{"ops":[{"insert":"This deck is an attacks-matter style deck that aims to scale "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Squall, Gunblade Duelist"}},{"insert":" 's attack triggers to eventually one-shot the entire table on turn 6+ reliably. It uses token generators to get to 3 triggers to every opponent early in the game, supplies ways to pump Squall into a bigger threat and ways to scale that damage into a lethal threat. \n\nMulligan Strategy"},{"attributes":{"header":2},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"Any hand containing three lands for all your colors and a reliable way to trigger Squall such as evasive creatures or 2 mana token creature generators. "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Vampiric Tutor"}},{"insert":" /"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Enlightened Tutor"}},{"insert":" is primarily used to make sure you get your 2 mana token generators, but can get you "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Skullclamp"}},{"insert":" or damage scalers late game. If you can't get the dream hand by the 3rd or 4th mulligans, play Squall later as to not aggro the table too soon as you scramble to get the pieces of your engine online.\n\nSequencing"},{"attributes":{"header":2},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"\nTurn 1&2. "},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"Token generators"},{"insert":", in order of most premium to least, "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Loyal Apprentice"}},{"insert":", "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Bitterbloom Bearer"}},{"insert":", "},{"insert":{"card-link":"The Queen of Dale"}},{"insert":", "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Bitterblossom"}},{"insert":", "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Skrelv's Hive"}},{"insert":", "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Ocelot Pride"}},{"insert":" or, alternatively, "},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"evasive creatures"},{"insert":" such as "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Changeling Outcast"}},{"insert":" , "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Selfless Spirit"}},{"insert":", "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Ajani, Nacatl Pariah // Ajani, Nacatl Avenger"}},{"insert":" (his cat token counts as evasive as they generally don't want him to die. If he does transform, he becomes a generator+removal), "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Reconnaissance"}},{"insert":" + anyone that can trigger squall.\nTurn 3. "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Squall, Gunblade Duelist"}},{"insert":" , or "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Breena, the Demagogue"}},{"insert":" if you have her.\nTurn 4+: If you didn't get a token generator, "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Elemental Mastery"}},{"insert":" can work in a pinch. Otherwise, this is where you ramp with treasures, scale Squall, cast protection to keep the engine running, and sacrifice extra tokens to "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Skullclamp"}},{"insert":". Keep redundant creature-based token generators in your hand if you don't have board wipe protection.\n\nSubtheme - Lifegain"},{"attributes":{"header":2},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"\nSquall triggers benefit from lifelink, and gaining 45 life in a turn is a bunch of fun and demoralizing for our opponents. For this reason, I've included a lifelink package in the deck.\n\nTraps"},{"attributes":{"header":2},"insert":"\n\n"},{"insert":"Creating Tapped And Attacking Tokens"},{"attributes":{"header":3},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"These do no trigger Squall. Both the attacking tokens and Squall need to survive a whole turn cycle to then trigger on the next turn, which is difficult. Of course "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Reconnaissance"}},{"insert":" can help your tokens survive and you can disincentivize blocks with aristocrat style strategies such as "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Sephiroth, Fabled SOLDIER // Sephiroth, One-Winged Angel"}},{"insert":" or threaten draws with "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Zurgo Stormrender"}},{"insert":" , but I found that entire line to be quite unreliable compared to a single "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Changeling Outcast"}},{"insert":" reliably triggering every turn.\n\nTraps:\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Andúril, Flame of the West"}},{"insert":". Crowds the contested 3 mana spot. Creates the evasive tokens this deck sorely needs but will only trigger on the next turn making this quite slow. You'd equip Squall with this, more than likely, but I feel like he's a lot better on defense in this deck.\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Ainok Strike Leader"}},{"insert":". Floor of this is you attack with it, it and its tokens get blocked, you sacrifice to keep your precious tokens, and you get a single round of suicidal token triggers for Squall.\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Adeline, Resplendent Cathar"}},{"insert":". Crowds the three mana spot. Only good with Recon, which you won't have every game.\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Endless Foot Assault"}},{"insert":". Massive token generator when you squad it, but it tends to only be good for aristocrat backup plans which isn't this deck's intention.\n\nDonating Tokens"},{"attributes":{"header":3},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"Immediately upon reading Squall's card text, players realize that he can trigger on your opponents turns effectively multiplying potential triggers by a factor of 4. There are several issues with this:\n\nPeople use them to chump block as soon as they can. You're not as slick as you think you are. "},{"attributes":{"list":"ordered"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"People collude. Despite combo mcfuckface having a game-ender in his hand, you're more likely the archenemy of the table for triggering Squall against the whole table early. They will happily send tokens at your face with little disregard and that's mana spent for nothing."},{"attributes":{"list":"ordered"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"You're playing against a black player who's happy to sacrifice them."},{"attributes":{"list":"ordered"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"Under-explored design space. Not that many good cards are doing this."},{"attributes":{"list":"ordered"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"\nTraps:\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Rite of the Raging Storm"}},{"insert":". Expensive and nothing stops them from just not attacking. \n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Goblin Spymaster"}},{"insert":". Crowds the 3 mana spot for a shittier goad that doesn't stop them from attacking you. Also creates them at endstep, which is slow.\n "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Tempt with Vengeance"}},{"insert":". Ends up being a create three fragile non-evasive tokens for 4 mana if you're not playing against idiots. \n "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Tempt with Bunnies"}},{"insert":". The draw is hard to deny, but the floor being 3 mana draw and creating 1 token when you'd rather cast your commander makes this a no from me.\n\nExceptions:\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Forbidden Orchard"}},{"insert":". You get fixing, and you give them a token for some small politicking early on, completely fine.\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Life of the Party"}},{"insert":". It's forced to attack your opponents, so the floor is one guaranteed trigger per opponent.\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Lucy MacLean, Positively Armed"}},{"insert":". You get to draw a card. It also lets you copy their tokens as well as draw you a card on their turns. Bit too expensive to include here as I want my token generators early but I can see a case for this being decent/fun.\n\nGoad"},{"attributes":{"header":3},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"Goad can be fun and somewhat powerful, but it's entirely reliant on opponents boards. Since it's not reliable for this deck's intent of large Squall triggers, we don't overload it with the typical staples you see on EDHrec for this reason.\n\nExceptions:\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Fast Forward"}},{"insert":". This deck aims to attack every opponent every chance it gets, so {1}{R} for a mass goad is a great rate.\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Maximum Carnage"}},{"insert":". The ramp can help us with our scalers "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Fated Firepower"}},{"insert":", "},{"insert":{"card-link":"City on Fire"}},{"insert":", and the final chapter damage synergizes well with them as well.\n\nAristocrat Subtheme"},{"attributes":{"header":3},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"\nThis is not exactly a trap since it works very well in this deck as an alternative win condition, but there's already a lot of moving pieces as it is. It also is not a viable option early to mid-game as your token creatures are generally very valuable to trigger Squall. "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Sephiroth, Fabled SOLDIER // Sephiroth, One-Winged Angel"}},{"insert":" is just a generically strong card and it would be a very reasonable include as a backup commander, but I wanted to streamline this deck in its intent. "},{"insert":{"card-link":"The Meathook Massacre"}},{"insert":" gets a solid recommendation from me as well.\n\n\n\n"},{"attributes":{"header":3},"insert":"\n"}]}