# Strategy Specifications
## Deck Name And Archetype
Prismari, the Inspiration is a 100-card Commander deck with 1 listed commander candidate, 99 other main-deck cards, and 0 sideboard cards. The registered decklist validates to Commander deck size if Prismari, the Inspiration is treated as the commander and the remaining 99 cards are treated as the library; Veles should still rely on the rules engine for commander identity, color identity, banlist legality, and card availability because this guide does not independently certify Commander legality.

The strategy is a rogue or custom hybrid Izzet storm-control shell rather than a stock Commander archetype. The deck combines mana rocks, spell-copy or storm payoffs, cheap interaction, and large explosive turns around cards such as Grapeshot, Brain Freeze, Thousand-Year Storm, Mind's Desire, Storm-Kiln Artist, Guttersnipe, Empty the Warrens, Crackle with Power, Ral, Storm Conduit, Ral, Crackling Wit, Ral, Monsoon Mage, and Prismari, the Inspiration.

The primary tags are combo and control, with the practical runtime role changing by table texture. Veles should pilot early turns as mana development plus information preservation, shift into control when an opponent presents a faster clock or stack threat, and commit to combo only when legal actions, visible mana, stack context, and known interaction make the payoff turn better than waiting.

The mana base and artifact suite show a heavy acceleration plan but a meaningful color-risk profile. The list contains 12 Mountain, 11 Island, Steam Vents, Scalding Tarn, Frostboil Snarl, Training Center, Temple of Epiphany, Thundering Falls, Riverpyre Verge, Reliquary Tower, and Lotus Field, plus many artifacts including Sol Ring, Arcane Signet, Fellwar Stone, Chromatic Lantern, Firemind Vessel, Izzet Locket, Skyclave Relic, Chromatic Orrery, Sceptre of Eternal Glory, Throne of Eldraine, Nyx Lotus, Sky Diamond, Fire Diamond, Staff of Compleation, Mox Tantalite, Cursed Mirror, Gilded Lotus, Thran Dynamo, Mox Amber, Thought Vessel, Spellbook, Mind Stone, Bender's Waterskin, Talisman of Creativity, and Lotus Bloom. Veles should treat color production, untapped access, commander tax, and the difference between generic acceleration and blue-red spell access as live mulligan and sequencing concerns.

The role concern is that the deck has many expensive engines and payoffs but a limited density of cheap card selection. Hands with only large artifacts or storm payoffs can fail to interact, while hands with only reactive spells can fail to build toward a decisive turn; Veles should prefer hands and lines that pair mana acceleration with either selection, protection, or a payoff path.

The card-text and legality concern is highest for newer, uncommon, or custom-looking names such as Prismari, the Inspiration, Ral, Monsoon Mage, Storm Skreelix, The Eternity Elevator, Bender's Waterskin, Niv-Mizzet, Visionary, and Vivi Ornitier. Card text check required before assigning deterministic tactical rules to those cards; until the rules engine exposes legal actions and card details, Veles should avoid assuming their exact abilities.

Opponent information status is none supplied. This guide must therefore avoid opponent-specific sideboard plans, commander assumptions, or metagame claims except as general runtime principles; when opponent deck, commander, colors, graveyard reliance, stack interaction, or speed become visible, Veles should adapt from legal actions and public information rather than invent hidden cards.

## Thesis
Prismari, the Inspiration assembles an Izzet storm-control turn where mana rocks and burst mana support a protected chain of instants, sorceries, copies, and storm payoffs. Veles should prioritize mana development, blue-red access, hand sculpting, and stack discipline until a decisive payoff turn is visible through legal actions rather than forcing early chip damage or tapping out for an unsupported engine.

The deck wins by converting spell count, copied spells, or large mana into Grapeshot, Brain Freeze, Empty the Warrens, Guttersnipe triggers, Mind's Desire, Thousand-Year Storm chains, Ral, Storm Conduit lines, Ral, Crackling Wit pressure, Crackle with Power, or combat from large threats such as Etali, Primal Storm when the board makes that plan realistic. Card text check required for Prismari, the Inspiration, Ral, Monsoon Mage, Storm Skreelix, The Eternity Elevator, Bender's Waterskin, Vivi Ornitier, and Niv-Mizzet, Visionary before treating them as deterministic engines or finishers.

The deck is not trying to play fair tempo or trade every card one-for-one until empty. Veles should spend Lightning Bolt, Shock, Flame of Anor, Amphibian Downpour, Counterspell, Swan Song, Flusterstorm, and Red Elemental Blast to protect life, stop a faster win, or force through the decisive turn, but should avoid burning premium interaction on low-impact threats when the visible clock is slow.

The highest priority is making mana plus preserving a payoff window. Sol Ring, Arcane Signet, Talisman of Creativity, Fellwar Stone, Mind Stone, Thought Vessel, Fire Diamond, Sky Diamond, Izzet Locket, Chromatic Lantern, Thran Dynamo, Gilded Lotus, Firemind Vessel, Skyclave Relic, Chromatic Orrery, Nyx Lotus, Sceptre of Eternal Glory, Throne of Eldraine, Mox Amber, Mox Tantalite, Lotus Bloom, Cursed Mirror, Staff of Compleation, Bender's Waterskin, and Lotus Field all matter differently depending on color access, storm timing, commander availability, and whether the next turn can safely convert mana into cards or lethal pressure.

## Role Package
- Threats: Treat Etali, Primal Storm, Thryx, the Sudden Storm, Melek, Izzet Paragon, Niv-Mizzet, Visionary, Treasure Nabber, Dualcaster Mage, Snapcaster Mage, Storm Skreelix, Mizzix of the Izmagnus, Vivi Ornitier, and Prismari, the Inspiration as board-facing permanents only when their legal text and visible board role justify exposure. Card text check required for the custom-looking or newer names before assuming attack triggers, cost reduction, card advantage, or combo utility.

- Payoffs: Reserve Grapeshot, Brain Freeze, Empty the Warrens, Haze of Rage, Mind's Desire, Crackle with Power, Thousand-Year Storm, Guttersnipe, Ral, Storm Conduit, Ral, Crackling Wit, Ral, Monsoon Mage, and Through the Breach for turns where mana, spell count, protection, and target legality are already favorable or waiting is visibly worse. Do not fire a storm payoff merely because it is legal if the resulting count, board, or stack position does not advance toward a win.

- Engines: Build around Thousand-Year Storm, Storm-Kiln Artist, Storm the Vault, Melek, Izzet Paragon, Mizzix of the Izmagnus, Ral, Storm Conduit, Ral, Crackling Wit, Ral, Monsoon Mage, Staff of Compleation, Chromatic Orrery, Nyx Lotus, The Eternity Elevator, and Prismari, the Inspiration when they survive long enough to multiply future turns. Prioritize engines that immediately refund mana, cards, spell copies, or interaction access over engines that require another full turn cycle into open pressure.

- Velocity: Use Opt, Big Score, Jeska's Will, Mind's Desire, Mystical Tutor, Fabricate, Gamble, Snapcaster Mage, Flame of Anor, Izzet Locket, Mind Stone, Staff of Compleation, and Storm the Vault to find either mana, protection, or a payoff. Treat Gamble as high-variance selection, and do not assume the tutored card remains available after discard unless the rules engine confirms the result.

- Interaction: Use Counterspell, Swan Song, Flusterstorm, Red Elemental Blast, Lightning Bolt, Shock, Flame of Anor, Amphibian Downpour, Arrow Storm, Pigment Storm, and Dualcaster Mage as the control package. Protect the combo turn first, stop lethal or engine-ending threats second, and remove creatures only when the visible board clock or commander pressure demands it.

- Protection: Protect payoff turns with Counterspell, Swan Song, Flusterstorm, Red Elemental Blast, Thryx, the Sudden Storm, Dualcaster Mage, and instant-speed removal when legal actions expose stack interaction. Veles should keep mana untapped for protection when the next turn is likely decisive.

- Recursion: Use Snapcaster Mage as the clear graveyard reuse card; any additional recursion or replay permissions from Prismari, the Inspiration, Ral, Monsoon Mage, The Eternity Elevator, Vivi Ornitier, or Niv-Mizzet, Visionary require card text check before strategic reliance.

- Mana: Treat the artifact suite and lands as the deck's opening module, with Steam Vents, Scalding Tarn, Frostboil Snarl, Training Center, Temple of Epiphany, Thundering Falls, Riverpyre Verge, Reliquary Tower, Lotus Field, Mountain, and Island setting color reliability. Prioritize hands that cast early rocks and still access blue interaction.

- Sideboard modules: No sideboard is registered. Veles must not propose sideboard cards or between-game swaps unless a future registered list supplies them.

## Primary Win Conditions
- Storm kill: Use Grapeshot or Brain Freeze as the cleanest finish when Veles can count a high spell chain, legal targets, and enough copies or storm triggers to end the game or eliminate the most urgent opponent. Set up with Sol Ring, Arcane Signet, Talisman of Creativity, Mind Stone, Thought Vessel, Thran Dynamo, Gilded Lotus, Chromatic Orrery, Lotus Bloom, Lotus Field, Storm-Kiln Artist, Jeska's Will, Big Score, Opt, Mind's Desire, and cheap interaction held open. Execute only after checking visible life totals, library counts, protection mana, and whether Counterspell, Swan Song, Flusterstorm, Red Elemental Blast, Dualcaster Mage, or Thryx, the Sudden Storm can defend the stack. Prioritize this line over creature pressure when the deck has mana plus velocity and opponents have a shorter visible clock or fewer open interaction cues.

- Copy-engine kill: Use Thousand-Year Storm, Ral, Storm Conduit, Guttersnipe, Ral, Crackling Wit, or Melek, Izzet Paragon to turn each instant or sorcery into repeated damage, copies, cards, or spell-count growth. Set up by developing rocks first, then committing the engine only when it can either generate value immediately or survive with protection available. Execute through low-cost spells such as Opt, Lightning Bolt, Shock, Flusterstorm, Red Elemental Blast, Mystical Tutor, Gamble, Fabricate, Big Score, Jeska's Will, Grapeshot, Brain Freeze, and Haze of Rage when the rules engine exposes legal cast/copy/target actions. Disruption is most dangerous before the first copied spell resolves, so do not tap out for Thousand-Year Storm or Ral, Storm Conduit into obvious lethal pressure unless waiting is worse.

- Token or combat storm: Use Empty the Warrens and Haze of Rage when lethal spell damage is unavailable but a wide board can threaten the next combat or stabilize against attackers. Set up with storm count, Skirk Prospector if visible mana conversion from Goblins is legal, and Guttersnipe or Storm-Kiln Artist if they add payoff pressure. Execute only after checking sweepers are not publicly represented by visible stack or known revealed information; do not assume hidden sweepers. Prioritize this path when opponents are low on blockers, when Brain Freeze is weak against visible graveyard or library context, or when Grapeshot count is short.

