Overview:

This K'rrik, Son of Yawgmoth deck is a high-octane, life-payment combo machine that leverages explosive mana acceleration and graveyard recursion to execute fast wins. K'rrik serves as the linchpin, enabling absurd mana discounts on black spells via life payments. The deck aims to turbo out game-ending combos like Aetherflux Reservoir storm lines, Necrotic Ooze/Asmodeus the Archfiend loops, or Gray Merchant of Asphodel devotion bursts, supported by an extensive tutor suite and reanimation package. K'rrik’s +1/+1 counter scaling and lifelink help offset life costs, but the deck’s true power lies in its ability to chain rituals, cheat mana, and abuse the graveyard with Yawgmoth's Will or Necropotence.

Primer:

Core Strategy Execution:

1. Explosive Start (Turns 1-2): Deploy fast mana (Dark Ritual, Cabal Ritual, Mox Diamond, Grim Monolith) to cast K'rrik as early as turn 1-2. Use Lake of the Dead, Culling the Weak, or Sacrifice to fuel massive mana spikes.
2. Assemble Combo/Lock (Turns 2-4): Tutor for key pieces with Demonic Tutor, Imperial Seal, or Beseech the Mirror. Buried Alive/Entomb sets up graveyard combos (e.g., Necrotic Ooze + Skirge Familiar + Asmodeus for infinite draw). Aetherflux Reservoir + storm spells (Peer into the Abyss, Necropotence) can close games instantly.
3. Recursion & Redundancy (Mid-Late): Reanimate threats like Razaketh, the Foulblooded or Vilis, Broker of Blood using Reanimate/Animate Dead. Yawgmoth's Will and Corpse Dance enable graveyard loops.

Mulligan Priorities:

• Keep hands with K'rrik enablers: fast mana (≥2 sources) or Entomb + reanimation.
• Prioritize tutors, Necropotence, or The One Ring for early card velocity.
• Avoid hands lacking black sources or life-pay mitigation (e.g., no lifelink enablers).

Key Tips:

• Use Phyrexian Tower to sacrifice K'rrik in response to removal, then reanimate him.
• Necrotic Ooze + Asmodeus the Archfiend in the graveyard allows infinite draw: activate Ooze’s Asmodeus ability to exile your library, then use Skirge Familiar’s ability (via Ooze) to discard for mana, casting Aetherflux Reservoir to kill the table.
• Peer into the Abyss + Necropotence draws your entire deck, enabling Aetherflux or Gray Merchant kills.

Weaknesses:

Critical

• Graveyard hate (Rest in Peace, Leyline of the Void) cripples reanimation and Necrotic Ooze combos.
• K'rrik removal loops (e.g., Darksteel Mutation) force unsustainable life payments to recast.
• Anti-life-pay effects (Erebos, God of the Dead, Platinum Emperion) nullify the core strategy.

Moderate

• Fast aggro decks can pressure life totals before combos stabilize.
• Rule of Law effects disrupt storm turns and tutor chains.
• Drannith Magistrate blocks K'rrik casting and reanimation lines.

Minor

• Limited artifact/enchantment removal (only Bitter Triumph, Dismember for creatures).
• The One Ring/Necropotence lifeloss can backfire if combos fizzle.

Most Important Cards:

• K'rrik, Son of Yawgmoth (Mana cheat engine)
• Aetherflux Reservoir (Primary storm wincon)
• Necrotic Ooze (Graveyard combo enabler)
• Yawgmoth's Will (Recursion powerhouse)
• Demonic Tutor (Consistency backbone)
• Razaketh, the Foulblooded (Tutor-on-a-stick)
• Necropotence (Card advantage engine)
• Peer into the Abyss (Combo finisher)
• Buried Alive (Graveyard setup)
• Dark Ritual (Turn 1 K'rrik enabler)

Attribute Ratings:

Speed: 9/10

• Capable of T1 K'rrik into T2-3 wins via rituals, Aetherflux Reservoir, or Gray Merchant loops.

Resilience: 7/10

• Redundant tutors and reanimation mitigate disruption, but graveyard reliance and commander dependency create fragility.

Consistency: 9/10

• 14 tutors, 8+ card draw engines, and multiple combo lines ensure near-guaranteed access to win conditions.

Interaction: 5/10

• Efficient creature removal (Dismember, Deadly Rollick), but minimal answers to noncreature permanents or stack interaction.

Rating Justification:

This deck operates at cEDH-adjacent speeds (T2-4 wins) with explosive mana and tutor density but lacks the interaction and resilience of top-tier lists. Its reliance on graveyard combos and life payments creates vulnerabilities that keep it below cEDH Tier 1, but its raw speed aligns with high-power metas.

Power level: 8.0 - 8.5