veles-content/strategies/alchemy/alchemy_red_deck_wins/1/guide.md

Strategy Specifications

Deck Name And Archetype

Red Deck Wins is a mono-red Alchemy aggro-burn strategy built to turn early creature damage into burn reach before slower decks stabilize. The registered plan is proactive rather than reactive: deploy cheap threats, convert combat steps into damage, preserve enough burn to finish the opponent or clear the one blocker that changes the race, and avoid spending premium damage on low-impact targets unless the visible board makes that exchange necessary.

• Format validation: Active format is Alchemy, and the supplied format-aware validation result passes. Runtime decisions should still defer to the rules engine for legality, available actions, timing, targets, costs, and any Alchemy-specific card text or rebalanced behavior.

• Registration validation: Main deck count is 60 cards, satisfying the Alchemy minimum of at least 60 main-deck cards. Sideboard count is 12 cards, satisfying the maximum of 15 sideboard cards. Legal sideboard plans must use only the registered 12 sideboard cards and cut only registered main-deck cards.

• Archetype tags: The normalized tags are aggro and burn. Duplicate tag input is treated as redundant metadata, not as a separate strategic axis. The deck should be piloted as a damage-output deck first, with creature combat and direct damage measured against the opponent's remaining life total, likely crack-back damage, and the value of forcing interaction on the opponent's turn.

• Stock/rogue/hybrid status: Treat this list as a hybrid Red Deck Wins shell rather than a guaranteed stock list. The core posture is familiar mono-red pressure, but the exact registered card mix includes Alchemy-specific or deck-specific pieces such as A-Heartfire Hero, Hired Claw, Emberheart Challenger, Manifold Mouse, Screaming Nemesis, Sear, The Last Agni Kai, Rockface Village, and Soulstone Sanctuary; do not substitute assumptions from other red formats for these exact names.

• Main-deck identity: The threat base is 4 A-Heartfire Hero, 4 Hired Claw, 4 Emberheart Challenger, 4 Manifold Mouse, and 4 Screaming Nemesis. The burn and pump package is 4 Burst Lightning, 4 Might of the Meek, 4 Shock, 4 Lightning Strike, 2 Sear, and 1 The Last Agni Kai. The mana base is 16 Mountain, 3 Rockface Village, and 2 Soulstone Sanctuary.

• Sideboard identity: The registered sideboard is 3 Soul-Guide Lantern, 1 Boulder Dash, 2 Pyroclasm, 2 Voice of Victory, 1 Chandra, Spark Hunter, 2 Sunspine Lynx, and 1 The Legend of Roku. Sideboard use should be matchup-specific and must preserve the registered deck constraints; exact executable plans belong only in the Sideboard Map section.

• Mana concern: The deck has 21 lands and is expected to operate on low mana, but Soulstone Sanctuary and Rockface Village may create sequencing pressure because creature deployment, activated land utility, and burn-spell timing can compete for the same mana. Keep hands that can produce early red mana and cast early threats; treat colorless or utility-heavy land patterns cautiously until the visible hand confirms functional plays.

• Role concern: The default role is beatdown, but the pilot must shift into burn-control only when visible blockers, life totals, or opposing pressure make pure racing unsafe. Spending Shock, Burst Lightning, Lightning Strike, Sear, or The Last Agni Kai on a creature is correct only when the resulting combat damage, survival, or tempo is better than holding that damage for the opponent.

• Legality and text concern: Card text check required for any exact tactical claim about Alchemy-specific behavior on A-Heartfire Hero, Hired Claw, Emberheart Challenger, Manifold Mouse, Screaming Nemesis, Sear, The Last Agni Kai, Boulder Dash, Voice of Victory, Chandra, Spark Hunter, Sunspine Lynx, and The Legend of Roku. When Veles exposes legal actions, trust the action text and visible state over memory.

• Opponent information status: No specific opponent deck, matchup label, or metagame list is supplied for this batch. Until public information identifies the opponent's strategy, assume only visible board state, revealed cards, graveyards, exile, life totals, hand counts, and legal actions are reliable; do not infer hidden removal, sweepers, lifegain, or blockers as certainty.

Thesis

Red Deck Wins assembles early mono-red pressure, compact pump/burn damage, and utility-land reach into a short-game clock that asks the opponent to answer threats immediately or die to the last points from hand. The deck wins by leading with A-Heartfire Hero, Hired Claw, Emberheart Challenger, or Manifold Mouse, forcing combat damage through before blockers dominate, then converting Burst Lightning, Shock, Lightning Strike, Sear, The Last Agni Kai, Rockface Village, Soulstone Sanctuary, and creature-triggered or combat-modifying legal actions into the final life-total collapse.

• Priority: Maximize damage per mana in the first four turns unless the visible board shows a creature that must be removed to preserve a larger attack. The default use of burn is opponent-facing reach, but killing one blocker is correct when it unlocks more total combat damage or prevents a race-losing crack-back.

• Priority: Commit threats before reactive burn when the hand has multiple creatures and the opponent has not presented a blocking battlefield. Red Deck Wins is not trying to hold up interaction like a control deck; it wants permanents in play that turn each combat step and each pump action into recurring damage pressure.

• Priority: Treat every mana decision as tempo-sensitive because the list has 21 lands, a low curve, and utility lands that can compete with spell casting. Mountain is the cleanest early source, while Rockface Village and Soulstone Sanctuary become higher-value only when their legal actions increase current or near-term damage without stranding red spells.

• Constraint: Do not invent exact Alchemy card text for A-Heartfire Hero, Hired Claw, Emberheart Challenger, Manifold Mouse, Screaming Nemesis, Sear, The Last Agni Kai, Boulder Dash, Voice of Victory, Chandra, Spark Hunter, Sunspine Lynx, or The Legend of Roku. Card text check required for precise trigger, buff, prevention, cost, or mode assumptions; at runtime, use only visible state and legal action text.

• Non-goal: Do not drift into long attrition unless the opponent has already stabilized and burn-to-face is no longer enough. This deck has no main-deck recursion package and no broad card-advantage engine confirmed from text, so trading down on damage, passing with mana unused, or preserving creatures for speculative future value usually gives slower decks the time they want.

Role Package

• Threats: A-Heartfire Hero, Hired Claw, Emberheart Challenger, Manifold Mouse, and Screaming Nemesis are the pressure core. Lead with the cheapest legal threat that uses available red mana efficiently, prefer multiple bodies over a single overcommitted line when the opponent has untapped interaction or likely sweepers from public information, and keep attacking unless a visible block or crack-back turns the race against you.

• Payoffs: Might of the Meek, Burst Lightning, Shock, Lightning Strike, Sear, The Last Agni Kai, Rockface Village, and Soulstone Sanctuary are damage conversion tools. Use them to turn a creature attack into a better clock, remove a blocker that changes combat math, or finish the opponent; do not spend them on low-impact creatures when the same card can represent lethal or force the opponent below a safe life total next turn.

• Engines: Emberheart Challenger, Manifold Mouse, Screaming Nemesis, Rockface Village, and Soulstone Sanctuary may create repeatable or scaling tactical pressure when their legal actions appear, but exact engine claims are conditional on runtime text. Card text check required; if Veles exposes a legal action that increases damage this turn or next turn without sacrificing a stronger play, treat it as part of the deck's pressure engine.

• Velocity: The deck's velocity is not a traditional draw or tutor package; it comes from redundant one- and two-mana plays, low land requirements, and burn that remains useful after combat stalls. Mulligan and sequencing should favor hands with early red mana plus at least one threat and one follow-up damage spell over hands that merely contain several lands and late reactive cards.

• Interaction: Shock, Burst Lightning, Lightning Strike, Sear, The Last Agni Kai, and Pyroclasm are the removal-facing cards when legal targets exist. Interaction is tempo-first: answer blockers, lifegain enablers, racing creatures, or must-kill engines only when visible consequences justify spending reach that could target the opponent.

• Protection: The main deck has no confirmed dedicated protection package. Protect threats by sequencing around visible mana, choosing attacks that do not expose essential damage to bad trades, using burn before blockers when legality and timing reward it, and considering sideboard cards such as Voice of Victory, Boulder Dash, The Legend of Roku, or Chandra, Spark Hunter only according to their actual revealed legal functions. Card text check required for those exact roles.

• Recursion: The registered main deck has no explicit graveyard recursion plan. Do not make sacrifice, trade, or burn-all-resources decisions on the assumption that lost threats will return; Soul-Guide Lantern belongs to graveyard interaction after sideboarding, not to recovering your own battlefield.

• Mana: Mountain is the baseline red source, Rockface Village is a utility-land pressure piece, and Soulstone Sanctuary is a utility-land threat or support piece only when the legal action text says so. Keep early sequencing red-spell functional before activating lands, and avoid hands where utility lands prevent A-Heartfire Hero, Hired Claw, Emberheart Challenger, Manifold Mouse, Shock, or Burst Lightning from being cast on curve.

• Sideboard modules: Soul-Guide Lantern is the graveyard-interaction module, Pyroclasm is the small-creature battlefield reset module, Sunspine Lynx is a pressure or anti-stabilization module pending text, Voice of Victory is a disruption/protection-style module pending text, Chandra, Spark Hunter is a higher-impact threat module pending text, The Legend of Roku is a specialized pressure/value module pending text, and Boulder Dash is a tactical combat or damage module pending text. Exact executable plans belong in Sideboard Map.

Primary Win Conditions

• Primary path: Curve creature pressure into burn reach with A-Heartfire Hero, Hired Claw, Emberheart Challenger, Manifold Mouse, and Screaming Nemesis. The setup is an opening red source, at least one early creature, and a follow-up damage spell or pump action; the execution is to attack every turn the visible blocks are acceptable, use Might of the Meek or Rockface Village only when legal action text converts mana into immediate or near-term damage, and preserve Burst Lightning, Shock, Lightning Strike, Sear, or The Last Agni Kai for the opponent unless killing a blocker produces more total damage. Prioritize this path in unknown Game 1s, against slow starts, and whenever the opponent has not shown lifegain, sweepers, or a board that makes combat damage inefficient.

• Primary path: Force an early blocker bottleneck, then burn the blocker and keep attacking. The setup is two or more creatures on board, especially low-cost threats backed by Shock, Burst Lightning, Lightning Strike, or Sear; the execution is to remove the single visible blocker that stops the most damage, attack before giving the opponent another draw step when possible, and avoid spending burn on creatures that do not change the next combat. Prioritize this path when the opponent's life total is still high enough that face burn alone is not lethal, but one clean attack plus later burn will create a two-turn clock.

