Overview:

This Ephara, God of the Polis deck leverages flash creatures and flicker effects to generate card advantage while controlling the board. The strategy focuses on triggering Ephara's draw engine every turn cycle through instant-speed creature deployment, backed by efficient interaction and value-generating permanents. Win conditions include Approach of the Second Sun, Triskaidekaphile, and overwhelming board presence via tokens/Ominous Seas.

Primer:

Core Strategy: Deploy flash creatures and flicker effects to maintain constant card draw from Ephara while disrupting opponents. The deck operates in three phases:

1. Early Game: Set up ramp (Sol Ring, Deep Gnome Terramancer) and stax pieces (Containment Priest, Archivist of Oghma) while triggering Ephara with low-cost flash creatures.
2. Midgame: Leverage flicker loops (Restoration Angel + Ephemerate) to generate value and protect key pieces. Use As Foretold and Teferi's Ageless Insight to outpace opponents' resources.
3. Endgame: Close with Approach of the Second Sun, Triskaidekaphile, or Hullbreaker Horror lockdowns. Cyclonic Rift overloaded often serves as a reset button.

Mulligan Priorities:

• Keep hands with 3 lands and 1-2 flash creatures
• Prioritize early interaction (Swords to Plowshares) or card engines (Mystic Remora)
• Avoid hands without instant-speed plays or color screw

Key Tips:

• Time Ephara casts to maximize indestructibility when devotion is low
• Use Ghostly Flicker on Mystic Sanctuary + another land to recur key interaction
• Hold Hullbreaker Horror until you can chain spells for multiple bounce triggers

Avoid Traps:

• Overcommitting to board before wipes
• Casting non-flash creatures on your turn unnecessarily
• Wasting flicker effects without ETB value

Weaknesses:

Critical:

• Torpor Orb effects nullify 70% of deck's value engines
• Struggles against land destruction (12 utility lands, limited basics)

Moderate:

• Limited recursion for key pieces
• Approach of the Second Sun is only alt-win redundancy

Minor:

• Board wipes mitigated by Guardian of Faith/Cloudshift

Most Important Cards:

• Approach of the Second Sun
• Cyclonic Rift
• Teferi's Ageless Insight
• Hullbreaker Horror
• As Foretold
• Mystic Remora
• Sol Ring
• Solve the Equation
• Triskaidekaphile
• Containment Priest

Attribute Ratings:

Speed: 6/10

• Can threaten Approach win T7 with perfect ramp/draw
• Typical goldfish win: T9-10 through incremental value

Resilience: 7/10

• 8 counterspells + 5 protective flickers
• Ephara's indestructibility provides command zone stability
• Weak to mass land destruction/rule of law effects

Consistency: 8/10

• 14 cantrips/draw engines + 3 tutors
• 23 flash creatures ensure Ephara triggers
• Redundant flicker effects (7 instant-speed)

Interaction: 9/10

• 12 targeted removal (5 exile)
• 8 counterspells including free Fierce Guardianship
• Propaganda + Aven Interrupter for tempo control

Rating Justification:

The deck operates at Optimized Casual (5.0) levels with:

• T8-10 win potential through multiple avenues
• cEDH-level interaction density
• Precon-like reliance on combat for backup wins Lacks the fast mana (only Sol Ring) and infinite combos of High-Power builds, but surpasses precons through robust draw engines and stax elements. Matches the "T8-10 via combat, combos, or overwhelming value" benchmark in the 5.0 rubric tier.

Power level: 5.0 - 5.5