Overview:

This Mardu (RWB) deck is a high-powered combo list leveraging Zurgo Stormrender as a token-generating value engine and draw outlet. The primary strategy revolves around generating and sacrificing tokens to fuel explosive combo turns, utilizing powerful engines like Underworld Breach, Necropotence, and Ad Nauseam to assemble wins through infinite loops or overwhelming storm turns. Key combos include Lion's Eye Diamond + Underworld Breach chains, Phyrexian Altar sacrifice loops, and Purphoros, God of the Forge drain effects. Zurgo enables card draw but isn't essential to the core combo execution, reducing vulnerability to removal.

Primer:

Core Strategy Execution:

1. Accelerate & Setup (Turns 1-2): Deploy fast mana (Mana Vault, Dark Ritual, Sol Ring) and tutors (Demonic Tutor, Vampiric Tutor) to find key pieces like Underworld Breach, Necropotence, or Ad Nauseam. Prioritize establishing card advantage engines early.
2. Combo Assembly (Turns 2-4): Use Underworld Breach + Lion's Eye Diamond to generate infinite mana and storm count by exiling cards to recur draw spells (e.g., Wheel of Fortune). Alternatively, leverage Phyrexian Altar with token generators (Zurgo, Adeline, Resplendent Cathar) and payoffs like Goblin Bombardment or Zulaport Cutthroat for infinite damage.
3. Win Execution:
   • Breach Storm: Loop LED and draw spells to deck yourself, then win via Thassa's Oracle (if acquired via Praetor's Grasp) or Goblin Bombardment sacrifices.
   • Token Swarm: Flood the board with tokens via Zurgo/Voice of Victory, then drain with Purphoros, God of the Forge or sacrifice to Skullclamp for lethal draw.
   • Ad Nauseam: Resolve Ad Nauseam with sufficient life to draw the deck and win on the spot.

Mulligan Priorities:

• Keep hands with 1-2 lands, fast mana (e.g., Mox Diamond, Lotus Petal), and a tutor/draw engine (Necropotence, Gamble).
• Prioritize hands enabling T1-T2 Necropotence or a protected combo piece.
• Avoid hands lacking acceleration or without a clear path to combo assembly.

Key Tips:

• Protect Critical Turns: Cast Silence, Orim's Chant, or Grand Abolisher before comboing to prevent disruption. Deflecting Swat shields key spells.
• Leverage Zurgo: Attack early to generate tokens and draw cards when they die. Sacrifice tokens to Phyrexian Altar for mana or Deadly Dispute for cards.
• Graveyard Management: Use Yawgmoth's Will and Underworld Breach recursively. Dauthi Voidwalker can exile opponent threats and cast them.
• Life Total Awareness: Balance Ad Nauseam/Necropotence usage with life payment from shocks/fetches.

Weaknesses:

Critical

• Graveyard Hate: Rest in Peace or Leyline of the Void cripples Underworld Breach, Yawgmoth's Will, and reanimation spells.
• Rule of Law Effects: Eidolon of Rhetoric or Archon of Emeria shuts down storm turns and multi-spell combos.
• Anti-Sacrifice Stax: Torpor Orb/Hushbringer nullifies death triggers from Zulaport Cutthroat, Pitiless Plunderer, and Zurgo.

Moderate

• Artifact Destruction: Mass artifact removal (Vandalblast) disrupts fast mana and Phyrexian Altar.
• Hand Disruption: Early Thoughtseize effects can remove key combo pieces preemptively.
• Countermagic: Stack interaction can delay wins if protection spells are exhausted.

Minor

• Board Wipes: Creature-based value engines (e.g., Adeline, Resplendent Cathar) are vulnerable, but combos function independently.
• Life Total Pressure: Aggro decks can exploit life loss from Ad Nauseam, fetches, and shocks.

Most Important Cards:

• Underworld Breach (Enables recursive combo loops and storm wins)
• Lion's Eye Diamond (Core combo piece for infinite mana with Breach)
• Ad Nauseam (Draws most of the deck to assemble wins)
• Necropotence (Sustained card advantage engine)
• Phyrexian Altar (Sacrifice outlet for infinite mana/token loops)
• Demonic Tutor (Finds any combo piece or answer)
• Dark Ritual (Explosive mana acceleration)
• Purphoros, God of the Forge (Primary damage engine for token strategies)
• Yawgmoth's Will (Recurs spells from graveyard for combo turns)
• Goblin Bombardment (Win condition via token sacrifice)

Attribute Ratings:

Speed: 9/10

• Capable of T1-T3 wins with perfect draws (e.g., T1 Dark Ritual into Necropotence/Breach combo), consistently threatens T3-T4 victories.

Resilience: 7/10

• Robust protection (Grand Abolisher, Silence) and recursion (Breach, Yawgmoth's Will) exist, but folds to specific, unresolved hate pieces.

Consistency: 9/10

• 12+ tutors and potent draw engines (Necropotence, Tainted Pact) ensure reliable access to combo pieces.

Interaction: 8/10

• Efficient targeted removal (Swords to Plowshares, Deadly Dispute), stack control (Orim's Chant, Red Elemental Blast), and stax (Opposition Agent) disrupt opponents effectively.

Rating Justification:

This deck operates at cEDH-viable speeds (T2-T4 wins) with exceptional consistency and protection, but its reliance on graveyard synergies and vulnerability to specific stax keep it below top-tier resilience. It aligns with the "cEDH Viable" tier (8.5) in the rubric, capable of fragile early wins but checked by common meta answers.

Power level: 8.0 - 8.5