• Primary path: Convert stalled combat into direct-damage lethal with Burst Lightning, Shock, Lightning Strike, Sear, and The Last Agni Kai. The setup is any earlier creature damage or land-chip pressure that brings the opponent into burn range; the execution is to count exact visible damage, respect ward, prevention, lifegain, taxes, and stack interaction exposed by legal actions, and sequence the cheapest lethal combination that leaves the fewest failure points. Prioritize this path when attacks are blocked profitably, when your creatures are removed, or when the opponent is tapped low and Veles exposes legal opponent-targeting burn actions.

• Primary path: Use utility lands as pressure without sacrificing spell tempo. Rockface Village and Soulstone Sanctuary are part of the win plan only when their visible legal actions add damage, enable an attack, create a threat, or improve a creature without stranding red spells in hand. Prioritize land actions after casting on-curve threats and burn, or when flooding makes land-based pressure better than passing with unused mana. Card text check required for exact Rockface Village and Soulstone Sanctuary action roles.

Secondary Win Conditions

• Backup combat path: Win with one surviving threat plus repeated small enhancements when the opponent has traded resources one-for-one. A-Heartfire Hero, Hired Claw, Emberheart Challenger, Manifold Mouse, or Screaming Nemesis can carry the game if the visible legal actions let that creature attack through, receive Might of the Meek, or use Rockface Village support. Prefer this path when your hand is light on burn but the board has a creature that survives combat and pressures planeswalkers or life totals.

• Backup burn path: Aim all remaining damage at the opponent when your board is empty and the opponent is below realistic reach range. The execution is to stop using Shock, Burst Lightning, Lightning Strike, Sear, or The Last Agni Kai as routine removal unless a creature threatens lethal against you or blocks a future creature-land attack. This path becomes correct when every draw step can represent lethal damage and trading burn for nonlethal board control extends the game in the opponent's favor.

• Backup value path: Let Emberheart Challenger, Manifold Mouse, Screaming Nemesis, and sideboard high-impact threats carry longer games only when their actual legal action text supports value or scaling. Card text check required for precise triggers, costs, and generated advantage; do not assume card draw, damage prevention, token creation, or recursion unless Veles shows it. Prioritize this path after the opponent stabilizes above burn range and you need repeatable board presence more than immediate face damage.

• Backup sideboard-pressure path: Use Chandra, Spark Hunter, Sunspine Lynx, Voice of Victory, The Legend of Roku, Boulder Dash, Pyroclasm, or Soul-Guide Lantern according to the post-board plan and visible matchup problem. These are not generic win conditions in every game; they become pressure, disruption, reset, or graveyard tools only when their card text and legal actions match the current problem. Card text check required for all non-obvious sideboard roles.

Emergency Lines

• Behind on life: Race only when exact visible damage shows you can win before the opponent's next attack or burn sequence. If racing fails, use burn on the creature that represents the largest immediate damage swing, accept trades with low-value attackers, and keep one path to lethal open rather than spending every card on defense.

• Behind on board: Clear the bottleneck creature or reset small creatures only when the resulting board lets your remaining threats attack or buys a full turn. Shock, Burst Lightning, Lightning Strike, Sear, The Last Agni Kai, and post-board Pyroclasm should not be fired at random bodies; choose the legal action that changes combat math, prevents lethal, or opens a lethal counterattack.

• Behind on cards: Convert every card into damage or a necessary tempo exchange. Avoid holding burn for speculative future value, avoid overcommitting creatures into visible sweepers when one attacker already demands an answer, and use Rockface Village or Soulstone Sanctuary actions to turn excess lands into pressure if the legal action text permits.

• Behind on mana: Keep plays castable before activating utility lands or holding expensive options. A two-land hand can still win if it casts early creatures and one-mana interaction; a three-land hand can lose if Rockface Village or Soulstone Sanctuary sequencing prevents red spells from being deployed on curve.

• Behind to engines, graveyard recursion, or combo: Identify the visible permanent, graveyard, or stack object that shortens the opponent's clock most, then spend damage or sideboard interaction only if it changes the next turn cycle. Soul-Guide Lantern is the registered graveyard answer after sideboarding; use it only when legal action text and public graveyard information justify the activation.

• Removed win conditions: Pivot from creature combat to burn reach when threats die, or from burn reach to land-based and single-threat pressure when damage spells are exhausted. Do not concede strategic agency because one plan failed; count remaining visible damage, preserve live topdecks, and force the opponent to answer each legal source of pressure.

Resource Model

• Life is a spendable clock buffer, not a preserved total. Use life to keep attacking when the opponent's visible counterattack does not create lethal or force unfavorable blocks; switch burn to defense only when Shock, Burst Lightning, Lightning Strike, Sear, The Last Agni Kai, or post-board Pyroclasm prevents lethal, saves a crucial attacker, or opens a lethal swing.

• Hand cards are damage packets first and flexible answers second. A-Heartfire Hero, Hired Claw, Emberheart Challenger, Manifold Mouse, and Screaming Nemesis should become board pressure quickly unless visible interaction makes holding one threat clearly safer; Burst Lightning, Shock, Lightning Strike, Sear, and The Last Agni Kai should be counted as reach before being assigned to creatures.

• Mana is the deck's main bottleneck during turns one through four. Spend mana every turn on a threat, a combat trick, or damage when legal actions permit; floating unused red mana is usually worse than converting a card into tempo unless holding burn creates exact lethal or protects against a visible threat.

• Board presence converts cheap cards into repeated damage. One creature plus Might of the Meek or Rockface Village pressure can matter, but two or more attackers usually force the opponent to choose between blocking damage and dying to burn; do not trade away the last attacker unless the exchange prevents lethal or puts the opponent into burn range.

• Graveyard resources are mostly informational unless Veles exposes card text that cares about them. Track spent Burst Lightning, Shock, Lightning Strike, Sear, and The Last Agni Kai to estimate remaining reach, and use post-board Soul-Guide Lantern only against public graveyard reliance or a visible graveyard action that matters.

• Exile resources matter only through visible permissions, replacement effects, or card text shown by the engine. Do not assume exile recursion or impulse access from Emberheart Challenger, Chandra, Spark Hunter, or The Legend of Roku; Card text check required, and use only legal actions Veles exposes.

• Lands are pressure sources after spell deployment. Mountain is the clean red source; Rockface Village and Soulstone Sanctuary are utility pressure only when their legal actions do not strand red spells or delay a creature; Card text check required for exact activation timing, targeting, and combat impact.

• Sacrifice fodder is not a primary deck resource. Do not treat A-Heartfire Hero or other creatures as disposable sacrifice material unless Veles shows a legal action requiring sacrifice and the exchange directly advances lethal, saves the game, or follows actual card text.

• Tempo is the deck's highest-value invisible resource. Prefer lines that make the opponent answer a creature and still face burn reach; avoid slow value actions when immediate damage shortens the clock by a full turn.

• Information comes from public zones, legal actions, revealed cards, and prior decisions. Respect visible ward, prevention, lifegain, counterplay, sweepers, and blockers; never assume hidden removal or hidden safety, but adjust when the opponent leaves mana and legal interaction actions available.

• Sideboard bullets are narrow resource converters. Soul-Guide Lantern converts a card into graveyard denial, Pyroclasm into a reset, Voice of Victory into pressure or disruption, Chandra, Spark Hunter and The Legend of Roku into slower high-impact plans, Sunspine Lynx into matchup pressure, and Boulder Dash into a specific combat or damage role only when actual legal actions confirm the text.

Mana Guide

• Keep red access above all else. Most spells require red mana, so hands without Mountain, Rockface Village, or another visible red-producing source should be mulliganed unless Veles shows a legal companion-format exception or special action that makes the hand functional.

• Keep one-land hands only with a one-mana start and multiple castable plays. A one-land hand with A-Heartfire Hero or Hired Claw plus Shock, Burst Lightning, or Might of the Meek can be considered on the draw, but a one-land hand relying on Screaming Nemesis, Lightning Strike, Sear, or The Last Agni Kai is too slow without strong visible support.

• Prefer two- and three-land openers with a turn-one or turn-two creature. Two lands plus A-Heartfire Hero, Hired Claw, Emberheart Challenger, or Manifold Mouse is the default keep shape; three lands is acceptable when the hand curves into Screaming Nemesis or contains enough burn to avoid flooding.

• Treat four or more lands as risky unless the hand has strong pressure and utility. Mountain-heavy hands need multiple threats or burn spells; Rockface Village and Soulstone Sanctuary improve flood only if their legal actions create damage without stealing critical early red mana.

• Sequence Mountain first when color certainty matters. If the hand contains Shock, Burst Lightning, Might of the Meek, A-Heartfire Hero, or Hired Claw, lead on the land that guarantees the earliest red spell unless Rockface Village has a visible untapped red mode with no cost.

• Delay utility-land activation until after spell deployment. Cast creatures and burn before using Rockface Village or Soulstone Sanctuary unless the land action immediately creates lethal, saves a key combat, or spends mana that could not cast a relevant card.

• Play lands before draw or selection only when mana is needed this turn or landfall-like text is visible. If an effect from Emberheart Challenger, The Legend of Roku, Chandra, Spark Hunter, or another card may reveal or draw a card, Card text check required; when uncertain, delay the land drop if no current spell requires the mana and an extra land choice could matter.

• Play lands before combat when Rockface Village or Soulstone Sanctuary might alter legal attacks. If the land's visible action can pump, animate, enable haste, or produce combat mana, make the land drop before attackers; otherwise preserve information and sequence attacks before exposing unnecessary land choices.

• Preserve cheap burn mana when the opponent can interact on the stack or in combat. Holding one red for Shock or Burst Lightning can be worth more than activating a utility land if it changes blocks, answers a creature, or threatens lethal after damage.

• Spend all mana on lethal before maximizing card efficiency. If the opponent is within exact visible range, choose the legal combination of Burst Lightning, Shock, Lightning Strike, Sear, The Last Agni Kai, attacks, and utility-land damage that wins through known taxes and interaction rather than saving mana for theoretical future value.

