Overview:

This Derevi, Empyrial Tactician deck combines Bird tribal synergies with tap/untap value engines and control elements. The strategy leverages Derevi's combat-triggered permanent manipulation to enable explosive mana generation via Bloom Tender, Faeburrow Elder, and Intruder Alarm, while deploying evasive Birds for card draw through Bident of Thassa/Coastal Piracy. Key win conditions include combat overruns with buffed Birds (Murmuration), Cyclonic Rift blowouts, and a Willbreaker/Dismiss into Dream theft lock. Derevi serves as both an enabler (untapping key permanents) and resilience tool via its command zone recursion.

Primer:

Core Strategy Execution:

1. Early Setup (Turns 1-3): Deploy mana dorks (Birds of Paradise, Avacyn's Pilgrim), enchantment ramp (Wild Growth, Utopia Sprawl), and utility Birds (Judge's Familiar). Use Birthing Pod or Eladamri's Call to find key pieces like Bloom Tender.
2. Midgame Value (Turns 4-6): Cast Derevi to start untapping mana sources or locking down threats. Deploy card engines (The One Ring, Toski, Bearer of Secrets) and anthems (Murmuration). Use Intruder Alarm + mana dorks to generate infinite mana or Kastral, the Windcrested triggers.
3. Win Conditions:
   • Combat: Swing with evasive Birds buffed by Murmuration, using Rogue's Passage for unblockability.
   • Lock: Dismiss into Dream + targeted removal or Willbreaker to steal boards.
   • Overload Cyclonic Rift followed by lethal swings.
   • Infinite Mana: Intruder Alarm + Bloom Tender/Faeburrow Elder + token generator, funneled into Shorikai, Genesis Engine draws or Archdruid's Charm.

Mulligan Priorities:

• Keep hands with 2-3 lands, preferably including a bounceland.
• Prioritize early ramp (1-2 mana dorks/enchantments) and a card engine (Esper Sentinel, The One Ring).
• Mulligan away high-CMC clumps without setup tools.

Key Tips:

• Use Derevi's triggered ability to untap Lotus Field or Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx-style effects (via Three Tree City).
• Retreat to Coralhelm enables infinite Derevi recasts with a landfall trigger and evasive creature.
• Alchemist's Refuge lets you flash in threats during opponents' turns to maximize Intruder Alarm triggers.

Weaknesses:

Critical

• Board wipes cripple the creature-dependent strategy; only Heroic Intervention and Grand Abolisher provide protection.
• Cursed Totem/Linvala, Keeper of Silence disable mana dorks, Derevi's ability, and combo lines.

Moderate

• Graveyard hate disrupts Eternal Witness/Shifting Woodland recursion.
• Artifact/enchantment removal targets critical pieces like Intruder Alarm or Murmuration.

Minor

• Slow mana base (12+ enters-tapped lands) delays early tempo.
• Limited instant-speed answers to resolved planeswalkers.

Most Important Cards:

• Intruder Alarm (Combo enabler, untap synergy)
• Dismiss into Dream (Lock piece, enables creature theft)
• Cyclonic Rift (Board reset + win condition)
• Bloom Tender (Mana explosion with Derevi/untap effects)
• Murmuration (Bird anthem + token generation)
• Grand Abolisher (Protects combo turns)
• Mana Drain (Counterspell + mana acceleration)
• Birthing Pod (Tutor for key creatures)
• The One Ring (Card advantage engine)
• Willbreaker (Creature theft synergy)

Attribute Ratings:

Speed: 6/10
Can establish locks or combo wins by T6-7 with ideal draws, but relies heavily on creature-based setup.

Resilience: 5/10
Moderate protection (Grand Abolisher, counterspells) but folds to resolved stax pieces or repeated wipes.

Consistency: 7/10
Strong tutor suite (10+ tutors including Captain Sisay) and card draw smooths gameplay, but tribal focus limits redundancy.

Interaction: 8/10
Robust counterspell package (Mana Drain, Swan Song, Render Silent) and targeted removal (Song of the Dryads, Darksteel Mutation).

Rating Justification:

The deck combines efficient interaction with potent combo/control lines, capable of T6-7 wins but held back by creature dependency and meta-vulnerable stax. Its balance of speed and control aligns with Focused (T7-8) to Optimized (T6-7) tiers.

Power level: 6.5 - 7.0