Overview:

This Aesi, Tyrant of Gyre Strait deck focuses on explosive landfall synergies and extra land drops to generate overwhelming value through token armies, card advantage, and combo finishes. Aesi turbocharges the strategy by enabling additional land plays and drawing cards on every landfall trigger. The deck employs multiple "hidden commanders" like Tatyova, Benthic Druid, Kodama of the East Tree, and Ancient Greenwarden to amplify landfall value. Primary win conditions include token swarms amplified by Craterhoof Behemoth, infinite turns via Panoptic Mirror + extra turn spells, and oppressive board states with Vorinclex, Voice of Hunger or Jin-Gitaxias, Core Augur.

Primer:

Core Strategy Execution:

1. Early Ramp (Turns 1-4): Prioritize land-ramp spells (Cultivate, Kodama's Reach, Harrow) and extra land enablers (Exploration, Azusa, Lost but Seeking, Druid Class). Use Lotus Cobra or Nissa, Resurgent Animist for explosive mana.
2. Value Engine Setup (Turns 3-6): Deploy Aesi or Tatyova to convert land drops into card draw. Chain landfall triggers with Scute Swarm, Avenger of Zendikar, and Rampaging Baloths to build a wide board. Use Ramunap Excavator/Ancient Greenwarden to recur fetch lands like Evolving Wilds for repeated triggers.
3. Combo/Finisher Deployment (Turns 5-8):
   • Infinite Turns: Imprint Time Warp, Temporal Manipulation, or Walk the Aeons on Panoptic Mirror to take infinite turns.
   • Craterhoof Finish: Overrun with tokens boosted by Craterhoof Behemoth or Mossborn Hydra (doubling counters via Doubling Season).
   • Kodama Chains: Use Kodama of the East Tree + Ashaya, Soul of the Wild to cheat permanents into play for free with every land drop.

Mulligan Priorities:

• Keep hands with 3+ lands, at least one ramp spell (e.g., Rampant Growth, Explore), and an extra land enabler (e.g., Azusa, Druid Class).
• Prioritize Panoptic Mirror hands only if paired with a tutor or extra turn spell.
• Avoid hands without early land drops or ramp.

Key Tips:

• Double Landfall: Ancient Greenwarden and Fractured Realm (Mirror Room) double triggers for Scute Swarm, Avenger of Zendikar, or Retreat to Kazandu.
• Protect the Combo: Use Swiftfoot Boots or Heroic Intervention to defend Panoptic Mirror or key value engines.
• Recursion Loops: Recur Eternal Witness with Kodama of the East Tree or Phantasmal Image to rebuy critical spells like Cyclonic Rift.

Weaknesses:

Critical

• Artifact Removal: Panoptic Mirror is a fragile combo linchpin; its destruction cripples the primary infinite turns plan.
• Mass Land Destruction: Armageddon-effects reset the deck’s engine entirely with minimal recovery tools.
• Graveyard Hate: Rest in Peace nullifies Ramunap Excavator, Ancient Greenwarden, and Eternal Witness.

Moderate

• Board Wipes: Token armies from Scute Swarm/Avenger of Zendikar are vulnerable to Blasphemous Act or Austere Command.
• Countermagic: The deck has limited counterplay against stacks decks; key spells like Craterhoof or extra turn effects are prime targets.

Minor

• Hand Disruption: Thoughtseize-effects can remove combo pieces, but the deck’s redundancy mitigates this.
• Fliers: Relies on Simic Charm or Meloku the Clouded Mirror tokens for blocking, which may be insufficient against dedicated flyer strategies.

Most Important Cards:

• Panoptic Mirror (Infinite turns combo)
• Craterhoof Behemoth (Primary combat finisher)
• Ancient Greenwarden (Doubles landfall triggers)
• Kodama of the East Tree (Free permanent chains)
• Azusa, Lost but Seeking (Critical extra land drops)
• Scute Swarm (Exponential token generation)
• Cyclonic Rift (Board reset/protection)
• Rhystic Study (Card advantage engine)
• Vorinclex, Voice of Hunger (Mana denial/value)
• Ramunap Excavator (Land recursion)

Attribute Ratings:

Speed: 6/10

• Can threaten infinite turns or Craterhoof kills by turns 6-8, but requires setup and protection for key pieces.

Resilience: 5/10

• Limited protection outside Heroic Intervention and Swiftfoot Boots; struggles to recover from repeated board wipes or combo disruption.

Consistency: 8/10

• High density of land tutors, card draw (Aesi, Rhystic Study), and redundancy in landfall payoffs ensure steady access to core pieces.

Interaction: 4/10

• Relies on Counterspell, Mana Drain, and Beast Within for disruption; lacks stack control beyond situational Simic Charm modes.

Rating Justification:

The deck’s infinite turns combo and Craterhoof finishers enable T6-7 wins in ideal scenarios, aligning with the "Focused" tier (6.0-6.5). However, its reliance on fragile artifacts and vulnerability to common interaction tools caps its resilience, preventing higher optimization tiers.

Power level: 6.0 - 6.5