Overview:

This Ob Nixilis, Captive Kingpin deck is a Rakdos aristocrats/combo hybrid that leverages life-loss triggers to fuel explosive value engines and game-ending synergies. The commander acts as a critical enabler, converting incremental 1-damage pings into +1/+1 counters and card advantage via his exile ability. The deck combines sacrifice outlets, recursive creatures, and infinite mana combos to power out win conditions like All Will Be One, Exsanguinate, and Walking Ballista. Key hidden commanders include Worldgorger Dragon (enabling infinite mana with reanimation spells) and Mayhem Devil (amplifying sacrifice payoffs).

Primer:

Core Strategy Execution:

1. Early Setup (Turns 1-3): Deploy fast mana (Mana Vault, Dark Ritual), recursive creatures (Reassembling Skeleton, Forsaken Miner), and pingers (Razorkin Needlehead, Orcish Bowmasters). Use Necropotence/Ad Nauseam to refuel.
2. Midgame Triggers (Turns 4-6): Cast Ob Nixilis and activate his ability via life-loss from Roiling Vortex, Goblin Bombardment, or Blood Artist. Use Phyrexian Altar/Ashnod's Altar to convert creatures into mana/resources.
3. Win Conditions:
   • All Will Be One: Pair with Ob Nixilis' counter generation for direct damage.
   • Infinite Mana Combos: Worldgorger Dragon + Animate Dead/Necromancy → cast Exsanguinate/Walking Ballista.
   • Sacrifice Loops: Pitiless Plunderer + free sac outlets + Mayhem Devil/Zulaport Cutthroat.

Mulligan Priorities:

• Prioritize hands with fast mana, recursive creatures, or key enablers (Skullclamp, Phyrexian Altar).
• Ensure at least 2-3 lands with black sources.
• Keep tutors (Demonic Tutor, Entomb) if combo pieces are absent.

Key Tips:

• Use Underworld Breach to recur critical spells from grave.
• The One Ring provides both protection and card draw synergy with Ob Nixilis' exile ability.
• Imp's Mischief and Deflecting Swat protect combos during critical turns.

Weaknesses:

Critical

• Graveyard hate (Rest in Peace, Leyline of the Void) cripples Worldgorger combo and recursion engines.
• Commander-dependent strategy: Repeated removal of Ob Nixilis stalls counter/draw engines.

Moderate

• Board wipes disrupt creature-based synergies (limited mass recursion outside Necromancy).
• Anti-sacrifice effects (Tocatli Honor Guard) nullify key payoffs.

Minor

• Limited stack interaction beyond Tibalt's Trickery and targeted protection.
• Life payment from Necropotence/Ancient Tomb can become risky in prolonged games.

Most Important Cards:

• Worldgorger Dragon (Infinite mana combo enabler)
• All Will Be One (Primary damage amplifier)
• Phyrexian Altar (Sacrifice outlet + mana engine)
• Ad Nauseam (Mass card advantage)
• Underworld Breach (Graveyard recursion powerhouse)
• Demonic Tutor (Tutor for critical pieces)
• Necropotence (Unrestricted card draw)
• Mayhem Devil (Sacrifice payoff)
• Pitiless Plunderer (Treasure generation)
• Deflecting Swat (Protection for combos)

Attribute Ratings:

Speed: 8/10
Capable of T4-5 wins via Worldgorger combo or All Will Be One synergy, accelerated by ritual effects and tutors.

Resilience: 6/10
Multiple recursion tools and protection spells, but heavily reliant on graveyard and commander stability.

Consistency: 7/10
Extensive tutor suite and card draw, though some combos require specific 2-3 card interactions.

Interaction: 5/10
Focused on protecting its own strategy (Deflecting Swat, Imp's Mischief) rather than disrupting opponents.

Rating Justification:

This deck operates at cEDH-adjacent speed with explosive combo potential (T4-5 wins) but lacks the interaction density and robustness of top-tier lists. Its reliance on graveyard synergies and commander-centric value keeps it just below optimized cEDH viability.

Power level: 7.0 - 7.5