Overview:

This Izzet (UR) deck leverages Captain Howler, Sea Scourge as a central engine for a discard-focused strategy. The primary game plan involves discarding cards to trigger powerful payoffs like Magmakin Artillerist (direct damage), Marauding Mako/Scrounging Skyray (creature growth), and Howler's own ability to buff attackers and draw cards. The commander enables explosive turns by converting discards into combat threats and card advantage, supported by wheels (Windfall, Jace's Archivist), looters (Looter il-Kor, Malcolm, Alluring Scoundrel), and recursion (Bag of Holding). Win conditions include combat with pumped creatures, burn via discard triggers, token swarms from The Locust God, and alternate paths like Mechanized Production. Howler is essential for synergy and damage scaling but is vulnerable to removal despite Ward.

Primer:

Core Strategy Execution:

1. Early Setup (Turns 1-4): Deploy looters (Looter il-Kor, Curator of Mysteries), ramp (Izzet Signet, Arcane Signet), and value engines (Bag of Holding, Monastery Siege). Prioritize discarding to grow threats like Marauding Mako or trigger Magmakin Artillerist.
2. Commander Synergy (Turns 4-6): Cast Captain Howler. Use discard outlets (Thrill of Possibility, Frantic Search) to buff a targeted creature (e.g., unblockable Ghost of Ramirez DePietro or flying tokens). Attack to draw cards and sustain momentum.
3. Win Condition Execution (Turns 6-9):
   • Combat: Buff an evasive creature (e.g., Wonder-enabled flyers) with Howler's discard triggers for lethal commander/combat damage.
   • Burn: Chain discards with Magmakin Artillerist or Fiery Encore to burn opponents.
   • Tokens: Generate Insect tokens via The Locust God or Sharks with Shark Typhoon for wide attacks.
   • Alternate: Stall with Aetherize/Blasphemous Act, then win via Mechanized Production on a Treasure or Psychic Spiral mill.

Mulligan Priorities:

• Keep hands with 2-3 lands (including duals like Swiftwater Cliffs), a discard outlet (e.g., Faithless Looting), and a payoff (e.g., Magmakin Artillerist, Marauding Mako).
• Prioritize early looters or ramp if lacking outlets. Avoid hands without discard synergy or mana fixing.

Key Tips:

• Maximize Discard Value: Use Bag of Holding to recur key cards. Time wheels (Windfall) to disrupt opponents while growing your board.
• Protect Critical Pieces: Equip Swiftfoot Boots/Whispersilk Cloak on Howler or Magmakin Artillerist. Counter hate cards with Wash Away or An Offer You Can't Refuse.
• Leverage Evasion: Ensure attackers connect using Aether Tunnel, Rogue's Passage, or flying (Wonder in graveyard).
• Combo Potential: Sage of the Falls + non-Human creatures creates infinite draw/discard loops with Howler.

Weaknesses:

Critical

• Graveyard hate (Rest in Peace, Leyline of the Void) cripples recursion (Bag of Holding, Wonder, Psychic Spiral).
• Board wipes devastate the deck's creature-based engines with limited recovery outside card draw.

Moderate

• Anti-discard effects (Leyline of Sanctity, Omen Machine) prevent key triggers.
• Taxing effects (Thalia, Guardian of Thraben) slow the deck's spell-heavy, multi-discard turns.

Minor

• Spot removal on looters delays setup but is mitigated by redundancy.
• Artifact/enchantment removal hits Mechanized Production or Bag of Holding, but these are secondary wincons.

Most Important Cards:

• Captain Howler, Sea Scourge (Primary engine: buffs attackers, draws cards)
• Magmakin Artillerist (Key burn payoff)
• The Locust God (Token generation, alternate wincon)
• Bag of Holding (Recursion for discarded cards)
• Windfall (Mass discard/draw, fuels synergies)
• Sage of the Falls (Infinite draw/discard enabler with non-Humans)
• Wonder (Evasion enabler from graveyard)
• Malcolm, Alluring Scoundrel (Discard outlet, potential free spells)
• Frantic Search (Efficient looting, untaps lands)
• Blasphemous Act (Board wipe for recovery)

Attribute Ratings:

Speed: 6/10

• Can threaten wins via combat/burn around T7-8 with ideal discards and Howler online, but lacks fast mana for earlier explosive turns.

Resilience: 5/10

• Some protection (hexproof equipment, counterspells) and recursion (Bag of Holding), but heavily reliant on the graveyard and vulnerable to wipes/hate.

Consistency: 6/10

• High density of looters/wheels ensures frequent discards, but limited tutors reduce reliability for key payoffs like Magmakin Artillerist.

Interaction: 5/10

• Counterspells (Wash Away, An Offer You Can't Refuse), bounce (Aetherize), and targeted removal (Imprisoned in the Moon) are present but not comprehensive.

Rating Justification:

The deck operates efficiently within its discard theme, leveraging Howler to enable T7-8 wins through combat or burn synergies, but its reliance on the graveyard and vulnerability to disruption caps its resilience. This aligns with optimized casual decks that win via synergies but lack cEDH speed/protection.

Power level: 5.0 - 5.5