Overview:

This Esper deck helmed by Alela, Artful Provocateur focuses on generating flying Faerie tokens through artifact/enchantment casts, amplified by anthems and combat-damage card draw. Alela serves as the linchpin for token generation and evasion synergy, while secondary threats like Oona, Queen of the Fae and Tegwyll, Duke of Splendor enhance tribal payoffs. The deck aims to win via incremental value from flying swarms, supported by staxy enchantments and targeted removal.

Primer:

Core Strategy Execution:

1. Early Setup (Turns 1-4): Prioritize mana-fixing artifacts (Arcane Signet, Springleaf Drum) and low-cost enchantments/artifacts (Intangible Virtue, Military Intelligence) to trigger Alela’s token generation. Use taplands cautiously.
2. Midgame Board Development (Turns 4-6): Deploy key anthems (Favorable Winds, Gravitational Shift) and card engines (Bident of Thassa, Reconnaissance Mission). Protect Alela with Darksteel Mutation-style removal or Lofty Denial.
3. Late-Game Closers (Turns 7+): Activate Dragon Throne of Tarkir with a large creature, swarm with Shadow Puppeteers-enhanced tokens, or grind value via Halo Forager recursion. Use Hour of Reckoning to clear non-token boards.

Mulligan Priorities:

• Keep hands with 2-3 lands (at least two colors) and 1-2 early plays (artifact/enchantment).
• Prioritize Alela enablers (e.g., Sol Ring, Springleaf Drum) over high-CMC bombs.
• Avoid hands lacking token generators or color-fixing.

Key Tips:

• Synergy Stacking: Layer anthems (e.g., Rally the Ranks + Favorable Winds) to make 1/1 Faeries into 3/2 flyers.
• Timely Interaction: Use Grasp of Fate and Merciless Eviction to handle threats that outscale your fliers.
• Recovery Lines: Recur key enchantments with Hanna, Ship's Navigator or Invasion of Tolvada.

Weaknesses:

Critical

• Heavy reliance on Alela: Removing her repeatedly cripples token generation.
• Minimal fast mana or combo finishers, making it vulnerable to faster decks.

Moderate

• Board wipes (especially Austere Command-style modal spells) erase token progress.
• Struggles against flying hate (Archon of Valor’s Reach choosing "Enchantment").

Minor

• Limited graveyard recursion for key pieces beyond Halo Forager.
• Clunky mana base with 12+ taplands slows early momentum.

Most Important Cards:

• Alela, Artful Provocateur (Token generation + anthem)
• Favorable Winds (Key anthem for flyers)
• Bident of Thassa (Card draw engine)
• Grasp of Fate (Versatile removal)
• Oona, Queen of the Fae (Alternate token generator)
• Dragon Throne of Tarkir (Combat finisher)
• Hour of Reckoning (Board wipe that spares tokens)
• Tegwyll, Duke of Splendor (Faerie tribal synergy)
• Ethereal Absolution (Asymmetric board control)
• Halo Forager (Graveyard recursion)

Attribute Ratings:

Speed: 5/10

• No fast combos; relies on incremental token pressure with T6-8 lethal swings.

Resilience: 6/10

• Moderate protection (counterspells, recursion) but folds to repeated board wipes.

Consistency: 7/10

• High density of token generators and anthems, though lacks tutors for key pieces.

Interaction: 6/10

• Efficient targeted removal and board wipes but limited stack interaction beyond Counterspell.

Rating Justification:

This deck operates as a synergistic midrange build with a T6-8 combat win clock, comparable to upgraded precons but lacking the speed or redundancy of high-power decks. Its resilience against single-target removal is offset by vulnerability to sweepers, aligning it with Casual/Focused tiers.

Power level: 5.0 - 5.5