Overview:

This mono-red Dragon tribal deck helmed by Lathliss, Dragon Queen focuses on explosive Dragon deployment to overwhelm opponents through combat and triggered damage effects. The commander amplifies the strategy by generating 5/5 Dragon tokens whenever nontoken Dragons enter, while her pump ability and synergies with damage-dealing enablers like Dragon Tempest, Scourge of Valkas, and Terror of the Peaks create lethal board states. The deck employs artifact-based ramp and cost reducers (e.g., Urza's Incubator, Herald's Horn) to accelerate into high-impact Dragons, supported by targeted recursion and card advantage engines like Bonehoard Dracosaur and Outpost Siege.

Primer:

Core Strategy Execution:

1. Early Setup (Turns 1-4): Prioritize ramp via Sol Ring, Ruby Medallion, Dockside Extortionist, or Jeweled Lotus to cast Lathliss early. Use cost reducers like Dragonspeaker Shaman to discount Dragons.
2. Midgame Threats (Turns 4-6): Deploy key Dragons such as Goldspan Dragon (Treasure generation), Terror of the Peaks (burn triggers), and Utvara Hellkite (exponential token creation). Activate Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx for explosive mana.
3. Win Conditions (Turns 6-8):
   • Combat Overkill: Swing with boosted Dragons (Crucible of Fire, Lathliss’s pump) and tokens. Scourge of the Throne enables extra combats.
   • Burn Synergies: Stack ETB/damage triggers from Dragon Tempest, Scourge of Valkas, and Warstorm Surge to burn opponents out.
   • Alt Wincons: Hellkite Tyrant for artifact theft or alternate victory; Leyline Tyrant for burst damage on death.

Mulligan Priorities:

• Keep hands with 2-3 lands, at least one ramp artifact, and a cost reducer or mid-cost Dragon.
• Prioritize Jeweled Lotus or Sarkhan's Triumph for early Lathliss access.
• Avoid hands with only high-CMC Dragons and no ramp.

Key Tips:

• Use Cursed Mirror to clone high-value Dragons for immediate token generation.
• Sacrifice Dragons to Descendants' Fury to cheat out larger threats.
• Protect Lathliss with Lightning Greaves or Commander's Plate to maintain token production.

Weaknesses:

Critical

• Board Wipes: Lacks mass recursion; rebuilds slowly after Blasphemous Act-level clears.
• Commander Reliance: Lathliss removal stalls token generation, crippling the deck’s momentum.

Moderate

• Artifact Hate: Vandalblast or Collector Ouphe disrupts ramp and cost reducers.
• Stack Interaction: Limited counterspells; struggles against combo decks.

Minor

• Mana Constraints: High Dragon density risks clunky draws without early ramp.
• Flying Blockers: Can be stalled by heavy air defense, though trample sources mitigate this.

Most Important Cards:

• Lathliss, Dragon Queen (Token generator and pump)
• Terror of the Peaks (Burn engine)
• Utvara Hellkite (Exponential token creation)
• Scourge of Valkas (Scaling damage per Dragon)
• Dragon Tempest (Haste enabler + burn)
• Urza's Incubator (Critical cost reduction)
• Goldspan Dragon (Mana acceleration)
• Hellkite Tyrant (Alt wincon)
• Dockside Extortionist (Explosive ramp)
• Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx (Mana scaling)

Attribute Ratings:

Speed: 5/10

• Threatens lethal via combat or burn around turns 7-9, accelerated by cost reducers and Treasure.

Resilience: 4/10

• Limited protection/recursion; relies on hasty Dragons and sparse equipment for recovery.

Consistency: 6/10

• Strong Dragon density and tutors (Sarkhan's Triumph, Herald's Horn), but lacks universal card draw.

Interaction: 3/10

• Minimal removal outside Vandalblast and burn; reactive plays are situational.

Rating Justification:

The deck operates as a focused Dragon tribal build with a clear combat/burn plan, achieving wins around T7-9 with moderate resilience. Its reliance on commander-centric synergies and vulnerability to disruption align it with optimized casual tiers.

Power level: 5.0 - 5.5