Overview:

This Grixis (U/B/R) deck helmed by The Ninth Doctor focuses on leveraging additional upkeep steps through cards like Paradox Haze and Shadow of the Second Sun to amplify triggered abilities. The strategy combines incremental value engines (monarch mechanics, Phyrexian Arena, Descent into Avernus), board control (Damnation, Chain Reaction), and delayed-win payoffs (Court of Ire, Dire Fleet Ravager). The Ninth Doctor acts as an enabler for scaling upkeep triggers but isn’t strictly essential to all win conditions. Hidden commander Vial Smasher the Fierce enhances damage output from high-CMC spells like Bribery or Time Warp.

Primer:

Core Strategy Execution:

1. Early Setup (Turns 1-4):
   • Deploy mana rocks (Sol Ring, Rakdos Signet) and value engines (Phyrexian Arena, Morbid Opportunist).
   • Cast Paradox Haze or Shadow of the Second Sun to multiply upkeep triggers.
   • Establish monarch via Court of Embereth/Court of Ire for card advantage and damage.

2. Midgame Scaling (Turns 5-7):

   • Use extra upkeeps to accelerate Descent into Avernus (Treasure/damage scaling), Court of Vantress (artifact/enchantment cloning), and The Eldest Reborn recursion.
   • Suspend high-impact threats via Jhoira of the Ghitu (e.g., Time Warp, Bribery).

3. Win Conditions:

   • Upkeep Burn: Court of Ire (7 damage per upkeep), Descent into Avernus (exponential damage).
   • Life Drain: Gray Merchant of Asphodel, Dire Fleet Ravager.
   • Combat/Value Overload: Sphinx of the Second Sun for extra turns, cloned threats via Estrid’s Invocation.
   • Disruption Lock: Lithoform Engine copying Damnation or Time Warp.

Mulligan Priorities:

• Keep hands with 2-3 lands and at least one ramp artifact (e.g., Sol Ring, Arcane Signet).
• Prioritize early enablers like Paradox Haze or monarch-establishing cards.
• Avoid hands without interaction (e.g., Counterspell, Terminate) in removal-heavy metas.

Key Tips:

• Use Lithoform Engine to copy The Ninth Doctor’s upkeep trigger for three upkeeps per turn.
• Volatile Stormdrake can steal opponents’ key creatures temporarily while generating energy for combos.
• Vial Smasher the Fierce pairs with high-CMC suspended spells (via Jhoira of the Ghitu) for passive damage.

Weaknesses:

Critical

• Relies heavily on The Ninth Doctor surviving to enable multiple upkeeps; lacks robust protection (only Lightning Greaves absent).
• Minimal graveyard recursion outside The Eldest Reborn; graveyard hate cripples Reanimate/Gray Merchant lines.

Moderate

• Slow setup: Key enchantments (e.g., Descent into Avernus) require 2-3 turns to become lethal.
• Vulnerable to enchantment removal (Feed the Swarm is the only answer in-deck).

Minor

• Limited stack interaction (only 6 counterspells) struggles against fast combo decks.
• Spiteful Visions punishes own card draw engines.

Most Important Cards:

• Paradox Haze (Doubles upkeep triggers)
• Descent into Avernus (Scaling damage/Treasure engine)
• Court of Ire (Primary burn wincon)
• Jhoira of the Ghitu (Cheats high-CMC spells)
• Lithoform Engine (Copies key triggers/spells)
• Vial Smasher the Fierce (Passive damage amplifier)
• The Eldest Reborn (Recursion and disruption)
• Damnation (Board reset for control)
• Gray Merchant of Asphodel (Life swing finisher)
• Time Warp (Extra turns for combo setup)

Attribute Ratings:

Speed: 5/10

• Wins typically around T8-10 via incremental damage or suspended threats, though explosive Dire Fleet Ravager + recursion can shorten this.

Resilience: 4/10

• Limited protection for key pieces; relies on counterspells and board wipes to stall but struggles against focused disruption.

Consistency: 6/10

• Moderate tutor density (Demonic Counsel, Waterlogged Teachings) and card draw offset by reliance on synergies.

Interaction: 7/10

• Strong removal suite (Terminate, Damnation) and counterspells, but lacks answers to noncreature permanents beyond Feed the Swarm.

Rating Justification:

This deck’s T8-10 win potential via incremental burn/combos and robust interaction aligns with the "Optimized Casual" tier. However, its vulnerability to commander removal and slow scaling prevent higher ratings.

Power level: 5.0 - 5.5