{"ops":[{"insert":{"card-link":"Ezuri, Claw of Progress"}},{"insert":" – Simic Experience Counter Midrange"},{"attributes":{"header":2},"insert":"\n\n"},{"insert":"This Historic Brawl deck is a "},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"Simic experience-counter midrange deck"},{"insert":" built around "},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"Ezuri, Claw of Progress"},{"insert":". It is not meant to be a high-power combo list. Instead, it focuses on steady development, small synergies, resilient scaling, and explosive combat finishes.\nThe main plan is simple:\n Play cheap creatures, mana dorks, and small token engines to generate "},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"experience counters"},{"insert":" early. Later, Ezuri turns those counters into +1/+1 counters, turning harmless creatures into real win conditions.\n\nGameplan"},{"attributes":{"header":2},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"In the early game, the deck wants to develop mana and board presence as quickly as possible. Cards like "},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"Llanowar Elves"},{"insert":", "},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"Elvish Mystic"},{"insert":", "},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"Birds of Paradise"},{"insert":", "},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"Delighted Halfling"},{"insert":", "},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"Bloom Tender"},{"insert":", and "},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"Incubation Druid"},{"insert":" accelerate the deck while also triggering Ezuri once he is on the battlefield.\nIn the midgame, the goal is to protect Ezuri and turn experience counters into real pressure. Small creatures like "},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"Invisible Stalker"},{"insert":", "},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"Thrummingbird"},{"insert":", "},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"Benthic Biomancer"},{"insert":", "},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"Duskshell Crawler"},{"insert":", or tokens from "},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"Scute Swarm"},{"insert":", "},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"Springheart Nantuko"},{"insert":", and "},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"Nissa, Voice of Zendikar"},{"insert":" provide the perfect foundation for this plan.\nIn the late game, the deck wins through large +1/+1 counter swings, unblockable attacks, or explosive combat turns. "},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"Herald of Secret Streams"},{"insert":", "},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"Champion of Lambholt"},{"insert":", "},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"Garruk’s Uprising"},{"insert":", "},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"Shadowspear"},{"insert":", and "},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"Alrund’s Epiphany"},{"insert":" help convert a developed board into a fast kill.\n\nWhy these cards?"},{"attributes":{"header":2},"insert":"\n"},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"Ezuri, Claw of Progress"},{"insert":" is the central engine. Many creatures in the deck have power 2 or less, which allows them to generate experience counters. Those counters are then converted into +1/+1 counters to turn evasive creatures or a wide board into lethal threats.\n"},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"Invisible Stalker"},{"insert":" is one of the best targets for Ezuri’s counters because it is hard to remove and unblockable. With enough experience counters, it quickly becomes a serious clock.\n"},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"Thrummingbird"},{"insert":" supports the counter plan through proliferate. It can increase experience counters, +1/+1 counters, loyalty counters on Nissa, and counters stored on The Ozolith.\n"},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"Toph, Earthbending Master"},{"insert":" is not just a landfall card. She acts as a second experience-counter engine and gives the deck another way to scale over time while turning lands into relevant threats.\n"},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"Innkeeper’s Talent"},{"insert":", "},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"The Ozolith"},{"insert":", "},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"Kami of Whispered Hopes"},{"insert":", "},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"Bristly Bill, Spine Sower"},{"insert":", and "},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"Duskshell Crawler"},{"insert":" strengthen the +1/+1 counter plan and help the deck scale harder or preserve invested counters.\n"},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"Scute Swarm"},{"insert":" and "},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"Springheart Nantuko"},{"insert":" are not included as pure landfall payoffs. Their main role is to create small creatures that can feed Ezuri and help build experience counters.\n"},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"Enduring Curiosity"},{"insert":", "},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"Bred for the Hunt"},{"insert":", "},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"Toski, Bearer of Secrets"},{"insert":", "},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"Terrasymbiosis"},{"insert":", "},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"Rhystic Study"},{"insert":", and "},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"Sylvan Library"},{"insert":" help the deck avoid running out of resources. The best draw effects in this list are the ones that work naturally with combat damage, +1/+1 counters, or multiple small creatures.