Overview:

This Rakdos deck helmed by Magar of the Magic Strings focuses on reanimating instants/sorceries as 3/3 creatures to generate explosive value or win through combat-triggered spell recursion. The strategy revolves on discarding/milling high-impact spells (e.g., Army of the Damned, Breach the Multiverse), animating them via Magar, and enabling unblockable attacks (Rogue's Passage, Whispersilk Cloak) to recast them for free. Magar is the linchpin, enabling the core game plan but vulnerable to removal without robust protection. Secondary themes include Treasure synergy and midrange value via discard/draw engines.

Primer:

Core Strategy Execution:

1. Setup Phase (T1-4):
   • Ramp with Sol Ring, Rakdos Signet, or Dark Ritual to cast Magar early.
   • Discard key spells using Faithless Looting, Oriq Loremage, or Entomb. Prioritize high-impact targets like Army of the Damned or Rise of the Eldrazi.
   • Protect Magar with Lightning Greaves or Swiftfoot Boots.

2. Threat Activation (T3-6):

   • Use Magar’s ability to animate a face-down spell. Ensure evasion via Access Tunnel, Key to the City, or Thieves' Tools.
   • Connect combat damage to trigger free spell copies (e.g., Breach the Multiverse for reanimation or Savage Beating for extra combats).

3. Late-Game Payoffs (T6+):

   • Overwhelm with recursive Army of the Damned zombie swarms or Rise of the Eldrazi’s extra turn.
   • Leverage Treasure from Professional Face-Breaker or Pirate's Pillage to cast high-CMC spells normally.

Mulligan Priorities:

• Keep hands with Magar + 1-2 ramp/discard outlets (e.g., Faithless Looting, Storm-Kiln Artist).
• Ensure access to evasion enablers (Rogue's Passage, Whispersilk Cloak) or protection (Deflecting Swat).
• Avoid hands lacking graveyard setup or excessive high-CMC spells without discard outlets.

Key Tips:

• Prioritize discarding spells with immediate board impact (e.g., Blasphemous Act, In Garruk's Wake).
• Use Phyrexian Altar to sacrifice animated spells for mana before they exile.
• Tibalt's Trickery and Imp's Mischief protect key turns; save them for critical interaction.

Weaknesses:

Critical

• Graveyard hate (Rest in Peace, Leyline of the Void) completely shuts down Magar’s recursion.
• Commander reliance: Repeated removal of Magar stalls the deck’s primary engine.

Moderate

• Board wipes reset animated spells and Treasure generators.
• Anti-evasion tech (Propaganda, Silent Arbiter) blocks combat triggers.

Minor

• Limited stack interaction against noncreature combos.
• High-CMC spells clog hands without discard outlets.

Most Important Cards:

• Magar of the Magic Strings (Core enabler for spell recursion)
• Army of the Damned (Recurring zombie army generator)
• Rise of the Eldrazi (Game-ending extra turn + removal)
• Phyrexian Altar (Mana engine for recurring sacrifices)
• Demonic Tutor (Finds key spells/answers)
• Entomb (Graveyard setup)
• Rogue's Passage (Critical evasion for triggers)
• Breach the Multiverse (Mass reanimation/value)
• Savage Beating (Combat phase multiplier)
• Deflecting Swat (Protects Magar/combo turns)

Attribute Ratings:

Speed: 6/10

• Can threaten wins via combat-triggered spells or Army of the Damned by T6-8, but relies on setup turns.

Resilience: 4/10

• Vulnerable to graveyard/commander hate; limited recursion beyond Eternal Witness-like effects.

Consistency: 7/10

• Strong discard/tutor suite (Demonic Tutor, Faithless Looting) ensures access to key pieces.

Interaction: 5/10

• Targeted removal (Terminate, Bedevil) and niche counterspells, but lacks broad answers.

Rating Justification:

This deck operates as a focused midrange strategy with T7-8 win potential through recursive value and combat triggers, but its reliance on Magar and graveyard synergy caps its resilience. It aligns with the "Focused" tier (6.0) in speed but is held back by critical vulnerabilities, placing it in the optimized casual range.

Power level: 5.5 - 6.0