Overview:

This Bant (GWU) deck helmed by Helga, Skittish Seer leverages high mana value creatures to fuel a value engine and combo potential. Helga acts as both a card advantage engine and mana accelerator, rewarding the casting of creatures with MV 4+ by drawing cards, gaining life, and growing her power. The deck combines explosive ramp, creature-based synergies, and multiple infinite combos to overwhelm opponents through combat or combo finishes. Key strategies include cheating out threats via Protean Hulk, Defense of the Heart, and cascade effects, while Intruder Alarm and Seedborn Muse enable untap loops for infinite mana or card draw.

Primer:

Core Strategy Execution:

1. Early Setup (Turns 1-3): Prioritize ramp (Birds of Paradise, Nature's Lore, Sol Ring) and protection (Grand Abolisher, Heroic Intervention). Cast Helga early to start accruing value.
2. Midgame Value (Turns 4-6): Deploy high-impact creatures like Imoti, Celebrant of Bounty, Seedborn Muse, or Apex Devastator to trigger Helga’s draw and generate cascades. Use tutors (Eldritch Evolution, Worldly Tutor) to find combo pieces or finishers.
3. Combo Execution:
   • Infinite Mana: Intruder Alarm + Kiora's Follower/Seedborn Muse + mana dorks. Pair with Walking Ballista for a win.
   • Protean Hulk Death Triggers: Fetch Kiora's Follower + Walking Ballista with supporting untap loops.
   • Ancestral Statue + Helga + Intruder Alarm: Loop Statue to infinitely pump Helga, draw the deck, and generate mana for Ballista.
4. Alternative Wins: Overwhelm with End-Raze Forerunners, Avacyn, Angel of Hope, or Ghalta, Primal Hunger backed by Crashing Drawbridge for haste.

Mulligan Priorities:

• Keep hands with 2-3 lands, early ramp, and at least one high-value creature or tutor.
• Prioritize protection (Teferi's Protection, Dovin's Veto) in interactive metas.
• Avoid hands lacking ramp or with only high-CMC spells.

Key Tips:

• Use Thousand-Year Elixir to activate Helga’s mana ability the turn she enters.
• Saryth, the Viper's Fang protects key creatures with hexproof and enables untap shenanigans.
• Hullbreaker Horror disrupts opponents while advancing your board.

Weaknesses:

Critical

• Board Wipes: Minimal recovery beyond Sevinne's Reclamation; relies on protection spells.
• Stax Effects: Torpor Orb/Cursed Totem neuters ETB triggers and mana dorks.
• Graveyard Hate: Disrupts Protean Hulk, Regrowth, and Sevinne's Reclamation.

Moderate

• Spot Removal on Key Pieces: Losing Seedborn Muse or Intruder Alarm slows combos.
• Stack Interaction: Limited counterspells (only 5) to protect against disruption.

Minor

• Artifact/Enchantment Reliance: Vulnerable to Bane of Progress-style effects.

Most Important Cards:

• Intruder Alarm (Combo enabler for infinite untaps)
• Protean Hulk (Tutor-on-death for combo pieces)
• Seedborn Muse (Untap engine for mana/abilities)
• Walking Ballista (Primary combo finisher)
• Helga, Skittish Seer (Value engine & mana generator)
• Ancestral Statue (Infinite loop with Helga)
• Eldritch Evolution (Tutor for combo pieces)
• Defense of the Heart (Cheat out game-winning creatures)
• Teferi's Protection (Protection from wipes)
• Grand Abolisher (Protects combo turns)

Attribute Ratings:

Speed: 7/10

• Capable of T5-6 wins via combos or overwhelming board states, accelerated by Helga’s mana and cascade triggers.

Resilience: 6/10

• Protection spells and recursion mitigate disruption, but critical combo pieces remain vulnerable.

Consistency: 7/10

• Tutors and cascades improve combo access, but some lines require specific 3-card combinations.

Interaction: 5/10

• Efficient counterspells and removal exist but are outnumbered by combo enablers.

Rating Justification:

This deck operates at the cusp of focused and optimized tiers, leveraging explosive combos and tutors to threaten T5-6 wins. While resilient to light interaction, its reliance on creature-based engines and vulnerability to stax keep it below cEDH levels.

Power level: 7.0 - 7.5