Spellslinger

Spellslinger decks run a high density of instants and sorceries and use payoffs that trigger when you cast them. Guttersnipe deals 2 damage per spell. Archmage Emeritus draws a card per spell. Storm-Kiln Artist makes Treasure per spell. Chain enough together and those triggers add up fast.

The creature count is low (6-10), but the ones you run are high-impact payoffs that convert your spells into a win.

How it works

1. Deploy cost reducers and payoff creatures
2. Cast cheap instants and sorceries, triggering payoffs
3. Use copy effects to multiply key spells
4. Win through accumulated damage triggers, storm count, or a large X-spell

Key cards

Payoffs:

• Guttersnipe — 2 damage to each opponent per instant/sorcery
• Archmage Emeritus — draw a card per instant/sorcery (including copies)
• Storm-Kiln Artist — create a Treasure per instant/sorcery
• Aetherflux Reservoir — gain increasingly more life per spell cast, then pay 50 life to deal 50 damage

Cost reducers:

• Goblin Electromancer — instants and sorceries cost {1} less
• Baral Chief of Compliance — same, plus looting on countered spells
• Birgi God of Storytelling — add {R} when you cast a spell. Turns 1-mana spells into free spells.

Copy effects:

• Thousand-Year Storm — each spell you cast gets copied for each other spell you've cast this turn
• Swarm Intelligence — copy each instant and sorcery you cast

Strengths

Explosive turns. A single turn with a cost reducer, a payoff, and a handful of cheap spells can deal 30+ damage to the table.

Counterspell defense. You're running a high density of instants, many of which can be counterspells themselves.

Cards feed themselves. Cantrips draw into more cantrips. Cost reducers make them free. The deck chains.

Weaknesses

Creature removal hits hard. Your payoffs are creatures. Killing Guttersnipe before your big turn is devastating.

Board wipes with no board. You have few creatures. Board wipes don't hurt you much, but they also don't help you.

Mana hungry. Even with cost reducers, long spell chains require a lot of mana. Getting disrupted mid-chain is common.

Popular commanders

Veyran Voice of Duality (U/R) — magecraft triggers happen an additional time. Doubles every spell trigger.

Kalamax the Stormsire (U/R/G) — copies the first instant you cast each turn if Kalamax is tapped. Gets +1/+1 counters when you copy.

Mizzix of the Izmagnus (U/R) — experience counters that reduce spell costs. Enables massive X-spells.

Niv-Mizzet Parun (U/R) — draws a card when you cast an instant or sorcery, deals 1 damage when you draw. Both halves feed each other.

Typical colors

Blue and red are core. Blue provides draw and counterspells. Red provides damage payoffs, cost reduction, and impulse draw. Izzet (U/R) is the default. Adding green (Temur) gives you ramp.

Ratio adjustments