{"ops":[{"insert":"I truly don't know why this guy isn't more popular, blue Zuko rocks and is mega fun! Time to regain our honor.\nI set 100€ budget for this build and it came out to 94,29€ on cheapest prints at the time of making.\n\n"},{"attributes":{"underline":true,"bold":true},"insert":"THE GAME PLAN"},{"insert":"\nRamp into "},{"insert":{"card-link":"The Blue Spirit"}},{"insert":", then drop a cheap flyer on most every combat step. Sometimes they'll have an effect or benefit synergies, sometimes they'll just be 1/1 dude with wings. We get to draw another card, which is hopefully another dude with wings. We'll quickly amass a wide board of flyers that then get to swing in to our opponents, often unblocked. Sometimes we'll get to return an unblocked flyer with a Ninjutsu creature (which is a creature entering during combat triggering card draw but NOT a cast trigger, so we can still get our first flash cast for our turn). Ninjutsu will have a neat effect AND return a cheap flyer to our hand for next turns drop. Rinse and repeat, hope everyone left their flying blockers in another deck!\n\n((I wish there were more cool playable ninjutsu creatures in blue, my only gripe with this deck! If you're looking to make cuts, probably look here first. Something like "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Moon-Circuit Hacker"}},{"insert":" is a little weak, "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Prosperous Bandit"}},{"insert":" is a little situational, but I really like it for this deck from a synergistic and flavor point of view. "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Sakashima's Student"}},{"insert":" basically looks like "},{"insert":{"card-link":"The Blue Spirit"}},{"insert":"'s twin!))\n\n"},{"attributes":{"underline":true,"bold":true},"insert":"RAMP"},{"insert":"\nSo, step 1 is to ramp into "},{"insert":{"card-link":"The Blue Spirit"}},{"insert":" with the sizeable ramp section, ideally with 1 or 2 mana left after playing him.\nOur all star ramp piece is "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Bender's Waterskin"}},{"insert":" without a question, having this in the opening hand will usually mean an explosive start. I'm still testing "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Victory Chimes"}},{"insert":" but I think the fact that it makes colorless mana hinders it too much in this deck.\nMy personal favorite includes that I haven't seen anyone consider are "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Walking Atlas"}},{"insert":" and "},{"insert":{"card-link":"PuPu UFO"}},{"insert":". Creature ramp in general is nice in this deck since they can be flashed out to replace themselves in hand even after Zuko comes out and aren't dead draws when we're trying to top deck creatures. Afterwards they let us drop lands into play untapped at instant speed, possibly catching someone who thinks we're tapped out with a surprise blocker or piece of interaction. Before we play \"unlimited hand size\" a lot of lands end up useless in the bin without these two.\nThe rest is a fairly standard ramp package (plus one win con I'll explore later).\n\n"},{"attributes":{"underline":true,"bold":true},"insert":"DRAW"},{"insert":"\nThe card draw this deck is capable of is enormous. Just baseline, since Zuko has no once per turn limit on his second ability, any creature you get to enter during combat lets you draw. This deck runs some ninjutsu/bounce/flash creatures but doesn't lean into it heavily. Regardless, anything amplifying that base ability to draw goes hard, namely "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Teferi's Ageless Insight"}},{"insert":", "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Defiler of Dreams"}},{"insert":" (which also offers great ramp) and a little behind them "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Wavebreak Hippocamp"}},{"insert":". The first two are a big mana commitment to get out, but feel insanely good once they are rolling.\nOur flyer army also let's us enjoy combat damage draw. There's a lot of these effects, I limited it to "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Reconnaissance Mission"}},{"insert":" (since it can be cycled away if not needed), "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Enduring Curiosity"}},{"insert":" (since it goes with the flash creature theme and has sticking power) and "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Flitterwing Nuisance"}},{"insert":" (since he's a 1-cost dude with wings). That last little guy in an opening hand, also usually great!\n\n"},{"attributes":{"underline":true,"bold":true},"insert":"INTERACTION/PROTECTION"},{"insert":"\nMuch of our interaction and protection is tacked onto little flyers, so while the number of cards in each section does look solid, I won't hesitate to throw out a "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Plumecreed Escort"}},{"insert":" or "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Thieving Skydiver"}},{"insert":" for no other value than being a guy and drawing a card. There's always benefits to be weighed and exceptions to the rule, yada yada, but in general, if that's the only guy I'm holding, and I have the mana, he's going out. Digging through the deck to find more things becomes a little addicting!