Overview:

This Temur (G/U/R) Dragon tribal deck leverages Ureni of the Unwritten as a value engine and cheat effect, exploiting its ability to cheat massive Dragons into play from the top eight cards of the library. The strategy revolves around ramping into Ureni early, then deploying high-impact Dragons with evasion (flying) and synergistic triggers (ETB, combat damage, token generation). Secondary win conditions include direct damage from Dragon ETBs (e.g., Scourge of Valkas, Dragon Tempest), token swarms (Utvara Hellkite, Lathliss, Dragon Queen), and combat overkill with double strike (Atarka, World Render). Ureni acts as both a cheat engine and a recurring threat, though the deck can function independently with its density of Dragons and ramp.

Primer:

Core Strategy Execution:

1. Ramp Aggressively (Turns 1-4): Prioritize land-fetching (Nature's Lore, Three Visits, Cultivate) and mana rocks (Sol Ring, Arcane Signet). Use Sarkhan, Fireblood or Shadow in the Warp to accelerate into Ureni or key Dragons.
2. Deploy Ureni (Turns 4-5): Cast Ureni (ideally discounted by Temur Battlecrier or Sarkhan, Soul Aflame) to start cheating Dragons. Protect it with free counterspells (Fierce Guardianship, Deflecting Swat).
3. Snowball Value (Turns 5+):
   • Attack with Ureni to trigger its ability, cheating in Dragons like Miirym, Sentinel Wyrm (doubles Dragon tokens), Ancient Silver Dragon (card draw), or Scourge of Valkas (direct damage).
   • Exploit token multipliers (Miirym, Utvara Hellkite) and triggers (Dragon Tempest, Terror of the Peaks) for incremental damage.
   • Use tutors (Worldly Tutor, Finale of Devastation) to find finishers like Atarka, World Render (double strike) or Craterhoof Behemoth-like effects (Become the Avalanche).

Mulligan Priorities:

• Keep hands with 2-3 lands, including at least one green source.
• Prioritize early ramp (Sol Ring, Farseek), a Dragon payoff (Dragon Tempest, Temur Ascendancy), or a protective counter.
• Avoid hands with only high-CMC Dragons and no ramp.

Key Tips:

• Use Hellkite Courser to cheat Ureni back into play for repeated triggers.
• Roaming Throne (naming Dragon) doubles ETB and attack triggers from key Dragons.
• Keiga, the Tide Star and Leyline Tyrant provide control and reach.

Weaknesses:

Critical

• Commander Dependency: Ureni’s removal (especially repeated) significantly slows the deck’s ability to cheat Dragons, requiring heavy protection investment.
• Board Wipes: Lacks mass recursion; rebuilds rely on topdecking Dragons or The Great Henge.

Moderate

• Artifact/Enchantment Hate: Dragon Tempest, Rhythm of the Wild, and Temur Ascendancy are critical to the strategy and vulnerable.
• Stack Interaction: Limited answers to noncreature combo decks; relies on situational counterspells (Force of Will, Stubborn Denial).

Minor

• Graveyard Reliance: Minimal recursion outside Eternal Witness-like effects.
• High CMC: Early stax (Thalia, Guardian of Thraben) or mana denial can delay key turns.

Most Important Cards:

• Ureni of the Unwritten (Cheat engine, board presence)
• Miirym, Sentinel Wyrm (Token doubling, exponential value)
• Dragon Tempest (Damage scaling, haste enabler)
• Terror of the Peaks (Direct damage amplifier)
• The Great Henge (Card draw, cost reduction)
• Finale of Devastation (Tutor, finisher)
• Atarka, World Render (Combat overkill enabler)
• Scourge of Valkas (ETB damage scaling)
• Fierce Guardianship (Free protection)
• Ancient Tomb (Explosive ramp for early Ureni)

Attribute Ratings:

Speed: 7/10

• Can deploy game-ending boards by turns 5-6 via Ureni triggers or Finale of Devastation, but high average CMC limits earlier wins.

Resilience: 5/10

• Free counterspells and haste enablers mitigate some disruption, but board wipes and commander removal cripple momentum.

Consistency: 7/10

• Strong ramp and tutors (Worldly Tutor, Maelstrom of the Spirit Dragon) ensure Ureni access, but Dragon density relies on top-decking.

Interaction: 6/10

• Efficient counterspells (Force of Will, Mana Drain) and targeted removal (Boseiju, Who Endures), but lacks broad answers to resolved threats.

Rating Justification:

This deck operates as a focused Dragon tribal build with explosive turns enabled by Ureni’s cheat effect and high-quality Dragons. Its Speed aligns with T7-8 wins via combat or ETB damage, but Resilience is hampered by reliance on Ureni and board presence. The combination places it in the high casual-to-focused tier.

Power level: 6.0 - 6.5