- Big mana finisher: Use Crackle with Power as the primary non-storm mana sink when artifacts, Lotus Field, Chromatic Orrery, Gilded Lotus, Thran Dynamo, Nyx Lotus, Firemind Vessel, Sceptre of Eternal Glory, or Jeska's Will generate enough mana for a decisive legal X choice. Confirm targets and damage through the rules engine before committing. Prioritize Crackle with Power when spell count is low but mana is abundant, or when one opponent must be removed immediately.

- High-impact threat line: Use Etali, Primal Storm, Through the Breach, Thryx, the Sudden Storm, Niv-Mizzet, Visionary, Storm Skreelix, Vivi Ornitier, and Prismari, the Inspiration as finisher or engine routes only when their current legal text, target choices, and board role are visible. Card text check required for Prismari, the Inspiration, Storm Skreelix, Vivi Ornitier, Ral, Monsoon Mage, The Eternity Elevator, Bender's Waterskin, and Niv-Mizzet, Visionary before treating them as deterministic win conditions.

## Secondary Win Conditions
- Burn fallback: Use Lightning Bolt, Shock, Arrow Storm, Pigment Storm, Flame of Anor, Grapeshot, Guttersnipe triggers, and Ral, Storm Conduit pressure to close a damaged opponent when full storm is unavailable. Aim burn at creatures only when the visible attacker, commander damage risk, or engine threat would otherwise cost the game.

- Value-control fallback: Win by resolving one durable engine, trading selectively, and accumulating cards through Opt, Big Score, Jeska's Will, Mind's Desire, Staff of Compleation, Izzet Locket, Mind Stone, Storm the Vault, Melek, Izzet Paragon, or Ral, Crackling Wit. Use Counterspell, Swan Song, Flusterstorm, Red Elemental Blast, Amphibian Downpour, Flame of Anor, Lightning Bolt, and Shock to buy turns rather than to answer every legal spell.

- Recursion fallback: Use Snapcaster Mage to reuse the best visible graveyard instant or sorcery for protection, selection, removal, or a second payoff attempt. Do not plan additional graveyard recursion from other cards unless the rules engine exposes that permission.

- Artifact-resource fallback: Use Fabricate to find the artifact that solves the current bottleneck: fast mana when short on resources, Chromatic Lantern or Talisman of Creativity when color constrained, Thought Vessel or Reliquary Tower support when hand size matters, or a larger mana rock when Crackle with Power is the likely endgame. Card text check required before assuming The Eternity Elevator, Bender's Waterskin, Sceptre of Eternal Glory, or Throne of Eldraine provides a specific utility mode.

## Emergency Lines
- Behind on life: Spend Shock, Lightning Bolt, Flame of Anor, Amphibian Downpour, Counterspell, Swan Song, and Flusterstorm to reduce the visible clock before sculpting a perfect combo turn. Keep blockers such as Snapcaster Mage, Dualcaster Mage, Storm-Kiln Artist, Treasure Nabber, Skirk Prospector, or Guttersnipe back when combat damage matters more than chip pressure.

- Behind on board: Prioritize legal actions that remove the largest immediate attacker, stop a commander or engine from snowballing, or create blockers with Empty the Warrens. Avoid exposing Thousand-Year Storm, Ral, Storm Conduit, or Guttersnipe if they will not affect the board before the next lethal combat.

- Behind on cards: Use Opt, Big Score, Jeska's Will, Mind's Desire, Staff of Compleation, Izzet Locket, Mind Stone, Flame of Anor, and Snapcaster Mage to rebuild, but preserve at least one real payoff or tutor when possible. Gamble should be treated as risky selection because the chosen card may be discarded.

- Behind on mana: Sequence lands, Sol Ring, Arcane Signet, Fellwar Stone, Mind Stone, Fire Diamond, Sky Diamond, Talisman of Creativity, Thought Vessel, Izzet Locket, Chromatic Lantern, Thran Dynamo, and Gilded Lotus before speculative payoffs. Do not keep firing cheap spells solely for storm count if no payoff is visible.

- Engines removed: Shift from permanent-based plans to one-turn burst plans using Jeska's Will, Big Score, Mind's Desire, Grapeshot, Brain Freeze, Empty the Warrens, Crackle with Power, and Snapcaster Mage. If Thousand-Year Storm, Ral, Storm Conduit, or Guttersnipe is gone, count damage from actual legal actions rather than assuming replacement copies.

- Win conditions removed: If Grapeshot or Brain Freeze is unavailable, pivot to Empty the Warrens, Crackle with Power, Guttersnipe, Ral, Storm Conduit, Ral, Crackling Wit, Etali, Primal Storm, or commander pressure if legal text supports it. If combat is also blocked, preserve interaction and rebuild toward the next visible card-advantage or big-mana route.

## Resource Model
- Life: Treat life as the buffer that buys one more setup turn for artifacts, engines, and storm count, not as a resource to spend casually. Take damage when it preserves Counterspell, Swan Song, Flusterstorm, Red Elemental Blast, Lightning Bolt, Shock, or Amphibian Downpour for a more dangerous visible spell, attacker, or combo window.

- Hand: Convert hand size into burst potential by preserving cheap spells for the turn that includes Thousand-Year Storm, Ral, Storm Conduit, Guttersnipe, Storm-Kiln Artist, Mind's Desire, Grapeshot, Brain Freeze, Empty the Warrens, or Haze of Rage. Do not empty the hand into low-impact rocks or burn if a single interaction spell is needed to survive the next priority cycle.

- Mana: Treat mana as the deck's primary bottleneck until at least one acceleration cluster is online. Sol Ring, Arcane Signet, Fellwar Stone, Talisman of Creativity, Mind Stone, Fire Diamond, Sky Diamond, Thought Vessel, Izzet Locket, Firemind Vessel, Thran Dynamo, Gilded Lotus, Chromatic Lantern, Chromatic Orrery, Nyx Lotus, Skyclave Relic, Cursed Mirror, Mox Amber, Mox Tantalite, Lotus Bloom, and Sceptre of Eternal Glory should be developed before fragile payoffs unless the payoff must be cast immediately to avoid falling behind.

- Board: Use board presence defensively until the engine turn is close. Storm-Kiln Artist, Guttersnipe, Treasure Nabber, Skirk Prospector, Snapcaster Mage, Dualcaster Mage, and Empty the Warrens tokens can pressure opponents, but they are also blockers, mana conversion, or payoff infrastructure.

- Graveyard: Treat the graveyard as a Snapcaster Mage resource and a public-information zone for past interaction, not as a guaranteed recursion engine. Preserve high-impact instants and sorceries in graveyard when Snapcaster Mage is available, and count Brain Freeze only from visible legal mill targets and library context.

- Exile: Treat exile as a temporary permission zone only when the rules engine exposes a legal play from exile. Mind's Desire, Jeska's Will, Etali, Primal Storm, or other effects may create cast permissions, but do not assume timing, cost, or duration without visible legal actions.

- Lands: Protect land drops because the deck has many expensive engines and X-spell finishes. Lotus Field, Steam Vents, Scalding Tarn, Frostboil Snarl, Training Center, Temple of Epiphany, Thundering Falls, Riverpyre Verge, Reliquary Tower, Mountain, and Island are the stable base that lets artifacts scale into Crackle with Power or a copied-spell turn.

- Sacrifice fodder: Treat Skirk Prospector and Empty the Warrens tokens as tactical mana or survival material only when the rules engine exposes legal sacrifice actions. Do not sacrifice Storm-Kiln Artist, Guttersnipe, Snapcaster Mage, Dualcaster Mage, or Treasure Nabber unless the visible gain is decisive.

- Tempo: Spend tempo to establish mana early, then reclaim it with a high-impact stack turn. Passing with interaction is better than tapping out for Thousand-Year Storm, Melek, Izzet Paragon, Ral, Storm Conduit, Ral, Crackling Wit, Etali, Primal Storm, or Prismari, the Inspiration when visible attackers or open interaction make the engine unlikely to matter.

- Information: Use public information before deck theory. Known hands, revealed cards, visible stack objects, commander tax, graveyards, exile permissions, and legal action text override any default plan.

- Sideboard bullets: The registered sideboard is empty, so no sideboard bullets can be added between games. Adjust only through commander gameplay choices, mulligans, sequencing, and legal in-game actions.

## Mana Guide
- Color baseline: Keep hands that can produce blue and red by the first meaningful interaction or setup turn. Blue supports Opt, Mystical Tutor, Counterspell, Swan Song, Flusterstorm, Brain Freeze, Fabricate, Snapcaster Mage, Melek, Izzet Paragon, and many engines; red supports Lightning Bolt, Shock, Gamble, Jeska's Will, Storm-Kiln Artist, Guttersnipe, Grapeshot, Empty the Warrens, Haze of Rage, Dualcaster Mage, Through the Breach, and Crackle with Power.

- Opening keeps: Keep two-to-four mana-source hands with at least one land and either cheap acceleration, selection, or interaction. A one-land hand needs Sol Ring, Arcane Signet, Mind Stone, Talisman of Creativity, Opt, or another clearly legal early bridge; a land-heavy hand needs a payoff, tutor, draw spell, or commander plan.

- Opening ships: Mulligan hands with no land, one tapped or colorless source and no early bridge, only expensive engines, or only reactive spells without enough mana to cast them. Also ship hands that cannot produce blue for early control or red for early development unless the visible opener has Sol Ring into functional artifacts.

- Artifact sequencing: Cast Sol Ring and two-mana rocks before selection when the hand already has lands and a plan. Cast Opt before choosing a land drop only when it can find the missing color, second land, or untapped source needed this turn.

- Tapped-land sequencing: Play Temple of Epiphany, Thundering Falls, Frostboil Snarl when it enters tapped, or other tapped sources on turns where no interaction must be held up. Prefer untapped Steam Vents, Training Center, Island, Mountain, Riverpyre Verge, or artifact mana when Counterspell, Swan Song, Flusterstorm, Red Elemental Blast, Lightning Bolt, Shock, or Mystical Tutor matters this turn.

- Utility-land sequencing: Use Scalding Tarn to fix the color missing from the current hand, not the theoretical late game. Use Reliquary Tower when hand size pressure is real, but do not prioritize it over colored mana in the first turns.

- Big-mana sequencing: Deploy Thran Dynamo, Gilded Lotus, Firemind Vessel, Skyclave Relic, Chromatic Orrery, Nyx Lotus, and Sceptre of Eternal Glory when the turn is not better spent answering a lethal board or protecting an engine. Card text check required before assuming exact output or restrictions from Sceptre of Eternal Glory, The Eternity Elevator, Bender's Waterskin, Throne of Eldraine, or Prismari, the Inspiration.