Mulligan Guide

• Strong keep: keep two lands plus A-Heartfire Hero or Hired Claw, another cheap creature, and one to two burn or pump spells. Mountain plus Rockface Village with A-Heartfire Hero, Manifold Mouse, Might of the Meek, Shock, and Lightning Strike is a strong pressure hand if both early spells are castable.

• Strong keep: keep two or three lands with Emberheart Challenger or Manifold Mouse into Screaming Nemesis when the hand also has Burst Lightning, Shock, Lightning Strike, or Sear. This hand has early damage, a turn-three body, and reach if the battlefield stalls.

• Medium keep: keep one creature, two lands, and three burn spells when the creature is A-Heartfire Hero, Hired Claw, Emberheart Challenger, or Manifold Mouse. This hand needs the first threat to survive or connect, so prioritize lines that keep damage flowing rather than spending burn on low-impact creatures.

• Medium keep: keep three lands, two creatures, and one burn spell on the play if the curve starts by turn two. Mountain, Mountain, Soulstone Sanctuary, Emberheart Challenger, Screaming Nemesis, Burst Lightning, and Lightning Strike is acceptable, but it must turn damage sideways before using utility-land actions.

• Risky keep: consider one-land hands only with a turn-one A-Heartfire Hero or Hired Claw plus at least two one-mana plays such as Burst Lightning, Shock, or Might of the Meek. Prefer this on the draw; on the play, ship unless the hand can function for two turns without the second land.

• Risky keep: consider four-land hands only when the nonlands include early pressure and reach. Four lands with Hired Claw, Manifold Mouse, and Lightning Strike can function; four lands with only Screaming Nemesis and The Last Agni Kai is too slow unless the matchup is visibly attrition-heavy.

• Automatic ship: mulligan hands with no red-producing land. This deck cannot rely on legal actions appearing later to fix mana.

• Automatic ship: mulligan hands with no creature and no fast damage plan. Burst Lightning, Shock, Lightning Strike, Sear, lands, and The Last Agni Kai can remove creatures, but it often lets the opponent choose when the race starts.

• Automatic ship: mulligan hands whose first legal play is Screaming Nemesis or The Last Agni Kai. A red aggro hand that waits until turn three without interaction plus pressure is not doing this deck's job.

• Matchup-dependent keep: keep removal-heavy hands against visible or known creature decks when Shock, Burst Lightning, Lightning Strike, Sear, and Pyroclasm can protect later attackers. Do not keep that shape against control or combo unless it also has A-Heartfire Hero, Hired Claw, Emberheart Challenger, or Manifold Mouse.

• Matchup-dependent keep: keep post-board Soul-Guide Lantern only with pressure against public graveyard reliance. A hand that is Soul-Guide Lantern plus burn but no creature should still be treated as risky because graveyard denial does not end the game.

• Play/draw adjustment: keep lower-land, higher-pressure hands more often on the draw and more stable two-land curves on the play. On the play, prioritize A-Heartfire Hero or Hired Claw into Manifold Mouse or Emberheart Challenger; on the draw, one-land hands need immediate legal plays and a clear path if the second land is missed.

• Trap hand: reject hands that look interactive but cannot apply pressure. Mountain, Mountain, Rockface Village, Shock, Burst Lightning, Sear, and The Last Agni Kai may answer creatures, but it risks spending every turn reacting while the opponent escapes burn range.

Turn Arc

• Turn 1: lead with Mountain or the cleanest red source and cast A-Heartfire Hero or Hired Claw when legal. If no creature is available, hold Shock or Burst Lightning unless using it immediately prevents a visible snowball creature or clears the only blocker for a known turn-two attack.

• Turn 1 deviation: play Rockface Village first only when it visibly casts the one-drop without tempo loss or its future action must be online. Avoid exposing Soulstone Sanctuary early if it delays red spells or has no immediate legal use.

• Turn 2: add Emberheart Challenger or Manifold Mouse before pointing burn at the opponent. A second attacker usually creates more total damage than an early Shock, unless the burn clears a blocker and enables a better attack this turn.

• Turn 2 deviation: use Might of the Meek only when Veles shows a legal target and the combat or damage outcome matters now. Card text check required; do not assume it draws, protects, or grants exact stats unless the engine action text confirms it.

• Turn 3: deploy Screaming Nemesis when the board needs a durable threat or the opponent is likely to stabilize with blockers or life gain. If the opponent is already low, sequence attacks first when legal, then aim Burst Lightning, Shock, Lightning Strike, or Sear at the opponent only if that shortens the clock or threatens lethal next turn.

• Turn 3 deviation: cast multiple cheap spells instead of Screaming Nemesis when the board rewards tempo. A-Heartfire Hero plus burn, Hired Claw plus Might of the Meek, or creature plus Shock can be better than one large play if it pushes damage through visible blockers.

• Turns 4-5: count lethal before making any value play. Combine attacks, Burst Lightning, Shock, Lightning Strike, Sear, The Last Agni Kai, Rockface Village, and Soulstone Sanctuary legal actions through visible taxes, prevention, blockers, and stack interaction.

• Turns 4-5 deviation: preserve burn when the opponent is not yet in range and a creature can keep attacking. Use removal on blockers that stop repeated damage; send burn upstairs only when the resulting clock is faster than clearing the battlefield.

• Late game: convert every draw into immediate pressure or exact reach. Utility lands matter more once spells are deployed, but activate Rockface Village or Soulstone Sanctuary only after checking whether the mana is needed for Burst Lightning, Shock, Lightning Strike, Sear, The Last Agni Kai, or a combat action.

• Late-game deviation: stop attacking only when the counterattack is lethal or a visible block destroys the last meaningful damage source without improving burn range. This deck usually loses slow games, so make the opponent answer damage rather than giving them free draw steps.

Card Roles

• A-Heartfire Hero is the preferred turn-one pressure card when Veles offers it with an untapped red source. Treat it as a damage engine first and a combat body second: cast it early, attack when legal damage is available, and use Might of the Meek or burn sequencing only when the visible outcome improves the race. Do not hold A-Heartfire Hero for later value unless the opponent has shown immediate sweepers or the only legal line exposes it to a visible exchange that loses tempo without pushing damage. Against slower decks, prioritize keeping it on board and forcing removal; against creature decks, pair it with burn that clears blockers before using burn as reach.

• Hired Claw is another priority one-drop and should usually enter before holding mana for Shock or Burst Lightning. Card text check required for exact triggered or activated details, so follow engine legal actions rather than assuming hidden damage or growth. Use Hired Claw to start the clock, to carry combat-boost decisions, and to pressure planeswalkers or life totals before the opponent stabilizes. The common mistake is passing with burn available instead of adding Hired Claw when no visible opposing threat must die immediately. In attrition games, a late Hired Claw is still useful if it enables double-spell turns or forces the opponent to respect low-life burn math.

• Emberheart Challenger is a premium two-drop threat and should normally be cast on turn two before spending burn upstairs. Card text check required for exact Alchemy text, but tactically treat it as a creature that rewards staying proactive and attacking through small-board states. Sequence Emberheart Challenger after A-Heartfire Hero or Hired Claw when possible so the deck presents multiple damage sources before the opponent can trade one removal spell for the whole turn. Hold Emberheart Challenger only when the opponent has a visible sweeper setup and another legal play maintains pressure. Against creature decks, cast it before using Lightning Strike on the opponent; against control, make them answer it before committing slower cards.

• Manifold Mouse is a key early creature and should usually share the turn-two priority tier with Emberheart Challenger. Card text check required for exact target, combat, or pump wording, so choose its legal actions from the rules-engine output rather than assumed abilities. Its strategic job is to increase the damage ceiling of early attacks and make small creatures matter past turn two. Cast Manifold Mouse before a discretionary Shock to the opponent unless the Shock creates immediate lethal pressure or removes the only blocker. The trap is treating Manifold Mouse as a late value card; this deck wants its board contribution early enough that Burst Lightning, Shock, Lightning Strike, and Sear become reach instead of emergency cleanup.

• Screaming Nemesis is the main three-mana threat and should be deployed when the deck needs a harder-hitting body, anti-stabilization pressure, or a way to punish defensive lines. Card text check required for exact prevention, damage, or life-gain related wording; do not assume a prevention shield or life-gain lock unless the legal action or visible effect confirms it. Cast Screaming Nemesis on curve when the opponent is likely to race, block, or gain life, but prefer double-spell turns when the opponent is already low and cheap burn plus attackers creates a faster clock. Against removal-light creature decks, it can dominate combat; against control, avoid tapping out for it if a lower-curve line presents equal damage with less exposure.

• Burst Lightning is flexible reach and cheap interaction, so preserve it until the visible board tells you whether the game is about tempo or lethal math. Card text check required for exact kicker or scaling details in the active format, but use any engine-presented increased-cost mode only after counting whether the extra damage changes the turn clock. Use Burst Lightning on a blocker when clearing that blocker creates repeated creature damage; use it on the opponent when it contributes to exact lethal, forces a one-turn clock, or avoids losing damage to a future sweeper. The common mistake is firing Burst Lightning too early at the opponent while a visible creature will stop two attacks.

• Shock is the cheapest burn spell and should be spent aggressively only when one mana is the bottleneck. Use Shock to clear one-toughness or damaged blockers, finish planeswalkers if relevant, or complete lethal with attackers. Hold Shock when the opponent is above burn range and your creatures can still attack without help. Because Shock is efficient but low ceiling, it is often the first spell to pair with a creature on double-spell turns. Do not spend Shock into visible protection, ward, tax, or prevention unless the rules engine shows the payment and the result still advances lethal or survival.

• Lightning Strike is the baseline three-damage burn role and should be treated as both removal and reach. Use Lightning Strike on creatures that stop multiple attacks, enable an opposing fast clock, or threaten to invalidate your smaller attackers. Aim Lightning Strike at the opponent when the resulting damage plus public attacks puts them dead this turn or under a one-turn burn clock. Avoid using Lightning Strike on low-impact creatures when Shock or Burst Lightning can handle the same visible problem. Against control and combo, it is often more valuable as reach; against creature aggro, it is often the spell that protects the race by removing the best blocker or attacker.

• Sear is a limited-copy burn/removal slot and should be sequenced after checking whether its exact legal action differs from Lightning Strike. Card text check required for exact damage, exile, or rider text. Use Sear where its engine-confirmed mode matters: killing a creature that smaller burn cannot kill, pushing a precise damage total, or using any visible rider that improves combat or prevents recursion. Do not spend Sear as generic face damage before confirming that Shock, Burst Lightning, or Lightning Strike would not do the same job while preserving scarce coverage for a larger threat.

