Overview:

This Rakdos deck leverages Kuja, Genome Sorcerer to generate Wizard tokens that ping opponents whenever noncreature spells are cast. The primary strategy revolves around casting instants/sorceries to trigger damage-dealing abilities from Wizards like Guttersnipe, Firebrand Archer, and Fiery Inscription, amplified by damage multipliers such as Gratuitous Violence and City on Fire. Kuja serves as the essential engine, enabling token generation and transforming into Trance Kuja for damage doubling. Secondary elements include artifact-based ramp, targeted removal, and graveyard recursion for spell reuse. The deck wins through incremental burn damage rather than combat or combos.

Primer:

Core Strategy Execution:

1. Early Setup (Turns 1-4): Deploy mana rocks (Sol Ring, Arcane Signet, Rakdos Signet) and value creatures (Dark Confidant, Treasure Nabber). Cast Kuja ASAP to start generating Wizard tokens. Use cheap interaction (Lightning Bolt, Infernal Grasp) to disrupt opponents.
2. Token Generation & Triggers (Turns 3-7): Prioritize casting noncreature spells to activate Wizard tokens and damage dealers (Guttersnipe, Fiery Inscription). Utilize card draw/selection (Faithless Looting, Read the Bones) to maintain gas. Protect Kuja with Swiftfoot Boots or Darksteel Plate.
3. Amplification & Finishing (Turns 6+): Resolve damage multipliers (Gratuitous Violence, City on Fire) or mass token producers (Cornered by Black Mages). Chain spells with Storm-Kiln Artist for treasure-fueled turns. Recast key spells from graveyard via Mizzix's Mastery or Unearth effects. Clear blockers with sweepers (Blasphemous Act, Toxic Deluge) before lethal burn turns.
4. Win Condition: Overwhelm opponents with accumulated ping damage from multiple triggers per noncreature spell, exponentially increased by Trance Kuja or other doublers.

Mulligan Priorities:

• Keep hands with 2-3 lands (including B/R sources), at least one ramp artifact, and Kuja or early interaction.
• Prioritize hands containing a damage enabler (Firebrand Archer, Guttersnipe) or card draw (Faithless Looting, Dark Confidant).
• Avoid hands lacking early plays or overloaded with high-CMC cards without ramp.

Key Tips:

• Protect Kuja: Equip Swiftfoot Boots immediately. Use Fake Your Own Death or Undying Malice to counter removal and retrigger ETB effects.
• Sequence Multipliers: Cast damage doublers after establishing token generators for maximum impact. City on Fire's convoke helps offset its cost.
• Leverage Treasures: Sacrifice treasures from Deadly Dispute, Storm-Kiln Artist, or Impulsive Pilferer to fuel more spells in a single turn.
• Recursion Wins: Mizzix's Mastery overloaded can win games outright with multiple burn spells. Pair with Storm-Kiln Artist for massive treasure generation.
• Timing Sweepers: Use Blasphemous Act/Toxic Deluge when opponents have threatening boards, but before deploying your key Wizards to preserve your damage sources.

Weaknesses:

Critical

• Graveyard hate (Rest in Peace, Leyline of the Void) shuts down Mizzix's Mastery, Unearth, and Kolaghan's Command recursion, crippling late-game power.
• Enchantment removal targeting Gratuitous Violence, City on Fire, or Fiery Inscription drastically reduces damage output with no protection.
• Board wipes eliminate Wizard tokens and critical creatures faster than the deck can rebuild without major draw engines.

Moderate

• Artifact destruction disrupts ramp (signets, Thran Dynamo) and key pieces like Ensnaring Bridge or Ruby Medallion.
• Counterspells on Kuja or damage multipliers delay the game plan significantly due to limited protection.
• Life gain strategies outpace incremental damage, forcing reliance on explosive turns with multipliers.

Minor

• Hand disruption can remove key pieces, though the deck has redundancy for damage triggers.
• Tax effects (Thalia, Guardian of Thrax) slow noncreature spell chains but don't halt them entirely.

Most Important Cards:

• Storm-Kiln Artist (Treasure generation for spell chains)
• Guttersnipe (Core damage dealer for noncreature spells)
• Fiery Inscription (Recurring damage engine)
• Mizzix's Mastery (Game-winning recursion)
• City on Fire (Primary damage tripler)
• Ruby Medallion (Cost reduction for red spells)
• Kuja, Genome Sorcerer (Token generator and damage amplifier)
• Gratuitous Violence (Secondary damage doubler)
• Dark Confidant (Card advantage engine)
• Blasphemous Act (Essential board wipe)

Attribute Ratings:

Speed: 6/10

• Can threaten wins via amplified burn around T7-8 with perfect draws (e.g., T5 Kuja + T6 City on Fire + multiple spells), but typically operates slower due to setup requirements.

Resilience: 5/10

• Vulnerable to removal targeting engines (Kuja, doublers) with limited protection. Recursion helps but relies heavily on graveyard. Recovers poorly from board wipes.

Consistency: 6/10

• Redundant damage triggers (7+ cards) ensure some output, but lacks tutors for key doublers/recursion. Draw is painful (Phyrexian Arena, Dark Confidant) or discard-dependent.

Interaction: 7/10

• Strong targeted removal (Terminate, Abrade, Feed the Swarm) and versatile sweepers (Toxic Deluge, Kindred Dominance). Rakdos Charm and Kolaghan's Command offer flexibility.

Rating Justification:

This deck achieves T7-8 wins with damage amplification when unimpeded, aligning with the "Focused" tier (6.0), but its vulnerability to graveyard hate, enchantment removal, and slow recovery lowers its resilience. The lack of fast mana or combos prevents higher speed tiers.

Power level: 5.5 - 6.0