Quick winning principles
- Build a mana curve with most spells at 2-4 mana.
- Two-for-one trades (removal + draw) win long games.
- Hold instant-speed interaction until it changes the game.
- Mulligan hands with no 2-3 drop or wrong color sources.
Ideal strategy
- 1
Mana curve theory: aggro peaks at 2 CMC, midrange at 3-4, control at 4+. A missed land drop is often worse than a weak spell.
- 2
Card advantage: any draw-two, recursive creature, or planeswalker that sticks generates incremental wins. Don't trade one-for-one when you're ahead on board.
- 3
Stack priority: respond at the last moment before resolution. Holding up mana signals countermagic — use that bluff even without the card.
- 4
Combat math: double-blocking assigns first strike and trample correctly. Calculate lethal before attacking — don't give free two-for-ones.
- 5
Mulligan to 5 in Limited with no plays; to 6 in Constructed with functional curve. London mulligan bottoming requires land-spell balance.
- 6
Sideboard planning: bring in hate pieces vs their plan, not random good cards. Cut marginal matchups, not core engine pieces.