Overview:

This Alela, Cunning Conqueror deck leverages Faerie tribal synergies and flash-enabled control to dominate opponents' turns. The strategy revolves around generating Faerie tokens via Alela's trigger, disrupting opponents with instant-speed interaction, and winning through combat damage amplified by goad mechanics and Faerie lords. Alela acts as both an engine (token generation) and a linchpin (enabling card advantage via Faerie combat triggers). Key themes include flash timing, tribal synergy, and tempo control. The deck can pivot between aggressive token swarms and reactive control, using goad to manipulate combat dynamics.

Primer:

Core Strategy Execution:

1. Early Setup (Turns 1-3):
   • Deploy mana rocks (Sol Ring, Dimir Signet) or tribal accelerators (Herald's Horn, Cavern of Souls).
   • Cast flash enablers like Leyline of Anticipation or Vedalken Orrery to threaten interaction.
   • Use early Faeries (Faerie Mastermind, Spellstutter Sprite) to disrupt opponents while building board presence.

2. Midgame Tempo (Turns 4-6):

   • Cast Alela on opponents' turns to generate Faeries and force goad triggers.
   • Deploy key value engines: Rhystic Study, Kindred Discovery, or Bitterblossom.
   • Use Mistbind Clique to lock opponents' mana or Sower of Temptation to steal threats.

3. Win Conditions (Turns 6+):

   • Overwhelm with Faerie swarms boosted by Scion of Oona, Glen Elendra Liege, or Shadow Puppeteers.
   • Cast Notorious Throng post-combat for an extra turn and exponential token generation.
   • Leverage Sword of Feast and Famine for mana untaps and discard pressure.

Mulligan Priorities:

• Prioritize hands with 2-3 lands (UB sources preferred), a mana rock, and at least one flash enabler or Faerie.
• Keep hands with Bitterblossom, Rhystic Study, or Kindred Discovery if supported by early interaction.
• Avoid hands lacking early plays or color fixing.

Key Tips:

• Timing Is Everything: Cast Alela during an opponent's upkeep to immediately trigger her token generation.
• Goad Strategically: Use Faerie combat damage triggers to neutralize the biggest threat each turn.
• Protect Your Engines: Save counterspells for board wipes targeting Alela or key enchantments like Kindred Discovery.

Weaknesses:

Critical

• Board Wipes: Farewell or Damnation can erase Faerie swarms and reset momentum.
• Anti-Token Tech: Cursed Totem/Torpor Orb disable Alela's token generation and Faerie ETBs.

Moderate

• Graveyard Hate: Rest in Peace disrupts Halo Forager and Whip of Erebos recursion.
• Fast Aggro: Struggles against decks that outpace its incremental Faerie generation.

Minor

• Artifact/Enchantment Removal: Vulnerable to targeted removal for key pieces like Sword of Feast and Famine.

Most Important Cards:

• Alela, Cunning Conqueror (Token engine, goad enabler)
• Bitterblossom (Reliable token generation)
• Notorious Throng (Game-ending token swarm + extra turn)
• Kindred Discovery (Card draw engine)
• Rhystic Study (Persistent card advantage)
• Cyclonic Rift (Mass bounce for tempo reset)
• Scion of Oona (Faerie lord + shroud)
• Spellstutter Sprite (Counterspell on a stick)
• Mistbind Clique (Mana denial + flash threat)
• Sword of Feast and Famine (Combat pressure + resource denial)

Attribute Ratings:

Speed: 5/10

• Wins via incremental combat damage or Notorious Throng around T8-10. No fast combos, but can disrupt faster decks.

Resilience: 6/10

• Counterspells and flash threats provide midgame protection, but token-dependent strategy falters against sweepers.

Consistency: 7/10

• Strong tribal synergy, tutors (Demonic Tutor, Faerie Harbinger), and card draw ensure key pieces are accessible.

Interaction: 8/10

• Packed with counterspells (Counterspell, Swan Song), removal (Reality Shift), and tempo tools (Snap).

Rating Justification:

This deck operates as a focused tribal-control hybrid with strong interaction and synergy but lacks the speed or combo finishers of higher tiers. Its T8-10 win benchmark and vulnerability to board wipes place it in the optimized casual range.

Power level: 5.0 - 5.5