Overview:

This Esper (WUB) deck leverages Tymna the Weaver and Ishai, Ojutai Dragonspeaker to drive a midrange strategy focused on incremental value through lifegain, +1/+1 counters, and token generation. Tymna provides essential card advantage by rewarding combat with creatures, while Ishai grows passively from opponents' spells into a flying threat. The deck wins via combat swarms amplified by counter synergies (e.g., Cathars' Crusade, Felisa, Fang of Silverquill), life drain (The Meathook Massacre), or commander damage from Ishai. It lacks fast combos but employs stax elements (Authority of the Consuls, Blind Obedience) to slow opponents. Tymna is critical for card draw, making the strategy vulnerable to her removal, while Ishai serves as a secondary win condition.

Primer:

Core Strategy Execution:

1. Early Setup (Turns 1-4): Play mana rocks (e.g., Sol Ring, signets) or stax pieces like Authority of the Consuls. Deploy low-cost creatures (e.g., Ophiomancer, Skrelv, Defector Mite) to enable Tymna attacks. Prioritize lifegain triggers for Exemplar of Light or Rodolf Duskbringer.
2. Midgame Value (Turns 5-7): Cast key engines like Felisa, Fang of Silverquill, Adeline, Resplendent Cathar, or Cathars' Crusade to generate tokens/counters. Attack with Tymna to refill hands. Use removal/counters (e.g., Supreme Verdict, An Offer You Can't Refuse) to disrupt opponents.
3. Win Condition (Turns 8+):
   • Combat: Overwhelm with token armies boosted by Cathars' Crusade or The Great Henge. Leverage Ishai (often 10+ power) for commander damage.
   • Drain/Control: Pair The Meathook Massacre with board wipes for life swings. Recur threats via Rodolf Duskbringer or Liliana, Death's Majesty.
   • Alternate: Laboratory Maniac is included but poorly supported—only viable with extreme draw (e.g., Tymna + Howling Mine).

Mulligan Priorities:

• Keep hands with 2-3 lands (including color-fixing), early ramp (e.g., Sol Ring, signets), or a Tymna-enabling creature.
• Prioritize stax (Authority of the Consuls) or card draw (Mystic Remora) against fast decks.
• Avoid hands lacking early plays or color sources.

Key Tips:

• Protect Tymna: Equip Lightning Greaves or use Skrelv, Defector Mite/Pippin, Guard of the Citadel for evasion/protection.
• Maximize Counters: Sacrifice creatures with counters to Felisa, Fang of Silverquill for flying tokens. Resourceful Defense preserves counters across permanents.
• Leverage Lifegain: Time The Meathook Massacre with creature deaths for maximum drain. Rodolf Duskbringer reanimates based on life gained.
• Stax Timing: Deploy Blind Obedience against artifact-heavy decks; save board wipes for established threats.

Weaknesses:

Critical

• Board Wipes: Heavy reliance on creatures for Tymna/value leaves the deck crippled by wipes (e.g., Blasphemous Act). Limited recovery outside Rodolf Duskbringer.
• Graveyard Hate: Shuts down Rodolf Duskbringer, Liliana, Death's Majesty, and Abyssal Harvester.
• Tymna Removal: Losing Tymna early halts card draw, stalling the engine.

Moderate

• Enchantment Removal: Destroys key pieces like Cathars' Crusade, Resourceful Defense, or stax enchantments.
• Counter Disruption: Removing +1/+1 counters weakens Felisa, Fang of Silverquill and Exemplar of Light.

Minor

• Slow Mana: Many tapped lands (e.g., Thriving cycle, Arcane Sanctum) delay early plays.
• Limited Tutors: Only Razaketh, the Foulblooded tutors, requiring setup and life payment.

Most Important Cards:

• Tymna the Weaver (Primary card draw engine)
• Felisa, Fang of Silverquill (Token generator and counter payoff)
• Cathars' Crusade (Massive counter amplification for tokens)
• The Meathook Massacre (Board wipe and life drain)
• Authority of the Consuls/Blind Obedience (Stax to slow opponents)
• Adeline, Resplendent Cathar (Token swarm enabler)
• Supreme Verdict (Uncounterable board wipe)
• Ophiomancer (Consistent token generation)
• Resourceful Defense (Counter preservation and synergy)
• Sol Ring (Mana acceleration)

Attribute Ratings:

Speed: 4/10

• Wins primarily via combat or drain in turns 8-10, lacking fast combos or explosive starts. Slow mana and setup delay threats.

Resilience: 5/10

• Moderate protection (e.g., Skrelv, Pippin) and recursion (Rodolf Duskbringer), but heavily reliant on creatures/Tymna. Struggles to recover from multiple wipes.

Consistency: 5/10

• Tymna provides steady draw, but limited tutors and reliance on synergistic pieces reduce reliability. Mana base risks color screw.

Interaction: 6/10

• Solid removal suite (Supreme Verdict, Reality Shift, counterspells) and stax, but lacks stack interaction beyond counterspells. Efficient against creatures/artifacts.

Rating Justification:

This deck operates at a casual pace, aiming for T8-10 wins through combat or drain with moderate resilience and interaction. Its speed aligns with Power Level 4.0-4.5, but inconsistent mana and vulnerability to disruption prevent higher optimization.

Power level: 4.0 - 4.5