Overview:

This UR spellslinger deck revolves around Niv-Mizzet, Parun as a combo engine and win condition. The primary strategy leverages instant/sorcery synergy to generate massive card draw, enabling infinite loops with Curiosity/Ophidian Eye to ping opponents to death. Secondary plans include storm finishers (Brain Freeze, Dragonstorm), Underworld Breach recursion lines, and value engines like Consecrated Sphinx. Niv-Mizzet is critical as both a card advantage engine and combo piece, though the deck includes backup plans like Hullbreaker Horror lockouts. Fast mana (Mox Diamond, Lion's Eye Diamond, Rite of Flame) enables explosive starts, aiming to deploy Niv-Mizzet by turn 2-3.

Primer:

Core Strategy Execution:

1. Early Acceleration (Turns 1-2): Deploy fast mana (Mox Opal, Simian Spirit Guide, Lotus Petal) to cast Niv-Mizzet early or set up rituals (Rite of Flame). Use free interaction (Force of Will, Deflecting Swat) to protect key plays.
2. Combo Assembly (Turns 3-4): Tutor for Curiosity/Ophidian Eye via Gamble, Mystical Tutor, or transmute cards (Dizzy Spell). Cast Niv-Mizzet and attach an Aura to draw the deck and ping opponents. Alternatively, use Underworld Breach + Lion's Eye Diamond + Brain Freeze for a storm kill.
3. Alternative Lines:
   • Storm off with Wheel of Fortune/Windfall + Underworld Breach loops.
   • Lock the board with Hullbreaker Horror bouncing threats while advancing your game plan.
   • Use extra-turn spells (Final Fortune, Savor the Moment) to chain combos.

Mulligan Priorities:

• Keep hands with 1-2 lands, fast mana, and a payoff (Niv-Mizzet, Curiosity, or Breach).
• Prioritize free interaction (Force of Will, Mental Misstep) if facing competitive metas.
• Avoid hands lacking blue sources or with only high-CMC cards.

Key Tips:

• Use Emergence Zone to flash in Niv-Mizzet or key sorceries.
• Underworld Breach can recur Gamble to find missing combo pieces.
• Deflecting Swat and Misdirection protect Niv-Mizzet from removal.
• The One Ring provides draw and protection to survive until combo turns.

Weaknesses:

Critical

• Commander Dependency: Removing Niv-Mizzet 2-3 times makes recasting prohibitive (10+ mana).
• Graveyard Reliance: Rest in Peace or Leyline of the Void cripples Underworld Breach and recursion lines.
• Anti-Draw Hate: Narset, Parter of Veils or Notion Thief shuts off the primary engine.

Moderate

• Artifact Destruction: Losing fast mana (Moxen, LED) slows the deck significantly.
• Stack Interaction: Silence/Abrupt Decay on critical combo turns can fizzle wins.

Minor

• Limited board presence makes it vulnerable to aggressive decks pre-combo.
• Damping Sphere/Eidolon of Rhetoric delays storm turns.

Most Important Cards:

• Curiosity (Primary combo enabler with Niv-Mizzet)
• Underworld Breach (Recursion engine for storm/combo lines)
• Lion's Eye Diamond (Mana source for Breach loops and early Niv-Mizzet)
• Force of Will (Free protection for combo execution)
• Gamble (Tutors key combo pieces)
• Brain Freeze (Storm win condition with Breach/High Tide)
• Hullbreaker Horror (Control lock and backup wincon)
• Mystical Tutor (Finds missing combo pieces/interaction)
• Windfall (Refuels hand and enables Breach)
• Deflecting Swat (Protects Niv-Mizzet at no cost)

Attribute Ratings:

Speed: 9/10

• Capable of T2-3 wins with perfect hands (e.g., T1 Breach + LED + Brain Freeze storm). Typically threatens T4-5 wins via Niv-Mizzet combos.

Resilience: 6/10

• Free counterspells and protection spells mitigate disruption, but heavy reliance on Niv-Mizzet and graveyard makes it fragile to targeted hate.

Consistency: 7/10

• Multiple tutors (Gamble, Mystical Tutor, transmute) and card draw improve redundancy, but some combo pieces lack backups (e.g., only 1 Curiosity).

Interaction: 8/10

• Robust suite of free/cheap counters (Force of Will, Flusterstorm, Spell Pierce) and bounce (Cyclonic Rift) disrupts opponents effectively.

Rating Justification:

This deck operates at cEDH-adjacent speeds with T2-3 win potential through optimized mana and combo density but lacks the redundancy and resilience of top-tier lists. Its vulnerability to commander removal and graveyard hate caps its ceiling.

Power level: 8.0 - 8.5