The curve is high, so some extra ramp would help, but overall the synergy is tight
Step right up and copy your Mindslaver, The Chain Veil or Thran Temporal Gateway triggers for the low low price of one mana and tapping a creature
Spell Stutter is the best overall soft counterspell, and we did try each variant in the format (Phantom Interference, Reasonable Doubt, and Don't Make a Sound) but found Spell Stutter's upside to simply be more often relevant than the others and often more impactful as well
Rafiki isnt all about fighting, with the option to quest for a single lore if theres nothing left to challenge, but his lighting-fast attack speed and solid potential as a challenger makes him indispensable as a way to find a window in your opponents defences and hit them before they get a moment to react
I love Battlebond lands, and have been known to throw in fetches, shocks, and even the very, very occasional OG dual land if the deck is one of my favorites
Regardless, those were all the Magic cards I had left at the time, my mono red deck that brought me endless wins, after selling the rest earlier to friends