Overview:

This Boros equipment/flicker deck leverages Archangel Avacyn as a resilient finisher and board wipe deterrent. The strategy focuses on deploying low-CMC utility creatures and equipment tutors to assemble powerful combat synergies, while using flicker effects to protect key pieces and reset value engines. Avacyn serves as both a flash-speed defensive threat and a late-game board reset that spares your creatures. Secondary win conditions include stax-lite disruption (Archon of Emeria, Deafening Silence) and equipment-based value loops with Sun Titan/Felidar Guardian recursion.

Primer:

Core Strategy Execution:

1. Early Setup (Turns 1-3):
   • Deploy equipment tutors (Stoneforge Mystic, Steelshaper's Gift, Kellan, the Fae-Blooded) to fetch key pieces like Sword of Fire and Ice or Quietus Spike.
   • Establish stax elements (Drannith Magistrate, Blind Obedience) to slow opponents.
   • Use low-CMC protection creatures (Mother of Runes, Giver of Runes) to safeguard key pieces.

2. Midgame Development (Turns 4-6):

   • Flash in Avacyn during opponents' turns to protect against wipes.
   • Recur equipment/value creatures with Sun Titan + flicker effects (Ephemerate, Felidar Guardian).
   • Assemble equipment combos: Puresteel Paladin enables free equips while Sword of Hearth and Home provides ramp.

3. Win Conditions (Turns 6+):

   • Voltron kills via equipped Avacyn or Sun Titan with Quietus Spike/Basilisk Collar.
   • Overwhelm with Akroma's Will combat steps or Blasphemous Act + Avacyn board resets.
   • Lock out opponents with Grand Abolisher + Archon of Emeria stax layers.

Mulligan Priorities:

• Keep hands with 2-3 lands including color fixing (fetchlands, Ancient Tomb).
• Prioritize early tutors, protection creatures, or stax pieces.
• Ensure at least one equipment or recursion engine (Sun Titan, Preston, the Vanisher).

Key Tips:

• Use Avacyn's flip trigger strategically – time board wipes to maximize her indestructible grant.
• Sunforger can fetch critical interaction (Reprieve, Deflecting Swat) or protection (Boros Charm).
• Urza's Saga fetches Sol Ring, Esper Sentinel, or Shadowspear (missing but implied by equipment theme).

Weaknesses:

Critical

• Crippled by artifact hate (Vandalblast, Collector Ouphe) due to reliance on equipment/stax artifacts.
• Struggles to recover from repeated board wipes without Avacyn protection.

Moderate

• Limited card draw outside equipment-triggered effects (Sword of Fire and Ice).
• Weak to flying threats without consistent reach/flying equipment.

Minor

• Some anti-synergy between Avacyn's board wipe and creature-based strategies.
• High equipment density risks "clunking" without sufficient tutors.

Most Important Cards:

• Sun Titan (Recursion engine for creatures/equipment)
• Puresteel Paladin (Equipment cost reduction + card draw)
• Stoneforge Mystic (Tutor for game-winning equipment)
• Archon of Emeria (Stax piece slowing opponents)
• Akroma's Will (Combat trick + protection)
• Sunforger (Instant-speed toolbox)
• Felidar Guardian (Flicker synergy with ETB value)
• Grand Abolisher (Protects combo turns)
• Blasphemous Act (Board reset with Avacyn synergy)
• Quietus Spike (Life halving threat multiplier)

Attribute Ratings:

Speed: 6/10

• Can threaten lethal via equipment voltron or stax locks by T7-8, but lacks fast mana for explosive starts.

Resilience: 7/10

• Multiple protection layers (flicker, indestructible grants, hexproof) but vulnerable to targeted artifact removal.

Consistency: 7/10

• Strong tutor density for equipment/stax pieces, but limited card draw for gas.

Interaction: 8/10

• Robust removal suite (Swords to Plowshares, Solitude) and stack interaction (Deflecting Swat, Tibalt's Trickery).

Rating Justification:

This deck combines stax elements with equipment synergies to create a resilient midrange strategy, capable of threatening wins via combat or lockdowns around T7-8. While its interaction suite and protection packages are strong, reliance on artifact-based win conditions and moderate speed place it in the optimized casual tier.

Power level: 6.0 - 6.5