\nThere are creatures who pose an effective threat especially because they've been put on to the field, like "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Hope of Ghirapur"}},{"insert":" or "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Siren Stormtamer"}},{"insert":", those can lead to interesting play patterns.\nWe do have some Counterspells, the most standard being "},{"insert":{"card-link":"An Offer You Can't Refuse"}},{"insert":" which can come in clutch. Since this deck usually leaves a lot of mana open we get to run some more uncommon ones too, namely "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Unwind"}},{"insert":", "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Rewind"}},{"insert":" and "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Access Denied"}},{"insert":". The first two return our mana to play more flyers, the latter just makes flyers! No card draw on these ones though, shame. "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Spider-Sense"}},{"insert":" is phenomenal in this deck, we almost always have something beneficial to return and it comes with stifle.\nFor a devastating, flash speed board wipe we bring "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Scourge of Fleets"}},{"insert":". That thing wrecks and set's us up for success. If we're lucky we get to bounce it to hand with something and threaten to do it again if we have to, oh boy!\nBut I think my favorite is "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Kitesail Larcenist"}},{"insert":", it's just so amusing to me. \"My girlfriend turned into a coin.\" - \"That's rough, buddy.\" :/\n\n"},{"attributes":{"underline":true,"bold":true},"insert":"HOW WE WIN"},{"insert":"\nPunching through ~120 Health across three opponents with a handful of cheap flyers is a bit unrealistic so we have a couple alternate win cons and helpful tools to seal the deal.\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Strixhaven Stadium"}},{"insert":" quickly grows into a must-answer threat with multiple birds swinging out every turn. If they give us more than one turn cycle with this on the field, someone's dropping.\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Twenty-Toed Toad"}},{"insert":" can put similar pressure on opponent interaction and we have the option to flash it in right before our turn, 20 cards already in hand (if we previously found \"unlimited hand size\"). If no one kept removal for your little frog, it's curtains!\nFor more combat oriented wins, "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Shadow Puppeteers"}},{"insert":" can transform all our flyers into scary dragons, doubling or quadrupling their power in most cases. Even "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Ornithopter of Paradise"}},{"insert":" and my main man "},{"insert":{"card-link":"PuPu UFO"}},{"insert":" can get in on the action! "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Mirrorform"}},{"insert":" has everything but your lands transform into your opponents most busted non-legendary guy, what a fun, explosive finish card!\nLastly "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Kaito, Cunning Infiltrator"}},{"insert":" and "},{"insert":{"card-link":"The Watcher in the Water"}},{"insert":" can overrun the board with little guys. They are ground-bound but numerous. We want to drop Kaito on a turn where we can guarantee a minimum of 6 creatures hitting and then ult immediately - unstoppable onslaught for the rest of the game. The Watcher needs the support of our draw-doublers to be truly outrageous, but even a few tentacles threaten to lock down opponents' most important tappers and make for great political blockers or attackers.\nAlso "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Ravenhill Flock"}},{"insert":", never underestimate a big bird with a stick shaped vaguely like a sword.\n\n"},{"attributes":{"underline":true,"bold":true},"insert":"MISCELLANEOUS"},{"insert":"\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Ominous Seas"}},{"insert":" is probably not that great in the grand scheme of things, but I have a soft spot for it and it fits in here just fine. I can't resist a big guy :>\n\nThere's two Anthems, "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Signal Pest"}},{"insert":" and "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Heraldic Banner"}},{"insert":" that do a surprising amount of work i think, has me looking into more possible Anthems.\n\nThe AU headcannon here is that Zuko (after entering the Planes somehow) founds his own little special secret society - the Blue Lotus - cause he's not great at coming up with names. After being influenced by Aang, he yearns for the ways of the Airbenders, so he invites anyone and everyone who can fly.. and a couple cool ninja dudes. The order uses appropriate force, seeking nonviolence whenever possible, but from time to time Zuko has to call in the murder (of crows) and they swoop down in a flash. \n"}]}