The principle engine in the deck is Electrostatic Field and Curiosity which the deck is named after. Which turns every spell into damage+draw. Firebrand Archer is field 5-7 that in some ways is better as casting the enchantments also triggers damage, but is much easier to remove. And Niv-Mizzet, Parun is Electrostatic Field (8) + Curiosity (5), who happens to go infinite with another copy of curiosity.
Two copies of Pyromancer Ascension is present for a synergistic redundant card advantage/win condition that avoids most of the removal that might hit Electrostatic Field and company.
The spell suite is focused around mana efficiency with an eye towards protecting our draw engine. Once the draw engine is established, the low general cost allows for the quickest and most efficient plays to both protect the draw engine and disrupt the opponent to allow the pilot to finish out the game in a couple of turns.
Mission Briefing has been amazing at helping to dig for answers and combo pieces as well as reusing the more important spells in the match up as well as triggering Electrostatic Field. It combines very nicely with Pyromancer Ascension, It helps in charging it up by throwing spells into the gy, often even when you don't see any duplicates yet, with a charged Ascension it lets you chain multiple spells from the gy (value!). The mana base is built to be able to cast Mission Briefing + blue spell on turn 3 onwards with 19 blue sources. The more limited red requirements make that generally easy as well. The dig aspect to the card can't be understated, I've won whole matches based on putting new targets into the yard that finish games and matches.
Izzet Charm is the less efficient spell that does most things we want to be doing.
Game play varies, sometimes you have to try to slow the match down and keep key enemy pieces out of play while you try to find yours.
Other times you jam the draw engine Turns 2-3 and hold your answers and play exclusively on their turn pinging away and drawing more answers until it's game over.
Then sometimes you gets lots of Electrostatic Fields and just jam them and burn them out as fast as possible.
It's some mix of tempo, control, and occasionally building the overwhelming draw engine to do even more tempo and control until the game is done.
This deck does best against decks that do not interact with the board and tends to trip up these decks a great deal. It suffers against etb creatures that interact with our board (Reflector Mage, Knight of Autumn) - we have no defense against this except torpor orb in the side board.
Against heavy interaction, especially in the form of creature removal (Especially Push and Path), you usually hope to stick a Pyromancer Ascension as an alternative to a creature and ride that to victory.
You should be running free spells like gut shot, manamorphose, noxious revival. And you should do temur for keen sense. There's also that red enchantment that let's you play the top of your library instead of your hand. Forgot what it's called.
There's also izzet creatures that untap on any instant sorcery cast and they ping for one. There is also a red instant grants haste, cantrips a draw.
Green also gives u a lot of hexproof options like blossoming defense.
Noxious IS a free spells and with stuff like manamorphose and opt it can come in real handy
You can also run one or two copies of Ophidian Eye instead of adding another color if budget is a concern.
Firebrand Archer is cool, but only has 1 toughness; however, Thermo-Alchemist is a little bit more resilient. Maybe a 2/2 or 2/3 split between the two to add another set of the Electrostatic Field effects? Gelectrode is an option, but he's three mana and as fragile as they come.
3 Firebrand Archer
4 Electrostatic Field
1 Niv-Mizzet, Parun
Enchantments
4 Curiosity
2 Pyromancer Ascension
Spells
1 Flame Jab
4 Opt
3 Spell Pierce
4 Mission Briefing
4 Lightning Bolt
3 Vapor Snag
3 Negate
3 Izzet Charm
1 Cryptic Command
7 Island
2 Steam Vents
1 Mountain
4 Spirebluff Canal
4 Sulfur Falls
2 Wandering Fumarole
3 Ceremonious Rejection
2 Boomerang
1 Alpine Moon
3 Abrade
1 Torpor Orb
1 Pithing Needle
3 Ravenous Trap
1 Damping Sphere
The principle engine in the deck is Electrostatic Field and Curiosity which the deck is named after. Which turns every spell into damage+draw. Firebrand Archer is field 5-7 that in some ways is better as casting the enchantments also triggers damage, but is much easier to remove. And Niv-Mizzet, Parun is Electrostatic Field (8) + Curiosity (5), who happens to go infinite with another copy of curiosity.
Two copies of Pyromancer Ascension is present for a synergistic redundant card advantage/win condition that avoids most of the removal that might hit Electrostatic Field and company.
The spell suite is focused around mana efficiency with an eye towards protecting our draw engine. Once the draw engine is established, the low general cost allows for the quickest and most efficient plays to both protect the draw engine and disrupt the opponent to allow the pilot to finish out the game in a couple of turns.
Mission Briefing has been amazing at helping to dig for answers and combo pieces as well as reusing the more important spells in the match up as well as triggering Electrostatic Field. It combines very nicely with Pyromancer Ascension, It helps in charging it up by throwing spells into the gy, often even when you don't see any duplicates yet, with a charged Ascension it lets you chain multiple spells from the gy (value!). The mana base is built to be able to cast Mission Briefing + blue spell on turn 3 onwards with 19 blue sources. The more limited red requirements make that generally easy as well. The dig aspect to the card can't be understated, I've won whole matches based on putting new targets into the yard that finish games and matches.
Izzet Charm is the less efficient spell that does most things we want to be doing.
Game play varies, sometimes you have to try to slow the match down and keep key enemy pieces out of play while you try to find yours.
Other times you jam the draw engine Turns 2-3 and hold your answers and play exclusively on their turn pinging away and drawing more answers until it's game over.
Then sometimes you gets lots of Electrostatic Fields and just jam them and burn them out as fast as possible.
It's some mix of tempo, control, and occasionally building the overwhelming draw engine to do even more tempo and control until the game is done.
This deck does best against decks that do not interact with the board and tends to trip up these decks a great deal. It suffers against etb creatures that interact with our board (Reflector Mage, Knight of Autumn) - we have no defense against this except torpor orb in the side board.
Against heavy interaction, especially in the form of creature removal (Especially Push and Path), you usually hope to stick a Pyromancer Ascension as an alternative to a creature and ride that to victory.
There's also izzet creatures that untap on any instant sorcery cast and they ping for one. There is also a red instant grants haste, cantrips a draw.
Green also gives u a lot of hexproof options like blossoming defense.
Noxious IS a free spells and with stuff like manamorphose and opt it can come in real handy
Firebrand Archer is cool, but only has 1 toughness; however, Thermo-Alchemist is a little bit more resilient. Maybe a 2/2 or 2/3 split between the two to add another set of the Electrostatic Field effects? Gelectrode is an option, but he's three mana and as fragile as they come.
What about Serum Visions and Sleight of Hand? They'll keep you going just like Opt does, and they work well when Pyromancer Ascension is online.
As far as your issues with things like the Knight and Mage go, Siren Stormtamer, Trickbind, Disallow, and Nimble Obstructionist all offer an option. Turn Aside also helps against spot removal and the like.
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