Overview:

This Esper (WUB) Knights tribal deck helmed by Sidar Jabari of Zhalfir focuses on swarming the board with synergistic Knights, leveraging graveyard recursion, and amplifying combat pressure through anthem effects. Sidar Jabari acts as a critical engine, enabling repeated reanimation of Knights from the graveyard when dealing combat damage. The deck combines tribal synergies (e.g., Knight Exemplar, Valiant Knight) with recursion tools like Haakon, Stromgald Scourge and Patriarch's Bidding to maintain board presence. Key secondary strategies include draining opponents via Corpse Knight/Midnight Reaper triggers and generating overwhelming value through tribal card draw (Kindred Discovery, Vanquisher's Banner).

Primer:

Core Strategy Execution:

1. Early Setup (Turns 1-4): Deploy mana rocks (Azorius Signet, Sol Ring), low-cost Knights (Knight of the White Orchid, Knight of the Ebon Legion), and tribal accelerants (Herald's Horn). Use Secluded Courtyard/Unclaimed Territory for color fixing.
2. Midgame Value (Turns 4-6): Cast Sidar Jabari to enable graveyard recursion. Attack with Sidar to reanimate key Knights like Midnight Reaper or Cavalier of Night. Deploy anthem effects (Benalish Marshal, The Circle of Loyalty) to boost the board.
3. Win Conditions (Turns 6+):
   • Combat Overrun: Use Silverwing Squadron or Valiant Knight to create wide, evasive boards. Wonder grants flying for unblockable damage.
   • Recursion Loops: Combine Haakon, Stromgald Scourge with Crib Swap or Murderous Rider for repeatable removal and board presence.
   • Mass Reanimation: Patriarch's Bidding or Invasion of New Capenna to rebuild after wipes.

Mulligan Priorities:

• Keep hands with 2-3 lands, at least one ramp piece (e.g., Sol Ring, Azorius Signet), and a low-CMC Knight.
• Prioritize Secluded Courtyard/Unclaimed Territory for color consistency.
• Avoid hands without early plays or excessive high-CMC cards.

Key Tips:

• Protect Sidar Jabari with Guardian of Faith or Fierce Guardianship to ensure consistent recursion.
• Use Phyrexian Tower to sacrifice Knights for mana while enabling graveyard recursion.
• Kindred Discovery and Midnight Reaper provide critical card advantage—prioritize their protection.

Weaknesses:

Critical

• Graveyard hate (Rest in Peace, Leyline of the Void) cripples Sidar Jabari’s recursion, Haakon synergies, and Patriarch's Bidding.
• Commander reliance: Sidar’s removal significantly slows the deck’s engine.

Moderate

• Board wipes (Blasphemous Act, Damnation): Limited recovery outside Patriarch's Bidding or Guardian of Faith.
• Stax effects (Cursed Totem, Linvala, Keeper of Silence) disable creature-based mana sources and Sidar’s ability.

Minor

• Flyer-heavy decks can block Sidar’s triggers if Wonder isn’t in the graveyard.
• Artifact/enchantment removal disrupts key tribal engines (Vanquisher's Banner, Herald's Horn).

Most Important Cards:

• Haakon, Stromgald Scourge (Enables casting Knights from graveyard)
• Patriarch's Bidding (Mass reanimation for tribal recovery)
• Kindred Discovery (Tribal card draw engine)
• Midnight Reaper (Card draw and drain on death)
• Vanquisher's Banner (Anthem + card advantage)
• Corpse Knight (Passive life drain)
• Knight Exemplar (Indestructible for Knights)
• Fierce Guardianship (Free commander/board protection)
• Sol Ring (Mana acceleration)
• Wonder (Evasion enabler)

Attribute Ratings:

Speed: 5/10

• Threatens lethal via combat or drain around T8-10, relying on incremental board growth.

Resilience: 6/10

• Recursion tools and protection spells mitigate setbacks, but graveyard dependency creates fragility.

Consistency: 7/10

• Strong tribal synergy, mana fixing, and card draw ensure reliable access to key pieces.

Interaction: 6/10

• Targeted removal (Swords to Plowshares, Crib Swap) and counterspells (Negate, Fierce Guardianship) handle threats, but lacks board wipes beyond Farewell.

Rating Justification:

This deck operates as a focused tribal build with clear synergies and moderate interaction, threatening wins via combat or attrition around T8-10. While resilient against single-target removal, its graveyard reliance and commander dependency limit its ceiling.

Power level: 4.5 - 5.0