Overview:

This Henzie "Toolbox" Torre deck leverages the commander’s blitz mechanic to cheat out high-impact creatures with haste, draw value from their deaths, and recur them for repeated value. The strategy focuses on explosive midgame turns fueled by mana acceleration (e.g., Gaea's Cradle, dorks) to blitz threats like Protean Hulk, Archon of Cruelty, and Balefire Dragon, while using reanimation (Living Death, Chainer, Nightmare Adept) and recursion (Phyrexian Delver, Timeless Witness) to sustain momentum. Henzie serves as the core engine, reducing blitz costs with each cast and enabling a "value train" of hasty threats that replace themselves on death.

Primer:

Core Strategy Execution:

1. Early Setup (Turns 1-3): Deploy mana dorks (Ignoble Hierarch, Elvish Mystic), land-based ramp (Utopia Sprawl, Wild Growth), or fast mana (Elvish Spirit Guide). Prioritize casting Henzie by Turn 3.
2. Blitz Phase (Turns 4-6): Use Henzie’s cost reduction to blitz high-value creatures like Protean Hulk (fetching Viscera Seer + Body Snatcher loops), Gray Merchant of Asphodel (life drain), or Massacre Wurm (board control). Sacrifice blitzed creatures to Greater Good or Skullclamp for card advantage.
3. Recurrence & Finishing (Turns 5+): Reanimate key threats with Reanimate, Incarnation Technique, or Sheoldred, or reset the board with Living Death. Close the game via:
   • Combat: Overwhelm with hasty beaters like Etali, Primal Conqueror or Colossal Grave-Reaver.
   • Combo: Protean Hulk chains (e.g., fetching Viscera Seer + Karmic Guide + Revillark for infinite death triggers).
   • Value Engines: Mikaeus, the Unhallowed + sac outlets for undying loops.

Mulligan Priorities:

• Keep hands with 2-3 lands, at least 1 ramp source, and a 4+ MV creature.
• Prioritize Survival of the Fittest, Birthing Pod, or Worldly Tutor for early setup.
• Avoid hands without acceleration or blitz targets.

Key Tips:

• Use Viscera Seer to sac blitzed creatures before they self-exile, maximizing death triggers.
• Chainer, Nightmare Adept grants haste to reanimated creatures and enables graveyard recursion.
• Boseiju, Who Endures protects key plays from counterspells or removes hate pieces.

Weaknesses:

Critical

• Graveyard Reliance: Rest in Peace or Leyline of the Void cripples reanimation, blitz death triggers, and key engines like Living Death.
• Commander Dependency: Repeated Henzie removal slows blitz cost reduction, delaying the deck’s tempo.
• Torpor Orb Effects: Nullifies ETB triggers from 80% of the deck’s threats (e.g., Massacre Wurm, Archon of Cruelty).

Moderate

• Board Wipes: Recovery relies on graveyard recursion (Phyrexian Delver) or Living Death, which can be disrupted.
• Anti-Sacrifice Effects: Tajuru Preserver or Sigarda, Host of Herons blocks key death triggers.
• Fast Combo Decks: Limited stack interaction (only Deflecting Swat, Tibalt's Trickery) struggles against T4-5 wins.

Minor

• Artifact/Enchantment Hate: Bane of Progress is a double-edged sword, but the deck can rebuild via blitz.
• Mana Base Pain: ~30% of lands deal damage, but life gain from Kokusho/Gray Merchant offsets this.

Most Important Cards:

• Protean Hulk (Game-winning combo enabler)
• Survival of the Fittest (Tutor engine for creatures)
• Living Death (Board reset + graveyard recursion)
• Greater Good (Sac outlet + card draw)
• Chainer, Nightmare Adept (Recurrence + haste enabler)
• Gaea's Cradle (Explosive mana for blitz chains)
• Mikaeus, the Unhallowed (Undying synergy + combo piece)
• Demonic Tutor (Universal consistency)
• Phyrexian Delver (Key reanimation)
• Birthing Pod (Creature tutoring + value)

Attribute Ratings:

Speed: 7/10
Threatens T4-5 wins with ideal hands (e.g., T1 dork → T2 Henzie → T3 blitz Hulk), but averages T6-7 due to setup requirements.

Resilience: 6/10
Multiple recursion engines and protection (Deflecting Swat, Boseiju) mitigate disruption, but graveyard reliance is a critical flaw.

Consistency: 8/10
12 tutors (including Vampiric Tutor, Worldly Tutor) and robust card draw (Skullclamp, Greater Good) ensure access to key pieces.

Interaction: 5/10
Spot removal (Assassin's Trophy, Deadly Rollick) and board wipes (Massacre Wurm) are present but reactive; lacks counterspell density.

Rating Justification:

This deck operates at a 7.0 - 7.5 power level, capable of explosive T4-5 wins with combos like Hulk chains or Gray Merchant loops, but its reliance on the graveyard and vulnerability to stax keep it below cEDH tiers. High consistency and resilience through recursion balance its weaknesses in faster metas.

Power level: 7.0 - 7.5