• Might of the Meek is a combat and tempo spell, not a generic value button. Card text check required for exact pump, draw, targeting, or restriction details, so use it only when Veles presents a legal target and the immediate visible result matters. Prefer Might of the Meek when it pushes damage through, saves an important attacker from a visible block, turns A-Heartfire Hero, Hired Claw, Emberheart Challenger, or Manifold Mouse into a better clock, or helps win combat without spending burn. Avoid casting it before attackers or blocks are known unless the legal action text proves that timing is required. Against open mana, respect the risk of removal in response.

• The Last Agni Kai is the single main-deck high-impact spell and should be treated as a commitment card. Card text check required for exact modes, damage distribution, or ongoing effects. Do not keep slow hands because this card exists; use it when the engine presents a legal line that changes a stalled board, converts a near-lethal state into a win, or recovers from a visible battlefield where normal burn is insufficient. Avoid casting it for low-impact damage if cheaper burn plus attacks already creates the same clock. In attrition matchups, it may be a reason to keep the third or fourth land; in fast matchups, it must not delay early creatures.

• Mountain is the clean red source and should be prioritized early when the hand has A-Heartfire Hero, Hired Claw, Burst Lightning, Shock, or Might of the Meek. Play Mountain over utility lands when colored mana uncertainty could delay two-spell turns. The mistake is choosing a utility land line that looks valuable but prevents casting the one-drop or holding Shock after deploying a threat.

• Rockface Village is a utility land that should be used only after red-spell sequencing is secure. Card text check required for exact activation and creature interaction. Play it when it does not delay early pressure, and activate it only when Veles shows the legal action and the mana is not needed for Burst Lightning, Shock, Lightning Strike, Sear, or The Last Agni Kai. Treat Rockface Village as late-game reach or combat leverage, not as a reason to slow the first two turns.

• Soulstone Sanctuary is a low-copy utility land and should be treated as a late-game pressure conversion tool. Card text check required for exact activation, creature type, and timing. Play it when red mana is already stable or when the alternative land sequencing is equivalent. Avoid activating Soulstone Sanctuary before counting whether the same mana represents lethal burn, a better creature spell, or a necessary interaction spell. Against control, it can matter after sweepers; against aggro, it is usually secondary to spending mana on immediate damage or removal.

Interaction Priorities

• Removal priority: Use Shock, Burst Lightning, Lightning Strike, and Sear first on creatures or permanents that stop multiple attacks, create an immediate faster clock, or invalidate A-Heartfire Hero, Hired Claw, Emberheart Challenger, Manifold Mouse, or Screaming Nemesis in combat. The opponent is the correct target when visible attacks plus burn create lethal this turn, a one-turn clock, or a forced chump-block sequence.

• Blocker priority: Remove the cheapest high-impact blocker before spending burn on face damage. Prioritize blockers with lifelink, first strike, deathtouch, large toughness relative to your team, or repeated token production, because those cards turn your small-creature pressure into bad trades. Ignore tapped creatures, summoning-sick utility bodies, and blockers that still allow the same attack damage unless they threaten lethal on the crack-back.

• Race priority: In aggro mirrors, treat burn as tempo removal until the opponent is within exact lethal range. Killing one attacker that saves four or more life over the next turn cycle is often better than pointing Lightning Strike at the opponent. In control or combo matchups, shift burn toward reach unless a visible creature or permanent is the only reason your current board cannot end the game quickly.

• Scarce-answer priority: Preserve Sear and The Last Agni Kai for board states where Shock, Burst Lightning, or Lightning Strike do not solve the visible problem. Card text check required for Sear and The Last Agni Kai; use any engine-confirmed exile, scaling, or multi-target mode only when that rider changes combat, recursion, or lethal math.

• Bait priority: Lead with lower-value pressure when the opponent is representing removal and you can still spend mana efficiently after a response. A-Heartfire Hero and Hired Claw can bait early interaction before Emberheart Challenger, Manifold Mouse, or Screaming Nemesis, but do not deliberately expose a creature if the alternative is immediate lethal burn. Against sweepers, adding one extra creature is correct only when it changes the clock or forces the opponent to answer this turn.

• No-counter rule: The registered main deck has no counterspell, discard, bounce, or broad exile-control package, so do not wait for an interaction category that the legal action list does not show. If Veles presents no legal burn, combat trick, or utility-land activation, prioritize board deployment, attack math, or passing with a clear reason.

Combat And Trading Rules

• Attack priority: Attack whenever the visible blocks do not trade away your clock for less damage than burn could produce. This deck wins by forcing the opponent to answer repeated creature damage, so default toward attacks with A-Heartfire Hero, Hired Claw, Emberheart Challenger, Manifold Mouse, and Screaming Nemesis when the resulting trade still leaves reach from Shock, Burst Lightning, Lightning Strike, or Sear.

• Trade rule: Accept trades that keep the opponent under a two-turn clock or clear the way for future attacks. Decline trades that sacrifice your only persistent damage source while the hand is mostly burn-light or land-heavy. If Might of the Meek is legal, compare using it to win combat against simply burning the blocker; choose the line that leaves the most damage available across this turn and next turn.

• Preservation rule: Preserve Manifold Mouse, Emberheart Challenger, or Screaming Nemesis when their visible text, size, or future combat pressure matters more than the current attack. Card text check required for exact triggered or combat-related text, but do not throw away a creature with an active or repeatable role unless the attack creates lethal, forces lethal next turn, or prevents losing the race.

• Life-threshold rule: Above roughly 12 opponent life, prioritize board growth and clearing blockers; from 8 to 12, count every attack plus two burn spells before choosing removal targets; at 7 or less, shift toward exact lethal and one-turn-clock lines. Your own life total changes the rule: below 8 against another aggressive board, burn opposing attackers or hold blockers if the crack-back is lethal.

• Blocking rule: Block only when blocking prevents lethal, preserves a race you are otherwise losing, or trades a low-value creature for a higher-impact attacker. Do not chump-block early with A-Heartfire Hero, Hired Claw, Emberheart Challenger, or Manifold Mouse just to save small amounts of life if the creature is needed to deal repeated damage.

• Pump-risk rule: Use Might of the Meek after blocks or when the legal action text shows the timing is required. Respect open removal: if the opponent can remove the target in response and that blowout loses the game, prefer burn-based removal or a simpler attack. If the opponent is tapped out or the pump creates lethal, the risk threshold is much lower.

• Archetype adjustment: Against creature swarms, trade more freely and keep Pyroclasm-sideboard expectations in mind for later games, but do not over-block before sideboarding if racing is still favorable. Against midrange, protect your best persistent attacker and use burn to remove lifegain or stabilizing blockers. Against control, make them answer threats, avoid overcommitting into visible sweep pressure, and keep utility lands like Rockface Village and Soulstone Sanctuary as post-removal pressure when red mana is already secure.

Selection And Tutor Rules

• No-tutor rule: The registered main deck has no true search, tutor, surveil, or repeatable card-selection engine, so do not spend decision time looking for a library-search line unless Veles shows a legal action from a card on the battlefield or stack. Treat the opening hand, draw step, and any engine-confirmed exile/play or draw instruction as the deck's real selection points.

• Pseudo-selection priority: Use early sequencing to reduce future bad draws rather than trying to sculpt a perfect hand. Prioritize a keepable mix of Mountain or red-producing lands, one-drop or two-drop pressure, and Shock, Burst Lightning, Lightning Strike, Sear, Might of the Meek, or The Last Agni Kai only when those spells line up with visible combat or lethal math.

• Land-drop timing: Make the land drop before casting spells when the extra mana changes legal actions this turn, enables kicked Burst Lightning, enables multiple burn spells, or enables a Rockface Village or Soulstone Sanctuary activation. Delay a land drop only when Veles shows a legal effect that cares about cards in hand, top-card play permission, or post-selection information; card text check required before using that delay as a rule.

• Top-card permission: If Emberheart Challenger, The Last Agni Kai, or any legal action creates temporary permission to play a card from exile or another public zone, spend that card first only when it advances damage, mana efficiency, or board pressure before the permission expires. Do not strand a playable Mountain, A-Heartfire Hero, Hired Claw, Manifold Mouse, Screaming Nemesis, Shock, Burst Lightning, Lightning Strike, Sear, or Might of the Meek if using it now does not weaken lethal or interaction this turn.

• Draw/filter caution: Card text check required for exact draw, exile, or replacement text on Might of the Meek, Emberheart Challenger, The Last Agni Kai, and any Alchemy-adjusted card face. When Veles shows a draw or exile-play action, evaluate whether casting it before combat changes attackers, pump targets, or burn thresholds; if it does not, preserve instant-speed information until the latest legal profitable window.

• Bottoming rule: If Veles exposes a mulligan-bottom, scry, or put-back choice from an external effect, bottom excess lands after the third red source unless Rockface Village or Soulstone Sanctuary is the only visible late-game pressure plan. Keep burn over redundant creatures when the opponent is already low; keep creatures over burn when the board is empty and the opponent is outside two-spell lethal range.

• Sideboard selection note: Soul-Guide Lantern is the only registered sideboard card that clearly implies graveyard timing from its name and role, but exact card text still controls. Use any draw or exile mode only when Veles presents it and the graveyard target, sacrifice, or activation text is visible.

Priority And Stack Rules

• Default priority rule: Pass priority quickly when the stack is empty, no legal instant-speed damage changes combat or lethal, and using mana now would not improve the clock. This deck loses value by pausing without purpose; every hold should name a visible reason such as lethal burn, removal before blocks, a Might of the Meek combat window, or an activated land line.

• Burn timing rule: Cast Shock, Burst Lightning, Lightning Strike, or Sear at the latest safe window when targeting the opponent, because hidden draws and blocks can change lethal math. Cast burn earlier only to clear a blocker before attacks, stop an opposing lethal attack, answer a must-kill creature before its triggered or activated value, or spend mana before it would otherwise be wasted.

• Stack response rule: Respond to opposing spells only when the legal burn, pump, or activation changes the spell's outcome, kills a target before it receives counters/equipment/pump, prevents life gain, or creates immediate lethal. Let low-impact card draw, setup, or non-blocking permanents resolve when your visible line is faster by attacking and sending burn upstairs.

