Overview:

This Atraxa poison/proliferate deck leverages Atraxa's end-step proliferation to accelerate poison counters on opponents, using toxic/infect creatures as primary vectors. The strategy combines evasive threats, efficient proliferate engines, and potent counter-doublers to overwhelm with poison, supported by a robust suite of tutors, card advantage, and interaction. Atraxa is essential as the consistent proliferate engine and resilient threat, enabling explosive turns with cards like Vorinclex, Monstrous Raider or Doubling Season. While vulnerable to commander removal, the deck operates effectively without her due to redundant proliferate sources and alternative win-cons.

Primer:

Core Strategy Execution:

1. Early Setup (Turns 1-3): Deploy mana rocks (Sol Ring, Chrome Mox, Fellwar Stone), poison enablers (Ichor Rats, Blighted Agent), or value pieces (Esper Sentinel, Sylvan Library). Use tutors (Demonic Tutor, Worldly Tutor) to find key threats or Isochron Scepter imprinted with Dramatic Reversal.
2. Poison Application & Proliferation (Turns 3-6): Connect with toxic/infect creatures (Blighted Agent, Bloated Contaminator) to establish initial poison. Cast Atraxa and proliferate engines (Flux Channeler, Inexorable Tide) to multiply counters. Leverage Fynn, the Fangbearer to double poison from deathtouch damage.
3. Win Condition Execution:
   • Poison Victory: Proliferate aggressively using Atraxa, Tekuthal, Inquiry Dominus, or Staff of Compleation to push opponents to 10+ poison. Triumph of the Hordes provides an instant-win combat overrun.
   • Combo Finish: Generate infinite mana via Isochron Scepter + Dramatic Reversal with 3+ mana rocks → Cast Walking Ballista for lethal. Heliod, Sun-Crowned + Ballista also wins on the spot.
   • Lock: Elesh Norn, Mother of Machines + Vorinclex, Monstrous Raider shuts down opponents' ETBs while doubling your counters.

Mulligan Priorities:

• Keep hands with 2-3 lands, including at least two colors.
• Prioritize early poison sources (Ichor Rats, Blighted Agent), ramp (Sol Ring, Arcane Signet), or a tutor.
• Hands with Atraxa + protection (Lightning Greaves, Heroic Intervention) are ideal against interaction-heavy pods.
• Avoid hands lacking early plays or reliant solely on high-CMC cards without ramp.

Key Tips:

• Maximize Proliferation: Trigger multiple proliferates per turn via spells (Contentious Plan), landfall (Evolution Sage), or noncreature casts (Flux Channeler). Tekuthal doubles all proliferate effects.
• Protect Critical Pieces: Use Fierce Guardianship, Teferi's Protection, and Heroic Intervention to defend Atraxa, combo pieces, or key engines like Doubling Season.
• Leverage Card Advantage: Rhystic Study, Necropotence, and Sylvan Library maintain hand superiority. Vraska, Betrayal's Sting offers draw, removal, and a poison finisher.
• Tutor Strategically: Fetch Isochron Scepter for combo, Triumph of the Hordes for lethal combat, or Vorinclex/Doubling Season for acceleration.
• Recursion: Unnatural Restoration and Vat Emergence retrieve key creatures or enchantments from the graveyard.

Weaknesses:

Critical

• Commander Reliance: Atraxa is vital for consistent proliferation; repeated removal significantly slows the deck despite redundancy.
• Graveyard Hate: Rest in Peace or Leyline of the Void cripples recursion (Unnatural Restoration, Vat Emergence) and disrupts Voidwing Hybrid.
• Anti-Counter Measures: Solemnity or The One Ring halts poison progression and negates +1/+1 synergies.

Moderate

• Board Wipes: Mass removal (e.g., Farewell) resets poison carriers and engines, though protection spells mitigate this.
• Artifact/Enchantment Removal: Targeting Isochron Scepter, Doubling Season, or Necropotence disrupts key engines/combo.
• Speed vs. Aggro: Struggles against hyper-aggressive decks that pressure life totals before poison scales.

Minor

• Limited Stack Interaction: Few counterspells beyond Fierce Guardianship/Flusterstorm leave combo decks unchecked if drawn poorly.
• Life Payment Costs: Necropotence, Toxic Deluge, and Phyrexian mana symbols can strain life totals against burn.

Most Important Cards:

• Atraxa, Praetors' Voice (Core proliferate engine)
• Isochron Scepter + Dramatic Reversal (Infinite mana combo)
• Vorinclex, Monstrous Raider/Doubling Season (Double poison/counters)
• Triumph of the Hordes (Combat poison finisher)
• Walking Ballista (Combo kill with Heliod or infinite mana)
• Ichor Rats (Global poison application)
• Blighted Agent (Unblockable poison vector)
• Demonic Tutor/Enlightened Tutor (Finds key pieces)
• Necropotence (Unmatched card advantage)
• Fynn, the Fangbearer (Doubles poison from deathtouch)

Attribute Ratings:

Speed: 8/10

• Capable of T3-4 wins with perfect hands (e.g., T1 Blighted Agent → T2 Scepter/Reversal → T3 Ballista), consistently threatening T5-6 victories via poison or combo.

Resilience: 6/10

• Strong protection (Teferi's Protection, Heroic Intervention), recursion, and redundant threats mitigate disruption, but heavy reliance on Atraxa and key artifacts/enchantments creates vulnerabilities.

Consistency: 8/10

• Extensive tutors (7+), prolific card draw (Necropotence, Rhystic Study), and redundant proliferate effects ensure frequent access to win conditions.

Interaction: 7/10

• Efficient targeted removal (Swords to Plowshares, Toxic Deluge), counterspells (Fierce Guardianship), and board wipes (Wrath of God) handle most threats, though instant-speed answers are limited.

Rating Justification:

This deck operates at high power with T3-4 win potential via combo or evasive poison, aligning with the "High Power" (8.0) benchmark. However, its reliance on Atraxa for optimal speed and vulnerability to common disruption (graveyard hate, commander removal) reduces resilience, placing it just below top-tier consistency. The robust tutor suite and efficient win-cons compensate, resulting in a range spanning high-power to cEDH-viable.

Power level: 8.0 - 8.5