https://docs.google.com/document/d/e/2PACX-1vT55rPAoAJUWp4faGcyKhLLg_kAANQ7dMmOLvKw9ViuNj_Duby8ZoPCNZF8cTOpL2fMjAPbsvDUn1xH/pub

The first most important thing about this deck - you are the combo deck, not a control one. This means that despite having some defensive tools, the deck struggles to win a long game and is not good at grinding. The main gameplan is: cantrip for pieces>defend yourself>land fires>kill them with cavs. So after you land Fires on turn 4 you become a beatdown and opp needs to defend. If things are not going this way probably you are playing the deck in a wrong way. Speaking about cardchoices I separate cards in 4 categories.

CANTRIPS:

4 Sphinx of Foresight - this card does it all, searches for the important pieces with the scry, lands with fires and kills op in the air.

3 Shimmer of Possibility - we have time on turn 2 usually and it's the best 2 mana cantrip we have access to.

6 Temples - good for mana fixing because without fires our deck is hungry for mana symbols and free scrys, because we usually do not care about lands coming tapped into play.

1 Drawn from Dreams - digs deep and finds all we need (Fires, Cavs etc), at its best in grindy matchups when opp interacts with Fires.

DEFENSIVE TOOLS:

3 Bonecrusher Giant - early removal+blocker and a strong beater for us later.

4 Deafening Clarion - “your creatures die and I gain 15 life” - at its best in our deck, defends us early but the lifelink mode is super strong and relevant because we attack for huge amounts of damage. Consider saving it for later if you can.

4 Teferi, Time Raveler - cycles with bounce, and the static is important for us against counterspells decks + forcing op playing on their turn gives us information.

1 Time Wipe - one-of that occasionally worked well for me, bouncing our creature is usually relevant as well.

Matchups Breakdown:

Remember, this is just general advice, always adapt to the gamestate you are facing!


Jund/BG Sacrifice - favoured. We do not care about what they are doing, advancing our gameplan and kill them with trample+flyers. They are better at grind so they need to interact with us, as a result we need to play around the possible removals as much as we can (search for extra monsters and fires, dump fires+spell). Cards to notice from them - Thrashing Brontodon, Casualties of War, Return to Nature, Cindervines, Murderous Rider, Epic Dawnfall. Our important Cards - Kenrith, Flyers, Drawn from Dreams.

In: 2 Disenchant, 2 Aether Gust, 1 Drawn from Dreams

Out: 4 Teferi, Time Raveler, 1 Time Wipe


UR/UG Flash - unfavoured. They have cheap pressure, plenty of counterspells and bounces, and better lategame because of Gadwick or Nissa+Krasis, but they have a hard time dealing with resolved monsters. Game 1 try to defend your monsters with Teferi and resolve them, do not lean on Fires. Postboard you can play Jeskai Tempo/midrange game with Fires as an extra plan. Important cards - Teferi, Mystical Disputes, Tithe Takers, Bonecrusher Giants.

In: 3 Tithe Taker, 4 Mystical Dispute (2 Aether gust against UG)

Out: 1 Cavalier of Gales, 1 Drawn from Dreams, 2 Fires of Invention, 2 Cavalier of Flames, 1 Time Wipe (1 Bonecrusher Giant, 1 Shimmer of Possibility against UG)


UW Control - even. We have a hard time winning preboard, but games 2 and 3 we get a lot of good interaction, cheap threats and side out dead cards. Preboard slam threats in a most efficient way (fires first!) hoping they will run out of answers, postboard you are tempo with combo backup. Important cards - Teferi, Dispute, Warboss, Tithe Taker.

In: 3 Tithe Taker, 3 Legion Warboss, 4 Mystical Dispute.

Out: 4 Deafing Clarion, 1 Time Wipe, 1 Drawn from Dreams, 1 Fires of Invention, 1 Cavalier of Gales, 1 Cavalier of Flame, 1 Kenrith, the Returned King


BG Adventure - favoured. We do not care about what they are doing, advance our gameplan and kill them with trample+flyers. Do not grind against them because they usually play Casualties to punish you. Important Cards - Thrasing Brontodon, Return to Nature, Murderous Rider, Casualties of War. Our important cards - flyers, Kenrith, Aether gust (if they are on heavy green version vivien+questing beast)

In: 1 Drawn From Dreams, (2 Aether Gust)

Out: 1 Teferi, Time Raveler (1 Teferi, Time Raveler, 1 Deafening Clarion)


Temur Reclamation - even, same thing as with UW control, but here we can interact with their gameplan as well, so no need to be that agressive with Bonecrusher Giants.

In: 4 Mystical Dispute, 3 Legion Warboss, 3 Tithe Taker, 2 Disenchant, 2 Aether Gust

Out: 4 Deafening Clarion, 1 Time Wipe, 3 Bonecrusher Giant, 2 Fires of Invention, 1 Cavalier of Gales, 2 Cavalier of Flames, 1 Drawn From Dreams


UG Ramp - unfavoured, they are faster and hit harder with combo and Cavalier of Thorns is perfect card against our monsters. They usually grind better as well. Important cards - Clarion, Time Wipe, Kenrith.

In: 2 Aether Gust, 4 Mystical Dispute

Out: 3 Bonecrusher Giant, 1 Drawn from Dreams, 2 Teferi, Time Ravaler


Mirror - game 1 is all about the dice roll and goldfishing, the only relevant interaction usually is Teferi to bounce fires, mulligan agressively and cantrip for your combo. Postboard both players usually side in good answers and Warbosses as an additional threat. Sideout Fires to make their Disenchants bad and our counterspells better.

In: 3 Legion Warboss, 2 Aether Gust, 2 Disenchant, 4 Mystical Dispute

Out: 2 Fires of Invention, 1 Drawn from Dreams, 1 Time Wipe, 1 Cavalier of Gales, 2 Deafing Clarion, 1 Teferi, Time Raveler, 3 Bonecrusher Giant.


BR Aggro/Sacrifice - favoured. Clarion and cheap removals destroy them and they cannot interact with Fires. The only card we do care about is Embercleave, always play around it as much as you can. Kenrith and Clarion are important to gain life and Kenrith to trample through the cat as well.

In. 2 Aether Gust, 2 Disenchant

Out: 4 Teferi, Time Raveler