- Land before draw: Play the land first when the hand already has the needed colors and the spell sequence requires immediate mana. Draw or tutor before land when Opt, Mystical Tutor, Gamble, Fabricate, Big Score, Jeska's Will, Staff of Compleation, Mind Stone, Izzet Locket, or Flame of Anor can change which land, artifact, or color source should be committed.

- Storm-turn mana: Before casting the first payoff, count available floating mana, untapped lands, artifact mana, Treasure from Storm-Kiln Artist if legally created, Skirk Prospector sacrifices if legal, and cost reducers such as Mizzix of the Izmagnus or Thryx, the Sudden Storm only if their current text and legal cost changes are exposed. Do not start a storm turn that cannot cast the payoff after setup spells unless waiting is worse.

## Mulligan Guide
- Strong keep: Keep two or three lands plus Sol Ring, Arcane Signet, Mind Stone, Talisman of Creativity, Fire Diamond, Sky Diamond, or Thought Vessel when the hand also has Opt, Mystical Tutor, Gamble, Fabricate, Counterspell, Swan Song, Flusterstorm, Lightning Bolt, Shock, or a real payoff. Example: Island, Mountain, Sol Ring, Arcane Signet, Opt, Counterspell, Thousand-Year Storm is a premium setup hand because it develops mana while preserving selection and protection.

- Strong keep: Keep fast mana plus Storm-Kiln Artist, Guttersnipe, Jeska's Will, Big Score, Mind's Desire, Grapeshot, Brain Freeze, Empty the Warrens, or Crackle with Power when colors are functional. The hand does not need the whole storm chain if it has mana, a bridge spell, and one payoff or tutor.

- Medium keep: Keep slower two-land hands with Opt, Mystical Tutor, Fabricate, Gamble, Mind Stone, Izzet Locket, Fellwar Stone, or Talisman of Creativity if they can act by turn 2. A hand with Island, Mountain, Opt, Fabricate, Counterspell, Storm-Kiln Artist, and Mind's Desire is keepable but should spend early turns finding mana before committing expensive engines.

- Risky keep: Keep one-land hands only when the land casts Opt or the hand contains Sol Ring into a functional artifact sequence. One Island plus Sol Ring, Arcane Signet, Opt, Counterspell, Guttersnipe, and Grapeshot is defensible; one Temple of Epiphany plus Thousand-Year Storm, Etali, Primal Storm, Chromatic Orrery, Gilded Lotus, and Crackle with Power is a ship.

- Automatic ship: Ship no-land hands, hands with only Lotus Bloom or Mox Tantalite as delayed mana, hands with only expensive artifacts and engines, and hands that cannot produce both blue and red on a plausible early timeline. Ship hands that contain Prismari, the Inspiration, Etali, Primal Storm, Thousand-Year Storm, Chromatic Orrery, Nyx Lotus, and Crackle with Power but no early bridge.

- Matchup-dependent keep: Keep reactive hands with Counterspell, Swan Song, Flusterstorm, Red Elemental Blast, Lightning Bolt, Shock, or Amphibian Downpour against visible fast commanders or spell-combo opponents if mana supports interaction. Against slower battlecruiser tables, prefer acceleration plus engine pieces over one-for-one interaction.

- Play/draw adjustment: On the play, prioritize untapped colored sources plus rocks so Storm-Kiln Artist, Guttersnipe, Mizzix of the Izmagnus, Ral, Storm Conduit, Ral, Crackling Wit, or Melek, Izzet Paragon can land before shields are fully up. On the draw, value Counterspell, Swan Song, Flusterstorm, Lightning Bolt, Shock, and Opt more because the first full turn cycle may require answering a faster permanent or stack line.

- Trap hand: Do not keep a hand because it contains Grapeshot, Brain Freeze, Mind's Desire, Empty the Warrens, or Crackle with Power if it lacks the mana and spell density to make those cards matter. Do not keep a hand because it contains Thryx, the Sudden Storm, Sceptre of Eternal Glory, The Eternity Elevator, Bender's Waterskin, Storm Skreelix, Vivi Ornitier, or Prismari, the Inspiration without checking legal text and early castability; Card text check required.

## Turn Arc
- Turn 1: Lead with the land that unlocks the most immediate legal actions. Cast Sol Ring, Mox Amber when it is legally active, Lotus Bloom or Mox Tantalite if the action is available, Opt when digging for land or color, and Lightning Bolt, Shock, Swan Song, Flusterstorm, or Red Elemental Blast only if the visible stack or permanent threat justifies spending the card.

- Turn 1 deviation: Play Temple of Epiphany, Frostboil Snarl, Thundering Falls, or a tapped source when no instant-speed action is needed. Use Scalding Tarn for the color missing from hand, not for a theoretical later optimization.

- Turn 2: Prefer Arcane Signet, Fellwar Stone, Mind Stone, Thought Vessel, Fire Diamond, Sky Diamond, Talisman of Creativity, or Izzet Locket over speculative payoffs. Hold Counterspell, Swan Song, Flusterstorm, Red Elemental Blast, Lightning Bolt, or Shock when an opponent is representing a commander, combo piece, or pressure that would make the next setup turn unsafe.

- Turn 2 deviation: Cast Mystical Tutor, Gamble, or Fabricate when the hand already has enough mana but lacks a payoff, protection, or missing artifact. Tutor choices should follow visible needs: mana artifact when short, Counterspell or Swan Song when protection is needed, Jeska's Will or Big Score when cards and mana are the bottleneck, and Grapeshot, Brain Freeze, Empty the Warrens, Mind's Desire, or Crackle with Power only when the storm or mana turn is near.

- Turn 3: Establish the first fragile engine only when it will matter before it dies. Storm-Kiln Artist, Guttersnipe, Mizzix of the Izmagnus, Treasure Nabber, Ral, Monsoon Mage, Ral, Storm Conduit, Ral, Crackling Wit, or Prismari, the Inspiration should enter when mana, protection, or table texture supports it; otherwise continue ramping with Thran Dynamo, Skyclave Relic, Cursed Mirror, Firemind Vessel, or Gilded Lotus if legal.

- Turn 3 deviation: Use Flame of Anor, Amphibian Downpour, Lightning Bolt, Shock, Counterspell, Swan Song, Flusterstorm, or Red Elemental Blast to prevent a snowballing board or protected combo instead of tapping out. Card text check required before relying on exact modes for Flame of Anor or Amphibian Downpour.

- Turns 4-5: Commit Thousand-Year Storm, Melek, Izzet Paragon, Etali, Primal Storm, Storm the Vault, Chromatic Lantern, Chromatic Orrery, Nyx Lotus, Staff of Compleation, or Through the Breach only when the legal board state says the turn will survive or immediately convert value. If Storm-Kiln Artist or Guttersnipe is already active, sequence cheap spells before payoffs and leave mana for protection when opponents can interact.

- Turns 4-5 deviation: Fire Empty the Warrens when token pressure or Skirk Prospector mana is the best visible bridge, but do not treat tokens as lethal unless combat math is exposed. Use Big Score, Jeska's Will, Mind Stone, Izzet Locket, Staff of Compleation, or Throne of Eldraine to refill only when the life, discard, or mana cost is legally acceptable; Card text check required for Throne of Eldraine and Staff of Compleation choices.

- Late game: Count storm, floating mana, treasures, artifact mana, legal sacrifice mana from Skirk Prospector, graveyard options from Snapcaster Mage, and cost changes from Mizzix of the Izmagnus or Thryx, the Sudden Storm before starting the decisive stack. Win through Grapeshot, Brain Freeze, Mind's Desire, Crackle with Power, Haze of Rage, Empty the Warrens, Thousand-Year Storm copies, Ral, Storm Conduit, Guttersnipe triggers, or Etali, Primal Storm only from visible legal actions, not assumed rules outcomes.

## Card Roles
- Commander anchor: Prismari, the Inspiration is the named command-zone plan, but Card text check required before treating it as cost reduction, damage, card flow, or storm support. Cast it only when legal actions and available protection make the next turn better than holding mana for Counterspell, Swan Song, Flusterstorm, or Red Elemental Blast.

- Storm finishers: Grapeshot and Brain Freeze are payoff cards, not early interaction. Hold them until visible storm count, copy effects, or Thousand-Year Storm output can end the game or remove a decisive board piece; do not fire them for small value unless survival requires it.

- Big spell finishers: Mind's Desire, Empty the Warrens, Crackle with Power, Haze of Rage, Arrow Storm, and Pigment Storm convert mana and spell count into pressure. Use Mind's Desire and Empty the Warrens after cheap spells and mana production; use Crackle with Power only when exact legal targets, X value, and mana are confirmed; Card text check required for Arrow Storm and Pigment Storm before relying on exact bonus or targeting text.

- Copy and storm engines: Thousand-Year Storm is the most fragile high-upside engine and should usually wait until the same turn it generates value or when interaction is available. Ral, Storm Conduit pairs with copied spells and spell-copy lines, but do not assume an infinite loop unless the rules engine exposes legal actions and damage triggers. Dualcaster Mage is both interaction and combo texture; hold it when copying a key instant or sorcery is stronger than adding a small body.

- Damage engines: Guttersnipe, Storm-Kiln Artist, and Ral, Crackling Wit reward chaining spells. Deploy Guttersnipe when multiple spells are likely soon; deploy Storm-Kiln Artist when treasures can fuel a protected follow-up turn; Card text check required for Ral, Crackling Wit before selecting loyalty modes or assuming card-flow timing.

- Cost and velocity engines: Mizzix of the Izmagnus and Melek, Izzet Paragon are long-game cards that turn repeated spells into advantage. Cast them when the table cannot immediately punish a tap-out, and prefer keeping them alive over spending removal on marginal attackers. Thryx, the Sudden Storm supports expensive spells if its legal text applies; Card text check required before treating it as protection or cost reduction for a specific spell.

- Explosive mana and exile engines: Jeska's Will, Big Score, Storm the Vault, Etali, Primal Storm, Through the Breach, and Treasure Nabber create burst turns. Jeska's Will is strongest with a high opposing hand count or commander access if legal; Big Score is a bridge when discarding a low-value card is acceptable; Etali, Primal Storm and Through the Breach are commitment plays that need attack, target, and timing checks. Card text check required for Storm the Vault transformation details.

- Cheap selection and tutors: Opt is early smoothing and late storm fuel. Mystical Tutor should find the missing instant or sorcery role: protection, draw, ritual-like burst, or finisher. Fabricate should usually find Sol Ring, Arcane Signet, Chromatic Lantern, Gilded Lotus, Thran Dynamo, Chromatic Orrery, Staff of Compleation, or a specific missing artifact. Gamble is high risk; use it when any discard is acceptable or the searched card wins immediately.

