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: 5
Generating energy is one of this deck’s strongest features (provided that Neheb is available). In order to make this ability available to us, ten mana sources in addition to lands will help to kickstart the coming burn. Most of these are rocks, though they sometimes come in the form of creatures.
Ramp: 1
Only one ramping option is featured in this deck.
Card Advantage: 3
Speed is important to this deck; I want to keep up the pressure and use new spells each turn to damage as many opponents simultaneously as possible. In order to do that, card advantage is key. Aside from direct draw and filter options (six cards), the deck also features some stealing (two cards) as well as two tutors.
Overall speed: 4
Despite the absence of ramp capabilities, this deck can still be crazy fast; especially when its commander can make an early appearance. A number of cheap-to-cast mana options allow for this. Or cheap card advantage potential which can translate back to energy potential should I draw the proper cards. Once Neheb’s on the scene, the deck’s damage potential becomes its energy potential and then things will really start to move fast. On the single-color scene, this deck is faster than average.
Combo: 1
For the most part, this deck’s victory over others depends on synergy between low-cost damage dealing cards, Neheb and other, more expensive-to-use damage dealing cards. Thus, combos are a luxury it can to do without, but just for fun, a few minor ones have been inserted.
Army: 2
I use few decks in which the army plays a secondary role in obtaining victory. This is one of them. In terms of pure combat power, this deck doesn’t really stand out. Most of its creatures focus on providing damage-dealing support; the remaining few are perfect in other support roles, like stealing or copying.
Commander: 3
Without the overwhelming quantities of mana my commander can produce, this deck will not be nearly as fast at winning. However, let it not be said it’s impossible either. Even without copious mana, the damage output it can yield is substantial. By the latter mid-game, enough energy resources should become available to me to become a serious, permanent nuisance to the opposition anyway.
Interaction: 4
Oh my … damage. Loads and loads of damage that doesn’t necessarily have to be set loose on my opponents, but on their creatures instead. In fifteen cases, it can go both ways. I’ve also included two opportunities to steal some stuff (temporarily) and a card that outright destroys any opposing artifacts.
Resilience: 2
I needed some protection in here for Neheb, so I added some equipment (three cards) to that end. Also added three cards that allow me to reuse non-permanents I’ve cast before. The deck doesn’t require a standing army to deal tons of damage, so in that sense wipes don’t affect it all that much.
Spellpower: 5
No less than seventeen options for direct damage dealing through spell casting or enchantments have been added to cause some serious headaches on the opposing side. This power can be split into cheap-to-cast/use options that are to be fired up prior to the post-combat main-phase (eight options) and lots of spells in which vast quantities of mana can be pumped (nine options).
Total power score: 30
Though this deck’s army is not top-notch, and it is not particularly resistant to opposing attempts to stop it, its energy potential is hard to match. It also has a decent amount of card-advantage options, good overall speed and very high damage potential. These factors combined turn this deck into something relatively powerful amongst single-color decks.
