Overview:

This Dimir reanimator deck leverages Emet-Selch, Unsundered's self-mill and discard synergies to fuel a graveyard-centric strategy. The primary plan involves milling/discarding high-impact creatures like Archon of Cruelty or It That Betrays and reanimating them early using spells like Reanimate or Animate Dead. The transformed Hades side enables recursive value by allowing casting from the graveyard. Secondary win conditions include incremental drain via Gray Merchant of Asphodel and Syr Konrad, the Grim, while Living Death and Sepulchral Primordial provide explosive late-game swings. The deck balances self-mill engines, reanimation redundancy, and a suite of control elements to stabilize until its threats overwhelm opponents.

Primer:

Core Strategy Execution:

1. Early Setup (Turns 1-3):
   • Deploy mill engines like Stitcher's Supplier, Mesmeric Orb, or Deranged Assistant.
   • Use looting effects (Chart a Course, Fact or Fiction) to discard key targets.
   • Cast ramp artifacts (Sol Ring, Dimir Signet) to accelerate into reanimation spells.

2. Reanimation Phase (Turns 3-5):

   • Tutor for threats with Buried Alive or Unmarked Grave, then reanimate them via Animate Dead, Persist, or Reanimate.
   • Prioritize Archon of Cruelty for immediate value or Gray Merchant for life swings.

3. Mid-Game Control (Turns 5-7):

   • Use board wipes like Damnation or Toxic Deluge to reset opponents, then rebuild faster with graveyard recursion.
   • Deploy Hullbreaker Horror or Sire of Stagnation to lock down opponents’ plays.

4. Closing the Game:

   • Overwhelm with reanimated beaters (Grave Titan, It That Betrays).
   • Cast Living Death to convert a stocked graveyard into an overwhelming board.
   • Activate Hades’ transformed side to chain recursive threats.

Mulligan Priorities:

• Keep hands with 2-3 lands, at least one self-mill/reanimation spell, and a payoff target (either in hand or millable).
• Prioritize early interaction (Counterspell, Drown in the Loch) in metas with heavy graveyard hate.
• Avoid hands lacking graveyard setup or reanimation tools.

Key Tips:

• Use Phyrexian Reclamation and Obsessive Stitcher for recurring key creatures like Sidisi, Undead Vizier for repeated tutoring.
• Perpetual Timepiece protects against graveyard exile while enabling mill.
• Save Cyclonic Rift for critical turns when opponents’ boards outpace your reanimation tempo.

Weaknesses:

Critical

• Graveyard Hate: Rest in Peace or Leyline of the Void cripples the deck’s engine. Only Feed the Swarm and limited counterspells address this.
• Commander Dependency: Without Emet-Selch/Hades, the deck loses its lategame recursion engine and struggles to close.

Moderate

• Slow Setup: Relies on 3-4 turn setup for explosive plays, leaving it vulnerable to early aggression.
• Single-Target Removal: Key reanimated threats lack inherent protection, making them susceptible to repeated removal.

Minor

• High Mana Costs: Reanimation targets like It That Betrays (12 CMC) are dead draws if milled early without reanimation spells.
• Life Loss: Reanimate, Phyrexian Delver, and Gray Merchant can drain the pilot’s life total dangerously low.

Most Important Cards:

• Archon of Cruelty (Primary reanimation target for immediate impact)
• Buried Alive (Tutors 3 game-winning creatures to graveyard)
• Animate Dead (Low-cost reanimation with minimal downside)
• Living Death (Board reset + mass reanimation)
• Gray Merchant of Asphodel (Life swing finisher)
• Hullbreaker Horror (Control piece that protects the board)
• Syr Konrad, the Grim (Passive damage engine)
• Cyclonic Rift (Emergency reset button)
• Mesmeric Orb (Accelerates self-mill and disrupts opponents)
• Phyrexian Reclamation (Recursive value engine)

Attribute Ratings:

Speed: 6/10

• Can reanimate game-winning threats as early as Turn 3-4 but lacks fast mana to consistently turbo out wins before Turn 6.

Resilience: 5/10

• Vulnerable to graveyard hate but includes limited recursion (Phyrexian Reclamation, Persist) and protection (Counterspell).

Consistency: 7/10

• Multiple tutors (Buried Alive, Sidisi, Undead Vizier), self-mill, and card selection ensure frequent access to key pieces.

Interaction: 6/10

• Efficient removal (Baleful Mastery, Go for the Throat) and counterspells, but lacks stack control for back-to-back threats.

Rating Justification:

This deck operates in the Optimized Casual tier, leveraging efficient reanimation and tutors to threaten wins via combat or value around Turns 7-9. While its speed is tempered by setup requirements, its vulnerability to graveyard hate and limited protection mechanisms cap its resilience.

Power level: 5.5 - 6.0