Overview:

This Alela, Cunning Conqueror deck is a Faerie tribal control build leveraging instant-speed interaction and flash creatures to trigger Alela's token generation during opponents' turns. The strategy revolves around generating a critical mass of evasive Faeries to goad threats, disrupt opponents with countermagic, and win through combat damage amplified by tribal synergies. Alela acts as both a token engine and political tool, enabling the deck to manipulate combat while building board presence. Secondary win conditions include incremental life drain (e.g., Obyra, Dreaming Duelist, Faerie Bladecrafter) and late-game bomb plays like Kindred Dominance or Oona, Queen of the Fae.

Primer:

Core Strategy Execution:

1. Early Game (Turns 1-3):
   • Deploy mana rocks (Dimir Signet, Sol Ring) or utility lands (Faerie Conclave).
   • Cast flash creatures like Faerie Seer or Spellstutter Sprite on opponents' turns to trigger Alela.
   • Set up value engines: Bitterblossom, Reconnaissance Mission, or Nymris, Oona's Trickster.

2. Mid Game (Turns 4-6):

   • Amplify Faerie production with Tegwyll, Duke of Splendor or Faebloom Trick.
   • Disrupt opponents with targeted removal (Go for the Throat, Reckless Spite) and counterspells (Counterspell, Spell Stutter).
   • Use Scion of Oona or Glen Elendra Liege to buff Faeries and protect them with shroud.

3. Late Game (Turns 7+):

   • Deploy finishers like Oona, Queen of the Fae or Kindred Discovery for exponential value.
   • Clear the board with Tegwyll's Scouring or Kindred Dominance while preserving your Faeries.
   • Close the game via combat with buffed Faeries or drain effects from Faerie Bladecrafter.

Mulligan Priorities:

• Keep hands with 2-3 lands (UB sources prioritized).
• Ensure at least 1-2 instant-speed plays (flash creature, counter, or removal).
• Prioritize early engines: Bitterblossom, Nymris, Oona's Trickster, or Reconnaissance Mission.
• Avoid hands with only sorcery-speed cards or no interaction.

Key Tips:

• Maximize Alela Triggers: Cast at least one spell per opponent's turn to flood the board with Faeries.
• Protect Key Pieces: Use Shore Up or Feign Death to safeguard Alela or critical Faeries.
• Leverage Goading: Force opponents into unfavorable attacks using Alela’s triggered ability and Nettling Nuisance.
• Recursion: Reuse ETB effects with Puppeteer Clique or Back for Seconds.

Weaknesses:

Critical

• Board Wipes: Struggles to recover from mass removal (e.g., Blasphemous Act, Damnation).
• Anti-Token Tech: Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite or Crawlspace nullifies the primary win condition.
• Enchantment Removal: Bitterblossom, Kindred Discovery, and Propaganda are irreplaceable value engines.

Moderate

• Fast Aggro: Limited early blockers make the deck vulnerable to hyper-aggressive strategies.
• Graveyard Reliance: Recursion tools (Halo Forager, Back for Seconds) are disrupted by Rest in Peace.

Minor

• Mana Constraints: High instant-speed demands strain color requirements in early turns.
• Artifact Reliance: Sol Ring, Dimir Signet, and Propaganda are vulnerable to artifact hate.

Most Important Cards:

• Bitterblossom (Continuous token generation)
• Kindred Discovery (Tribal card draw engine)
• Scion of Oona (Faerie protection and buff)
• Tegwyll, Duke of Splendor (Card draw and tribal synergy)
• Oona, Queen of the Fae (Late-game token bomb)
• Counterspell (Critical interaction)
• Spellstutter Sprite (Flexible counter and Faerie synergy)
• Kindred Dominance (One-sided board wipe)
• Propaganda (Combat deterrent)
• Nymris, Oona's Trickster (Value engine for instant-speed play)

Attribute Ratings:

Speed: 5/10

• Wins typically around T8-10 through incremental combat damage or Oona token spam. No fast combos.

Resilience: 6/10

• Decent protection (counterspells, shroud) but folds to resolved board wipes. Recursion exists but is limited.

Consistency: 7/10

• Strong tribal synergy and card draw engines ensure steady access to key pieces, though tutors are sparse.

Interaction: 8/10

• Robust suite of counterspells, removal, and combat tricks (13+ interaction spells) with flash synergy.

Rating Justification:

This deck excels at controlling the game and generating value through Faerie synergies but lacks the speed or combo finishers of higher-tier lists. Its interaction suite and tribal consistency place it above precons, while its reliance on combat and vulnerability to wipes cap its power.

Power level: 5.0 - 5.5