{"ops":[{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"Overview"},{"insert":"\nThe budget version of this deck is ultimately a control burn deck that needs to stick it's commander, "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Taii Wakeen, Perfect Shot"}},{"insert":" and keep them in play. Taii is this deck's primary value engine and enables the deck's burn-as-control options. This list needs A LOT of mana to spend on Taii's first ability and multiple burn effects to close out games. To get there, it needs to survive the early game, set up and maintain control through the mid game, then land a finisher, ending the game with an explosive, game-winning turn (or two).\n\n"},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"The Ideal Setup"},{"insert":"\nThe primary goal during the early game is to untap with Taii and a pinger such as "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Prodigal Pyromancer"}},{"insert":" that can burn creatures. Once both are not summoned sick, activate Taii's first ability and the pinger to manage opposing creature threats while triggering Taii's second ability. This card advantage engine will almost guarantee to maintain momentum twofold; first, by removing opponent's creature threats and reducing their offensive options, and second, by providing more cards for the next round. Once this control is asserted, have patience until a finisher is drawn to more quickly win the game.\n\n"},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"How to Set Up; Writing the Letter"},{"insert":"\nThis list revolves around Taii and needs them to function properly. The ideal way to set up is to have an extra white mana when you cast Taii, planning to follow up with a spell like "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Sheltering Light"}},{"insert":". The most efficient ways to achieve this (excluding "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Sol Ring"}},{"insert":") is by casting a 2-cost mana rock on turn two followed by Taii turn three, or with a turn one "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Wayfarer's Bauble"}},{"insert":", activating it turn two, then casting Taii turn three.\n\nThe other way to set up is to first cast protection before Taii, such as "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Selfless Spirit"}},{"insert":", to help keep Taii on the battlefield.\n\nOnce Taii is not summoned sick, the deck's set up; any damage spell cast or pinger activated after Taii sticks around should target other creatures (sometimes including your own!) to trigger Taii's second ability, eventually drawing us one of the finishers to end the game with.\n\n"},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"Game-Ending Turn(s); Sending the Letter"},{"insert":"\nOnce set up and drawing cards with Taii, sticking the finishers "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Blisterspit Gremlin"}},{"insert":", "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Firebrand Archer"}},{"insert":", or "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Gimli, Counter of Kills"}},{"insert":" can quickly end the game.\n\nFor example,\nLet's say we untap with Taii and Archer. We cast "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Scouring Sands"}},{"insert":", maintain priority and activate Taii, let's say X=3. We would deal 4 total noncombat damage to each opponent and each creature they control and possibly trigger Taii multiple times because one opponent had some "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Beast"}},{"insert":" tokens on the battlefield. In short, Archer can enable a storm finish because it exponentially multiplies damage output. Gimli can have a similar effect, but this is less likely because of our control gameplan, meaning there should be less creatures on the battlefield once we cast Gimli. Gremlin costs 1 mana to activate, making its damage potential less impressive than either Archer or Gimli, unless it's enchanted with "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Fire Whip"}},{"insert":".\n\nPart of playing this list well will be learning which turns to pivot from playing reactively and maintaining control to playing more proactively, quickly reducing life totals and vice versa.\n\n"},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"The Deck's Strengths"},{"insert":"\n-Creature tokens; any opponents incorporating creature tokens into their strategy will simply fuel this list's strategy. If they create lots of tokens while we have Taii set up, a card like "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Tectonic Hazard"}},{"insert":" ultimatly draws us many cards.\n\n"},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"The Deck's Weaknesses"},{"insert":"\n-Noncreature decks; if our opponents are not playing creature strategies, this budget list will not function properly. We will need to recognize early that we need to pivot our strategy and pressure life totals with our pingers while hoping we draw a gift card such as "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Akroan Horse"}},{"insert":" to create some targets.\n\n-Ability removal; cards like "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Darksteel Mutation"}},{"insert":" and "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Clarion Conqueror"}},{"insert":", if resolved, fully and completely turn off Taii. The budget list almost always folds to any ability-disrupting effect like these. As such, non-burn removal should prioritize defensive use to keep Taii online, rather than to disrupt our opponent's setups. However, in the case of a cast Clarion Conquerer, by playing reactively and keeping some mana available, we keep the option to activate Taii in response to it. Once it resolves, a single follow-up damage spell should clear it.\n\n-Damage prevention; cards like "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Phyrexian Vindicator"}},{"insert":" that prevent damage need to be delicately handled. "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Stroke of Midnight"}},{"insert":" and "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Generous Gift"}},{"insert":" are this list's only options. Play defensively and hope to draw either, or until we can execute a 'combo finish' by casting a finisher and using it to knock out the Vindicator's owner in the same turn.\n\n-Counters; specifically +1/+1 counters. They make it so we have to spend EVEN MORE mana to burn away threats. Cards like "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Hardened Scales"}},{"insert":" will keep that player's creatures out of range for this deck's burn options.