- Stack interaction: Counterspell, Swan Song, Flusterstorm, and Red Elemental Blast protect decisive turns and stop opposing wins. Spend them on visible combo attempts, hard answers to Thousand-Year Storm or Storm-Kiln Artist, or effects that prevent your next engine turn; avoid countering low-impact value spells while behind on mana development.

- Spot interaction: Lightning Bolt, Shock, Amphibian Downpour, and Flame of Anor buy time or clear blockers and hate pieces. Use Lightning Bolt and Shock on commanders, hate creatures, or planeswalkers only when damage math is confirmed. Card text check required for Amphibian Downpour and Flame of Anor modes before assuming removal, draw, or bounce behavior.

- Artifact ramp core: Sol Ring, Arcane Signet, Fellwar Stone, Mind Stone, Talisman of Creativity, Fire Diamond, Sky Diamond, Izzet Locket, Thought Vessel, Firemind Vessel, Skyclave Relic, Thran Dynamo, Gilded Lotus, Chromatic Lantern, Chromatic Orrery, Sceptre of Eternal Glory, Nyx Lotus, Mox Amber, Mox Tantalite, Lotus Bloom, and Cursed Mirror are the deck's bridge from setup to storm. Prioritize cheap rocks before engines; use larger rocks when they enable an immediate protected payoff; Card text check required for Sceptre of Eternal Glory and exact Cursed Mirror copy choices.

- Utility artifacts: Spellbook and Reliquary Tower protect large hands but do not advance mana by themselves. Staff of Compleation, Throne of Eldraine, The Eternity Elevator, and Bender's Waterskin require Card text check required before spending life, mana, or cards; treat them as conditional utility, not automatic engines.

- Creature utility: Snapcaster Mage reuses the best visible graveyard spell and should be held until the graveyard contains a high-impact target. Skirk Prospector turns Empty the Warrens tokens into mana if legal, but do not sacrifice bodies needed for blocking or lethal combat. Storm Skreelix, Vivi Ornitier, and Niv-Mizzet, Visionary require Card text check required before assigning exact combo or control roles.

- Lands: Steam Vents, Scalding Tarn, Frostboil Snarl, Training Center, Temple of Epiphany, Thundering Falls, Riverpyre Verge, Lotus Field, Mountain, and Island must be sequenced to preserve both blue interaction and red storm payoffs. Use Scalding Tarn to fix the missing color, treat Lotus Field as powerful but tempo-sensitive, and value Temple of Epiphany scry when no untapped response is required.

## Interaction Priorities
- Stop immediate losses first: use Counterspell, Swan Song, Flusterstorm, or Red Elemental Blast on a visible spell or ability that wins now, removes the last viable defense, or prevents the next protected storm turn. Let ordinary card draw, ramp, and midrange threats resolve when life total, board, and hand still support a later Thousand-Year Storm, Mind's Desire, Empty the Warrens, Grapeshot, Brain Freeze, or Crackle with Power turn.

- Protect engines before trading down: save stack interaction for removal aimed at Thousand-Year Storm, Storm-Kiln Artist, Mizzix of the Izmagnus, Melek, Izzet Paragon, Ral, Storm Conduit, Guttersnipe, Prismari, the Inspiration, or a lethal payoff on the stack. Do not spend Counterspell on a small creature if that leaves a decisive engine exposed to the next opponent action.

- Remove hate and clocks before value creatures: point Lightning Bolt, Shock, Flame of Anor, Amphibian Downpour, or copied damage at permanents that stop casting, copying, targeting, graveyard use, artifact mana, or spell chains before killing generic attackers. Card text check required for Flame of Anor and Amphibian Downpour modes; choose removal, bounce, or lockdown modes only when the rules engine exposes that legal mode and target.

- Kill planeswalkers or commanders when they shorten the clock: use Lightning Bolt, Shock, Grapeshot copies, or combat pressure on a visible planeswalker or commander that threatens lethal damage, repeated counterplay, or resource denial. Ignore low-loyalty or low-impact permanents if the same damage can convert into lethal storm math or preserve a combo turn.

- Bait interaction with replaceable pressure: cast Opt, Mind Stone, Izzet Locket, Thought Vessel, Fire Diamond, Sky Diamond, or a nonessential value permanent before committing Thousand-Year Storm, Storm-Kiln Artist, Ral, Storm Conduit, or Mind's Desire when opponents have untapped mana and unknown interaction. Do not bait with Jeska's Will, Mystical Tutor, Fabricate, Gamble, or Snapcaster Mage if that card is the only bridge to the winning line.

- Treat discard and exile choices as conditional only: this list has no main deck discard spell, so never assume hand attack exists unless a visible legal action from an opponent effect or copied spell offers it. If a legal exile, bounce, or discard mode appears from Flame of Anor, Staff of Compleation, The Eternity Elevator, Bender's Waterskin, or another visible card, prioritize pieces that stop storm execution, then lethal threats, then card engines; Card text check required for all uncertain mode text.

- Change targets by archetype: against fast creature decks, remove early attackers and preserve blockers until Empty the Warrens or a big spell stabilizes. Against control, counter their counters and end-step interaction instead of small threats. Against combo, hold Flusterstorm, Counterspell, Swan Song, and Red Elemental Blast for the first deterministic win attempt or the protection spell that makes it safe.

## Combat And Trading Rules
- Attack only when the body is expendable or the damage matters: Guttersnipe, Storm-Kiln Artist, Mizzix of the Izmagnus, Melek, Izzet Paragon, Snapcaster Mage, Dualcaster Mage, Skirk Prospector, and Treasure Nabber are usually more valuable as engines or blockers than as chip damage. Attack with them only when the rules engine shows low risk, the opponent cannot profitably block, or the damage creates a near-term lethal Grapeshot, Haze of Rage, Empty the Warrens, or Crackle with Power line.

- Preserve engine creatures over marginal trades: do not trade Storm-Kiln Artist, Guttersnipe, Mizzix of the Izmagnus, Melek, Izzet Paragon, Niv-Mizzet, Visionary, Vivi Ornitier, Storm Skreelix, or Prismari, the Inspiration for ordinary attackers unless life total pressure makes survival impossible. Card text check required for Niv-Mizzet, Visionary, Vivi Ornitier, Storm Skreelix, and Prismari, the Inspiration before treating them as exact combat engines.

- Trade utility bodies when tempo matters: Dualcaster Mage, Snapcaster Mage, Treasure Nabber, Skirk Prospector, and Thryx, the Sudden Storm may block or trade after their key text has already mattered or when keeping life above a critical threshold is more important than future value. Keep Dualcaster Mage in hand when a visible instant or sorcery copy decision is likely before the next combat.

- Use Empty the Warrens tokens defensively before combo turns: block with Goblin tokens to preserve life when a future storm payoff is still developing, but keep enough bodies if Skirk Prospector, Haze of Rage, or a lethal swarm line is visible. Do not sacrifice or trade tokens needed for confirmed lethal, exact mana, or survival math.

- Respect life thresholds by matchup: above 20 life, absorb small attacks to keep engines and interaction intact; between 10 and 20, trade nonessential creatures for real pressure; below 10, prioritize survival over storm greed unless the current turn has a visible lethal or near-lethal line. Against commander damage or large single attackers, use exact rules-engine damage and blocker legality rather than generic life-total heuristics.

- Protect Etali, Primal Storm only when attacks are realistic: commit Etali, Primal Storm or Through the Breach lines when the visible board allows an attack trigger or immediate payoff. Do not spend premium counters protecting Etali if it cannot attack, if combat is locked down, or if the same protection is needed for Thousand-Year Storm or Mind's Desire.

- Treat Haze of Rage as a combat commitment card: use it when current attackers, tokens, storm count, and blocks shown by the engine make damage meaningful. Do not cast it into unclear blockers, prevention, or removal unless the legal action is part of a chosen lethal or survival line.

## Selection And Tutor Rules
- Sequence selection before irreversible commitments: cast Opt before the land drop when the scry can decide between Island, Mountain, Scalding Tarn, Steam Vents, Frostboil Snarl, Riverpyre Verge, Lotus Field, or Temple of Epiphany. Cast Opt after the land drop only when holding interaction mana matters more than improving the land choice.

- Use Mystical Tutor as a commitment setup card: find Jeska's Will, Mind's Desire, Through the Breach, Big Score, Counterspell, Swan Song, Flusterstorm, Red Elemental Blast, Brain Freeze, Grapeshot, Empty the Warrens, or Crackle with Power according to the visible need. Prefer payoff when mana and storm count are ready; prefer interaction when opponents have open mana or a visible threat; prefer card flow when the hand lacks a bridge.

- Use Fabricate to assemble mana or engine infrastructure: find Sol Ring, Arcane Signet, Chromatic Lantern, Gilded Lotus, Thran Dynamo, Chromatic Orrery, Cursed Mirror, Skyclave Relic, Mind Stone, Thought Vessel, or Staff of Compleation when the next turns need mana density. Find Storm the Vault, Lotus Bloom, Mox Amber, Mox Tantalite, Sceptre of Eternal Glory, The Eternity Elevator, Bender's Waterskin, Throne of Eldraine, or Spellbook only when the rules engine exposes a legal artifact choice and the visible board makes that artifact better than raw acceleration; Card text check required for uncertain newer artifacts.

- Treat Gamble as high-risk selection: use Gamble for a deterministic missing piece only when the hand can tolerate random discard or when winning this turn matters more than preserving resources. Avoid Gamble for the only copy of Thousand-Year Storm, Mind's Desire, Grapeshot, Brain Freeze, or Crackle with Power unless the current line fails without it.

- Bottom low-impact setup when action is required: with Temple of Epiphany or Opt, bottom extra lands after enough mana is secured, redundant expensive artifacts when under pressure, and slow finishers without acceleration. Keep lands when the hand is short on colors, keep cheap spells when building storm, and keep interaction when opponents can act before the next main phase.

- Use Snapcaster Mage as selection through the graveyard: target Opt, Lightning Bolt, Shock, Big Score, Jeska's Will, Counterspell, Swan Song, Flusterstorm, Red Elemental Blast, Brain Freeze, Grapeshot, or tutor spells only when the rules engine shows a legal graveyard target. Do not spend Snapcaster Mage on filler if it is the only route to replaying protection or a payoff.

- Let Melek, Izzet Paragon and Ral, Crackling Wit inform sequencing only from visible information: if top-card casting, copying, or impulse-style access is exposed by the engine, use it before blind hand plays when it preserves hand resources or adds storm. Card text check required for Ral, Crackling Wit and any exact top-card or exile permission before assuming timing.

## Priority And Stack Rules
- Hold priority discipline around storm turns: cast cheap mana rocks, Opt, Big Score, Jeska's Will, and replaceable spells before Thousand-Year Storm, Mind's Desire, Empty the Warrens, Grapeshot, Brain Freeze, or Crackle with Power when the goal is increasing storm or copy count. Stop chaining if a visible opponent response would make the payoff fail and a protection spell is available.

