Overview:

This mono-red deck leverages Delina, Wild Mage as a potent token generator, focusing on creating temporary copies of high-impact creatures to enable multiple combat phases, direct damage, and combo finishes. The strategy combines dice-rolling synergies (Barbarian Class, Wyll, Blade of Frontiers) with extra combat enablers (Karlach, Fury of Avernus, Aggravated Assault) and ETB damage engines (Impact Tremors, Witty Roastmaster). Delina serves as the primary engine, enabling explosive turns by copying creatures like Combat Celebrant or Kiki-Jiki, Mirror Breaker, but the deck includes robust backup plans through reanimation (Feldon of the Third Path, Mimic Vat) and standalone combos. Key vulnerabilities include reliance on combat and fragile creatures.

Primer:

Core Strategy Execution:

1. Early Setup (Turns 1-3): Deploy ramp (Sol Ring, Ruby Medallion, Arcane Signet) and protection (Lightning Greaves, Swiftfoot Boots). Prioritize dice modifiers like Barbarian Class or Wyll, Blade of Frontiers.
2. Engine Activation (Turns 4-6): Cast Delina with protection. Attack to copy high-value targets:
   • Combat Enablers: Combat Celebrant, Port Razer, Karlach, Fury of Avernus for extra phases.
   • Combo Pieces: Kiki-Jiki, Mirror Breaker + Zealous Conscripts (infinite tokens/combat), Dualcaster Mage + Twinflame (infinite hasty tokens).
   • Value/Damage: Professional Face-Breaker, Fanatic of Mogis, Burning Sun's Avatar.
3. Win Execution:
   • Combat: Use extra combats with Shared Animosity or Torbran, Thane of Red Fell for lethal. Rogue's Passage ensures unblocked attacks.
   • Direct Damage: Amplify ETB triggers via Harmonic Prodigy with Impact Tremors/Witty Roastmaster.
   • Infinite Combos: Resolve Kiki-Jiki + Conscripts or Aggravated Assault + Neheb, the Eternal for infinite combat.

Mulligan Priorities:

• Keep hands with 2-3 lands (including Access Tunnel/Rogue's Passage), 1-2 ramp pieces, and either Delina protection or a key creature.
• Prioritize Barbarian Class/Wyll if Delina is in hand.
• Avoid hands lacking ramp or protection if facing interaction-heavy metas.

Key Tips:

• Maximize Dice Rolls: Use Strionic Resonator on Delina's trigger. Harmonic Prodigy doubles her ability (Wizard subtype).
• Protect Critical Pieces: Equip Delina immediately with Greaves/Boots. Conqueror's Flail locks opponents out during your turn.
• Recover from Setbacks: Reanimate combo pieces with Feldon of the Third Path or Mimic Vat. Buried Ruin retrieves artifacts.
• Alternative Lines: Godo, Bandit Warlord fetches Helm of the Host for non-legendary Delina copies. Orthion, Hero of Lavabrink mass-copies without attacking.

Weaknesses:

Critical

• Board Wipes: Mass removal (e.g., Blasphemous Act) cripples the creature-dependent strategy with limited recovery.
• Commander Reliance: Delina removal significantly slows the deck; recasting her beyond 7+ mana is prohibitive.
• Stax Effects: Torpor Orb nullifies ETB damage/combat enablers. Cursed Totem shuts down Kiki-Jiki/Feldon activations.

Moderate

• Graveyard Hate: Exiling effects disrupt Feldon of the Third Path, Mimic Vat, and Charming Scoundrel flashback.
• Stack Interaction: Counterspells targeting Delina or combo pieces are devastating given limited protection.
• Mana Disruption: Blood Moon (run in the deck) backfires due to low basic Mountain count (30/38 lands).

Minor

• Single-Target Removal: Efficiently answered by recursion/redirection (e.g., Wild Magic Surge).
• Flyers/Evasion: Can be mitigated by Coercive Recruiter theft or Goblin Chainwhirler pings.

Most Important Cards:

• Kiki-Jiki, Mirror Breaker (Primary combo engine)
• Harmonic Prodigy (Doubles Delina/ETB triggers)
• Aggravated Assault (Infinite combats with Neheb)
• Combat Celebrant (Extra combat enabler)
• Neheb, the Eternal (Mana generator for Aggravated Assault loops)
• Impact Tremors (Primary non-combat win condition)
• Lightning Greaves (Essential Delina protection)
• Zealous Conscripts (Kiki-Jiki combo piece)
• Barbarian Class (Dice consistency + haste enabler)
• Feldon of the Third Path (Recursion for combo creatures)

Attribute Ratings:

Speed: 7/10

• Capable of T4-5 wins with ideal draws (e.g., Delina + Celebrant + dice high roll), averaging T6-7 kills via combat or combo.

Resilience: 5/10

• Protection for Delina and some recursion exist, but heavy reliance on combat and key creatures makes it vulnerable to disruption. Board wipes are often backbreaking.

Consistency: 6/10

• Tutors (Gamble, Imperial Recruiter) and card draw (Idol of Oblivion, Chandra, Torch of Defiance) find pieces, but dice variance and combo dependencies create volatility.

Interaction: 5/10

• Targeted removal (Abrade, Pyroblast) and stack interaction (Red Elemental Blast) are efficient but narrow. Lacks board wipes beyond Blasphemous Act.

Rating Justification:

The deck achieves T6-7 wins consistently through combat or combo, aligning with the "Focused" tier (T7-8 benchmark), but its vulnerability to disruption and commander dependence caps its ceiling. Resilience issues prevent higher optimization.

Power level: 6.0 - 6.5