Overview:

This Naya (RGW) Equipment-focused deck leverages Cloud, Ex-SOLDIER as a card draw engine and value generator. The primary strategy involves deploying Equipment, attaching them efficiently to creatures (especially Soldiers/Rebels), and leveraging Cloud's attack trigger to draw cards and generate Treasures. Wins are achieved through overwhelming combat damage with modified creatures (often boosted to 7+ power), supported by secondary synergies like token generation and artifact-based value. Cloud acts as a crucial draw engine and enabler but isn't the sole win condition; the deck functions around Equipment synergy even if he's removed.

Primer:

Core Strategy Execution:

1. Early Setup (Turns 1-3): Prioritize ramping with lands (Rampant Growth, Cultivate) or artifacts (Sol Ring, Arcane Signet). Deploy low-cost Equipment (Mask of Memory, Explorer's Scope) or key enablers like Puresteel Paladin/Professor Hojo. Use creatures like Helitrooper or Zack Fair to carry early Equipment.
2. Board Development & Equipping (Turns 3-5): Cast Cloud or other value commanders (Barret, Avalanche Leader, Tifa, Martial Artist). Use cost reducers (Puresteel Paladin, Cid, Freeflier Pilot) and tutors (Professional Face-Breaker) to deploy impactful Equipment (Colossus Hammer, Behemoth Sledge, Summoning Materia). Attach Equipment aggressively using Armory Automaton or commander triggers. Prioritize reaching 7+ power on attackers to trigger Cloud's Treasure ability and enable cards like Furious Rise/Bugenhagen, Wise Elder.
3. Value Generation & Pressure (Turns 4-7): Attack with equipped creatures to draw significant cards off Cloud. Use Treasures for mana acceleration or card advantage via Face-Breaker. Deploy finishers like Hellkite Tyrant (artifact theft/wincon), Sephiroth, Fallen Hero (massive stat boosts), or Tifa, Martial Artist (extra combats). Recur key Equipment/Auras with Unfinished Business, Red XIII, Proud Warrior, or Elena, Turk Recruit.
4. Closing the Game (Turns 6-8): Win via:
   • Combat: Overwhelm with massive modified creatures (e.g., Colossus Hammer + Conformer Shuriken counters). Utilize Tifa for multiple combats or Barret Wallace for direct damage.
   • Synergy Kills: Hellkite Tyrant's artifact win condition.
   • Commander Damage: Cloud equipped for lethal commander damage (needs evasion like Trailblazer's Boots).

Mulligan Priorities:

• Keep hands with 2-3 lands (including color fixing like Command Tower/Exotic Orchard).
• Prioritize hands containing at least one of: Early ramp (Sol Ring, Nature's Lore), a low-cost Equipment (Skullclamp, Mask of Memory), or a key synergy creature (Puresteel Paladin, Professor Hojo).
• Hands with Cloud and a way to protect/equip him (Lightning Greaves, Champion's Helm) are strong.
• Avoid hands lacking ramp, Equipment, or creatures to carry them.

Key Tips:

• Maximize Card Draw: Cloud's attack trigger is your primary engine. Prioritize attaching multiple Equipment before attacking. Use Skullclamp on tokens/Small creatures.
• Exploit Cost Reduction: Puresteel Paladin enables free equips. Professor Hojo makes equipping cheaper and draws cards. Cid, Freeflier Pilot reduces casting costs and recurs Equipment.
• Protect Key Pieces: Use Lightning Greaves, Darksteel Plate, Champion's Helm, Clever Concealment, and Ultimate Magic: Holy to shield Cloud, Puresteel, or critical Equipment.
• Leverage Tokens & Synergies: Barret, Avalanche Leader/SOLDIER Military Program create tokens to carry Equipment and fuel Skullclamp/Cloud draws. Professional Face-Breaker turns combat damage into Treasures and card advantage.
• Recursion is Key: Unfinished Business, Red XIII, Proud Warrior, Cid, Freeflier Pilot, and Elena, Turk Recruit get back crucial Equipment or creatures.

Weaknesses:

Critical

• Severely vulnerable to artifact mass removal (Vandalblast, Farewell). Losing Equipment cripples the core strategy and drastically reduces card draw/combat power.
• Highly susceptible to board wipes (Vanquish the Horde, Austere Command). Rebuilding equipped boards is slow and resource-intensive.
• Crippled by anti-artifact stax (Collector Ouphe, Karn, the Great Creator, Stony Silence). Shuts down Equipment, mana rocks, and key abilities.

Moderate

• Targeted removal on key enablers (Puresteel Paladin, Professor Hojo, Cid, Freeflier Pilot) significantly slows Equipment deployment and value generation.
• Graveyard hate (Scavenger Grounds) disrupts important recursion lines (Unfinished Business, Elena, Red XIII).
• Lack of stack interaction makes comboing opponents difficult to stop and key spells vulnerable to counters.

Minor

• Evasion reliance: Needs Equipment like Trailblazer's Boots or Helitrooper to reliably connect for Cloud draws against blockers.
• Mana base inconsistency: Several tapped lands (Jungle Shrine, Sacred Peaks) can slow early development.

Most Important Cards:

• Puresteel Paladin (Core enabler: Free equips & card draw)
• Cloud, Ex-SOLDIER (Primary draw engine & value generator)
• Professional Face-Breaker (Tutor, card advantage, mana acceleration)
• Lightning Greaves (Essential protection for Cloud/Puresteel)
• Colossus Hammer (Massive power boost enabling Cloud Treasures & commander damage)
• Unfinished Business (Powerful recursion for creatures + Equipment)
• Professor Hojo (Cost reduction for equipping & card draw)
• Barret, Avalanche Leader (Token generation & Equipment attachment)
• Hellkite Tyrant (Alternative win condition & artifact theft)
• Skullclamp (Card draw engine on tokens/small creatures)

Attribute Ratings:

Speed: 6/10

• Can establish significant board presence and threaten wins via combat or Hellkite Tyrant around turns 7-8. Setup requires ramping, equipping, and attacking, preventing faster wins.

Resilience: 5/10

• Has some protection (Greaves, Clever Concealment, Holy) and recursion (Unfinished Business, Cid, Elena), but is fundamentally fragile against mass artifact/creature removal and stax. Recovery is possible but slow.

Consistency: 7/10

• Good ramp package, strong card draw engines (Cloud, Face-Breaker, Skullclamp), and tutors (Face-Breaker, Professor Hojo triggers) ensure reliable access to Equipment and key creatures.

Interaction: 4/10

• Interaction is primarily sorcery-speed removal (Decimate, Vanquish the Horde, Cloud's Limit Break, Ultimate Magic: Meteor) and lacks counterspells/instant-speed answers. Quality removal exists but timing is limited.

Rating Justification:

The deck demonstrates strong consistency and a clear game plan focused on Equipment synergy, enabling wins around turn 7-8 through combat or artifact synergy. However, its critical vulnerability to mass removal and stax, combined with slower setup and limited interaction, caps its resilience and prevents higher-tier performance. It fits solidly within the Optimized Casual tier.

Power level: 5.0 - 5.5