• Combat priority rule: Use Might of the Meek after blockers are declared when the legal action text allows it and the target is still legal. Use it before blockers only when the rules-engine action indicates that timing is required, the pump changes an attack declaration, or it creates lethal that cannot wait.

• Kicker and mana rule: Choose kicked Burst Lightning only when Veles shows the kicked action and the extra damage changes lethal, kills a larger blocker, or prevents losing the race. Prefer two cheaper spells over one kicked spell when both lines produce the same damage and the cheaper split leaves more post-response flexibility.

• Activated-land rule: Activate Rockface Village or Soulstone Sanctuary only after comparing the activation against casting a spell from hand, kicked Burst Lightning, or holding interaction. Card text check required for exact activation timing, target restrictions, and creature mode; never assume an activation is instant-speed unless Veles exposes it in the current priority window.

• Optional trigger/payment rule: Take optional damage, pump, draw, or temporary-play triggers from A-Heartfire Hero, Hired Claw, Emberheart Challenger, Manifold Mouse, Screaming Nemesis, Might of the Meek, or The Last Agni Kai only when Veles presents the trigger or payment and the visible effect advances damage, card flow, or survival. Decline optional costs that consume mana needed for lethal burn, blocker removal, or a required post-stack response.

• Graveyard timing rule: Use Soul-Guide Lantern from the sideboard at the last safe window before the opponent can use the graveyard resource, unless drawing a card or clearing the graveyard now is the only way to spend mana efficiently. Do not fire it into an empty or irrelevant graveyard just because it is legal.

• Resolution discipline: Let your own spell resolve before taking follow-up actions unless a response window creates a new lethal or protection choice. After each resolution, recount opponent life, available attackers, untapped blockers, mana, and remaining burn before choosing the next action.

Sideboard Map

• Sideboard rule: Sideboard only to change the damage route, not to become a midrange deck. Keep the core of A-Heartfire Hero, Hired Claw, Emberheart Challenger, Manifold Mouse, Screaming Nemesis, Shock, Burst Lightning, Lightning Strike, and enough Mountain effects intact unless the matchup specifically punishes creatures or cheap burn.

• Registration rule: Use only the 12 registered sideboard cards: Soul-Guide Lantern, Boulder Dash, Pyroclasm, Voice of Victory, Chandra, Spark Hunter, Sunspine Lynx, and The Legend of Roku. Do not assume access to wider red sideboard staples, colorless hate, or utility lands.

• Soul-Guide Lantern role: Add Soul-Guide Lantern against graveyard engines, recursive creatures, escape, reanimation, delirium-style payoffs, aftermath-style flashback, and any opponent whose visible graveyard is a resource. It is bad when the opponent uses the graveyard only as a discard pile and the matchup is a pure race, because a non-damage artifact can lower opening pressure. Role change: keep it as a tempo hate piece first, and use any card-draw mode only when Veles shows the legal action and the graveyard is not currently threatening. Card text check required for exact activation text and timing.

• Boulder Dash role: Add Boulder Dash when a single protected attacker, surprise combat damage, or haste-like pressure is more valuable than a generic burn spell. It is strongest against sorcery-speed removal, planeswalker defenses, and opponents trying to stabilize with one blocker at a time. It is bad against decks with many instant-speed removal spells, sweepers, or large blockers where a creature-targeted trick risks losing both mana and the attacker. Card text check required for exact target, pump, haste, and timing text.

• Pyroclasm role: Add Pyroclasm against small-creature boards, token decks, go-wide white or red shells, mana-creature starts, and opposing boards where clearing multiple creatures opens attacks for A-Heartfire Hero, Hired Claw, Emberheart Challenger, Manifold Mouse, or Screaming Nemesis. It is bad when your own board is ahead with multiple small creatures and the opponent has few targets, because it can erase your clock. Role change: treat Pyroclasm as a reset button when behind, not as routine removal when Shock, Burst Lightning, Lightning Strike, or Sear handles the only blocker.

• Voice of Victory role: Add Voice of Victory against counterspell decks, instant-speed removal decks, flash threats, and opponents trying to play mostly during your turn. It is bad against tapout creature decks where combat math and burn density matter more than restricting timing. Role change: when Voice of Victory is present, sequence it before the key attack, Screaming Nemesis, Chandra, Spark Hunter, The Legend of Roku, or multi-spell burn turn if Veles shows legal mana and the opponent has visible untapped interaction potential. Card text check required for exact Alchemy text.

• Chandra, Spark Hunter role: Add Chandra, Spark Hunter against attrition, lifegain control, planeswalker mirrors, and removal-heavy decks that can answer the first creature wave. It is bad when the opponent can kill you before a higher-mana permanent changes the race, especially against low-curve creature swarms or combo. Role change: after boarding Chandra, Spark Hunter, count mana more carefully and avoid spending Rockface Village or Soulstone Sanctuary activations in ways that prevent casting the planeswalker on curve. Card text check required for loyalty abilities and damage output.

• Sunspine Lynx role: Add Sunspine Lynx against lifegain, multicolor mana bases, slow control, domain-style decks, and opponents likely to stabilize through life total padding or nonbasic lands. It is bad against faster mono-color creature decks when a four-mana threat is too slow or when visible board pressure demands immediate cheap interaction. Role change: with Sunspine Lynx in the deck, preserve land drops through turn four and value earlier creature damage because the Lynx often turns prior chip damage into a closing range. Card text check required for exact Alchemy wording and trigger conditions.

• The Legend of Roku role: Add The Legend of Roku against slow creature-light decks, removal-heavy midrange, and matchups where a persistent damage source or saga-style sequence is better than another small creature. It is bad when the opponent is attacking early with multiple creatures and you need immediate board interaction. Role change: after boarding The Legend of Roku, prioritize early creatures that force the opponent to spend removal before the saga or permanent resolves. Card text check required for chapter text, permanent type, and timing.

Anti-Graveyard Recursive Decks Side in: 3 Soul-Guide Lantern; 2 Sunspine Lynx Cut: 2 Sear; 1 The Last Agni Kai; 2 Might of the Meek

• Plan note: This plan keeps the creature count high while adding graveyard suppression and a bigger closing threat. Reduce main-deck emphasis: narrow burn and pump that does not stop recursion. Add role cards: Soul-Guide Lantern for graveyard timing, Sunspine Lynx for damage that can matter after the opponent spends turns setting up.

Small-Creature Swarm Side in: 2 Pyroclasm; 1 Boulder Dash Cut: 1 The Last Agni Kai; 2 Might of the Meek

• Plan note: This plan adds a catch-up sweeper while keeping enough one-mana interaction for early turns. Reduce main-deck emphasis: pump that depends on a creature surviving combat when the opponent can flood blockers. Add role cards: Pyroclasm for board reset, Boulder Dash for converting a surviving attacker into a fast recovery after the reset.

Counterspell Or Flash Control Side in: 2 Voice of Victory; 1 Chandra, Spark Hunter; 1 The Legend of Roku Cut: 2 Sear; 1 Shock; 1 Might of the Meek

• Plan note: This plan adds threats that punish instant-speed play patterns and improves late-game pressure. Reduce main-deck emphasis: the lowest-impact spot damage when the opponent presents few creatures. Add role cards: Voice of Victory before key spells, Chandra, Spark Hunter for repeat pressure, and The Legend of Roku as a sticky threat if Veles confirms legal timing.

Lifegain Or Slow Stabilization Side in: 2 Sunspine Lynx; 1 Chandra, Spark Hunter; 1 The Legend of Roku Cut: 2 Sear; 1 Shock; 1 Might of the Meek

• Plan note: This plan increases threat quality against decks trying to survive the first wave. Reduce main-deck emphasis: small removal pointed at creatures that do not block profitably or change lifegain math. Add role cards: Sunspine Lynx as a lifegain-pressure threat, Chandra, Spark Hunter as repeat damage or card pressure, and The Legend of Roku when the opponent has few fast attackers.

Creature Midrange With Large Blockers Side in: 1 Boulder Dash; 1 Chandra, Spark Hunter; 2 Sunspine Lynx Cut: 2 Sear; 2 Shock

• Plan note: This plan shifts from killing every creature to forcing damage through bigger bodies and finishing from a higher threat base. Reduce main-deck emphasis: low-damage burn that does not remove the blockers Veles shows. Add role cards: Boulder Dash only when an attacker survives the current legal exchange, Sunspine Lynx as a larger threat, and Chandra, Spark Hunter when a noncreature source is likely to survive.

• Archetype rule against graveyard decks: Add role cards only when Veles shows graveyard use, graveyard-count payoffs, recursive card names, or known deck context that makes Soul-Guide Lantern live. Keep one-land or low-pressure hands with Soul-Guide Lantern only when the rest of the hand has a creature curve and red mana.

• Archetype rule against small creatures: Add role cards when Pyroclasm can answer at least two visible or expected cheap creatures, but do not cast Pyroclasm into your own winning board unless it opens lethal, prevents lethal, or clears blockers that cannot otherwise be beaten.

• Archetype rule against control: Add role cards that keep pressure after removal, but do not overload on slow cards. If the opening hand contains Chandra, Spark Hunter, The Legend of Roku, and no one-drop or two-drop, mulligan more aggressively unless the lands and burn already produce a credible clock.

• Archetype rule against lifegain: Add role cards that punish stabilization and preserve burn for the opponent when visible creatures are not threatening lethal. Do not spend Shock, Burst Lightning, Lightning Strike, or Sear on low-impact creatures if Sunspine Lynx or Screaming Nemesis can make life-total pressure matter more.

• Role-change rule after sideboarding: When slower sideboard cards are added, treat Mountain count, Rockface Village, and Soulstone Sanctuary as more important because missing land drops can strand Chandra, Spark Hunter, Sunspine Lynx, or The Legend of Roku. Do not keep a hand that only becomes functional after drawing a second red source unless the matchup is slow and Veles shows a strong one-mana start.

• Bad-sideboard warning: Avoid adding Soul-Guide Lantern, Chandra, Spark Hunter, Sunspine Lynx, or The Legend of Roku just because they are powerful in isolation. Every added card must answer a visible matchup pressure: graveyard reliance, instant-speed interaction, lifegain, sweepers, large blockers, or small-creature density.

