Overview:

This mono-black Braids, Cabal Minion deck is a stax/aristocrats hybrid, leveraging forced sacrifices and death triggers to grind opponents down. The commander forces symmetrical sacrifices of artifacts, creatures, or lands every upkeep, but the deck offsets this with token generation (e.g., Pawn of Ulamog, Jadar, Ghoulcaller of Nephalia), recursive threats (e.g., Bloodghast, Sheoldred, Whispering One), and sacrifice payoffs. Primary win conditions include incremental life drain via Blood Artist effects, explosive Gray Merchant of Asphodel triggers, and Aetherflux Reservoir activations. Braids acts as both a stax piece and enabler, pressuring opponents' resources while feeding the deck's death-trigger engines.

Primer:

Core Strategy Execution:

1. Early Setup (Turns 1-4):
   • Deploy mana accelerants like Sol Ring, Crypt Ghast, or Cabal Ritual.
   • Establish sacrifice outlets (Viscera Seer, Phyrexian Altar) and token generators (Jadar, Ghoulcaller of Nephalia, Pawn of Ulamog).
   • Cast Braids as soon as possible (T3-4) to pressure opponents.

2. Mid-Game Grind (Turns 5-7):

   • Leverage Braids’ symmetrical sacrifice to drain opponents with Zulaport Cutthroat, Syr Konrad, the Grim, or Vraan, Executioner Thane.
   • Recur threats like Gray Merchant of Asphodel or Sheoldred, Whispering One for repeated value.
   • Use Bolas's Citadel or Skullclamp to maintain card advantage.

3. Win Conditions (Turns 7+):

   • Activate Aetherflux Reservoir after casting multiple low-cost spells.
   • Amplify life loss with Bloodletter of Aclazotz or Sheoldred, the Apocalypse.
   • Overwhelm with Gray Merchant devotion loops or Drivnod, Carnage Dominus-enhanced death triggers.

Mulligan Priorities:

• Prioritize hands with 2-3 Swamps, early ramp (Sol Ring, Dark Ritual), and a sacrifice outlet or token generator.
• Keep hands with Braids + a way to protect her (e.g., Deadly Rollick for removal) against interactive pods.
• Avoid hands lacking early plays or reliant solely on high-CMC bombs.

Key Tips:

• Sacrifice Sequencing: Sacrifice tokens first to Braids’ upkeep trigger to preserve key creatures. Use Pitiless Plunderer to convert deaths into mana.
• Bolas’s Citadel Synergy: Pair with Aetherflux Reservoir to chain spells and gain life, offsetting Citadel’s cost.
• Recursion Loops: Reanimate Gray Merchant with Cabal Surgeon or Sheoldred, Whispering One for repeated life drain.

Weaknesses:

Critical

• Heavy Reliance on Braids: The deck struggles if Braids is repeatedly removed, as many synergies depend on her symmetrical sacrifice trigger.
• Limited Artifact/Enchantment Removal: Few answers to Rest in Peace, Leyline of the Void, or Aura Shards.

Moderate

• Slow Setup: High-CMC payoffs (e.g., Sheoldred, Whispering One, Cabal Conditioning) can stall the early game.
• Graveyard Dependency: Recursion engines are vulnerable to Bojuka Bog or Soul-Guide Lantern.

Minor

• Life Total Pressure: Aetherflux Reservoir and Bolas's Citadel require careful life management.
• Token Overcommitment: Vulnerable to Rakdos Charm or Echoing Truth.

Most Important Cards:

• Braids, Cabal Minion (Stax engine/sacrifice enabler)
• Gray Merchant of Asphodel (Primary life-drain finisher)
• Phyrexian Altar (Sacrifice outlet + mana generation)
• Aetherflux Reservoir (Alternate win condition)
• Sheoldred, the Apocalypse (Life loss amplifier + card draw punisher)
• Blood Artist (Incremental life drain)
• Cabal Coffers (Mana scaling)
• Syr Konrad, the Grim (Passive damage engine)
• Skullclamp (Card draw from tokens)
• Bolas's Citadel (Card advantage + combo potential)

Attribute Ratings:

Speed: 5/10

• Threatens incremental life drain from T4-5 but lacks explosive combos; wins typically occur T8-10 through attrition.

Resilience: 6/10

• Recursion (Sheoldred, Whispering One, Cabal Surgeon) and token generation mitigate board wipes, but Braids’ dependency is a liability.

Consistency: 6/10

• Moderate card draw (Skullclamp, Morbid Opportunist) but limited tutors; relies on attrition to outlast opponents.

Interaction: 4/10

• Spot removal (Soul Shatter, Deadly Rollick) and sacrifice triggers disrupt opponents but lack stack interaction.

Rating Justification:

This deck operates as a focused casual build, leveraging stax elements and incremental value to pressure opponents. While it can establish locks via Braids and drain effects, its slow setup and reliance on the commander cap its speed. Resilience from recursion and redundancy elevates it above precon levels, but it lacks the consistency or protection of optimized lists.

Power level: 4.5 - 5.0