Will of the Abzan) but over-reliant on key enchantments. Weak to enchantment removal.

Consistency: 6/10

• Redundant toughness-matters effects and defender synergies, but limited tutors for critical pieces like Assault Formation.

Interaction: 5/10

• 10 targeted removal spells but minimal counterspells. Strong board wipes but vulnerable to non-creature strategies.

Rating Justification:

This deck operates as a focused casual build with clear synergies and multiple win angles, but its slow clock and dependency on fragile enablers cap its power. While capable of strong midgame board states, it lacks the speed and protection to compete with optimized strategies.

Power level: 4.0 - 4.5