Overview:

This Sultai (BGU) deck helmed by Gonti, Canny Acquisitor focuses on evasive rogue/ninja tactics and "theft tribal," leveraging unblockable creatures to trigger card/effect theft from opponents' libraries. The strategy combines incremental value from stolen spells with synergistic payoffs like Doc Aurlock's cost reduction and Tasha, the Witch Queen's demon generation. Gonti serves as both a value engine (reducing stolen spell costs) and a win-con enabler via combat triggers, though the deck can function through alternative theft engines like Xanathar, Guild Kingpin or Brainstealer Dragon.

Primer:

Core Strategy Execution:

1. Early Setup (T1-3): Deploy evasive 1-drops (Changeling Outcast, Slither Blade) and ramp (Birds of Paradise, Arcane Signet). Use Demonic Tutor/Vampiric Tutor to secure key pieces like Rogue Class or Nature's Will.
2. Midgame Value (T4-6): Cast Gonti or ninjas (Fallen Shinobi, Silent-Blade Oni) to steal opponents' cards. Activate Rogue Class Level 3 to cast exiled spells freely. Deploy engines like Edric, Spymaster of Trest or Toski, Bearer of Secrets to refill hands.
3. Win Conditions (T7+):
   • Combat: Overwhelm with evasive creatures amplified by Ohran Frostfang or Predators' Hour.
   • Stolen Spells: Cast high-impact exiled cards (e.g., opponents' Craterhoof Behemoth).
   • Bombs: Resolve Villainous Wealth (X=10+) or Breach the Multiverse to steal entire boards.

Mulligan Priorities:

• Keep hands with 1-2 evasive creatures (e.g., Invisible Stalker), a ramp source, and interaction (Assassin's Trophy).
• Prioritize Sol Ring/Arcane Signet in slower metas.
• Avoid hands lacking early evasion or card advantage.

Key Tips:

• Use Rogue's Passage to force Gonti/Nashi triggers through blockers.
• Hoarding Broodlord can tutor Villainous Wealth or Culling Ritual for critical plays.
• Nature's Will + evasive creatures locks opponents out of mana.
• Smirking Spelljacker steals opponents' game-winning instants/sorceries.

Weaknesses:

Critical

• Relies on fragile creatures: Board wipes (Blasphemous Act) reset the theft engine. Limited recursion beyond Breach the Multiverse.
• No native infinite combos: Wins depend on opponents' decks or slow combat damage.

Moderate

• Anti-exile hate: Opposition Agent/Dauthi Voidwalker cripple theft synergies.
• Stack interaction: Minimal counterspells beyond An Offer You Can't Refuse.

Minor

• Mana curve clunkiness: High CMC bombs (Brainstealer Dragon, Silent-Blade Oni) risk being stranded.
• Artifact reliance: Fellwar Stone/Sol Ring are vulnerable to Vandalblast.

Most Important Cards:

• Gonti, Canny Acquisitor (Cost reduction for stolen spells)
• Villainous Wealth (Game-ending X-spell using opponents' decks)
• Hoarding Broodlord (Tutor + convoke enabler)
• Nature's Will (Mana denial + untap engine)
• Demonic Tutor/Vampiric Tutor (Consistency anchors)
• Toski, Bearer of Secrets (Unblockable card draw)
• Xanathar, Guild Kingpin (Theft engine)
• Breach the Multiverse (Mass reanimation + theft)
• Edric, Spymaster of Trest (Group draw engine)
• Cunning Rhetoric (Passive theft vs. attackers)

Attribute Ratings:

Speed: 5/10

• Can threaten wins via combat/theft by T8-10 but lacks fast combo lines or explosive early mana.

Resilience: 6/10

• Multiple card engines (Toski, Edric) and protection (Deadly Rollick), but over-reliant on creatures surviving.

Consistency: 7/10

• Top-tier tutors and evasion redundancy ensure frequent theft triggers, but stolen card quality varies.

Interaction: 6/10

• Targeted removal (Putrefy, Feed the Swarm) and a few counterspells, but light on stack control.

Rating Justification:

This deck operates at a "Focused" tier, leveraging theft synergies and tutors to assemble incremental advantages, but its reliance on opponents' cards and lack of deterministic combos cap its speed. While resilient against spot removal, it folds to repeated board wipes.

Power level: 5.5 - 6.0