Overview:

This Sultai (BUG) deck centers around Kotis, the Fangkeeper as a combat-focused value engine, leveraging evasion auras, power-boosting equipment, and combat damage triggers to steal opponents' spells. The strategy focuses on making Kotis unblockable and amplifying its damage output to maximize the number of exiled cards, while using stolen spells and incremental value to secure victory. Secondary themes include +1/+1 counter synergies (e.g., Hydra's Growth, Forgotten Ancient) and minor mutate/aura/equipment synergies (e.g., Ivy, Gleeful Spellthief, Strong Back). Kotis is critical to the game plan, but its low base power (2/1) and reliance on evasion/protection make it vulnerable to removal.

Primer:

Core Strategy Execution:

1. Early Setup (Turns 1-3): Ramp with Llanowar Elves, Utopia Sprawl, or Cultivate. Deploy evasion tools like Aqueous Form or Security Bypass on Kotis.
2. Midgame Threats (Turns 4-6): Equip Kotis with power-boosters like Blackblade Reforged or Loxodon Warhammer. Use protection spells (Slip Out the Back, Snakeskin Veil) to safeguard it. Trigger Kotis’ ability to exile and cast opponents’ spells.
3. Late-Game Value (Turns 7+): Leverage stolen spells and card advantage engines (Ohran Frostfang, Vraska Joins Up) to out-resource opponents. Finish with a heavily augmented Kotis or Rishkar's Expertise-fueled turns.

Mulligan Priorities:

• Prioritize hands with evasion (e.g., Aqueous Form), ramp (e.g., Sol Ring), and protection (e.g., Swiftfoot Boots).
• Avoid hands lacking early plays or reliant solely on high-cost equipment.

Key Tips:

• Use Ivy, Gleeful Spellthief to copy auras targeting Kotis, doubling evasion or power boosts.
• Felix Five-Boots doubles combat-damage triggers (e.g., Kotis’ exile ability, Ohran Frostfang).
• Key to the City provides both evasion and card draw.

Weaknesses:

Critical

• Heavy Reliance on Kotis: Lacks alternate win conditions; repeated removal or Drannith Magistrate effects cripple the deck.
• Board Wipes: Minimal recovery tools outside Blood Money; rebuilding after a wipe is slow.

Moderate

• Artifact/Enchantment Hate: Naturalize effects disrupt key equipment/auras (e.g., Blackblade Reforged, Hydra's Growth).
• Low Base Power: Kotis requires significant investment to become threatening.

Minor

• Limited Tutoring: Relies on combat damage for card advantage rather than consistent access to key pieces.

Most Important Cards:

• Aqueous Form (Evasion for Kotis)
• Blackblade Reforged (Power scaling for Kotis)
• Ohran Frostfang (Card draw engine)
• Swiftfoot Boots (Protection + haste)
• Slip Out the Back (Protection + phasing)
• Hydra's Growth (Exponential power boost)
• Rishkar's Expertise (Burst card draw)
• Security Bypass (Evasion + connive synergy)
• Assassin's Trophy (Versatile removal)
• Felix Five-Boots (Trigger amplification)

Attribute Ratings:

Speed: 5/10

• Can threaten meaningful damage by T4-5 but lacks fast combo potential. Relies on incremental combat damage.

Resilience: 4/10

• Moderate protection for Kotis but folds to repeated removal or board wipes. Limited recursion.

Consistency: 6/10

• Redundant evasion/aura packages and card draw from combat mitigate variance, but lacks tutors for critical pieces.

Interaction: 6/10

• Runs efficient removal (Beast Within, Counterspell) but light on stack interaction beyond Negate.

Rating Justification:

This deck operates as a Focused Casual build with a clear game plan but lacks the speed, redundancy, and protection to compete with optimized lists. Its combat-focused strategy and reliance on a vulnerable commander place it in the 4.0 - 4.5 range, capable of winning via combat or value but vulnerable to disruption.

Power level: 4.0 - 4.5