Overview:

This Rakdos spellslinger deck leverages Judith, Carnage Connoisseur to amplify instant/sorcery damage globally while generating incremental value through Imp tokens or lifelink/deathtouch enhancement. The primary strategy involves casting numerous low-to-mid-cost damage-based sweepers and targeted spells to control the board, drain opponents via cards like Fiery Inscription and Guttersnipe, and close games with amplified X-spells (e.g., Earthquake, Molten Disaster) or token swarms. Judith acts as the critical engine, enabling both board control and win acceleration. The deck includes recursion (Charmbreaker Devils, Volcanic Vision) and damage multipliers (Jaya, Venerated Firemage, Tor Wauki the Younger) but lacks efficient tutors and fast mana, relying heavily on Judith resolving and surviving.

Primer:

Core Strategy Execution:

1. Early Setup (Turns 1-4): Deploy mana rocks (Charcoal Diamond, Fire Diamond), damage engines (Erebor Flamesmith, Guttersnipe), or token generators (Young Pyromancer). Prioritize casting Judith on curve (Turn 4). Use cheap sweepers (Blazing Volley, Electrickery) to disrupt opponents and trigger abilities.
2. Mid-Game Engine (Turns 5-7): With Judith active, cast spells for maximum value: Choose Imps for board presence or deathtouch/lifelink for survival. Amplify damage using Jaya, Venerated Firemage or Tor Wauki the Younger. Recur key spells with Charmbreaker Devils or Backdraft Hellkite. Draw cards via Well of Lost Dreams (synergizing with lifelink) or Greed.
3. Win Condition Execution (Turns 7-9+):
   • Mass Damage: Cast X-spells like Earthquake or Molten Disaster with Judith's lifelink enabled to survive and drain opponents. Amplify with Fiery Inscription or Sanguine Bond.
   • Token Overrun: Flood the board with Imps/Elements from Judith/Young Pyromancer, then use Haze of Rage (with Buyback/Storm) or Barrage of Boulders for lethal.
   • Combo Finish: Sanguine Bond + lifelink-enabled global damage (e.g., Breath of Malfegor with lifelink gains 15 life, draining each opponent for 15).

Mulligan Priorities:

• Keep hands with 3+ lands (including B/R sources) and 1-2 early plays (ramp, engine creature, or 1-2 mana spell).
• Prioritize hands containing Judith or a card-draw engine (Well of Lost Dreams, Greed).
• Avoid hands with only high-CMC spells or no interaction.

Key Tips:

• Protect Judith: Use indestructible grants (Rush of Vitality, Without Weakness) to preserve your engine against removal.
• Maximize Triggers: Cast multiple cheap spells per turn to exploit magecraft (Sedgemoor Witch) and damage triggers. Arcane Bombardment provides massive value if stabilized.
• Leverage Lifelink: Pair global damage spells with Judith's lifelink mode for survival. Simulacrum turns self-damage into creature removal.
• Recursion Wins: Magar of the Magic Strings turns key spells (e.g., Breath of Malfegor) into recurring threats.

Weaknesses:

Critical

• Extreme Judith Dependency: Removal targeting Judith cripples the deck's damage amplification and token generation, with limited protection and slow recast potential (5-7 mana).
• Graveyard Reliance: Recursion engines (Charmbreaker Devils, Magar, Volcanic Vision) are neutered by common graveyard hate (e.g., Rest in Peace).
• Insufficient Ramp: Minimal fast mana (only 3 diamonds) slows deployment; struggles to leverage X-spells or Coveted Jewel early.

Moderate

• Vulnerability to Counterspells: Lacks counters or stack protection; key spells/Judith easily disrupted.
• Poor Board Wipe Recovery: Limited creature-based card draw; relies on artifacts/enchantments vulnerable to removal.
• Life Total Pressure: Paying life for effects (Fire Covenant, Greed) combined with self-damage spells risks self-elimination.

Minor

• Artifact/Enchantment Weakness: Minimal answers to resolved noncreature permanents beyond Fiery Confluence.
• Slow Start: Low early threat density allows faster decks to establish dominance.

Most Important Cards:

• Judith, Carnage Connoisseur (Core engine: amplifies spells, generates tokens)
• Fiery Inscription (Recurring global damage, card advantage via Ring)
• Tor Wauki the Younger (Damage amplifier, targeted removal enabler)
• Sanguine Bond (Win condition with lifelink-enabled damage)
• Earthquake/Molten Disaster (Primary finishers with Judith lifelink)
• Well of Lost Dreams (Key card draw with lifelink synergy)
• Guttersnipe (Redundant damage trigger)
• Arcane Bombardment (Late-game value engine)
• Fire Covenant (Precise creature control)
• Sedgemoor Witch (Token generation, minor protection)

Attribute Ratings:

Speed: 5/10

• Can threaten wins via amplified X-spells or tokens by turns 7-9, but slow setup and mana constraints delay consistent early pressure.

Resilience: 4/10

• Some protection for Judith and recursion for spells, but heavily disrupted by commander removal/graveyard hate; struggles to rebuild after wipes.

Consistency: 5/10

• Multiple redundant damage triggers (Guttersnipe, Fiery Inscription) but lacks tutors for key pieces like Sanguine Bond; draw engines are slow or life-intensive.

Interaction: 6/10

• Efficient targeted removal (Fire Covenant, Boon of Erebos) and flexible sweepers (Fiery Confluence), but minimal stack interaction or artifact/enchantment answers.

Rating Justification:

The deck aims for T7-9 wins through amplified global damage or token swarms but suffers from Judith dependency, slow mana, and vulnerability to common disruption. Its combat/combos require setup, aligning with Focused Casual (T9-11) benchmarks, while moderate resilience and consistency prevent higher optimization.

Power level: 4.5 - 5.0