- Protect decisive spells on the stack: use Counterspell, Swan Song, Flusterstorm, or Red Elemental Blast against counterspells, removal, or hate pieces aimed at Thousand-Year Storm, Storm-Kiln Artist, Mizzix of the Izmagnus, Melek, Izzet Paragon, Ral, Storm Conduit, Mind's Desire, Brain Freeze, Grapeshot, Empty the Warrens, or Crackle with Power. Let nonlethal value spells resolve when protecting the engine matters more.

- Choose copy targets from visible stack text: with Dualcaster Mage, Thousand-Year Storm, Ral, Storm Conduit, Ral, Monsoon Mage, or Storm-Kiln Artist triggers, copy the spell that advances the chosen line, such as Jeska's Will for mana/cards, Big Score for velocity, Grapeshot or Brain Freeze for lethal math, or interaction for a counter war. Card text check required for Ral, Monsoon Mage before relying on exact copy or trigger behavior.

- Respect Flusterstorm timing: save Flusterstorm for opposing instant or sorcery interaction, combo turns, or counter wars where visible spell count makes it decisive. Do not fire Flusterstorm at a low-impact spell if Counterspell or Swan Song must remain available for the next object on the stack.

- Use removal at the latest safe window: cast Lightning Bolt, Shock, Flame of Anor, Amphibian Downpour, Grapeshot copies, or Pigment Storm before combat damage or before an engine-hate ability matters, not merely because mana is open. Card text check required for Flame of Anor, Amphibian Downpour, Pigment Storm, and Arrow Storm modes or targeting details.

- Treat optional payments as resource gates: pay extort-like, copy, ward, tax, or optional trigger costs only when the engine exposes the payment and the mana will not be needed for protection, storm continuation, or required targets. Decline optional value when it strands Counterspell, Swan Song, Flusterstorm, Red Elemental Blast, or payoff mana.

- Time Through the Breach and Etali, Primal Storm around combat access: commit Through the Breach only when the legal action can produce immediate pressure, a relevant attack, or a forced response. Do not expose Etali, Primal Storm into a board where it cannot attack or where a safer spell-chain win is available.

- Let harmless spells resolve during setup: pass priority on ordinary ramp, small creatures, and nonlethal draw when the hand needs interaction for a later combo turn. Break this rule when the visible spell shuts off artifacts, graveyards, casting, targeting, copying, or storm execution.

## Sideboard Map

- Registration rule: this list has Sideboard (0), so Veles must not propose any executable sideboard plan, candidate card addition, wish-board action, or between-game deck change. The legal post-game configuration remains the registered 100 cards with Prismari, the Inspiration as commander unless the rules engine exposes a separate legal commander-format action.

- Matchup rule: because there are no sideboard cards, every Game 2 or Game 3 adjustment is a role change inside the same main deck. Treat the sideboard map as a tactical reweighting guide for mulligans, tutor targets, interaction timing, and payoff commitment, not as permission to alter registered cards.

- Fast creature pressure: increase emphasis on Lightning Bolt, Shock, Flame of Anor, Amphibian Downpour, Guttersnipe blocks only when required, Empty the Warrens as a stabilizing body plan, and early artifact mana that lets the deck reach sweep-sized or storm-sized turns. Reduce main-deck emphasis: slow artifact chains such as Chromatic Orrery, The Eternity Elevator, Throne of Eldraine, Nyx Lotus, Gilded Lotus, and Thran Dynamo when the opener cannot affect the board before taking lethal pressure; Card text check required for The Eternity Elevator, Throne of Eldraine, and Amphibian Downpour before assuming exact defensive roles.

- Counterspell-heavy control: increase emphasis on cheap protection and stack fights with Counterspell, Swan Song, Flusterstorm, Red Elemental Blast, Dualcaster Mage, Snapcaster Mage, and Mystical Tutor for interaction. Reduce main-deck emphasis: single huge all-in spells such as Crackle with Power, Mind's Desire, Through the Breach, Thousand-Year Storm, and Etali, Primal Storm until the hand contains protection, redundancy, or a window created by visible tapped mana.

- Faster combo: increase emphasis on early velocity, stack interaction, and deterministic payoff math with Sol Ring, Arcane Signet, Talisman of Creativity, Opt, Mystical Tutor, Gamble, Flusterstorm, Swan Song, Counterspell, Brain Freeze, Grapeshot, Mind's Desire, and Jeska's Will. Reduce main-deck emphasis: creature-combat plans with Etali, Primal Storm, Treasure Nabber, Guttersnipe, and Empty the Warrens unless they create the shortest legal clock or pressure a vulnerable combo player.

- Artifact pressure or artifact theft tables: increase emphasis on Fabricate for the artifact that fixes the current constraint, not for the flashiest artifact. Prioritize Sol Ring, Arcane Signet, Chromatic Lantern, Talisman of Creativity, Mind Stone, Thought Vessel, Gilded Lotus, Thran Dynamo, or Chromatic Orrery according to visible mana needs; do not expose premium artifacts into visible theft, tax, or destruction unless the turn converts them into a decisive spell chain.

- Graveyard-aware opponents: increase emphasis on winning from hand, exile, battlefield engines, and stack copies rather than relying on Snapcaster Mage. Treat Brain Freeze as a payoff only when the target and library math are visible, or as a self-mill line only if the rules engine and board state make that legal and strategically selected; do not assume graveyard access will remain available after public graveyard hate appears.

- Life-total pressure: increase emphasis on survival thresholds before storm aesthetics. Use Lightning Bolt, Shock, Pigment Storm, Flame of Anor, Amphibian Downpour, blockers from Empty the Warrens, and instant-speed priority windows to prevent lethal attacks; preserve Counterspell, Swan Song, Flusterstorm, and Red Elemental Blast for spells that immediately change lethal math or stop the chosen stabilizing turn.

- Mana-denial games: increase emphasis on lands and low-cost rocks in mulligans, especially Island, Mountain, Steam Vents, Frostboil Snarl, Training Center, Riverpyre Verge, Thundering Falls, Temple of Epiphany, Scalding Tarn, Sol Ring, Arcane Signet, Fellwar Stone, Fire Diamond, Sky Diamond, Mind Stone, Mox Amber, Mox Tantalite, Lotus Bloom, and Talisman of Creativity. Reduce main-deck emphasis: hands that require Lotus Field, Chromatic Orrery, Sceptre of Eternal Glory, Nyx Lotus, or Gilded Lotus to be functional before the deck has stable colors; Card text check required for Sceptre of Eternal Glory in color planning.

- Stax, tax, or casting-restriction tables: increase emphasis on resolving mana rocks before restrictions, holding interaction for the specific permanent or spell that blocks casting multiple spells, and selecting payoff lines that need fewer total actions. Prefer Crackle with Power or Through the Breach over long storm chains when visible restrictions punish spell count; prefer Brain Freeze, Grapeshot, or Mind's Desire when the engine confirms the chain remains legal.

- Creature-light tables: increase emphasis on engine permanents and large payoff spells. Thousand-Year Storm, Storm-Kiln Artist, Ral, Storm Conduit, Ral, Crackling Wit, Ral, Monsoon Mage, Mizzix of the Izmagnus, Melek, Izzet Paragon, Niv-Mizzet, Visionary, Jeska's Will, Big Score, Mind's Desire, Brain Freeze, Grapeshot, Empty the Warrens, and Crackle with Power become higher-priority resources when combat damage is slow; Card text check required for Ral, Crackling Wit, Ral, Monsoon Mage, and Niv-Mizzet, Visionary before relying on exact trigger text.

- Multiplayer role shift: identify the opponent most likely to end the game before the next full turn cycle and aim interaction or pressure there. Do not spend Counterspell, Swan Song, Flusterstorm, Red Elemental Blast, Lightning Bolt, Shock, or Flame of Anor on low-impact objects merely because they are legal; preserve them for visible combo starts, hate that stops storm, lethal attackers, or counterwars over Prismari, the Inspiration, Thousand-Year Storm, Mind's Desire, Brain Freeze, Grapeshot, Empty the Warrens, or Crackle with Power.

- Between-game reflection: when Game 1 showed the deck was too slow, mulligan more aggressively for early rocks, Opt, cheap interaction, and at least one bridge spell. When Game 1 showed interaction density was the issue, prioritize hands with Counterspell, Swan Song, Flusterstorm, Red Elemental Blast, Snapcaster Mage, Mystical Tutor, or Fabricate for mana that keeps those spells available. When Game 1 showed payoff scarcity, value Mystical Tutor, Gamble, Thousand-Year Storm, Mind's Desire, Brain Freeze, Grapeshot, Empty the Warrens, Crackle with Power, and engine creatures more highly, but only after mana and survival are functional.

## Matchup Guidance

- Aggro: preserve life before assembling a decorative storm turn, because this list wins late only if it survives the early damage exchange. Keep hands with at least two usable mana sources, one cheap accelerator or selection spell, and one early stabilizer such as Lightning Bolt, Shock, Flame of Anor, Counterspell, Swan Song, Opt, Sol Ring, Arcane Signet, Mind Stone, Fire Diamond, Sky Diamond, Talisman of Creativity, or Empty the Warrens. Use Grapeshot as removal when storm count plus damage is enough to stop lethal pressure; do not hold it for a win if the next combat step would make the game unwinnable. Deploy Guttersnipe, Storm-Kiln Artist, Mizzix of the Izmagnus, Ral, Storm Conduit, Ral, Crackling Wit, or Thousand-Year Storm only when the turn also stabilizes or leaves interaction available; Card text check required for Ral, Crackling Wit before assigning exact defensive value.

- Control: make the first decisive commitment on a turn where the opponent's visible mana, stack posture, and known cards make a counterwar acceptable. Value cheap protection and interaction highly: Flusterstorm, Counterspell, Swan Song, Red Elemental Blast, Dualcaster Mage, Snapcaster Mage, Mystical Tutor, Opt, and enough untapped blue or red mana to fight over Thousand-Year Storm, Mind's Desire, Brain Freeze, Grapeshot, Crackle with Power, Through the Breach, or Prismari, the Inspiration. Avoid tapping out for Chromatic Orrery, Gilded Lotus, Nyx Lotus, The Eternity Elevator, Throne of Eldraine, or Etali, Primal Storm into open interaction unless the table is low on pressure and the engine confirms the permanent is legal and likely to survive; Card text check required for The Eternity Elevator and Throne of Eldraine.

