Overview:

This mono-black Braids, Cabal Minion deck is a stax-leaning attrition strategy that weaponizes symmetrical sacrifice triggers while breaking parity via recursive creatures, token generation, and death payoff engines. The commander forces each player to sacrifice a permanent every upkeep, but the deck mitigates this with low-CMC creatures that replace themselves (e.g., Shambling Ghast, Greedy Freebooter), recursion engines (Reassembling Skeleton, Gravecrawler), and token producers (Pawn of Ulamog, Ophiomancer). Win conditions center on incremental life drain through Blood Artist effects, Gray Merchant of Asphodel, and Exsanguinate, supported by stax locks like Contamination. Braids is critical to the strategy but vulnerable to removal given her 4 CMC and lack of innate protection.

Primer:

Core Strategy Execution:

1. Early Setup (Turns 1-3): Deploy mana rocks (Sol Ring, Jet Medallion), sacrifice fodder (Shambling Ghast, Gravecrawler), and value engines (Grim Haruspex, Morbid Opportunist). Use Dark Ritual to accelerate Braids or key stax pieces.
2. Stax Deployment (Turns 4-5): Cast Braids and asymmetrical sacrifice enablers (Fleshbag Marauder, Plaguecrafter). Establish Contamination or God-Pharaoh's Statue to lock opponents out.
3. Grind Advantage (Mid-Late Game): Recur creatures (Reanimate, Unearth), generate Treasure with Pitiless Plunderer, and drain via Zulaport Cutthroat/Syr Konrad. Resolve Bolas's Citadel or Exsanguinate to close.

Mulligan Priorities:

• Keep hands with 2-3 lands, early fodder (e.g., Gravecrawler), and a payoff (Blood Artist, Skullclamp).
• Prioritize hands with acceleration (Sol Ring, Dark Ritual) to deploy Braids early.
• Avoid hands lacking sacrifice outlets or recursion.

Key Tips:

• Use Viscera Seer or Woe Strider to sacrifice creatures before Braids triggers resolve.
• Dauthi Voidwalker disrupts opponents’ graveyards while providing card theft.
• Drownyard Temple and Witch's Cottage ensure land drops while recurring threats.

Weaknesses:

Critical

• Commander-dependent strategy: Braids’ repeated removal cripples the deck’s core engine.
• Rest in Peace/Leyline of the Void nullifies recursion and Syr Konrad triggers.

Moderate

• Struggles against fast combo decks pre-lock establishment.
• Enchantment removal (e.g., Disenchant) dismantles Contamination/Phyrexian Arena.

Minor

• Limited flyer interaction outside Massacre Wurm.
• High life-loss cards (Bolas's Citadel, Treacherous Blessing) risk self-damage.

Most Important Cards:

• Contamination (Stax lock)
• Pitiless Plunderer (Mana generation)
• Bolas's Citadel (Value engine/wincon)
• Gray Merchant of Asphodel (Life swing)
• Syr Konrad, the Grim (Passive damage)
• Zulaport Cutthroat (Incremental drain)
• Blood Artist (Life manipulation)
• Skullclamp (Card draw)
• Phyrexian Arena (Sustained value)
• Dauthi Voidwalker (Graveyard hate + theft)

Attribute Ratings:

Speed: 5/10

• Can establish stax locks by T4-5 with ideal draws but typically wins via attrition around T7-9.

Resilience: 6/10

• Redundant recursion and token generation mitigate sacrifices, but key stax pieces lack protection.

Consistency: 7/10

• Strong card draw (Skullclamp, Phyrexian Arena) and tutors (Mausoleum Secrets, Reanimate) find critical pieces.

Interaction: 5/10

• Targeted removal (Feed the Swarm, Deadly Rollick) and board wipes (Toxic Deluge) are present but reactive.

Rating Justification:

This deck operates as a focused stax/attrition build with T7-8 win potential through layered sacrifice triggers and life drain. While resilient against creature strategies, its reliance on Braids and vulnerability to graveyard hate caps its ceiling.

Power level: 6.0 - 6.5