Lightning Rift

Game Plan

Lightning Rift is a red-white cycling-control deck that converts every cycled card into incremental damage. The opening plan is to establish a Lightning Rift on the table as quickly as possible (Enlightened Tutor can fetch it on turn one, putting it on top for the following draw), and then begin cycling through Spark Spray, Renewed Faith, Forgotten Cave, and Secluded Steppe to deal two damage at a time to the opponent. Each cycle also filters toward the next piece, making the deck remarkably consistent once the enchantment is in play. Swords to Plowshares and Humility answer the threats that slip through, while Wrath of God and the cycling board wipe Slice and Dice reset boards that grow too large. Decree of Justice does double duty: cycled, it triggers Lightning Rift and its own triggered ability can produce Soldier tokens at instant speed; cast for full cost, it wins races outright.

When Lightning Rift alone cannot close the game fast enough, the deck shifts to its grind mode. Eternal Dragon provides a nearly unkillable finisher, recursively returning from the graveyard each upkeep to fetch a Plains and maintain mana development. Rune of Protection: Red turns the cycling engine into a life cushion against red decks, buying the turns needed to assemble lethal damage. Seal of Cleansing and Humility dismantle enchantments and large creatures opposing decks rely on. Eventually the accumulated damage from repeated cycles, each Lightning Rift trigger adding to an irreversible total, closes the door while Eternal Dragon provides the battlefield presence to finish the job.