- Combo: identify whether the opponent can win before the next full turn cycle, then shift from sculpting to disruption or racing. Keep faster hands with Sol Ring, Arcane Signet, Mox Amber, Mox Tantalite, Lotus Bloom, Talisman of Creativity, Opt, Mystical Tutor, Gamble, Jeska's Will, Storm-Kiln Artist, Mind's Desire, Brain Freeze, Grapeshot, Counterspell, Swan Song, Flusterstorm, or Red Elemental Blast. Spend Counterspell and Swan Song on visible engine starts, tutor-resolution equivalents only when the rules engine exposes them as legal stack objects, or payoff spells that end the game; avoid using interaction on medium resource plays if your own hand can present a protected kill.

- Tempo: trade mana efficiency, not card beauty, because tempo opponents punish turns spent on oversized artifacts without immediate board impact. Prioritize one- and two-mana actions, untapped lands, and cheap interaction over slow ramp; Steam Vents, Training Center, Riverpyre Verge, Island, Mountain, Sol Ring, Arcane Signet, Fellwar Stone, Talisman of Creativity, Mind Stone, Fire Diamond, Sky Diamond, Lightning Bolt, Shock, Opt, Flusterstorm, Swan Song, and Counterspell matter more than Chromatic Orrery or Gilded Lotus in the first turns. Use Empty the Warrens as a tempo reset when the token count blocks or races meaningfully, not merely because storm count is nonzero.

- Midrange: build a resource advantage while refusing to let one permanent dominate combat or card flow. Use Lightning Bolt, Shock, Pigment Storm, Flame of Anor, Amphibian Downpour, Counterspell, Swan Song, and Red Elemental Blast on threats that compress your clock or stop spell chaining; Card text check required for Amphibian Downpour and Pigment Storm before relying on exact removal or debuff modes. Engines such as Storm-Kiln Artist, Guttersnipe, Mizzix of the Izmagnus, Melek, Izzet Paragon, Niv-Mizzet, Visionary, Ral, Storm Conduit, and Thousand-Year Storm become better when the opponent is spending turns on fair exchanges instead of immediate kills; Card text check required for Niv-Mizzet, Visionary.

- Big mana: attack the window before the opponent converts mana into inevitability, because this deck can race but cannot assume it wins every late-game top end. Keep acceleration plus payoff hands, especially Sol Ring, Arcane Signet, Thran Dynamo, Gilded Lotus, Firemind Vessel, Chromatic Lantern, Chromatic Orrery, Nyx Lotus, Lotus Field, Jeska's Will, Big Score, Mind's Desire, Crackle with Power, Through the Breach, Etali, Primal Storm, Thousand-Year Storm, Brain Freeze, and Grapeshot. Save counters for the first spell that creates a decisive mana or board swing unless a visible stack object threatens immediate loss. If the opponent is shields-down, commit to a storm or large Crackle with Power turn rather than trying to out-value a stronger mana engine.

- Graveyard: assume Snapcaster Mage and any graveyard-dependent line can be interrupted once public graveyard hate appears. Win from hand, battlefield, exile, stack copies, and storm count when possible, using Thousand-Year Storm, Storm-Kiln Artist, Mind's Desire, Grapeshot, Brain Freeze, Empty the Warrens, Guttersnipe, Crackle with Power, Jeska's Will, Big Score, Ral, Storm Conduit, or Melek, Izzet Paragon as visible resources. Target Brain Freeze at an opponent only when library count, storm count, replacement effects, and prevention effects are visible enough for the rules engine to support the line; target self only after a strategic commitment says self-mill is legal and beneficial.

- Artifact/enchantment: protect the mana artifact base from becoming a liability, because the deck relies heavily on rocks but cannot afford to lose a full turn to exposed artifact hate. Sequence cheap rocks early when they fix immediate needs, then hold premium artifacts such as Chromatic Orrery, Gilded Lotus, Thran Dynamo, Firemind Vessel, Skyclave Relic, Sceptre of Eternal Glory, Staff of Compleation, Cursed Mirror, The Eternity Elevator, and Throne of Eldraine until they either pay off immediately or the table lacks visible punishers; Card text check required for Sceptre of Eternal Glory, Staff of Compleation, Bender's Waterskin, The Eternity Elevator, and Throne of Eldraine. Use Fabricate for the artifact that solves the current bottleneck: color fixing, hand size, burst mana, or combo conversion.

- Go-wide: prioritize sweep-like damage, token parity, and precombat interaction over slow engines that do not affect attackers. Empty the Warrens can stabilize by creating blockers, Grapeshot can pick off multiple small creatures when storm is high enough, and Haze of Rage can convert a token board into a lethal or force-trade attack if the legal action text supports it. Spend Lightning Bolt, Shock, Flame of Anor, Pigment Storm, and Amphibian Downpour before damage when they prevent lethal or preserve a key planeswalker or engine; Card text check required for Haze of Rage interactions in this shell.

- Single-threat: answer or race the one object that matters, and do not waste removal on support pieces unless they change that clock. Lightning Bolt, Shock, Flame of Anor, Pigment Storm, Amphibian Downpour, Counterspell, Swan Song, Red Elemental Blast, and Flusterstorm should point at the threat, protection spell, or enabling spell that determines whether the single attacker or combo permanent takes over. Through the Breach and Etali, Primal Storm can pressure a single-threat deck from a different axis, but only commit them when the visible board says racing is better than holding interaction.

- Burn: treat life total as a scarce combo resource and keep interaction for direct lethal windows. Prefer open mana, cheap plays, and fast clocks over pain-heavy or tap-out lines; Steam Vents and Staff of Compleation should be used with life loss only when the payoff changes survival or wins the game, and Card text check required for Staff of Compleation before choosing a life-payment mode. Counterspell, Swan Song, Flusterstorm, Red Elemental Blast, Lightning Bolt, Shock, and Flame of Anor should preserve life total or stop a lethal stack, while Empty the Warrens and Guttersnipe can turn the corner once immediate danger is covered.

- Removal-heavy: force the opponent to answer the wrong class of permanent before committing the key engine. Present mana rocks, small engines, or expendable threats such as Guttersnipe, Treasure Nabber, Storm-Kiln Artist, Mizzix of the Izmagnus, Ral, Storm Conduit, Ral, Monsoon Mage, or Ral, Crackling Wit to draw removal only when losing them will not strand the hand; Card text check required for Treasure Nabber, Ral, Monsoon Mage, and Ral, Crackling Wit before assuming exact resilience or payoff. Favor spell-based wins with Mind's Desire, Brain Freeze, Grapeshot, Empty the Warrens, Crackle with Power, Jeska's Will, Big Score, and Thousand-Year Storm when creature survival is unlikely, and use Snapcaster Mage or Dualcaster Mage as tactical stack tools rather than fragile battlefield plans.

## Specific Matchup Notes

- General/archetype-only: exact opponents are not supplied, so revealed cards, commander text, public zones, and Veles legal actions override every assumption here. Sideboarding is unavailable because the registered sideboard is 0 cards; adjust mulligans, priority targets, and commitment timing instead of looking for swaps.

- Fast creature or burn tables: keep hands with early mana, cheap interaction, and a route to stabilize before chasing maximum storm. Prioritize Lightning Bolt, Shock, Flame of Anor, Amphibian Downpour, Empty the Warrens, Sol Ring, Arcane Signet, Talisman of Creativity, Mind Stone, Counterspell, Swan Song, and Flusterstorm over slow top-end artifacts when life total is under immediate pressure; Card text check required for Amphibian Downpour before relying on its exact defensive mode.

- Midrange removal tables: make the opponent spend answers before exposing the decisive engine. Lead with mana rocks, Guttersnipe, Treasure Nabber, Storm-Kiln Artist, Mizzix of the Izmagnus, Ral, Monsoon Mage, or Ral, Crackling Wit when losing them does not strand the hand, then commit Thousand-Year Storm, Ral, Storm Conduit, Melek, Izzet Paragon, Niv-Mizzet, Visionary, Mind's Desire, or Crackle with Power when a protected or immediately productive turn is visible; Card text check required for Treasure Nabber, Ral, Monsoon Mage, Ral, Crackling Wit, and Niv-Mizzet, Visionary.

- Counterspell-heavy tables: force action on lower-value spells before committing a storm payoff or commander-centric turn. Use Opt, Big Score, Jeska's Will, Fabricate, Gamble, Mind Stone, Izzet Locket, and smaller removal to test shields when the cost is acceptable, then protect the real turn with Flusterstorm, Counterspell, Swan Song, Red Elemental Blast, Dualcaster Mage, or Snapcaster Mage only when the visible stack object threatens the chosen line.

- Graveyard-pressure tables: treat Snapcaster Mage and Brain Freeze self-target lines as conditional once graveyard hate is public. Prefer hand-and-battlefield wins through Thousand-Year Storm, Storm-Kiln Artist, Guttersnipe, Mind's Desire, Empty the Warrens, Grapeshot, Crackle with Power, Jeska's Will, Big Score, and Ral, Storm Conduit; target Brain Freeze at an opponent only when storm count, library count, and replacement effects are visible enough for the rules engine to support the kill.

- Artifact-hate tables: do not overcommit high-value mana artifacts before they create value. Cheap rocks such as Sol Ring, Arcane Signet, Fellwar Stone, Talisman of Creativity, Fire Diamond, Sky Diamond, Mind Stone, Thought Vessel, Mox Amber, Mox Tantalite, and Lotus Bloom are acceptable setup, but Chromatic Orrery, Gilded Lotus, Thran Dynamo, Firemind Vessel, Skyclave Relic, Nyx Lotus, Cursed Mirror, Sceptre of Eternal Glory, Staff of Compleation, The Eternity Elevator, and Throne of Eldraine should usually be timed to enable a same-turn payoff; Card text check required for several newer or unclear artifacts before assuming exact modes.

- Big-mana or battlecruiser tables: race the first decisive permanent instead of trying to win a longer resource war by default. Priority targets are mana doublers, draw engines, extra-turn or extra-combat effects, and board states that make Crackle with Power, Through the Breach, Etali, Primal Storm, Mind's Desire, Brain Freeze, Grapeshot, or Thousand-Year Storm too slow if delayed.

## Risk Summary

- Mana risk: the deck has many colorless or delayed mana sources, so hands with Chromatic Orrery, Gilded Lotus, Thran Dynamo, Firemind Vessel, Nyx Lotus, Lotus Field, Mox Tantalite, Lotus Bloom, or The Eternity Elevator but no early colored access can fail before the payoff turn. Check blue and red availability before keeping or sequencing, especially when Counterspell, Swan Song, Flusterstorm, Lightning Bolt, Shock, Opt, Brain Freeze, Jeska's Will, or Gamble must be live early.

- Matchup risk: the deck can look controlling while actually needing a commitment window, so passive play may lose to faster combo, stronger engines, or commander damage. Use interaction to buy a specific payoff turn, not to answer every medium threat.

- Draw risk: hands full of payoffs without cantrips, tutors, or ramp can stall. Opt, Mystical Tutor, Fabricate, Gamble, Big Score, Jeska's Will, Mind Stone, Izzet Locket, Staff of Compleation, and commander access should be valued as hand-shaping tools only when legal actions and card text support that role.