\n\nWin Conditions"},{"attributes":{"header":2},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"The deck usually wins in one of six ways:\n"},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"One large evasive threat"},{"attributes":{"list":"ordered"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":" Cards like "},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"Invisible Stalker"},{"insert":", "},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"Thrummingbird"},{"insert":", or a creature with trample/evasion receive multiple Ezuri counters and can end the game in just a few attacks."},{"attributes":{"list":"ordered"},"insert":"\n"},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"A wide counter-based board"},{"attributes":{"list":"ordered"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":" Tokens and small creatures become a real army through Ezuri, Nissa, Bristly Bill, or Innkeeper’s Talent."},{"attributes":{"list":"ordered"},"insert":"\n"},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"Unblockable or hard-to-block finishes"},{"attributes":{"list":"ordered"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":" "},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"Herald of Secret Streams"},{"insert":" and "},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"Champion of Lambholt"},{"insert":" make blocking extremely difficult or impossible. "},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"Alrund’s Epiphany"},{"insert":" can provide the decisive extra turn after the board has been developed."},{"attributes":{"list":"ordered"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"\nInteraction and Protection"},{"attributes":{"header":3},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"The deck runs a solid interaction package so it does not rely purely on goldfishing.\n "},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"Counterspell"},{"insert":", "},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"Wash Away"},{"insert":", "},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"Make Disappear"},{"insert":", "},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"An Offer You Can’t Refuse"},{"insert":", and "},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"Three Steps Ahead"},{"insert":" protect key turns or stop opposing bombs.\n"},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"Pongify"},{"insert":", "},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"Rapid Hybridization"},{"insert":", "},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"Beast Within"},{"insert":", "},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"Kenrith’s Transformation"},{"insert":", "},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"Cyclonic Rift"},{"insert":", "},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"River’s Rebuke"},{"insert":", and "},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"Sink into Stupor"},{"insert":" help answer problematic permanents and opposing boards.\n"},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"Shadowspear"},{"insert":" is included as a deliberate meta slot rather than a primary win condition. Its main purpose is to remove hexproof and indestructible from opposing permanents, allowing the deck’s removal suite to actually answer otherwise protected threats. The lifelink and trample can matter in races, but they are not the main reason for the card.\nSince Ezuri and the counter engines are vulnerable to removal, "},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"Heroic Intervention"},{"insert":", "},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"Tamiyo’s Safekeeping"},{"insert":", "},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"Gaea’s Gift"},{"insert":", "},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"Collective Resistance"},{"insert":", "},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"Swiftfoot Boots"},{"insert":", and "},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"Inspiring Call"},{"insert":" are important for protecting the board.\n\nMulligan"},{"attributes":{"header":2},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"Good opening hands usually contain:\n2–3 lands,"},{"attributes":{"list":"bullet"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"at least one early mana source or cheap creature,"},{"attributes":{"list":"bullet"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"ideally one card that scales with Ezuri,"},{"attributes":{"list":"bullet"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"and against faster or more controlling decks, at least one piece of interaction or protection."},{"attributes":{"list":"bullet"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"Hands without an early play are usually too slow. The deck does not want to start playing on turn four; it wants to develop mana, bodies, or card selection before that.\n\nWeaknesses"},{"attributes":{"header":2},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"The deck can struggle against early board wipes, very fast aggressive starts, and repeated commander removal. It also often needs a mix of board presence, Ezuri, and follow-up cards before it becomes truly explosive.\nThis is not a deck that wins out of nowhere immediately. It wants to develop, gather resources, and then close the game with one decisive combat turn.\n\nSummary"},{"attributes":{"header":2},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"This deck is built for players who enjoy "},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"strategic setup"},{"insert":", stacking small synergies, and finishing the game with explosive combat steps. It combines mana dorks, tokens, experience counters, +1/+1 counters, and combat-based card draw into a cohesive Simic midrange plan.\n\n"},{"attributes":{"header":3},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"This primer was written with the help of ChatGPT."},{"attributes":{"header":3},"insert":"\n"}]}