Thanks for taking the time to look over my deck! This has been a work in progress of mine ever since I got my hands on Arjun, the Shifting Flame. The deck has undergone several reiterations (chaos, wheels, spellslinger, etc.) and when Rielle, the Everwise was released, I had to make the change. I've been more than happy with what she has accomplished for the deck as a whole.
This deck, as far as Magic is concerned, has been my primary focus for the last several years. I have pushed the deck as far as I can, for now, concerning synergy while remaining within a reasonable cost range. I know it's not exactly budget, but it's also not cEDH expensive. I'm confident that almost every card in the deck synergizes with one or more other cards to produce greater value, except for a few counterspells that are simply there for control. Now, let's delve into the details.
How Does it Win?
The deck plays primarily as a mix of combo and control. Get Rielle, the Everwise into play and make extensive use of her ability to draw cards. We have a few key pieces we need to close games fairly quickly, and the rest of the deck is designed to be somewhat flexible to what our opponents are playing.
Combat damage is going to be our primary win condition. This works best with our commander, but Rielle, the Everwise isn't the only creature that can get big quick in the deck. Haughty Djinn shares a similar mechanic with Rielle in that its power is based on the number of instants/sorceries in our graveyard and it has built-in evasion with Flying. Outside of this, we can make any creature fairly large with Runechanter's Pike. Finally, Key to the City, Twinferno, Fists of Flame, The Royal Scions, and Temur Battle Rage all aid us in finishing off opponents with sudden bursts of large damage. One key aspect of this deck to remember is that you won't need every instant and sorcery you come across. Feel free to gauge your opponents appropriately and toss what you don't need. After all, even if it ends up in the graveyard, it still empowers other cards in the deck.
There are two other cards, The Royal Scions and Conflagrate, that give us an alternative win condition. Both cards allow us to deal damage directly to our opponents in a way that interacts with the number of cards we are holding in our hand. Which I will tell you from experience, is a lot. You're going to want to cast Conflagrate from the graveyard though, as the cost is significantly lower and the discard synergizes with Rielle, the Everwise.
Matchups
-Aggro: This will, by far, be your worst possible matchup. Our deck runs very few creatures (eight in total, including our commander) and cannot effectively produce tokens to stave off incoming damage. In this matchup, you're hoping to see your mass damage or mass bounce spells like Nahiri's Wrath, Mizzium Mortars, and Turbulent Dreams to help keep the field clear of aggressors. If you manage to survive to the late game, Cyclonic Rift and Teferi, Temporal Pilgrim will be saving graces. With this deck's raw draw potential, you can likely use Teferi's ultimate the same turn he enters play.
-Combo/Midrange: This archetype is probably our favored matchup. Opponents whose game plans don't involve rushing the board in hopes of a quick kill allow us to set up lethal interactions. Our deck plays fairly passively until the turn we try and burst damage, so "non-threatening" spells are likely to slip through. Always keep a few counters in hand though, as these decks also favor explosive endgames.
-Control: Not our worst matchup, but not our favorite. Our deck has a light control aspect and can offset other control decks in a pinch. This is a matchup of skill and attrition. Assess threats wisely, and strike when the opportunity presents itself. Narset, Parter of Veils combined with Windfall or Reforge the Soul will likely be one of your best plays here. Resource denial against another control player is crucial.
Alternative Card Choices
The deck is capable of drawing a large number of cards all at once, so it might be worth considering alternative win conditions with Laboratory Maniac and Jace, Wielder of Mysteries. I have used the prior in the deck in the past and while it has proven somewhat effective, it tends to be a quick target for removal. I began running Obstinate Familiar in its place simply so people would leave it alone and I wouldn't risk decking myself as often.
We can also turn all of our draw into mill with cards like Teferi's Tutelage, Sphinx's Tutelage, and Psychic Corrosion. While we can mill out an opponent's deck very quickly, I would not consider mill a primary win condition. Make sure you have other options at your disposal should you come across someone running the Eldrazi titans, or cards like Gaea's Blessing.
