Overview:

This Dimir Zombie tribal deck helmed by Wilhelt, the Rotcleaver focuses on generating massive Zombie armies through token creation and recursion, leveraging aristocrat-style drain effects and combo potential. Wilhelt acts as a critical engine, converting dying Zombies into decayed tokens while enabling card draw. The deck combines lords like Diregraf Captain and Death Baron to amplify combat pressure, while infinite combos with Gravecrawler/Rooftop Storm/Ashnod's Altar and Mikaeus, the Unhallowed loops provide alternative win paths.

Primer:

Core Strategy Execution:

1. Early Setup (Turns 1-4): Deploy mana rocks (Sol Ring, Arcane Signet), key Zombies like Cryptbreaker or Undead Augur, and start building token fodder with Dreadhorde Invasion or Liliana's Mastery.
2. Midgame Value (Turns 4-6): Cast Wilhelt to convert deaths into decayed tokens. Use Grave Titan, Gisa and Geralf, or Necroduality to flood the board. Sacrifice tokens to Ashnod's Altar or Carrion Feeder for mana/triggers.
3. Win Conditions (Turns 5-8+):
   • Combat: Overwhelm with boosted Zombies via Undead Warchief, Lord of the Accursed, or Liliana, Dreadhorde General.
   • Aristocrat Drain: Stack death triggers with Diregraf Captain, Bastion of Remembrance, and Grave Pact.
   • Infinite Combos:
     • Rooftop Storm + Gravecrawler + Ashnod's Altar: Infinite death triggers and mana.
     • Mikaeus, the Unhallowed + Sacrifice Outlet + Non-Human Zombie: Infinite death/ETB loops.

Mulligan Priorities:

• Ensure 2-3 lands with black/blue sources.
• Prioritize early ramp (Sol Ring, Jet Medallion) or key enablers (Cryptbreaker, Gravecrawler).
• Keep combo pieces (Rooftop Storm, Ashnod's Altar) only if supporting ramp is present.

Key Tips:

• Use Relentless Dead and Zul Ashur, Lich Lord to recur critical Zombies.
• Sacrifice decayed tokens before combat to trigger Wilhelt's draw and avoid wasted attacks.
• Phyrexian Tower and Culling the Weak enable explosive plays with Gravecrawler or Sidisi, Undead Vizier.

Weaknesses:

Critical

• Graveyard Reliance: Rest in Peace or Leyline of the Void cripples recursion and combos.
• Enchantment/Artifact Hate: Losing Rooftop Storm or Ashnod's Altar disrupts key synergies.
• Board Wipes: Token armies struggle to recover from Damnation or Toxic Deluge.

Moderate

• Stax Effects: Torpor Orb nullifies ETB triggers from Grave Titan and Fleshbag Marauder.
• Combo Interruption: Removing one piece (e.g., Gravecrawler) halts infinite loops.

Minor

• Mana Constraints: Limited fast mana outside Dark Ritual slows explosive starts.
• Flyer Vulnerability: Relies on Eternal Skylord or Geralf, Visionary Stitcher for air defense.

Most Important Cards:

• Rooftop Storm (Enables free Zombie casts and combos)
• Ashnod's Altar (Sacrifice engine for mana and triggers)
• Gravecrawler (Recursive combo piece)
• Diregraf Captain (Primary aristocrat damage source)
• Mikaeus, the Unhallowed (Undying enabler for loops)
• Wilhelt, the Rotcleaver (Token generation and card draw)
• Grave Pact (Board control via forced sacrifices)
• Grim Tutor (Key tutor for combo assembly)
• Grave Titan (Token generation and board presence)
• Liliana, Dreadhorde General (Token generation and removal)

Attribute Ratings:

Speed: 6/10

• Can threaten combo wins or lethal boards by turns 6-8, but relies on assembling 3+ card combos or incremental value.

Resilience: 5/10

• Recursion (Relentless Dead, Zul Ashur) and redundancy in Zombie generators help, but key noncreature pieces lack protection.

Consistency: 7/10

• Multiple token engines and tutors (Grim Tutor, Sidisi, Undead Vizier) improve access to combo parts, but limited fast mana slows setup.

Interaction: 5/10

• Targeted removal (Eaten Alive, Grave Pact) and discard effects exist, but lacks counterspells to protect combos.

Rating Justification:

This deck operates in the T7-8 win range with moderate resilience, leveraging tutors and redundancy to execute Zombie swarms or combos. While potent, its reliance on fragile enchantments/artifacts and vulnerability to graveyard hate cap its power below optimized tiers.

Power level: 6.0 - 6.5