- Over-sideboarding risk: there is no sideboard, so do not invent post-game swaps or assume access to hate cards outside the registered 100. Between games, adjust mulligan thresholds, counterspell targets, and commitment gates rather than changing deck contents.

- Graveyard risk: Snapcaster Mage and any Brain Freeze self-mill line become weaker when graveyard hate, exile replacement effects, or graveyard-emptying triggers are public. Preserve alternative win paths from hand, battlefield, storm copies, tokens, and direct damage.

- Sweeper/removal risk: Storm-Kiln Artist, Guttersnipe, Mizzix of the Izmagnus, Melek, Izzet Paragon, Dualcaster Mage, Snapcaster Mage, Skirk Prospector, Treasure Nabber, Vivi Ornitier, and Etali, Primal Storm are fragile if the table is representing removal. Prefer lines where a creature either generates immediate value or is not required to survive a full turn cycle.

- Closer risk: Grapeshot, Brain Freeze, Empty the Warrens, Haze of Rage, Crackle with Power, Mind's Desire, Through the Breach, Etali, Primal Storm, and Thousand-Year Storm require different board and stack conditions, so do not treat any single closer as universally lethal. Verify storm count, target legality, damage prevention, library counts, blockers, and mana before committing.

- Interaction risk: Counterspell, Swan Song, Flusterstorm, Red Elemental Blast, Lightning Bolt, Shock, Flame of Anor, Pigment Storm, and Amphibian Downpour can be spent too early. Save them for spells or permanents that stop the selected win line, threaten immediate loss, or deny the mana needed for the next decisive turn; Card text check required for Pigment Storm and Amphibian Downpour.

- Sequencing risk: storm turns collapse when mana rocks, tutors, draw spells, copy effects, and payoff spells are ordered without checking floating mana and priority. Sequence setup, then mana generation, then card access, then copy or storm payoff, and ask Veles for fresh reasoning whenever public information or the stack changes.

## Test Feedback Checklist

- Deciding factor: record whether the game turned on early mana, a protected storm turn, a failed commitment window, commander access to Prismari, the Inspiration, or a specific closer such as Grapeshot, Brain Freeze, Empty the Warrens, Crackle with Power, Mind's Desire, Through the Breach, Etali, Primal Storm, or Thousand-Year Storm.

- Mulligans: note whether the opener had both blue and red access, an early accelerator such as Sol Ring, Arcane Signet, Talisman of Creativity, Mind Stone, Fellwar Stone, Fire Diamond, Sky Diamond, or Thought Vessel, and at least one velocity or purpose card such as Opt, Mystical Tutor, Fabricate, Gamble, Big Score, Jeska's Will, or Counterspell.

- Mana: identify every game where colorless or delayed mana stranded action. Call out hands or turns involving Lotus Bloom, Mox Tantalite, Lotus Field, Thran Dynamo, Gilded Lotus, Chromatic Orrery, Firemind Vessel, Nyx Lotus, The Eternity Elevator, Throne of Eldraine, or Sceptre of Eternal Glory that failed to cast the relevant blue or red spell on time.

- Velocity: track whether Opt, Big Score, Jeska's Will, Mystical Tutor, Fabricate, Gamble, Staff of Compleation, Izzet Locket, Mind Stone, Ral, Crackling Wit, Melek, Izzet Paragon, or Niv-Mizzet, Visionary actually found live action, or whether the deck spent mana without improving the decisive turn.

- Engines: record whether Storm-Kiln Artist, Guttersnipe, Mizzix of the Izmagnus, Thousand-Year Storm, Ral, Storm Conduit, Ral, Monsoon Mage, Storm the Vault, Melek, Izzet Paragon, and Prismari, the Inspiration survived, generated immediate value, or were exposed before protection or payoff was available.

- Removal and permission: review each use of Lightning Bolt, Shock, Flame of Anor, Pigment Storm, Amphibian Downpour, Counterspell, Swan Song, Flusterstorm, Red Elemental Blast, Dualcaster Mage, and Snapcaster Mage. Mark whether it prevented immediate loss, protected a selected win line, or was spent on a medium threat that later left the deck unable to stop the real problem; Card text check required for Pigment Storm and Amphibian Downpour.

- Closing: verify whether the final line had enough mana, storm count, legal targets, opponent library count, damage, or token pressure before commitment. Flag any loss where Grapeshot, Brain Freeze, Empty the Warrens, Haze of Rage, Crackle with Power, Mind's Desire, or Through the Breach was held too long or fired without a realistic conversion path.

- Role: compare the intended role to the actual game texture. Mark whether the pilot should have been racing, defending, building mana, baiting interaction, or committing an engine sooner based only on visible board state and public information.

- Mistakes: log any illegal-action rejection, stale-action rejection, missed land drop, premature pass with interaction available, tapped-mana sequencing issue, unnecessary exposure of Storm-Kiln Artist or Guttersnipe, or failure to respect an opponent-visible clock.

- Stranded cards and performers: list cards stranded in hand for two or more turns, then separately list overperformers and underperformers from Sol Ring through Crackle with Power. Include whether the problem was mana, timing, opponent pressure, rules uncertainty, or the card not matching the deck's role in that game.

- Sideboard: confirm that no sideboard changes were made because Sideboard count is 0. Between games, record only strategic adjustments such as mulligan discipline, counterspell targets, engine commitment timing, and closer selection.

## First Tuning Questions

- Mana quantity: does the deck need fewer expensive colorless rocks or more early colored sources if Counterspell, Swan Song, Flusterstorm, Opt, Brain Freeze, Gamble, Jeska's Will, Lightning Bolt, and Shock are repeatedly stranded?

- Mana shape: are Chromatic Orrery, Gilded Lotus, Thran Dynamo, Firemind Vessel, Nyx Lotus, The Eternity Elevator, Throne of Eldraine, Sceptre of Eternal Glory, and Skyclave Relic enabling decisive turns, or are too many five-plus-mana artifacts delaying interaction and velocity?

- Velocity density: does the deck need more effects in the role of Opt, Big Score, Jeska's Will, Mystical Tutor, Fabricate, Gamble, Mind Stone, Izzet Locket, Staff of Compleation, Ral, Crackling Wit, Melek, Izzet Paragon, and Niv-Mizzet, Visionary if games end with payoffs but no action chain?

- Engine mix: which engines actually win when resolved: Thousand-Year Storm, Storm-Kiln Artist, Guttersnipe, Mizzix of the Izmagnus, Ral, Storm Conduit, Ral, Monsoon Mage, Storm the Vault, Melek, Izzet Paragon, Prismari, the Inspiration, or Niv-Mizzet, Visionary?

- Aggro plan: are Lightning Bolt, Shock, Flame of Anor, Pigment Storm, Amphibian Downpour, Empty the Warrens, Haze of Rage, and early rocks enough to survive creature pressure, or does the list need a clearer low-curve defense plan?

- Control plan: are Counterspell, Swan Song, Flusterstorm, Red Elemental Blast, Dualcaster Mage, Snapcaster Mage, and Thryx, the Sudden Storm enough to force a storm or big-mana turn through interaction, or is the deck too threat-heavy to play control?

- Closer balance: are Grapeshot, Brain Freeze, Empty the Warrens, Crackle with Power, Mind's Desire, Through the Breach, Etali, Primal Storm, Haze of Rage, and Thousand-Year Storm redundant in useful ways, or are some finishers dead outside narrow board states?

- Role conflict: does Skirk Prospector support Empty the Warrens and storm lines often enough, or is it isolated from the rest of the deck when no token plan is present?

- Sideboard policy: should the no-sideboard Commander configuration remain strict for testing, and if a local sideboard or wishboard is ever introduced, which failure modes must those slots address without changing runtime legality assumptions?

- Card text uncertainty: which newer or unclear cards require authoritative text verification before tuning decisions, especially Prismari, the Inspiration, Ral, Monsoon Mage, Ral, Crackling Wit, Niv-Mizzet, Visionary, Vivi Ornitier, Storm Skreelix, Bender's Waterskin, The Eternity Elevator, Throne of Eldraine, Pigment Storm, and Amphibian Downpour?

## Veles Tactical Policy

### Policy: Commander And Engine Pregame Role
Priority: Medium
Decision families: pregame; mulligan
Cards: Prismari, the Inspiration; Thousand-Year Storm; Storm-Kiln Artist; Guttersnipe; Mizzix of the Izmagnus
Phase windows: opening hand, command-zone planning, first two turns
Runtime cues: commander available, opening hand, early land and artifact actions
Use when: the game begins and Veles must choose whether the hand supports a storm-control plan.
Avoid when: matchup rules or visible effects change the starting procedure.
Instructions: treat Prismari, the Inspiration as a plan-defining card only after card text is verified; keep hands that combine colored mana, early acceleration, and either velocity, permission, or a survivable engine.
Pilot skill floor: medium
No-API allowed: no
Light-model allowed: yes

### Policy: Functional Commander Mulligan
Priority: High
Decision families: mulligan
Cards: Sol Ring; Arcane Signet; Talisman of Creativity; Mind Stone; Fellwar Stone; Fire Diamond; Sky Diamond; Thought Vessel; Opt; Counterspell; Mystical Tutor; Gamble; Fabricate
Phase windows: opening hand and mulligan decisions
Runtime cues: action:keep, action:mulligan, visible opening hand
Use when: the hand has at least two mana sources or one land plus Sol Ring/Arcane Signet, at least one blue or red source path, and one early spell that finds, protects, or accelerates action.
Avoid when: the hand cannot produce colored mana by turn two, contains only expensive payoffs, or depends on suspended mana with no bridge to early turns.
Instructions: prefer stable colored mana over flashy seven-card hands; a storm deck that cannot cast Opt, Counterspell, Gamble, or early rocks on time loses before its payoff density matters.
Pilot skill floor: medium
No-API allowed: no
Light-model allowed: yes

### Policy: Early Mana Rock Setup
Priority: Medium
Decision families: mana; priority
Cards: Sol Ring; Arcane Signet; Talisman of Creativity; Fellwar Stone; Mind Stone; Thought Vessel; Fire Diamond; Sky Diamond
Phase windows: main phase before committing engines
Runtime cues: cast artifact, activate mana ability, play land
Use when: a legal early artifact increases next-turn colored access or total mana without exposing an irreplaceable payoff.
Avoid when: holding up Counterspell, Swan Song, Flusterstorm, or Red Elemental Blast is required to stop a visible lethal or lock piece.
Instructions: deploy cheap acceleration before fragile engines; sequence colored rocks before colorless rocks when the hand contains double-blue, red interaction, or storm payoffs.
Pilot skill floor: low
No-API allowed: no
Light-model allowed: yes