Matchup Guidance

• Aggro matchup rule: become the slightly cleaner damage deck, not the bigger midrange deck, and use Shock, Burst Lightning, Lightning Strike, and Sear to stop attackers only when the visible race math improves. Keep A-Heartfire Hero, Hired Claw, Emberheart Challenger, and Manifold Mouse hands that deploy early pressure with red mana; mulligan hands that start with only Screaming Nemesis or The Last Agni Kai and no early creature. Add role cards: Pyroclasm against multiple small creatures, Boulder Dash when a single surviving attacker can break a stalled race. Reduce main-deck emphasis: Might of the Meek when the opponent can remove the target before combat or when combat is mostly about preserving life.

• Control matchup rule: force early life-total pressure, then make the opponent answer one threat at a time while burn stays pointed at the opponent unless a planeswalker or blocker changes the clock. Prioritize one-drop plus two-drop starts over hands with only burn, because Shock and Burst Lightning without creatures let control spend life as a resource. Add role cards: Voice of Victory against instant-speed interaction, Chandra, Spark Hunter for repeat pressure, The Legend of Roku for persistent pressure if Veles confirms legal timing, Sunspine Lynx against lifegain or nonbasic-heavy stabilization. Reduce main-deck emphasis: Sear and some low-impact creature removal when the opponent shows few targets. Card text check required for exact Chandra, Spark Hunter and The Legend of Roku play patterns.

• Combo matchup rule: count visible turns to lethal and choose the fastest legal line unless interaction shown by Veles makes a burn spell or Soul-Guide Lantern activation immediately relevant. Keep hands that curve A-Heartfire Hero or Hired Claw into Emberheart Challenger, Manifold Mouse, or Screaming Nemesis with at least one burn spell. Use Lightning Strike, Burst Lightning, Shock, Sear, and The Last Agni Kai as reach rather than board control unless the combo depends on a visible creature. Add role cards: Soul-Guide Lantern only for graveyard-based combo, Voice of Victory if the opponent relies on casting during your turn, Sunspine Lynx if the combo shell buys time with lifegain or nonbasic mana. Reduce main-deck emphasis: Pyroclasm unless combo also floods small creatures.

• Tempo matchup rule: do not spend pump into open mana or a visible bounce/removal window unless Veles shows lethal or the opponent cannot punish the target. Lead with expendable pressure from A-Heartfire Hero, Hired Claw, and Emberheart Challenger, then use Manifold Mouse and Might of the Meek when the combat or stack window is favorable. Preserve cheap burn for creatures that race, carry tempo pressure, or block your best attacker. Add role cards: Voice of Victory against flash or counterspell patterns, Boulder Dash only when it converts a safe attacker into decisive damage, Chandra, Spark Hunter only when the game is likely to slow. Reduce main-deck emphasis: The Last Agni Kai if the opponent can hold up cheap permission and you cannot force a tap-low window.

• Midrange matchup rule: prioritize damage that survives removal and do not trade burn for creatures unless the creature blocks multiple attacks or threatens lethal. Screaming Nemesis is important because it can pressure through removal-heavy boards and can make the opponent’s life total harder to buffer; Card text check required for exact prevention or life-gain-modifying text. Use Rockface Village and Soulstone Sanctuary as late pressure when creature counts are exhausted, but avoid missing early red curve requirements. Add role cards: Sunspine Lynx against lifegain, big blockers, or nonbasic-heavy mana; Chandra, Spark Hunter and The Legend of Roku against one-for-one removal. Reduce main-deck emphasis: Shock and Sear when they fail to kill visible blockers.

• Big mana matchup rule: race before the opponent’s expensive spells dominate, and ignore nonlethal mana creatures or artifacts unless removing them changes a visible turn of development. Keep any functional hand with early creature pressure and two lands; avoid slow hands that rely on Soulstone Sanctuary activation before dealing meaningful damage. Save Lightning Strike, Burst Lightning, and The Last Agni Kai for direct damage when blockers are absent or too large to remove efficiently. Add role cards: Sunspine Lynx against nonbasic-heavy mana and stabilization, Chandra, Spark Hunter when a longer game is unavoidable, The Legend of Roku when creature removal is light. Reduce main-deck emphasis: Pyroclasm and Soul-Guide Lantern unless visible deck context makes them live.

• Graveyard matchup rule: keep pressure first and graveyard control second, because Soul-Guide Lantern without damage can give the opponent time to rebuild. Use Soul-Guide Lantern when Veles shows graveyard recursion, escape-like pressure, reanimation targets, or graveyard-count payoffs; do not fire it early if waiting can catch the named payoff and the current board is not forcing immediate use. Add role cards: Soul-Guide Lantern, Sunspine Lynx when graveyard decks also stabilize through lifegain or nonbasic mana. Reduce main-deck emphasis: Sear and Might of the Meek when they do not interact with the graveyard plan or force damage through.

• Artifact/enchantment matchup rule: treat artifacts and enchantments as race objects unless Veles shows a registered sideboard card or legal action that actually answers them. This deck has burn and pressure, not broad permanent removal, so do not waste turns trying to solve artifacts or enchantments that do not change the damage race. Use Shock, Burst Lightning, Lightning Strike, and Sear on creatures produced by those permanents only when the creature blocks, attacks for lethal, or enables a key engine. Add role cards: Chandra, Spark Hunter or The Legend of Roku against slow artifact/enchantment control; Soul-Guide Lantern only when the engine uses the graveyard. Reduce main-deck emphasis: Pyroclasm unless the artifact/enchantment deck creates many small creatures.

• Go-wide matchup rule: preserve life total and plan for Pyroclasm when the opponent presents multiple small creatures, but do not reset your own winning board unless it opens lethal or prevents lethal. Early A-Heartfire Hero and Hired Claw pressure remains valuable, but Manifold Mouse and Might of the Meek become riskier if the opponent can double-block or remove the target. Use burn to break up attacks that would force bad blocks, and favor Screaming Nemesis when it attacks into smaller creatures. Add role cards: Pyroclasm and Boulder Dash. Reduce main-deck emphasis: The Last Agni Kai and pump that depends on one creature surviving.

• Single-threat matchup rule: decide whether the visible threat is a blocker, a clock, or both, then route burn accordingly. If Shock plus Lightning Strike or Burst Lightning plus Sear can remove the only blocker and maintain lethal pressure, take the clearing line; if removal does not kill it, ignore it and race with creatures plus direct damage. Screaming Nemesis is often the best creature into single large threats because it pressures without needing a wide board; Card text check required for exact combat punishment text. Add role cards: Sunspine Lynx for bigger threat density and Chandra, Spark Hunter for noncombat pressure. Reduce main-deck emphasis: low-damage burn that cannot finish the threat.

• Burn mirror rule: become the deck with board pressure plus disciplined life-total math, and do not spend Shock, Burst Lightning, or Lightning Strike on creatures unless that creature represents more damage than the burn spell would deal to the opponent. Keep two-land hands with one or two early creatures and at least one burn spell; mulligan slow hands with Soulstone Sanctuary and no one-drop. Screaming Nemesis can be decisive if it changes lifegain or damage prevention, but Card text check required for exact Alchemy wording. Add role cards: Sunspine Lynx if the opponent uses lifegain or nonbasic lands, Pyroclasm only against many small creatures. Reduce main-deck emphasis: Chandra, Spark Hunter and The Legend of Roku when they are too slow under visible pressure.

• Removal-heavy matchup rule: diversify threats and avoid putting Might of the Meek or Boulder Dash into obvious removal unless lethal or Veles shows the opponent tapped low. Lead with A-Heartfire Hero, Hired Claw, and Emberheart Challenger to demand answers, then follow with Screaming Nemesis, Soulstone Sanctuary pressure, or a sideboard permanent when resources run thin. Use Rockface Village only when the activation improves damage without exposing a crucial spell to being stranded. Add role cards: Voice of Victory against instant-speed removal, Chandra, Spark Hunter, The Legend of Roku, and Sunspine Lynx for harder-to-answer pressure. Reduce main-deck emphasis: Sear and narrow creature burn when the opponent has few creatures.

Specific Matchup Notes

• Opponent identity note: exact opponents are absent, so these notes are general/archetype-only; revealed cards, public zones, and Veles legal actions override every archetype assumption. Treat sideboard role choices as likely adjustments, not automatic plans.

• Versus fast creature decks: protect life total without abandoning pressure, because Red Deck Wins still wins by making the opponent answer A-Heartfire Hero, Hired Claw, Emberheart Challenger, and Manifold Mouse on curve. Priority targets are creatures that block two attacks, enable a wide lethal attack, or punish racing math. Add role cards: Pyroclasm and Boulder Dash when the opponent presents multiple small creatures. Reduce main-deck emphasis: The Last Agni Kai if it is slower than the visible board, and Might of the Meek when the only target is exposed to easy removal.

• Versus removal-heavy midrange: force them to answer a spread of threats instead of committing all damage through one creature. Hold Might of the Meek or Boulder Dash until lethal, a tapped-low window, or a Veles-listed combat line where losing the target still leaves acceptable damage. Priority targets are lifegain creatures, repeat blockers, and planeswalkers or permanents that prevent attacks. Add role cards: Voice of Victory, Chandra, Spark Hunter, The Legend of Roku, and Sunspine Lynx when the opponent tries to stabilize through removal and higher-impact permanents. Reduce main-deck emphasis: Shock and Sear when they lack clean visible targets.

• Versus control or sweepers: commit enough creatures to force action, but do not empty every threat into a known or telegraphed sweeper unless the current attack plus burn creates lethal. Screaming Nemesis is a priority threat when it pressures through removal-heavy games; Card text check required for exact Alchemy wording. Add role cards: Voice of Victory against instant-speed interaction, Chandra, Spark Hunter and The Legend of Roku for noncreature pressure, and Sunspine Lynx when life gain or nonbasic-heavy mana is visible.

• Versus graveyard decks: keep the damage clock primary and use Soul-Guide Lantern only when the graveyard is a visible resource. Priority targets are reanimation objects, recursive threats, flashback-like effects, or graveyard-count payoffs shown by Veles. Add role cards: Soul-Guide Lantern. Reduce main-deck emphasis: Sear or low-impact pump when those cards neither clear blockers nor increase the clock.

• Versus big mana or slow engines: race first, interact only when removal changes a visible turn or opens lethal. Priority targets are blockers that prevent multiple attacks, lifegain permanents, and must-answer engine creatures. Add role cards: Sunspine Lynx, Chandra, Spark Hunter, and The Legend of Roku. Reduce main-deck emphasis: Pyroclasm and Soul-Guide Lantern unless public information makes them live.

