Giada, Font of Hope - Intelligence

Giada decks care about sequencing. Cast Giada before the Angel curve, use her mana on Angel spells, then make each later Angel enter larger while protecting the flying board.

Giada counts Angels already controlled, including herself, but not the Angel that is entering.

Giada's counter effect is a replacement effect and does not use the stack.

Giada does not put counters on herself as she enters.

Angels entering at the same time do not count one another as Angels already controlled.

Angel tokens and changelings qualify if they are Angels as they enter.

Giada's mana can be spent only to cast Angel spells.

In persist loops, Giada's +1/+1 counter and persist's -1/-1 counter cancel as a state-based action.

Bounce removes counters, while sweepers and commander removal reset the board Giada is trying to scale.

Graveyard hate, exile removal, and counter-denial effects can interrupt the Twilight Shepherd persist lines.

Cast Giada early, then use low-curve Angels and flying pressure to start damage before slower decks stabilize.

Use Giada's restricted mana and cost reducers to accelerate expensive Angels.

Use Angel bodies that gain life or care about life total to stabilize while the flying board grows.

Use Giada's replacement effect to cancel Twilight Shepherd's persist counter after each sacrifice.