Overview:

This Naya (RGW) Equipment Voltron deck leverages Cloud, Ex-SOLDIER as a card draw engine and combat threat. The strategy focuses on rapidly deploying Equipment, attaching them to creatures (especially Cloud variants), and overwhelming opponents through enhanced combat damage. Key themes include Equipment cost reduction, free attachment effects, and recursion to maintain board presence. Cloud serves as the central value generator, enabling card advantage and ramp when attacking with 7+ power, while alternate commanders like Cloud, Planet's Champion provide resilient finishers.

Primer:

Core Strategy Execution:

1. Early Setup (Turns 1-4): Prioritize ramping with Sol Ring, Arcane Signet, and land tutors (Three Visits, Farseek). Deploy Equipment tutors like Fighter Class or Kellan, the Fae-Blooded to fetch key pieces. Cast Cloud, Ex-SOLDIER by turn 4, attaching Equipment via ETB or enablers like Sigarda's Aid.
2. Mid-Game Pressure (Turns 5-7): Equip Cloud or secondary beaters (e.g., Sephiroth, Fallen Hero) with power-boosting Equipment like Colossus Hammer or Belt of Giant Strength. Attack to trigger Cloud's draw effect and generate Treasures. Use card advantage engines (Sram, Senior Edificer, Puresteel Paladin) to refuel.
3. Win Condition Execution:
   • Combat: Overwhelm with high-power equipped creatures. Leverage extra combats from Tifa, Martial Artist or Hexplate Wallbreaker, and finishers like Embercleave for double strike.
   • Non-Combat: Use Chandra's Ignition on a massive creature (e.g., 10+ power) for a board-clearing lethal blow. Vincent, Vengeful Atoner amplifies damage to multiple opponents.
   • Recursion Loops: Recur key Equipment with Forge Anew or Unfinished Business after disruption.

Mulligan Priorities:

• Keep hands with 2-3 lands (including color-fixing like Stomping Ground), at least one ramp piece (e.g., Sol Ring, Three Visits), and an early play (Equipment tutor, enabler like Sram, Senior Edificer, or cheap Equipment).
• Prioritize hands containing Cloud, Ex-SOLDIER or a way to tutor/fetch it.
• Avoid hands clogged with high-cost Equipment or lacking ramp/early action.

Key Tips:

• Exploit Free Attachment: Sigarda's Aid, Hammer of Nazahn, and Puresteel Paladin (with metalcraft) bypass equip costs for instant-speed threats.
• Protect Key Pieces: Use Heroic Intervention, Boros Charm, or Lightning Greaves to shield Cloud or critical Equipment from removal.
• Maximize Draw Triggers: Attack with multiple equipped creatures to multiply Cloud's card draw. Garruk's Uprising provides additional draw on big creature ETBs.
• Leverage Recursion: Forge Anew and Unfinished Business recover Equipment/creatures from graveyards, mitigating removal setbacks.
• Combat Tricks: Tifa, Martial Artist and Hexplate Wallbreaker enable surprise extra combat phases for lethal swings.

Weaknesses:

Critical

• Mass Artifact/Enchantment Removal: Cards like Farewell or Vandalblast cripple the deck by wiping Equipment and enablers simultaneously.
• Board Wipes: Vanquish the Horde-effects reset equipped creatures; recovery is slow without recursion in hand.
• Anti-Equipment Stax: Collector Ouphe or Stony Silence shut down attachment/activation, halting the core strategy.

Moderate

• Spot Removal on Value Engines: Killing Sram, Senior Edificer or Puresteel Paladin reduces card draw consistency.
• Graveyard Hate: Rest in Peace disrupts recursion from Forge Anew and Unfinished Business.
• Evasive Threats: Flyers or go-wide strategies can outpace the deck if key trample sources (e.g., Embercleave) are unavailable.

Minor

• Hand Disruption: Targeted discard can remove key Equipment before deployment, though the deck has redundancy.
• Tax Effects: Thalia, Guardian of Thraben-like effects slow Equipment casting and equipping.

Most Important Cards:

• Cloud, Ex-SOLDIER (Card draw engine and primary threat)
• Sigarda's Aid (Enables flash and free Equipment attachment)
• Puresteel Paladin (Draws cards and enables free equips with metalcraft)
• Embercleave (Game-ending combat finisher with double strike)
• Colossus Hammer (Massive power boost for minimal cost)
• Forge Anew (Recurs Equipment and enables instant-speed equipping)
• Sram, Senior Edificer (Draws cards on Equipment/Aura casts)
• Cloud, Planet's Champion (Resilient finisher with double strike and indestructible)
• Tifa, Martial Artist (Enables extra combat phases for lethal swings)
• The One Ring (Card draw and temporary protection)

Attribute Ratings:

Speed: 6/10

• Can threaten lethal combat damage or Chandra's Ignition kills by turns 6-7 with ideal Equipment setup, but lacks turbo mana for earlier wins.

Resilience: 5/10

• Recursion and protection spells offer recovery options, but heavy reliance on artifacts and the board makes it vulnerable to sweepers and targeted hate.

Consistency: 7/10

• Multiple Equipment tutors (Fighter Class, Armored Skyhunter), card draw engines (Cloud, Sram), and redundancy in beaters ensure reliable access to core pieces.

Interaction: 5/10

• Efficient targeted removal (Swords to Plowshares, Beast Within) and board wipes (Vanquish the Horde), but minimal stack interaction and limited answers to non-creature permanents.

Rating Justification:

This deck demonstrates focused speed (T6-7 wins) and strong consistency through tutors/draw, placing it in the lower end of the Focused tier (6.0). However, critical vulnerabilities to mass removal and stax reduce resilience, preventing higher optimization. The rating aligns with decks that win via combat/synergies around T7-8.

Power level: 6.0 - 6.5