Overview:

This Sultai (BUG) deck helmed by Teval, the Balanced Scale employs a synergistic graveyard strategy focused on self-mill, land recursion, and zombie token generation. The deck leverages Teval's attack triggers to fuel the graveyard while creating a board presence through Zombie Druid tokens. Key themes include landfall synergies, graveyard-based value engines, and creature recursion. Teval serves as an enabler for milling and token generation but isn't strictly essential to the strategy, with hidden commanders like Sidisi, Brood Tyrant and Meren of Clan Nel Toth providing critical redundancy.

Primer:

Core Strategy Execution:

1. Early Game Setup (Turns 1-4):
   • Deploy self-mill engines: Hedron Crab, Stitcher's Supplier, Satyr Wayfinder.
   • Ramp with land-fetching spells (Rampant Growth, Cultivate) and land recursion via Life from the Loam or Shigeki, Jukai Visionary.
   • Establish graveyard value with Nyx Weaver or Phyrexian Reclamation.

2. Mid-Game Value (Turns 4-7):

   • Activate Teval's attack triggers to mill and recur lands for mana acceleration.
   • Generate Zombie tokens via Teval, Sidisi, Brood Tyrant, or Welcome the Dead.
   • Reanimate key threats like Avenger of Zendikar or Colossal Grave-Reaver using Victimize or Meren of Clan Nel Toth.

3. Win Condition Execution:

   • Combat Overload: Amplify Zombie swarms with Parallel Lives and Eldrazi Monument for evasion/indestructible.
   • Graveyard Synergy Burn: Trigger Syr Konrad, the Grim repeatedly via mill and recursion.
   • Landfall Payoffs: Scale Ob Nixilis, the Fallen or Multani, Yavimaya's Avatar for lethal damage.

Mulligan Priorities:

• Prioritize hands with early mill (Hedron Crab, Stitcher's Supplier), land ramp, and at least one recursion tool (Grapple with the Past, Life from the Loam).
• Ensure access to BUG mana sources.
• Avoid hands without graveyard enablers or excessive high-cost spells.

Key Tips:

• Use Conduit of Worlds to replay lands and creatures from the graveyard.
• Living Death can serve as a board reset or explosive finisher.
• The Scarab God provides recurring threats and zombie synergy.
• Protect key engines like Parallel Lives with Lightning Greaves.

Weaknesses:

Critical

• Graveyard Hate: Rest in Peace or Leyline of the Void cripples recursion and token generation.
• Board Wipes: Overreliance on creature-based strategies makes Damnation-style effects devastating.

Moderate

• Artifact/Enchantment Removal: Targets Parallel Lives, Eldrazi Monument, and Phyrexian Reclamation.
• Mana Base Fragility: Limited color fixing for BUG and reliance on tapped lands slows early plays.

Minor

• Limited Instant-Speed Interaction: Minimal counterspells or protection for key turns.

Most Important Cards:

• Parallel Lives (Doubles Zombie tokens for overwhelming boards)
• Syr Konrad, the Grim (Primary damage engine via graveyard triggers)
• Life from the Loam (Recurs lands and enables dredge)
• Meren of Clan Nel Toth (Recurring creature recursion engine)
• Living Death (Mass reanimation/reset)
• Eldrazi Monument (Evasion and indestructible for tokens)
• Conduit of Worlds (Recur lands and key permanents)
• Sidisi, Brood Tyrant (Token generation and mill redundancy)
• The Scarab God (Value engine and zombie synergy)
• Avenger of Zendikar (Landfall-based token threat)

Attribute Ratings:

Speed: 5/10

• Can establish threats by T4-6 but lacks fast combo finishers, relying on incremental value.

Resilience: 6/10

• Multiple recursion engines (Phyrexian Reclamation, Conduit of Worlds) mitigate disruption, but graveyard dependency remains a liability.

Consistency: 7/10

• Redundant mill effects and land recursion ensure steady graveyard fueling, though tutors for key pieces are limited.

Interaction: 5/10

• Targeted removal (Putrefy, Tear Asunder) and board wipes (Damnation) are present but lack stack interaction.

Rating Justification:

This deck demonstrates focused midrange synergy with strong graveyard value but lacks the speed and protection to compete with high-power strategies. Its T6-8 win potential through token swarms or Syr Konrad triggers aligns with optimized casual tiers, while graveyard vulnerability caps resilience.

Power level: 5.5 - 6.0