• Versus burn mirrors: count every point of damage and do not spend Burst Lightning, Shock, Lightning Strike, or Sear on creatures unless that prevents more damage than going face. Add role cards: Sunspine Lynx if lifegain or nonbasic pressure matters, and Pyroclasm only when the opponent is visibly wider. Reduce main-deck emphasis: expensive closers when Veles shows immediate racing pressure.

Risk Summary

• Mana risk: one-land hands are fragile because the deck needs early red mana plus multiple cheap actions. Treat Mountain as the reliable baseline, and treat Rockface Village or Soulstone Sanctuary according to the exact mana Veles exposes at runtime; do not assume either land casts every red spell unless the engine says it does.

• Matchup risk: the deck loses equity when it spends burn reactively against opponents that are not actually racing. Use Shock, Burst Lightning, Lightning Strike, and Sear on creatures only when the target blocks key damage, threatens lethal, enables an engine, or changes the next attack math.

• Draw risk: hands with pump and no creature, creature-light burn hands, or land-heavy hands without Soulstone Sanctuary pressure can fail to convert early turns into damage. Mulligan decisions should reward one-drop or two-drop pressure plus castable burn over speculative late-game cards.

• Over-sideboarding risk: adding too many role cards can dilute the core pressure plan. Soul-Guide Lantern, Pyroclasm, Chandra, Spark Hunter, Sunspine Lynx, Voice of Victory, Boulder Dash, and The Legend of Roku should answer visible matchup pressures; they should not replace the deck's ability to present A-Heartfire Hero, Hired Claw, Emberheart Challenger, Manifold Mouse, and Screaming Nemesis on schedule.

• Graveyard risk: Soul-Guide Lantern can be too slow when it does not affect the board or the opponent has no visible graveyard dependency. Use it for public graveyard pressure, not as generic insurance.

• Sweeper and removal risk: Might of the Meek and Boulder Dash invite blowouts when the target can be removed before damage. Prefer them when the opponent is tapped low, when the legal line is lethal, or when the remaining board still produces pressure after disruption.

• Closer risk: The Last Agni Kai, Chandra, Spark Hunter, The Legend of Roku, Soulstone Sanctuary, and Sunspine Lynx are late-pressure tools, but they cannot rescue hands that skipped early damage. Use them to finish stabilized games, not to justify slow openers.

• Interaction risk: passing with burn available can be correct only when holding it preserves lethal, protects against a better visible target, or answers a pending threat. If no such reason exists, convert mana into damage before the opponent stabilizes.

• Sequencing risk: casting burn before combat can reveal less information but may waste damage if attacks would force blocks. Attack first when blocks are informative and legal tricks are not needed; burn first when removing a blocker creates immediate damage or lethal.

Test Feedback Checklist

• Deciding factor: identify whether the match was won by early creature damage, burn reach, creature removal tempo, sideboard permanents, or opponent stumbling. Record which of A-Heartfire Hero, Hired Claw, Emberheart Challenger, Manifold Mouse, Screaming Nemesis, Burst Lightning, Shock, Lightning Strike, Sear, The Last Agni Kai, Rockface Village, or Soulstone Sanctuary actually converted into damage.

• Mulligan review: ask whether each opener had castable pressure, red mana, and a realistic first three turns. Flag hands that kept Might of the Meek without a creature, multiple lands without pressure, or burn-heavy hands that lacked a clear path to twenty damage.

• Mana review: record whether Mountain, Rockface Village, and Soulstone Sanctuary supported the chosen lines on schedule. Note any game where a one-land hand stalled, a utility land delayed red spells, or extra lands reduced damage velocity.

• Velocity review: count whether the deck spent mana on turns one, two, and three. If the deck passed with unused mana while holding castable A-Heartfire Hero, Hired Claw, Emberheart Challenger, Manifold Mouse, Burst Lightning, Shock, Lightning Strike, Sear, or Might of the Meek, record the visible reason.

• Removal review: evaluate every Shock, Burst Lightning, Lightning Strike, and Sear pointed at a creature. Mark it successful only if the target changed combat math, prevented a faster clock, stopped a visible engine, or opened immediate damage.

• Pump review: inspect every Might of the Meek and Boulder Dash decision for timing. Record whether the spell produced damage, forced a favorable exchange, enabled lethal, or walked into visible open interaction.

• Closing review: ask whether burn was conserved for face damage when the opponent approached lethal range. Flag games where The Last Agni Kai, Chandra, Spark Hunter, The Legend of Roku, Sunspine Lynx, Soulstone Sanctuary, or Screaming Nemesis should have been prioritized as resilient closing pressure.

• Sideboard review: compare each sideboard card to the opponent's revealed plan. Soul-Guide Lantern should matter against visible graveyard resources, Pyroclasm should matter against wide small creatures, Voice of Victory should matter against instant-speed interaction, and Sunspine Lynx should matter against life gain or mana bases where its visible text is relevant.

• Role review: decide whether the pilot correctly stayed aggressor, shifted into removal-tempo, or played for burn reach. Flag games where the deck over-defended without a lethal setup, or over-attacked into a visible race it could not win.

• Mistake review: list missed lethal lines, missed attacks, premature burn, avoidable target blowouts, sideboard dilution, and passes with relevant legal actions. Use only Veles-visible state and logged legal actions when assigning blame.

• Stranded-card review: record cards that remained in hand for multiple turns without legal or useful deployment. Separate mana failures from role failures for Might of the Meek, The Last Agni Kai, Pyroclasm, Soul-Guide Lantern, Chandra, Spark Hunter, The Legend of Roku, and Sunspine Lynx.

• Performance review: name overperformers and underperformers by exact card. Tie each note to logged damage, board impact, stranded turns, or sideboard relevance rather than impressions.

First Tuning Questions

• Creature count question: does the deck need all 20 main-deck creatures, or are games showing too many fragile bodies after sideboarding? Preserve enough A-Heartfire Hero, Hired Claw, Emberheart Challenger, Manifold Mouse, and Screaming Nemesis to keep one-drop and two-drop pressure reliable.

• Burn mix question: are 4 Burst Lightning, 4 Shock, 4 Lightning Strike, and 2 Sear producing the right split between early interaction and reach? If creature removal is often dead, consider whether the lower-impact burn slots should become more resilient pressure; if blockers dominate, keep removal density high.

• Pump quantity question: is 4 Might of the Meek converting damage often enough, or is it stranded without creatures and exposed to removal? Compare its logged damage to the number of times it waited in hand or lost tempo to a removed target.

• Mana question: are 16 Mountain, 3 Rockface Village, and 2 Soulstone Sanctuary enough to cast early red spells while supporting late pressure? Investigate any pattern of one-land mulligans, utility-land color friction, or flooding that only Soulstone Sanctuary partially mitigates.

• Closer question: is 1 The Last Agni Kai sufficient, excessive, or too slow in post-board games? Compare it with Chandra, Spark Hunter, The Legend of Roku, Sunspine Lynx, and Soulstone Sanctuary as ways to win after early creatures are answered.

• Anti-creature question: are 2 Pyroclasm and 1 Boulder Dash enough against fast creature decks, or do they conflict with the deck's own board? Track whether Pyroclasm resets losing boards or sits unused because Red Deck Wins must keep attacking.

• Graveyard question: are 3 Soul-Guide Lantern justified by actual Alchemy opponents faced? Keep them only if public graveyard engines, recursion, or reanimation lines appear often enough to offset a non-damage card.

• Interaction-protection question: does Voice of Victory improve removal-heavy and control matchups, or does it slow the clock? Card text check required for exact Alchemy wording; evaluate only from games where its visible effect mattered.

• Role-conflict question: do sideboard cards make the deck too controlling after Game 1? The post-board plan should still present early damage, then use role cards to protect or finish that pressure.

• Matchup-plan question: which archetypes force Red Deck Wins to become removal-tempo instead of pure burn? Use that answer to tune Sear, Pyroclasm, Boulder Dash, and high-end sideboard pressure without weakening the default aggressive plan.

Veles Tactical Policy

Policy: Pregame Aggressor Selection

Priority: Medium Decision families: pregame Cards: none Phase windows: pregame Runtime cues: prompt:play draw; action:play Use when: a legal play/draw prompt is shown and Red Deck Wins may choose first turn. Avoid when: tournament structure or engine output fixes the seat order. Instructions: Choose play because the deck is built to convert the first mana use into A-Heartfire Hero, Hired Claw, Emberheart Challenger, Manifold Mouse, or early burn tempo. Pilot skill floor: basic No-API allowed: yes Light-model allowed: yes

Policy: Mulligan For Castable Pressure

Priority: High Decision families: mulligan Cards: A-Heartfire Hero; Hired Claw; Emberheart Challenger; Manifold Mouse; Screaming Nemesis; Mountain; Rockface Village; Soulstone Sanctuary Phase windows: opening hand; mulligan Runtime cues: prompt:mulligan; action:keep; action:mulligan Use when: opening hand and legal keep/mulligan actions are present. Avoid when: hand contents are hidden from the acting player or mana legality is unclear. Instructions: Keep hands with red mana, at least one early creature, and a plausible first three turns. Mulligan no-land, colorless-only, creatureless pump-heavy, or slow hands that cannot pressure before turn three. Pilot skill floor: intermediate No-API allowed: no Light-model allowed: yes

Policy: London Bottom Preserve Curve

Priority: Medium Decision families: mulligan; selection Cards: Mountain; Rockface Village; Soulstone Sanctuary; Might of the Meek; The Last Agni Kai Phase windows: mulligan bottom selection Runtime cues: prompt:bottom; action:bottom Use when: bottoming after a mulligan and the kept hand is visible. Avoid when: only one legal bottom action exists and the engine already identifies it. Instructions: Preserve enough red sources and the earliest creature. Bottom duplicate utility lands, excess high-cost cards, and pump without a creature before cutting functional one- and two-mana plays. Pilot skill floor: intermediate No-API allowed: no Light-model allowed: yes

Policy: First Creature Setup

Priority: Medium Decision families: priority; mana Cards: A-Heartfire Hero; Hired Claw; Emberheart Challenger; Manifold Mouse Phase windows: main phase one; main phase two Runtime cues: action:cast A-Heartfire Hero; action:cast Hired Claw; action:cast Emberheart Challenger; action:cast Manifold Mouse Use when: main phase legal actions include casting an early creature and mana can pay for it. Avoid when: a visible lethal burn line exists this turn. Instructions: Deploy the lowest-cost pressure first, favoring one-mana creatures before two-mana creatures unless a visible card-specific text line makes the two-drop immediately stronger. Pilot skill floor: basic No-API allowed: no Light-model allowed: yes