### Policy: High-Mana Artifact Commitment Gate
Priority: Medium
Decision families: mana; priority
Cards: Thran Dynamo; Gilded Lotus; Chromatic Orrery; Firemind Vessel; Skyclave Relic; Nyx Lotus; Sceptre of Eternal Glory; The Eternity Elevator; Throne of Eldraine
Phase windows: main phase, shields-down turns
Runtime cues: cast high-cost artifact, tap out, pass priority
Use when: the artifact converts into a decisive next turn or fixes a current bottleneck shown by visible hand and mana.
Avoid when: the opponent has a visible attack that punishes tapping out, or a held permission spell must answer a known threat this turn cycle.
Instructions: do not spend the whole turn on expensive mana unless it changes the next turn’s ceiling; Card text check required for The Eternity Elevator and Throne of Eldraine.
Pilot skill floor: medium
No-API allowed: no
Light-model allowed: yes

### Policy: Fragile Engine Commitment Gate
Priority: High
Decision families: priority; interaction
Cards: Thousand-Year Storm; Storm-Kiln Artist; Guttersnipe; Mizzix of the Izmagnus; Ral, Storm Conduit; Ral, Monsoon Mage; Storm the Vault; Melek, Izzet Paragon
Phase windows: main phase with priority and mana available
Runtime cues: cast engine, planeswalker, or setup permanent
Use when: the engine can produce immediate value, the hand contains follow-up spells, or waiting risks losing to visible pressure.
Avoid when: the engine is only a pass-the-turn play into visible removal, lethal pressure, or known countermagic without protection.
Instructions: make the commitment with light-model reasoning because the correct timing depends on public shields, hand texture, storm count potential, and whether protection is available.
Pilot skill floor: high
No-API allowed: no
Light-model allowed: yes

### Policy: Storm Turn Go-Now Gate
Priority: High
Decision families: priority; selection; mana
Cards: Jeska's Will; Big Score; Mind's Desire; Grapeshot; Brain Freeze; Empty the Warrens; Crackle with Power; Haze of Rage; Thousand-Year Storm
Phase windows: main phase before payoff casting
Runtime cues: cast storm payoff, cast velocity spell, floating mana, storm count
Use when: visible mana, cards, storm count, and payoff text create a credible win or overwhelming board before the opponent untaps.
Avoid when: the line relies on unknown hidden cards, unverified card text, or a payoff that lacks legal targets or enough count to matter.
Instructions: start the storm turn only after checking mana colors, opponent life, opponent library size, legal targets, and whether a protection spell must be held until the stack fight.
Pilot skill floor: high
No-API allowed: no
Light-model allowed: yes

### Policy: Deterministic Grapeshot Opponent Target
Priority: Medium
Decision families: interaction; priority
Cards: Grapeshot
Phase windows: spell target prompt during selected storm payoff line
Runtime cues: action:target opponent Grapeshot
Use when: Grapeshot is already being cast or copied, an action text targets an opponent, and no creature or planeswalker target was preselected by the current plan.
Avoid when: a visible permanent must be removed to survive this turn or the current legal prompt includes multiple opponent-facing target meanings.
Instructions: choose the legal action whose text targets the opponent for Grapeshot after the pilot has committed to damage as the payoff.
Pilot skill floor: low
No-API allowed: yes
Light-model allowed: yes

### Policy: Deterministic Brain Freeze Opponent Target
Priority: Medium
Decision families: interaction; priority
Cards: Brain Freeze
Phase windows: spell target prompt during selected mill payoff line
Runtime cues: action:target opponent Brain Freeze
Use when: Brain Freeze is already being cast or copied, an action text targets an opponent, and the selected payoff line is opponent mill.
Avoid when: the legal target action does not identify the opponent or a visible replacement/prevention effect changes the target meaning.
Instructions: choose the opponent-targeting Brain Freeze action only after the go-now gate selected Brain Freeze as the payoff.
Pilot skill floor: low
No-API allowed: yes
Light-model allowed: yes

### Policy: Empty The Warrens Board Conversion
Priority: Medium
Decision families: priority; combat
Cards: Empty the Warrens; Haze of Rage; Skirk Prospector; Storm-Kiln Artist
Phase windows: main phase and combat planning after token generation
Runtime cues: cast Empty the Warrens, cast Haze of Rage, sacrifice token, declare attackers
Use when: token output creates a defensive wall, a next-turn lethal board, or mana with Skirk Prospector.
Avoid when: visible sweepers, combat math, or opponent life total make tokens too slow compared with Grapeshot, Brain Freeze, or Crackle with Power.
Instructions: choose token lines when they stabilize the board or create an immediate clock; do not treat tokens as deterministic lethal without visible combat confirmation.
Pilot skill floor: medium
No-API allowed: no
Light-model allowed: yes

### Policy: Permission Spending Gate
Priority: High
Decision families: interaction; priority
Cards: Counterspell; Swan Song; Flusterstorm; Red Elemental Blast; Dualcaster Mage; Thryx, the Sudden Storm
Phase windows: opponent stack actions, own combo turn stack fights
Runtime cues: counter target spell, copy spell, respond to spell
Use when: the stack item stops the selected win line, creates immediate lethal pressure, removes a committed engine, or prevents resolving a decisive payoff.
Avoid when: the spell is low-impact relative to a known upcoming threat or the deck needs permission to force the current storm turn.
Instructions: spend counters on game-changing stack objects, not on medium value; Card text check required for any unfamiliar interaction mode exposed by Thryx, the Sudden Storm.
Pilot skill floor: high
No-API allowed: no
Light-model allowed: yes

### Policy: Removal And Damage Triage
Priority: Medium
Decision families: interaction; priority
Cards: Lightning Bolt; Shock; Flame of Anor; Pigment Storm; Amphibian Downpour; Arrow Storm
Phase windows: main phase, combat, end step, stack responses
Runtime cues: deal damage, target creature, target planeswalker, target player
Use when: removal prevents lethal, protects an engine, clears a blocker for a selected attack, or converts into exact opponent damage.
Avoid when: using burn on a noncritical target leaves the deck unable to answer visible lethal pressure or protect a payoff.
Instructions: prioritize survival and engine protection before face damage unless the visible damage line is exact lethal; Card text check required for Pigment Storm and Amphibian Downpour.
Pilot skill floor: medium
No-API allowed: no
Light-model allowed: yes

### Policy: Tutor And Selection Routing
Priority: Medium
Decision families: selection
Cards: Mystical Tutor; Fabricate; Gamble; Opt; Big Score; Staff of Compleation; Izzet Locket; Mind Stone
Phase windows: end step, main phase before land or payoff, response windows with tutor legal
Runtime cues: search library, draw, discard, scry, sacrifice artifact to draw
Use when: the pilot needs a specific category: payoff, protection, mana, velocity, or removal based on visible state.
Avoid when: the action consumes mana needed for interaction or the library/search prompt does not expose the intended card category clearly.
Instructions: route tutor and loot choices through light-model reasoning; never assume hidden library order, and verify legal search candidates before selecting.
Pilot skill floor: high
No-API allowed: no
Light-model allowed: yes

### Policy: Through The Breach Etali Target
Priority: Medium
Decision families: selection; priority
Cards: Through the Breach; Etali, Primal Storm
Phase windows: target or card-choice prompt after Through the Breach is selected
Runtime cues: action:target Etali, Primal Storm Through the Breach
Use when: Through the Breach is already selected, Etali, Primal Storm is a visible legal choice in the prompt, and one action text contains both card names.
Avoid when: another creature was selected by the current light-model plan or the prompt does not clearly bind Etali, Primal Storm to Through the Breach.
Instructions: execute the exact visible Etali, Primal Storm choice only after the pilot has committed to Through the Breach as the current line.
Pilot skill floor: low
No-API allowed: yes
Light-model allowed: yes

### Policy: Snapcaster And Graveyard Reuse Gate
Priority: Medium
Decision families: selection; interaction
Cards: Snapcaster Mage; Lightning Bolt; Counterspell; Opt; Brain Freeze; Grapeshot; Mystical Tutor; Big Score
Phase windows: flash or main-phase graveyard target prompt
Runtime cues: target card in graveyard, flashback, cast from graveyard
Use when: the graveyard target immediately answers the stack/board, continues a storm turn, or finds a payoff/protection piece.
Avoid when: the target is selected only for generic value while mana, timing, or legal flashback cost prevents using it.
Instructions: choose graveyard targets with light-model reasoning because visible graveyard, mana, stack pressure, and storm count determine the correct card.
Pilot skill floor: high
No-API allowed: no
Light-model allowed: yes

### Policy: Combat With Engines And Tokens
Priority: Low
Decision families: combat
Cards: Guttersnipe; Storm-Kiln Artist; Skirk Prospector; Empty the Warrens; Etali, Primal Storm; Treasure Nabber; Storm Skreelix
Phase windows: declare attackers, declare blockers, combat trick windows
Runtime cues: declare attacker, declare blocker, no attackers, no blocks
Use when: the board offers attacks or blocks involving engines, tokens, or large creatures.
Avoid when: a broad attack risks a key engine needed for a visible storm line or a block sacrifices the only mana/trigger piece without preventing lethal.
Instructions: preserve engines over chip damage; attack with tokens or expendable bodies when combat math is visible and does not reduce the selected combo line. Card text check required for Storm Skreelix.
Pilot skill floor: medium
No-API allowed: no
Light-model allowed: yes

### Policy: Tap-Out Finisher Gate
Priority: High
Decision families: priority; mana; interaction
Cards: Crackle with Power; Mind's Desire; Thousand-Year Storm; Chromatic Orrery; Gilded Lotus; Jeska's Will
Phase windows: main phase with large mana or storm count
Runtime cues: cast Crackle with Power, cast Mind's Desire, cast Thousand-Year Storm, spend all mana
Use when: the visible line wins, creates overwhelming advantage, or prevents losing next turn better than holding interaction.
Avoid when: the finisher lacks enough mana, legal targets, storm count, or protection against a visible counter-window.
Instructions: require light-model reasoning before tap-out finishers; count exact mana, colors, floating resources, legal targets, and opponent-visible pressure before submitting.
Pilot skill floor: high
No-API allowed: no
Light-model allowed: yes

### Policy: No-Sideboard Commander Lock
Priority: Low
Decision families: sideboard
Cards: none
Phase windows: between games, sideboard submission
Runtime cues: action:submit sideboard no changes
Use when: the registered sideboard count is 0 and the legal sideboard action text submits no changes.
Avoid when: the event configuration exposes a legal companion, wishboard, or sideboard object not present in the registered decklist.
Instructions: submit no deck changes; adjust only mulligan thresholds, interaction targets, engine timing, and closer selection between games.
Pilot skill floor: low
No-API allowed: yes
Light-model allowed: yes