\n\n-Lifegain; while most lifegain decks rely on creatures, they still manage to keep a healthy life total with spells like "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Fountain of Renewal"}},{"insert":" and "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Revitalize"}},{"insert":", even if their creatures get burned away. They may also be placing +1/+1 counters on their creatures, making their creatures more difficult to burn away. To win, this usually means focusing our damage onto the lifegain player to knock them out first. Getting lucky with "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Firebrand Archer"}},{"insert":" down early and a couple rounds with it can also overwhelm their lifegain.\n\n-Toughness matters; similar to +1/+1 counter strategies, creatures with lots of toughness are more taxing to burn away. Focus on clearing smaller toughness threats first, as having the mana to burn away "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Caelorna, Coral Tyrant"}},{"insert":" means we should also have the mana to greatly reduce life totals, threatening to win.\n\n"},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"Card-specific Notes"},{"insert":"\nWhile removal is usually best used defensively, try targeting "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Retributive Wand"}},{"insert":" with "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Stroke of Midnight"}},{"insert":". It will make a "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Human"}},{"insert":" (to burn later) and deal 5 noncombat damage without activating Taii!\n\nWhile we usually want to demonstrate creature spells with "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Silverquill Lecturer"}},{"insert":" to get ourselves a copy and to set up another burn target, be wary of demonstrating both "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Cunning Sparkmage"}},{"insert":" and "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Vulshok Sorcerer"}},{"insert":" as they both have haste and 1 toughness, allowing the player we gift the token to the option to burn yours back. The upside is that, if Taii is on the battlefield, we can draw two cards. Simply activate the new token and target our opponent's demonstrated token, and pass priority. When they inevitably activate that token to burn one of our 1 toughness creatures, we respond by activating the original targeting the same creature they do. This way, both burn effects should resolve and thus, trigger Taii.\n\nBoth "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Boros Garrison"}},{"insert":" and "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Arid Archway"}},{"insert":" are best used to return "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Abraded Bluffs"}},{"insert":" or "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Temple of Triumph"}},{"insert":" to hand, then replay them to trigger their enter effects. They can also return the backside of "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Spikefield Hazard // Spikefield Cave"}},{"insert":" to hand, allowing the front side to be cast from hand. It should also be noted that they can return the permanent that an "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Imprisoned in the Moon"}},{"insert":", or similar effect, enchants.\n\nBecause "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Talisman of Conviction"}},{"insert":" deals noncombat damage, Taii's activated ability will increase its damage. Prioritize using it for mana first each round, then activate Taii afterwards.\n\nNote that "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Endbringer"}},{"insert":" is the only card on the list that requires colorless mana to cast, either from a mana rock like "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Hedron Archive"}},{"insert":" or from a land like "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Kher Keep"}},{"insert":". It also has two activated abilities that require colorless mana. Its second activated ability can be a powerful politicing effect as it allows us to affect our opponents' attacks and blocks during their turns.\n\nBoth "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Viridian Longbow"}},{"insert":" and "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Fire Whip"}},{"insert":" should generally not be attached to Taii nor any creature that already has the tap-to-burn ability. If the deck is upgraded with untap effects, attaching them to Taii becomes more beneficial, but still not as good as giving another creature the tap-to-burn ability. The best creature to attach them to is "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Blisterspit Gremlin"}},{"insert":" as it can untap itself.\n\nBy targeting whatever "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Darksteel Mutation"}},{"insert":" enchants with burn while Taii is under our control, we will draw a card. Pingers are ideal for this, but something like "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Twin Bolt"}},{"insert":" can work in a pinch too.\n\n"},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"Notable Exclusions"},{"insert":"\nThis list has intentionally chosen to not include classic and efficient damage spells such as "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Lightning Bolt"}},{"insert":" due to them (generally) being unable to trigger Taii's second ability against a field of 1 or 2 toughness creatures, while spells such as "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Flame Jab"}},{"insert":" can be pumped by Taii's first ability to theoretically deal the correct amount of damage to any creature and trigger Taii's second ability.\n\nThis list has also intentionally left out many of the other great finishers, such as "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Thermo-Alchemist"}},{"insert":", to make room for the more versatile cards like "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Vithian Stinger"}},{"insert":". While an 'oops, all finishers' deck can be both powerful and consistent, this list was designed to provide a less powerful, more varied experience.\n\n"},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"Upgrades"},{"insert":"\nThe upgrade section suggests many cards that were considered for this deck but are outside its budget. Feel free to use these cards as a guide when looking to modify the deck.\n"}]}