Policy: Red Source Sequencing

Priority: Medium Decision families: mana Cards: Mountain; Rockface Village; Soulstone Sanctuary Phase windows: land play; mana payment Runtime cues: action:play Mountain; action:play Rockface Village; action:play Soulstone Sanctuary; prompt:pay mana Use when: choosing a land play or mana source for red spells. Avoid when: legal action text shows only one playable land or one payable source. Instructions: Maintain untapped red access for Shock, Burst Lightning, Might of the Meek, Lightning Strike, Sear, and creature deployment. Treat Soulstone Sanctuary as late pressure unless it is needed for land count. Pilot skill floor: intermediate No-API allowed: no Light-model allowed: yes

Policy: Exact Single Red Payment

Priority: Low Decision families: mana Cards: Mountain Phase windows: mana payment Runtime cues: action:pay Mountain Use when: exactly one visible Mountain payment action pays the full current red cost. Avoid when: multiple sources differ by tapped status, utility activation, or future color access. Instructions: Submit the visible Mountain payment action for the current spell or ability. Pilot skill floor: basic No-API allowed: yes Light-model allowed: yes

Policy: Attack By Default With Pressure

Priority: Medium Decision families: combat Cards: A-Heartfire Hero; Hired Claw; Emberheart Challenger; Manifold Mouse; Screaming Nemesis; Rockface Village; Soulstone Sanctuary Phase windows: declare attackers Runtime cues: prompt:attack; action:attack Use when: attackers are legal and visible blockers, life totals, and race math are available. Avoid when: attacking loses the only blocker against visible lethal crackback or walks a key creature into an unfavorable block without damage payoff. Instructions: Attack to shorten the clock unless the visible board demands defense. Include creature lands only when activation and attack still preserve required burn or interaction mana. Pilot skill floor: intermediate No-API allowed: no Light-model allowed: yes

Policy: Single Forced Attack Execution

Priority: Low Decision families: combat Cards: none Phase windows: declare attackers Runtime cues: action:attack with only legal attacker Use when: exactly one attack action exists and no alternate legal no-attack action is shown. Avoid when: multiple attack sets or no-attack actions are visible. Instructions: Submit the single legal attack action. Pilot skill floor: basic No-API allowed: yes Light-model allowed: yes

Policy: Block Only To Preserve Life Race

Priority: Medium Decision families: combat Cards: A-Heartfire Hero; Hired Claw; Emberheart Challenger; Manifold Mouse; Screaming Nemesis Phase windows: declare blockers Runtime cues: prompt:block; action:block; action:no blocks Use when: opponent attacks and Red Deck Wins can block. Avoid when: blocking sacrifices damage output while life total remains above the visible opposing clock. Instructions: Prefer no blocks while racing, but block when visible damage creates lethal risk, when a trade prevents a faster clock, or when card text makes damage/death advantageous. Card text check required for exact death or damage triggers. Pilot skill floor: intermediate No-API allowed: no Light-model allowed: yes

Policy: Burn To Face Closing Gate

Priority: High Decision families: priority; interaction Cards: Shock; Burst Lightning; Lightning Strike; Sear; The Last Agni Kai Phase windows: main phase; end step; combat damage aftermath Runtime cues: action:cast Shock; action:cast Burst Lightning; action:cast Lightning Strike; action:cast Sear; action:cast The Last Agni Kai Use when: legal burn actions plus visible opponent life total indicate possible lethal now or setup lethal before the opponent can untap. Avoid when: a visible blocker or life-gain source must be answered first to keep lethal intact. Instructions: Count visible damage from board, hand, activated lands, and legal burn. Send burn to opponent when it closes the game or creates unavoidable next-turn reach. Pilot skill floor: advanced No-API allowed: no Light-model allowed: yes

Policy: Deterministic Opponent Burn Target

Priority: High Decision families: interaction Cards: Shock; Burst Lightning; Lightning Strike; Sear Phase windows: any priority window Runtime cues: action:target opponent Shock; action:target opponent Burst Lightning; action:target opponent Lightning Strike; action:target opponent Sear Use when: one legal target-opponent action is shown for a burn spell already selected for lethal damage. Avoid when: creature targets or prevention choices remain strategically relevant. Instructions: Submit the visible target opponent action for the selected burn spell. Pilot skill floor: basic No-API allowed: yes Light-model allowed: yes

Policy: Burn Blockers For Tempo

Priority: Medium Decision families: interaction; combat Cards: Shock; Burst Lightning; Lightning Strike; Sear Phase windows: precombat main; declare attackers; declare blockers; end step Runtime cues: action:cast Shock; action:cast Burst Lightning; action:cast Lightning Strike; action:cast Sear; action:target creature Use when: removing a visible creature increases immediate attack damage, protects a key attacker, or prevents a faster opposing clock. Avoid when: opponent life is low enough that face damage is more likely to end the game. Instructions: Use the cheapest burn that solves the visible combat problem. Preserve higher-damage burn for opponent life total when smaller burn kills the blocker. Pilot skill floor: intermediate No-API allowed: no Light-model allowed: yes

Policy: Pump Commitment With Creature On Board

Priority: Medium Decision families: priority; combat; interaction Cards: Might of the Meek; Boulder Dash; A-Heartfire Hero; Manifold Mouse Phase windows: combat; main phase; damage race windows Runtime cues: action:cast Might of the Meek; action:cast Boulder Dash; action:target creature Use when: a legal pump spell can add damage, win combat, or create lethal pressure with a visible creature. Avoid when: opponent has visible open interaction and losing the target would waste the turn, unless waiting loses the race. Instructions: Treat pump as a commitment gate, not filler. Prefer using it when the creature is already attacking, lethal math is improved, or the target's visible text rewards being targeted. Card text check required for exact Alchemy wording. Pilot skill floor: advanced No-API allowed: no Light-model allowed: yes

Policy: Deterministic Pump Target Hero

Priority: Low Decision families: interaction; combat Cards: Might of the Meek; A-Heartfire Hero Phase windows: combat; main phase Runtime cues: action:target A-Heartfire Hero Might of the Meek Use when: Might of the Meek is already selected and exactly one legal target action names A-Heartfire Hero. Avoid when: multiple creature target actions are shown. Instructions: Submit the visible target A-Heartfire Hero action. Pilot skill floor: basic No-API allowed: yes Light-model allowed: yes

Policy: Screaming Nemesis Commitment

Priority: Medium Decision families: priority; combat Cards: Screaming Nemesis Phase windows: main phase; combat Runtime cues: action:cast Screaming Nemesis; action:attack Screaming Nemesis Use when: three mana is available and the board needs resilient pressure or a hasty closing threat. Avoid when: casting it prevents immediate lethal burn or leaves a required removal target unanswered. Instructions: Use Screaming Nemesis to bridge early creature pressure into burn reach. Card text check required for exact damage and life-gain restriction handling; follow legal targets from engine output. Pilot skill floor: intermediate No-API allowed: no Light-model allowed: yes

Policy: Late Permanent Finishers

Priority: Medium Decision families: priority; mana Cards: The Last Agni Kai; Chandra, Spark Hunter; The Legend of Roku; Sunspine Lynx; Soulstone Sanctuary Phase windows: main phase; post-board games; late game Runtime cues: action:cast The Last Agni Kai; action:cast Chandra, Spark Hunter; action:cast The Legend of Roku; action:cast Sunspine Lynx; action:activate Soulstone Sanctuary Use when: early creatures have been answered and legal actions offer durable or immediate closing pressure. Avoid when: opponent is in burn range and spending mana on a permanent delays lethal. Instructions: Commit the finisher that affects the current visible problem: damage reach, anti-life-gain pressure, board rebuilding, or land-based threat. Card text check required for exact sideboard card wording. Pilot skill floor: advanced No-API allowed: no Light-model allowed: yes

Policy: Graveyard Hate Activation

Priority: Medium Decision families: interaction; priority Cards: Soul-Guide Lantern Phase windows: post-board; any priority window Runtime cues: action:cast Soul-Guide Lantern; action:activate Soul-Guide Lantern; action:exile graveyard Use when: opponent has visible graveyard cards that enable recursion, reanimation, escape, flashback, or other graveyard payoffs. Avoid when: no visible graveyard resource matters and a damage-producing action is legal. Instructions: Deploy or activate Soul-Guide Lantern only when it disrupts a visible graveyard plan or can be cashed without losing lethal tempo. Card text check required for exact activation modes. Pilot skill floor: intermediate No-API allowed: no Light-model allowed: yes

Policy: Sweeper Sideboard Gate

Priority: Medium Decision families: interaction; sideboard Cards: Pyroclasm Phase windows: sideboard; main phase Runtime cues: action:cast Pyroclasm Use when: opponent presents multiple visible small creatures and Red Deck Wins is behind or can rebuild faster. Avoid when: Pyroclasm destroys more of Red Deck Wins's attacking damage than the opponent's pressure. Instructions: Treat Pyroclasm as a reset button for creature swarms, not a default removal spell. After sideboarding, keep enough creatures to resume pressure. Pilot skill floor: advanced No-API allowed: no Light-model allowed: yes

Policy: Sideboard Role Lock

Priority: High Decision families: sideboard Cards: Soul-Guide Lantern; Boulder Dash; Pyroclasm; Voice of Victory; Chandra, Spark Hunter; Sunspine Lynx; The Legend of Roku; Burst Lightning; Shock; Lightning Strike; Sear; Might of the Meek; The Last Agni Kai Phase windows: sideboard Runtime cues: prompt:sideboard; action:submit sideboard Use when: between games and opponent archetype, revealed cards, or Game 1 texture are known. Avoid when: no sideboard action is legal. Instructions: Add only role cards that answer revealed problems: Soul-Guide Lantern for graveyard plans, Pyroclasm for wide creatures, Voice of Victory for interaction-heavy games, Sunspine Lynx for life gain or relevant mana bases, and planeswalker or saga pressure for attrition. Reduce burn, pump, or top-end only when that role is weaker in the visible matchup. Pilot skill floor: advanced No-API allowed: no Light-model allowed: yes