Overview:

This Golgari deck helmed by Dina, Soul Steeper employs an aristocrats strategy focused on incremental life gain triggers and death value loops. The primary game plan revolves around generating recurring life gain through sacrifice outlets like Vampiric Rites, token producers (Jadar, Ghoulcaller of Nephalia, Pest Infestation), and death triggers from creatures like Zulaport Cutthroat and Blood Artist. Dina serves as both a win condition amplifier and enabler, converting small life gains into opponent life loss while providing a sac outlet. Secondary threats include Gray Merchant of Asphodel devotion swings and late-game reanimation with Rise of the Dark Realms.

Primer:

Core Strategy Execution:

1. Early Setup (T1-4): Deploy mana dorks (Sakura-Tribe Elder, Carrion Feeder), establish sacrifice outlets, and set up value engines like Morbid Opportunist or Deathreap Ritual.
2. Token Generation (T3-6): Use Pest Infestation, Mitotic Slime, and Wriggling Grub to create fodder for sacrifice. Activate Jadar, Ghoulcaller of Nephalia for recurring decayed Zombies.
3. Life Drain Engine (T4+): Combine Dina with Zulaport Cutthroat, Falkenrath Noble, and Vraan, Executioner Thane to convert deaths into life loss. Sacrifice tokens to Vampiric Rites for card draw or High Market for incremental gains.
4. Finishers (T6+):
   • Amplify death triggers with Gray Merchant of Asphodel or Noxious Gearhulk.
   • Overwhelm with Rise of the Dark Realms reanimation.
   • Use Braids, Arisen Nightmare to pressure opponents' resources.

Mulligan Priorities:

• Keep hands with 2-3 lands and at least one early play (sac outlet, token generator, or ramp).
• Prioritize cards that enable the engine: Zulaport Cutthroat, Carrion Feeder, or Jadar, Ghoulcaller of Nephalia.
• Avoid hands lacking synergy pieces or with only high-cost spells.

Key Tips:

• Time board wipes like Decree of Pain to maximize card draw and reset opponents.
• Use Victimize and Meren of Clan Nel Toth to recur key creatures like Gray Merchant of Asphodel.
• Soul-Guide Lantern handles graveyard threats while triggering Dina when sacrificed.

Weaknesses:

Critical

• Vulnerable to graveyard hate (Rest in Peace, Leyline of the Void) shutting off recursion and Rise of the Dark Realms.
• Struggles against decks with heavy creature removal, disrupting the engine's critical mass.

Moderate

• Limited protection for key pieces like Dina or Blood Artist.
• Slow to recover from board wipes due to limited mass recursion outside Rise of the Dark Realms.

Minor

• Minimal stack interaction beyond Tragic Slip and Assassin's Trophy.
• Relies on creature-based strategies, which can be outscaled by go-wide token decks.

Most Important Cards:

• Zulaport Cutthroat (Primary life drain engine)
• Gray Merchant of Asphodel (Massive life swing finisher)
• Rise of the Dark Realms (Late-game reanimation win condition)
• Braids, Arisen Nightmare (Resource denial and card advantage)
• Vampiric Rites (Sacrifice outlet and card draw)
• Pest Infestation (Token generation and removal)
• Meren of Clan Nel Toth (Recurring value engine)
• Deathreap Ritual (Consistent card draw)
• Assassin's Trophy (Versatile removal)
• Decree of Pain (Board wipe and draw)

Attribute Ratings:

Speed: 5/10

• Wins typically occur around turns 8-10 through incremental drain or reanimation, lacking fast combos.

Resilience: 6/10

• Multiple recursion options (Meren, Victimize) and redundancy in drain effects, but reliant on maintaining board presence.

Consistency: 6/10

• Moderate card draw and token generation, but limited tutors for key pieces like Zulaport Cutthroat.

Interaction: 5/10

• Targeted removal (Ravenous Chupacabra, Assassin's Trophy) and board wipes, but minimal stack interaction.

Rating Justification:

This deck operates as a synergistic aristocrats build with a clear game plan but lacks the speed and redundancy of higher-tier strategies. Its reliance on incremental damage and vulnerability to common hate pieces place it in the Casual range, though its recursion and value engines elevate it slightly above precon-level consistency.

Power level: 4.0 - 4.5