Overview:

This Be'lakor Demon tribal deck leverages cost-reduction synergies and enter-the-battlefield damage triggers to pressure opponents. The commander amplifies Demon deployments with targeted burn and card advantage, while secondary win conditions include Liliana's Contract alt-win and life-doubling effects from Bloodletter of Aclazotz. The strategy relies heavily on maintaining a critical mass of Demons, supported by reanimation (Whip of Erebos, Necromancy) and tribal discounts (Herald of Slaanesh, Urza's Incubator). Be'lakor acts as both an engine and payoff, though the deck can function temporarily without it.

Primer:

Core Strategy Execution:

1. Early Setup (Turns 1-4): Deploy mana rocks (Sol Ring, Arcane Signet), cost reducers (Herald's Horn, Urza's Incubator), and value engines (Phyrexian Arena). Use Faithless Looting/Stitch Together to fill graveyard for reanimation.
2. Midgame Threats (Turns 4-6): Cast discounted Demons like Bloodgift Demon or Rakdos, Lord of Riots. Trigger Be'lakor's burn effect to soften opponents and enable Rakdos' cost reduction. Protect Be'lakor with Lightning Greaves/Swiftfoot Boots.
3. Win Conditions (Turns 6+):
   • Combat/ETB Burn: Overwhelm with Demon swarms amplified by Bloodletter of Aclazotz's life-loss doubling.
   • Liliana's Contract: Tutor for missing Demon types with Beseech the Queen to enable the alt-win.
   • Reanimation Loops: Use Whip of Erebos + Blade of the Oni or Rakshasa Debaser to recur impactful ETB effects.

Mulligan Priorities:

• Keep hands with 3 lands + at least 1 ramp artifact or cost reducer.
• Prioritize early plays that enable Be'lakor discounts (Herald of Slaanesh > Urza's Incubator).
• Avoid hands lacking black mana or with only high-CMC Demons.

Key Tips:

• Time Blasphemous Act with Be'lakor triggers to clear the board while preserving your Demons via indestructible effects (Whip of Erebos).
• Use Ghostly Flicker/Displace to reset Be'lakor's ETB draw or protect key Demons.
• Remove Abyssal Persecutor proactively with Orcus, Prince of Undeath or sac outlets.

Weaknesses:

Critical

• Crippling vulnerability to board wipes (only Heroic Intervention-style protection missing).
• Heavy reliance on Be'lakor's survival – repeated removal escalates commander tax beyond recovery.

Moderate

• Graveyard hate (Rest in Peace) shuts down reanimation lines and Apocalypse Demon.
• Struggles against fast combo decks due to limited stack interaction (only 5 counterspells).

Minor

• Life-loss from Phyrexian Arena/Bloodgift Demon can become a liability in prolonged games.
• Clunky mana base with 11 taplands slows early development.

Most Important Cards:

• Rakdos, Lord of Riops (Enables explosive Demon chains via cost reduction)
• Liliana's Contract (Alternate win condition)
• Bloodletter of Aclazotz (Doubles life-loss from Demon ETBs)
• Urza's Incubator (Critical tribal cost reduction)
• Whip of Erebos (Recursion + lifelink stabilization)
• Herald of Slaanesh (Early cost reduction + haste enabler)
• Blasphemous Act (Board reset synergized with indestructible Demons)
• Animate Dead (Efficient reanimation for key Demons)
• Beseech the Queen (Tutor for missing combo pieces)
• Doom Whisperer (Graveyard setup + evasive threat)

Attribute Ratings:

Speed: 5/10
Threatens wins around T7-9 via Demon swarm or Liliana's Contract. High-CMC Demons and limited fast mana cap early explosiveness.

Resilience: 6/10
Moderate recursion (Whip, Animate Dead) and protection (Greaves) offset by board wipe fragility and commander dependency.

Consistency: 6/10
Tribal tutors (Herald's Horn) and card draw (Be'lakor, Phyrexian Arena) provide redundancy, but lacks Demonic Tutor-level precision.

Interaction: 5/10
Focused on creature removal (Abrade, Drown in the Loch) with situational counterspells. Minimal answers to enchantments/artifacts.

Rating Justification:

The deck demonstrates focused casual power with T7-9 win potential through synergistic combat and alt-win conditions, but its speed is hampered by high curve and mana constraints. While resilient to spot removal, it folds to repeated wipes and lacks interaction density for higher metas.

Power level: 5.0 - 5.5