Overview:

This Selesnya (G/W) deck helmed by Hamza, Guardian of Arashin focuses on +1/+1 counter synergy to reduce creature costs and swarm the board with large, modified threats. The primary strategy involves deploying low-cost creatures with innate counter synergies (e.g., Rot Shambler, Knighted Myr), proliferating counters via effects like Courage in Crisis and Pollenbright Druid, and leveraging Hamza’s cost reduction to flood the board with high-power creatures. The deck aims to win through overwhelming combat damage using finishers like End-Raze Forerunners or Crash of Rhino Beetles, supported by equipment like Vulshok Battlegear. Hamza is critical to the strategy, enabling explosive turns but vulnerable to removal, as the deck lacks robust protection.

Primer:

Core Strategy Execution:

1. Early Setup (Turns 1-3): Play ramp (Elvish Mystic, Arcane Signet) and counter-generating creatures (Ainok Bond-Kin, Karok Wrangler). Use proliferate spells (Unbounded Potential, Metastatic Evangel) to grow counters.
2. Midgame Engine (Turns 4-6): Cast Hamza once 2-3 creatures have counters, reducing its cost. Deploy discounted threats like Ghoultree or Heavenly Blademaster. Use Entourage of Trest or Horn of the Mark for card advantage.
3. Finishing Push (Turns 6+): Overrun opponents with End-Raze Forerunners or Crash of Rhino Beetles, amplified by wide boards. Equip Vulshok Battlegear for lethal swings. Rebuild with recursion (Sevinne's Reclamation, Custodi Squire) if disrupted.

Mulligan Priorities:

• Prioritize hands with 2-3 lands (G/W sources), 1-2 ramp pieces, and at least one counter generator.
• Avoid hands without early creatures or excessive high-cost cards.
• Keep proliferate effects (Courage in Crisis) if Hamza is already in hand.

Key Tips:

• Use Barkform Harvester and Lifecreed Duo to generate counters on entry.
• Myriad Landscape and Krosan Tusker fix mana but slow tempo—prioritize early plays.
• Reprieve can protect key plays or disrupt opponents’ finishers.

Weaknesses:

Critical

• Board Wipes: Minimal recovery outside Sevinne's Reclamation; losing Hamza and counters resets the engine.
• Commander Reliance: Lacks haste enablers and protection; Hamza’s removal stalls the deck.

Moderate

• Slow Setup: Limited fast mana; relies on incremental counter growth.
• Graveyard Dependency: Recursion is sparse and disruptable.

Minor

• Artifact/Enchantment Hate: Vulnerable to removal targeting key equipment (Vulshok Battlegear) or engines.

Most Important Cards:

• End-Raze Forerunners (Primary combat finisher)
• Hamza, Guardian of Arashin (Cost reduction engine)
• Courage in Crisis (Proliferate enabler)
• Pollenbright Druid (Counter generation)
• Crash of Rhino Beetles (Scaling threat)
• Heavenly Blademaster (Equipment synergy)
• Elvish Mystic (Early ramp)
• Entourage of Trest (Card advantage)
• Sevinne's Reclamation (Recovery tool)
• Rot Shambler (Counter generator)

Attribute Ratings:

Speed: 5/10

• Threatens lethal around turns 7-9 via combat but lacks fast mana or combos to accelerate.

Resilience: 4/10

• Struggles to recover from board wipes; limited protection and recursion.

Consistency: 6/10

• Redundant counter generators and ramp provide baseline synergy, but tutors are absent.

Interaction: 3/10

• Minimal removal (Swift Response, Darksteel Mutation) and no counterspells.

Rating Justification:

This deck operates at a Casual/Precon level (4.0) with a focused +1/+1 counter theme but lacks the speed, interaction, and resilience of optimized builds. Its reliance on incremental board growth and vulnerability to disruption place it between 4.0 - 4.5 on the rubric.

Power level: 4.0 - 4.5