Overview:

This Bant counters deck leverages Tidus, Yuna's Guardian to redistribute counters and generate card advantage/proliferation through combat damage. It combines +1/+1 counter synergies with proliferate engines and evasive threats to overwhelm opponents, supported by high-quality interaction and protection.

Primer:

Core Strategy: The deck aims to establish a critical mass of counters on creatures using proliferate engines (Evolution Sage, Flux Channeler) and counter doublers (Doubling Season, Conclave Mentor), then swing with unblockable threats (Herald of Secret Streams) to trigger Tidus' Cheer ability for explosive draws and permanent scaling. Alternate wincons include Simic Ascendancy and Strixhaven Stadium.

Key Lines:

1. Early Game: Deploy mana dorks (Birds of Paradise, Noble Hierarch) and counter generators (Luminarch Aspirant, Brokers Ascendancy).
2. Mid Game: Use Tidus to optimize counter distribution and activate Cheer triggers through evasive creatures.
3. Late Game: Overwhelm with Herald of Secret Streams-enabled attacks or lock out with The One Ring protection and proliferated Lux Cannon.

Mulligan Priorities:

• Keep hands with 3 lands and early ramp/counter sources
• Prioritize Herald of Secret Streams or Doubling Season in opening hands with tutors
• Avoid hands without early counter generation or card draw engines

Key Tips:

• Use Vorel of the Hull Clade to double counters on key permanents like Astral Cornucopia or Lux Cannon
• Sequence Teferi's Protection to protect board states before alpha strikes
• Proliferate Strixhaven Stadium counters during opponents' turns with Thrummingbird

Weaknesses:

Critical:

• Vulnerable to board wipes before establishing Luminous Broodmoth/protection
• Relies on maintaining 2+ creatures for Tidus' ability

Moderate:

• Limited instant-speed counter generation
• No infinite mana combos for Body of Research overkill

Minor:

• Weak to The One Ring life loss without proliferate mitigation

Most Important Cards:

• Doubling Season
• Herald of Secret Streams
• Brokers Ascendancy
• The One Ring
• Conclave Mentor
• Simic Ascendancy
• Smothering Tithe
• Rhystic Study
• Luminous Broodmoth
• Cyclonic Rift

Attribute Ratings:

Speed: 6/10
Can establish lethal board states by T7-8 through proliferated counters, but lacks T4-5 infinite combos. Body of Research provides instant threat scaling when cast late.

Resilience: 7/10
Multiple protection spells (Heroic Intervention, Teferi's Protection), recursion (Luminous Broodmoth, Evolution Witness), and 10+ counter sources provide recovery paths. Vulnerable to repeated board wipes.

Consistency: 6/10
5 tutors (including Eladamri's Call for Herald) and strong draw engines (Rhystic Study, Trouble in Pairs), but relies on resolving key 4-5 mana enchantments.

Interaction: 8/10
Premium removal (Swords, Path), free counters (Fierce Guardianship), and overloaded Cyclonic Rift. Lacks graveyard hate.

Rating Justification:

The deck operates at optimized casual levels (Rubric 6.0) with:

• T7-8 combat/alt-win potential
• 6/10 tutors & draw engines
• 8/10 interaction suite
• Resilient counter synergies

It lacks the speed (no T4-5 wins) and compact combos of 7.0+ decks, but surpasses precon-level consistency. The combination of stax-like Drannith Magistrate, protection spells, and proliferating threats pushes it toward 6.5 in slower metas.

Power level: 6.0 - 6.5