Overview:

This Izzet spellslinger deck revolves around Vivi Ornitier as a synergistic engine and win condition. The primary strategy involves casting noncreature spells to place +1/+1 counters on Vivi, triggering its damage ability while leveraging cost reducers and ritual effects to chain spells. Key payoffs like Guttersnipe, Fiery Inscription, and Ghyrson Starn, Kelermorph amplify damage output, while storm enablers like Grapeshot and Aetherflux Reservoir provide alternative wins. Vivi serves as the deck's core, enabling explosive mana generation once powered up but creating significant vulnerability to removal.

Primer:

Core Strategy Execution:

1. Setup (Turns 1-3): Deploy mana rocks (Sol Ring, Izzet Signet) or cost reducers (Goblin Electromancer, Sapphire Medallion). Cast Vivi with protection (Lightning Greaves, Slip Out the Back). Prioritize cantrips (Consider, Opt) to dig for key pieces.
2. Engine Activation (Turns 4-6): Cast noncreature spells to grow Vivi's power, triggering damage and drawing cards via Curiosity effects. Use rituals (Seething Song, Pyretic Ritual) for explosive turns. Deploy amplifiers like Harmonic Prodigy (doubles triggers) or Veyran, Voice of Duality.
3. Win Execution:
   • Storm Burn: Chain spells with cost reduction to trigger Vivi/Guttersnipe/Fiery Inscription repeatedly. Finish with Grapeshot storm or Aetherflux Reservoir.
   • Infinite Mana: Isochron Scepter imprinting Dramatic Reversal with sufficient nonland mana sources generates infinite storm/spells.
   • Commander Payoff: Use Vivi's high-power mana ability to fuel game-ending spells like Mizzix's Mastery or Bonus Round.

Mulligan Priorities:

• Keep hands with 2-3 lands, early ramp (rock or reducer), and at least 1 protection/cantrip.
• Prioritize hands containing Vivi + protection or a critical engine piece (e.g., Harmonic Prodigy + cantrip).
• Avoid hands lacking early plays or with only high-CMC spells.

Key Tips:

• Protect Vivi Aggressively: Equip Greaves/Boots immediately. Use phasing (Slip Out the Back) or counters to dodge removal. Riptide Laboratory retrieves Vivi.
• Sequence Triggers: Cast amplifiers before storm turns to maximize damage. Ghyrson Starn turns Vivi's 1-damage triggers into 3 damage per opponent when paired.
• Leverage Mana: Use Vivi's ability mid-turn for explosive spell chains. Post-combat is ideal to avoid summoning sickness limitations.
• Combo Safely: Deploy Isochron Scepter only with counter backup. Reiterate + rituals can generate infinite mana with cost reducers.

Weaknesses:

Critical

• Commander Reliance: Removal targeting Vivi cripples mana generation and primary damage output. Recost penalties are severe.
• Anti-Trigger Hate: Hushbringer/Torpor Orb nullifies Vivi's ability and key payoffs. Cursed Totem disables Vivi's mana ability.
• Graveyard Disruption: Rest in Peace shuts down Mizzix's Mastery, flashback, and recursion.

Moderate

• Board Wipes: Loses key creatures (amplifiers, cost reducers) and struggles to rebuild without draw engines.
• Rule of Law Effects: Deafening Silence/Eidolon of Rhetoric severely limit spell chaining.
• Artifact Destruction: Mass removal (Vandalblast) disrupts mana rocks and combo pieces.

Minor

• Hand Disruption: Targeted discard can remove critical spells, but the deck refills efficiently.
• Life Pressure: Aggro decks can exploit the deck's low early board presence.

Most Important Cards:

• Harmonic Prodigy (Doubles Vivi triggers and other key abilities)
• Veyran, Voice of Duality (Doubles magecraft and damage triggers)
• Isochron Scepter (Combo piece with Dramatic Reversal for infinite storm)
• Aetherflux Reservoir (Primary storm win condition)
• Guttersnipe (Critical damage amplifier)
• Dramatic Reversal (Infinite mana combo enabler)
• Ghyrson Starn, Kelermorph (Triples Vivi's damage output)
• Fiery Inscription (Scaling damage per spell)
• Grapeshot (Storm finisher)
• Mystic Remora (Early card advantage engine)

Attribute Ratings:

Speed: 8/10

• Capable of T4 wins with ideal draws (e.g., T1 ramp → T2 Vivi + protection → T3 rituals + amplifiers → T4 storm kill). Consistently threatens T5-6 victories through combat triggers or combos.

Resilience: 5/10

• Protection suites and counterspells mitigate disruption, but heavy reliance on Vivi and fragile combo pieces creates vulnerability. Recursion is limited outside Mizzix's Mastery/Riptide Laboratory.

Consistency: 7/10

• Abundant cantrips, cost reducers, and targeted tutors (Fabricate, Merchant Scroll) reliably access key components. Storm payoffs provide redundancy.

Interaction: 7/10

• Robust countermagic suite (Fierce Guardianship, Swan Song) and targeted removal (Chaos Warp, Flame of Anor). Lacks board wipes beyond Blasphemous Act.

Rating Justification:

This deck operates at high-power levels with T4-5 win potential through efficient combos and synergistic storm turns, aligning with the Highly Optimized tier (7.5). However, commander dependency and vulnerability to common stax effects prevent consistent cEDH viability, capping it at 8.0.

Power level: 7.5 - 8.0