Overview:

This Felothar the Steadfast deck leverages high-toughness creatures and defender synergies to create a potent combo/control strategy. The deck combines infinite mana combos with overwhelming board states, using walls as both defensive tools and offensive threats. Key strengths include tutor density, multiple infinite mana lines, and robust protection for critical turns.

Primer:

Core Strategy: The deck operates on three axes:

1. Defender Aggro: Use Felothar's combat damage = toughness ability to turn walls like Fortified Rampart and Tree of Redemption into lethal threats.
2. Infinite Mana Combos: Leverage Staff of Domination + Selvala, Heart of the Wilds/Circle of Dreams Druid, or Umbral Mantle + Bloom Tender to generate infinite mana, enabling Torment of Hailfire kills or deck draws.
3. Recursive Value: Sacrifice high-toughness creatures to Felothar's draw ability while using reanimation (Nim Deathmantle, Reanimate) to maintain board presence.

Key Lines:

• T3: Ramp into Gaea's Cradle/Ancient Tomb
• T4-5: Assemble infinite mana with Staff of Domination + mana dork producing ≥5 mana
• Post-Combo: Draw entire deck with Staff or Sylvan Library, then win via Finale of Devastation or Bloodletter of Aclazotz triggers

Mulligan Priorities:

• Keep hands with 2+ ramp sources (Three Visits, Farseek)
• Prioritize early Grand Abolisher/Myrel, Shield of Argive against interactive pods
• Reject hands without green mana sources or creature-based ramp

Protection Protocol:

• Use Silence/Teferi's Protection during combo turns
• Flawless Maneuver protects against board wipes
• Kutzil, Malamet Exemplar provides passive anti-interaction

Weaknesses:

Critical:

• Relies on 3-card combos vulnerable to artifact removal
• Limited win conditions outside infinite mana lines

Moderate:

• Weak to Blood Moon effects (11 nonbasic lands enter tapped)
• Commander-dependent combat damage plan

Minor:

• Recovers well from single removal via Persist/Unearth

Most Important Cards:

• Staff of Domination
• Gaea's Cradle
• Demonic Tutor
• Vampiric Tutor
• Sylvan Library
• Selvala, Heart of the Wilds
• Torment of Hailfire
• Nim Deathmantle
• Leyline Immersion
• Grand Abolisher

Attribute Ratings:

Speed: 8/10

• Can assemble T4 infinite mana (T3 with perfect Ancient Tomb + dork)
• Lacks free mana rocks for T3 wins

Resilience: 6/10

• 7 protection spells but fragile combo pieces
• Recovers via 5 recursion effects

Consistency: 9/10

• 8 tutors + 6 draw engines
• Multiple redundant combo lines

Interaction: 7/10

• 6 targeted removals + 3 board wipes
• Lacks free counterspells

Rating Justification:

This deck exceeds T7 benchmarks with its T4-5 combo potential and tutor density but lacks the interaction density and mana base of true cEDH decks. It outpaces optimized casual (5.5) through combo speed yet falls short of cEDH viability due to reliance on 3-card combos and absence of free counterspells. The stax-resistant mana base and commander-agnostic wincons place it above typical high-power builds.

Power level: 7.0 - 7.5