How it grades
Fundamentals 61/100. Plays like Lifegain.
This reads as Lifegain, built around Oloro, Ageless Ascetic. Life total as a resource and a weapon: incidental gain triggers payoffs that grow creatures, drain opponents, or draw cards, and the drain pairs turn a fat life total into a clock. The deck must not be a pile of gain with no payoff: every gain effect should feed at least two engines. Its strongest fundamental is land count (41 lands. About 43 fits this curve for Lifegain); the first thing to tighten is ramp: 3 ramp effects (want 11+ for this curve for Lifegain).
- B+Mana reliability
- A+Land count
- A-Mana curve
- FRamp
- B+Card draw
- A-Interaction
- CCommander synergy
- A+Win conditions
- C+Card quality
- A+Legality & size
Where it falls short
- B+Mana reliability82% of your spells arrive on time. Tidal Force is the riskiest: its U cost is heavy for this mana base, so expect it several turns late.
- FRamp3 ramp effects (want 11+ for this curve for Lifegain).
- B+Card draw9 draw effects, counting Oloro (want 10+ for Lifegain).
- CCommander synergyOnly 20 of 58 spells play into your commanders' plan; they want lifegain, card-draw support. Counts the builds players run with your commanders (Lifegain; from EDHREC).
- C+Card qualityMedian EDHREC rank #13,602
Strong on land count, mana curve, interaction, win conditions and legality & size.
87 cards graded: A 1, A- 4, B+ 13, B 43, B- 8, C+ 9, C 6, C- 3. The command zone is the plan, so it isn't graded.
Upgrades
Made together, they take Eternal Bargain from C+ to B-.
Thought Vessel2—
In place of Obelisk of Esper: weakest slot in the deck (61/100)
Fills the ramp gap (you're at 3 of 11+). Pays off your card-draw engine (11 producers). Pays off the commanders' card-draw plan.
Decanter of Endless Water3$4.99
In place of Pristine Talisman: weakest slot in the deck (73/100)
Top-5% staple by play data. Fills the ramp gap (you're at 3 of 11+). Pays off your card-draw engine (11 producers).
Bontu's Monument3$4.60
In place of Diviner Spirit: doesn't ramp, draw, interact or threaten. What is it for? (34/100)
Fuels your lifegain payoffs (7 in deck). Feeds the commanders' lifegain payoff. Fills the ramp gap (you're at 3 of 11+).
Haliya, Guided by Light2W$3.95
In place of Brilliant Plan: weakest slot in the deck (55/100)
Fills the draw gap (you're at 9 of 10+). Pays off your artifact engine (17 producers). Fits the commander's plan.
Exemplar of Light2WW$0.91
In place of Phyrexian Gargantua: weakest slot in the deck (63/100)
Pays off your lifegain engine (18 producers). Pays off the commanders' lifegain plan. EDHREC Lifegain staple.
Drogskol Reaver5WU$0.29
In place of Survival Cache: weakest slot in the deck (64/100)
Fills the draw gap (you're at 9 of 10+). Pays off your lifegain engine (18 producers). Fuels your lifegain payoffs (7 in deck).
Sphinx of the Revelation3WU$1.03
In place of Greed: weakest slot in the deck (70/100)
Fills the draw gap (you're at 9 of 10+). Pays off your lifegain engine (18 producers). Fuels your lifegain payoffs (7 in deck).
Mox Opal0$237.16
In place of Augury Adept: doesn't ramp, draw, interact or threaten. What is it for? (38/100)
Fills the ramp gap (you're at 3 of 11+). Pays off your artifact engine (17 producers). Top-5% staple by play data.
Mentor of the Meek2W$4.81
In place of Serene Master: doesn't ramp, draw, interact or threaten. What is it for? (38/100)
Pays off your go-wide engine (18 producers). Works with the commander directly. Fills the draw gap (you're at 9 of 10+).
Soul WardenW$3.16
In place of Kongming, "Sleeping Dragon": doesn't ramp, draw, interact or threaten. What is it for? (40/100)
Pays off your go-wide engine (18 producers). Fuels your lifegain payoffs (7 in deck). Feeds the commanders' lifegain payoff.
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