Overview:

This Kaalia of the Vast deck leverages aggressive cheating of high-impact Angels, Demons, and Dragons to dominate the board. The commander is the linchpin, enabling explosive plays like T3-T4 Master of Cruelties or Avacyn, Angel of Hope via attack triggers. Secondary reanimation (Animate Dead, Reanimate) and cheat engines (Sneak Attack, Hoarding Broodlord) provide redundancy. The deck includes a game-ending Exquisite Blood + Sanguine Bond combo and potent combat synergies with Isshin, Two Heavens as One and Dragon Tempest. Kaalia’s vulnerability to removal is partially mitigated by protection artifacts and Teferi’s Protection, but the strategy remains commander-dependent.

Primer:

Core Strategy Execution:

1. Early Setup (T1-T3): Deploy fast mana (Mana Vault, Sol Ring, signets) to cast Kaalia by T2-T3. Use tutors (Demonic Tutor, Imperial Seal) to find protection (Lightning Greaves) or critical threats.
2. Kaalia Triggers (T3+): Attack immediately to cheat game-warping creatures like Master of Cruelties (instantly reducing a player to 1 life) or Aurelia, the Warleader (enabling multiple combats). Prioritize creatures with immediate board impact (Terror of the Peaks, Balefire Dragon).
3. Backup Plans: Use reanimation (Priest of Fell Rites, Necromancy) or Sneak Attack to bypass Kaalia removal. Resolve Exquisite Blood + Sanguine Bond for instant-win lifedrain.
4. Late-Game Dominance: Overwhelm with indestructible boards (Avacyn, Angel of Hope + Gisela, Blade of Goldnight) or infinite combat steps via Bloodthirster/Port Razer + Isshin, Two Heavens as One.

Mulligan Priorities:

• Keep hands with Kaalia + 2-3 mana sources (prioritize fast mana).
• Ensure access to at least one protection piece (Swiftfoot Boots, Flawless Maneuver).
• Avoid hands without early ramp or with only high-CMC creatures.

Key Tips:

• Use Cavern of Souls naming "Demon" or "Angel" to protect key threats.
• Sacrifice Kaalia to Razaketh, the Foulblooded to tutor combo pieces if removal is imminent.
• Underworld Breach enables graveyard recursion of tutors or reanimation spells for critical recoveries.

Weaknesses:

Critical

• Commander-dependent strategy: Repeated removal of Kaalia cripples tempo.
• Limited board wipe recovery: High-CMC creatures are difficult to redeploy after mass removal.
• Graveyard reliance: Rest in Peace or Leyline of the Void nullifies reanimation lines.

Moderate

• Vulnerability to stax: Aven Mindcensor disrupts tutors; Drannith Magistrate blocks Kaalia’s trigger.
• Inconsistent draw engine: Relies on tutors rather than sustained card advantage.

Minor

• Life payment costs (Ancient Copper Dragon, Vilis, Broker of Blood) can strain against aggressive decks.
• Limited stack interaction: Relies on Deflecting Swat and single-target removal.

Most Important Cards:

• Kaalia of the Vast (Core enabler for cheating threats)
• Master of Cruelties (Instant life reduction on attack)
• Exquisite Blood + Sanguine Bond (Infinite lifedrain combo)
• Demonic Tutor/Imperial Seal (Tutoring critical pieces)
• Teferi’s Protection (Board wipe protection)
• Sneak Attack (Alternative cheat engine)
• Avacyn, Angel of Hope (Indestructible board lock)
• Razaketh, the Foulblooded (Sacrifice outlet and tutor engine)
• Mana Vault (Explosive early mana)
• Underworld Breach (Graveyard recursion for key spells)

Attribute Ratings:

Speed: 7/10

• Can threaten wins as early as T3 with Master of Cruelties or T4-T5 via combo, but requires Kaalia to stick.

Resilience: 5/10

• Protection spells and reanimation mitigate setbacks, but heavy reliance on Kaalia and graveyards creates fragility.

Consistency: 7/10

• Extensive tutor suite (9 tutors) ensures access to key pieces, but draw power is limited outside Vilis, Broker of Blood.

Interaction: 5/10

• Efficient targeted removal (Swords to Plowshares, Anguished Unmaking) but lacks counterspells and struggles against resolved enchantments/artifacts.

Rating Justification:

This deck operates at a high-power casual tier, capable of T4-T6 wins with optimal draws but held back by commander dependency and vulnerability to disruption. Its tutor density and combo potential elevate it above precon levels, but inconsistent resilience caps its ceiling.

Power level: 6.0 - 6.5