Overview:

This Golgari deck helmed by Jarad, Golgari Lich Lord focuses on high-power creatures, graveyard recursion, and leveraging sacrifice synergies to drain opponents. The strategy revolves around ramping into massive threats like Ghalta, Primal Hunger, Yargle and Multani, and Hierophant Bio-Titan, then using Jarad's sacrifice ability to convert their power into direct life loss. Secondary win conditions include combat overruns with trample enablers like Garruk's Uprising and token generators like Sandwurm Convergence. The deck uses recursion engines (Victimize, Blood for Bones) and creature tutors (Fauna Shaman, Shared Summons) to maintain board presence. Jarad serves as both a finisher and recursion tool, enabling repeated sacrifices of high-power creatures.

Primer:

Core Strategy Execution:

1. Early Game (Turns 1-4):
   • Prioritize ramp (Llanowar Elves, Cultivate, Sakura-Tribe Elder) and setup cards like Garruk's Uprising or Death's Presence.
   • Use Fauna Shaman or Jarad's Orders to tutor key creatures into the graveyard for later recursion.
2. Mid Game (Turns 5-7):
   • Deploy high-power threats (Rotting Regisaur, Daemogoth Titan) or cheat out creatures via Monster Manual.
   • Reanimate key pieces with Doomed Necromancer or Victimize. Activate Jarad’s sacrifice ability to pressure life totals.
3. Late Game (Turns 8+):
   • Close out with combat via buffed boards (Thunderfoot Baloth, Zopandrel, Hunger Dominus) or drain opponents by sacrificing creatures like Worldspine Wurm (post-death tokens provide recurring fodder).

Mulligan Priorities:

• Keep hands with 3+ lands and at least one ramp spell.
• Prioritize early plays like Llanowar Elves or Sakura-Tribe Elder.
• Avoid hands with only high-CMC creatures and no ramp/recursion.

Key Tips:

• Use Yargle and Multani as a one-shot 18-life drain with Jarad.
• Seedborn Muse enables multiple activations of Jarad per turn cycle.
• Swiftfoot Boots protects Jarad or key creatures from targeted removal.

Weaknesses:

Critical

• Graveyard reliance: Bojuka Bog or Rest in Peace cripples recursion lines.
• Board wipe vulnerability: Limited protection against mass removal (e.g., Damnation).

Moderate

• Slow setup: High-CMC threats require uninterrupted ramp.
• Anti-sacrifice effects: Torpor Orb disrupts ETB recursion (e.g., Ravenous Chupacabra).

Minor

• Limited stack interaction: Few counterspells or instant-speed answers.
• Artifact/Enchantment dependence: Key pieces like Sandwurm Convergence are soft to removal.

Most Important Cards:

• Jarad, Golgari Lich Lord (Primary win condition via sacrifice)
• Ghalta, Primal Hunger (Massive threat enabling cheap Jarad casts)
• Yargle and Multani (18-power instant-speed drain)
• Seedborn Muse (Untap synergy for multiple activations)
• Victimize (Premium recursion engine)
• Fauna Shaman (Tutor for combo pieces/recursion targets)
• Thunderfoot Baloth (Combat finisher with trample)
• Worldspine Wurm (Recurring token generator)
• Garruk's Uprising (Card draw and trample enabler)
• Daemogoth Titan (Sacrifice fodder with high power)

Attribute Ratings:

Speed: 5/10

• Threatens wins via combat or Jarad drains starting around T8-10, slowed by high mana costs.

Resilience: 6/10

• Recursion and tutors mitigate losses, but over-reliance on graveyard and commander makes it fragile.

Consistency: 7/10

• Strong creature tutoring and card draw (Moonlight Bargain, Garruk's Uprising) ensure access to key pieces.

Interaction: 4/10

• Spot removal (Putrefy, Breathe Your Last) is present but lacks counterspells or mass protection.

Rating Justification:

This deck operates as a tuned casual build with clear synergies and a focused game plan, but its reliance on slow, combat-heavy wins and vulnerability to graveyard hate caps its ceiling. The combination of moderate speed (T8-10 wins) and fair resilience aligns it with upgraded precon levels.

Power level: 4.0 - 4.5