Overview:

This Braids, Conjurer Adept deck leverages clone effects and high-cost permanents to cheat massive threats early while disrupting opponents' strategies. The core plan revolves around multiplying Braids' trigger through copy effects to deploy game-ending creatures/artifacts ahead of curve, supported by blue control elements and theft synergies.

Primer:

Core Strategy: The deck aims to resolve Braids by turn 3–4 using artifact ramp, then exploit her upkeep trigger with:

1. Clone Army: 8 clone effects (e.g., Spark Double, Phyrexian Metamorph) copy Braids to enable multiple free permanents per turn cycle
2. Cheat Engine: Drop massive threats like Blightsteel Colossus, It That Betrays, or Portal to Phyrexia as early as turn 4
3. Value Multipliers: Copy triggers with Strionic Resonator/Lithoform Engine to enable 2+ free drops per player's upkeep
4. Control Backbone: Protect the strategy with free counterspells (Force of Will, Force of Negation) and steal opponents' best permanents via Agent of Treachery

Mulligan Priorities:

• Keep hands with 3 lands + 2+ ramp artifacts (Thran Dynamo, Arcane Signet)
• Prioritize early clones over high-CMC threats
• Reject hands without blue mana sources or Braids enablers

Key Interactions:

• Braids + Kira, Great Glass-Spinner/Lightning Greaves = protected triggers
• Multiple Braids copies = exponential permanent deployment
• Consecrated Sphinx + opponent draws = instant hand refill
• Hullbreaker Horror = soft lock with instant-speed bounce

Win Conversion:

• Combat: Akroma's Memorial enables alpha strikes with annihilator/evasive threats
• Theft: Agent of Treachery steals opponents' key pieces
• Lock: Stormtide Leviathan + clones stalls non-flying decks

Weaknesses:

Critical

• Commander Reliance: 3+ Braids removals cripples the strategy
• Symmetrical Effect Backfire: Opponents benefit equally from Braids triggers

Moderate

• Limited Win Speed: No infinite combos; relies on combat/annihilator
• High CMC Density: 22 cards costing 6+ mana risk dead draws

Minor

• Graveyard Weakness: Academy Ruins only recursion
• Theft Vulnerabilities: Homeward Path hoses Agent strategies

Most Important Cards:

• Strionic Resonator
• Phyrexian Metamorph
• Consecrated Sphinx
• Agent of Treachery
• Hullbreaker Horror
• Lithoform Engine
• Force of Will
• Spark Double
• Blightsteel Colossus
• Kira, Great Glass-Spinner

Attribute Ratings:

Speed: 6/10
Theoretical T4 wins via cloned Braids dropping multiple annihilators, but inconsistent without fast mana.

Resilience: 5/10
Free counters protect key plays, but folds to repeated Braids removal and lacks recursion.

Consistency: 5/10
Moderate clone/tutor density (8 clones + 3 artifact tutors), but high variance in threat draws.

Interaction: 7/10
Premium counterspells and Hullbreaker Horror bounce provide strong control, but lacks board wipes.

Rating Justification:

This deck sits between Casual and Optimized tiers, capable of explosive T4–5 plays with cloned Braids but vulnerable to targeted disruption and slow to close games. Its symmetrical effect creates high variance in multiplayer contexts.

Power level: 4.5 - 6.0