I use the following ten parameters to determine the strength of the deck. For each, I allocate a score of 5 (very good), 4 (good), 3 (mediocre), 2 (bad) or 1 (very bad); when totalized this score represents the power rating of the deck (maximum score is 50 points).
- Mana: indicates the availability of mana sources within the deck.
- Ramp: indicates the speed at which mana sources within the deck can be made available.
- Card Advantage: indicates availability of filter- and draw resources represented within the deck.
- Overall speed: indicates the deck’s potential for pace, based on resource availability and mana curve.
- Combo: indicates the measure of combo-orientation of the deck.
- Army: indicates the deck’s creature-army strength.
- Commander: indicates how much the deck is commander-oriented/dependent (less dependency is better).
- Interaction: indicates how much this deck can mess with opponents’ board states and turn-phases.
- Resilience: indicates whether the deck can prevent and take punches.
- Spellpower: indicates the availability and strength of high-impact spells.
Mana: 3
The deck contains five mana rocks, an artifact that cheapens my spells, a spell that provides an instant mana boost, a creature that doubles my swamps’ output and an artifact I can sac creatures to in exchange for mana.
Ramp: 1
I have a single creature than upon sacrificing, allows me to search for lands. It’s not much, but it adds nicely to my other options that extend my mana base.
Card Advantage: 4
In terms of direct draw, this deck offers five permanent options, as well as one sorcery. It also offers some filtering options (two) as well as three tutors. Lastly, two of my creatures enable me to steal from graveyards!
Overall speed: 5
Over half of this deck’s cards (fifty-one!) have a CMC of three or less. Combine this with the deck’s availability of mana sources AND its very decent card advantage options, and what you get is a mono-colored deck with almost optimal speed.
Combo: 5
This deck’s combo potential is meant to bring down the house. There’s a multitude of options included to generate infinite mana (to power a very large spell), infinite ping, infinite life-gain, infinite zombies and even steal everyone’s graveyards empty.
Army: 3
In terms of pure fighting-power, this deck’s army is mediocre. Some have been added for their utility value only, while others have been added as sacrificial fodder for the greater benefit of the deck’s true combatants, the pumps. Under the right conditions, these creatures’ power is basically limitless.
Commander: 2
Can this deck win without Mikaeus, the Unhallowed? Certainly. Can it execute combos without him? Hardly. My dark cleric is essential to most of the strategies that lead to an easy win, so timing his summoning and keeping him around after is important.
Interaction: 2
This deck isn’t doing all that much during other players’ turns, though a few ways are incorporated to cause some life-loss based on creatures killed. I can also cause some other types of interaction by saccing my own creatures or forcing sacs on the opposing side.
Resilience: 3
In many ways, Mikaeus is the ultimate resistance enabler as he can automatically revive just about all my creatures. The deck’s recursion theme is built around him. Four of my creatures also have persist themselves, so they can return to the field off their own accord. I’ve included some more resurrection redundancy, if for whatever reason my mains aren’t available.
Spellpower: 2
Throwing around high-powered arcane energy is not this deck’s strong suit. A few spells that pack a bit of a wallop have been included, as well as some enchantment that will make creatures wish they have never been summoned, but that’s about it.
Total power score: 30
This deck is reasonably fast due to its great mana-curve and ample resources. It has a plethora of creative ways to deal with my opposition. Most of these ways require my commander to be on the field and under my control. This means the timing of his appearance needs to be careful, and if possible, planned well in advance. Once he’s here though, especially when I can protect him on the field, winning is almost inevitable. The deck can interfere with opposing plans, though mostly to the extent of stopping creatures involved in such endeavors.