Overview:

This Abzan (W/B/G) deck helmed by Betor, Kin to All focuses on leveraging high-toughness creatures and toughness-based synergies to control the board and drain opponents. The strategy revolves around meeting escalating toughness thresholds (10/20/40 total toughness) to trigger Betor's end-step effects: card draw, untapping creatures, and life halving. Key enablers like Doran, the Siege Tower and Assault Formation allow creatures to attack using toughness, while defensive walls and life-drain effects like Wound Reflection create a grindy wincon. Betor serves as both a value engine and finisher, though the deck can function through alternative toughness-matters payoffs.

Primer:

Core Strategy Execution:

1. Early Setup (T1-4): Play mana dorks (Sylvan Caryatid, Faeburrow Elder), defensive walls (Wall of Blossoms, Unhallowed Phalanx), and toughness enablers (Assault Formation). Use tutors to find key pieces.
2. Midgame Triggers (T4-7): Deploy high-toughness threats (Tree of Perdition, Indomitable Ancients) to reach Betor's 10/20 toughness thresholds. Activate Doran's damage conversion and use Bedrock Tortoise for combat viability.
3. Late Game Payoffs (T7+): Achieve 40+ toughness to trigger Betor's life-halving effect. Amplify damage with Zopandrel, Hunger Dominus and Unnatural Growth, or close games with Wound Reflection/Bloodletter of Aclazotz doubling life loss.

Mulligan Priorities:

• Keep hands with 2-3 lands including green sources
• Prioritize early ramp (Arcane Signet, Sylvan Caryatid) or toughness enablers (Assault Formation)
• Look for at least one high-toughness creature or tutor
• Avoid hands lacking both ramp and defensive creatures

Key Tips:

• Use Tree of Perdition as both a life-swap tool and toughness booster for Betor triggers
• Teferi's Protection protects your board state during critical toughness thresholds
• Eerie Ultimatum can recover multiple key permanents post-wrath
• Meekstone locks down opponents' creatures while your high-toughness walls remain active

Weaknesses:

Critical

• Vulnerable to board wipes (only 3 mass removal spells, limited recursion)
• Reliant on key enchantments (Assault Formation, Wound Reflection) with minimal protection
• Struggles against flying/swarm strategies without reach/trample enablers

Moderate

• Slow setup against fast combo decks
• Limited stack interaction (only 4 counterspell-like effects)
• Life-gain strategies can offset drain effects

Minor

• High CMC concentration in critical pieces (Zopandrel, Elesh Norn)
• Some anti-synergy between Betor's untap effect and Meekstone

Most Important Cards:

• Assault Formation (Enables toughness-based damage)
• Doran, the Siege Tower (Alternative damage enabler)
• Wound Reflection (Life loss amplifier)
• Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite (Toughness booster/board control)
• Bloodletter of Aclazotz (Life loss doubler)
• Teferi's Protection (Board protection)
• Demonic Tutor (Key piece fetcher)
• Unnatural Growth (Toughness/damage multiplier)
• Tree of Perdition (Life manipulation/toughness scaling)
• Zopandrel, Hunger Dominus (Combat finisher)

Attribute Ratings:

Speed: 5/10

• Can establish game-winning boards by T7-8 through toughness thresholds or combat, but lacks early explosive potential.

Resilience: 6/10

• Multiple protection spells (Heroic Intervention, Everybody Lives!) and recursion (Eerie Ultimatum), but over-reliant on fragile enchantments.

Consistency: 7/10

• Strong tutor suite (7 tutors) and card draw from Betor/Walls ensures access to key pieces despite high CMC.

Interaction: 5/10

• Targeted removal (Anguished Unmaking, Swords to Plowshares) and board wipes, but minimal counterspells and weak to resolved combos.

Rating Justification:

This deck demonstrates focused combat/drain strategies with T7-8 win potential through toughness scaling and life halving, but its reliance on board presence and vulnerability to wipes caps its speed. While resilient against targeted removal, it lacks the interaction density and combo speed of higher-tier decks.

Power level: 5.5 - 6.0