Sear's 4 damage reliably kills their bigger threats like Master of Barbs, Ingris Stingerquill, and Gev, Scaled Scorch, which Plasma Bolt's lower ceiling often fails to do, making this a straightforward upgrade in removal quality. This is a mirror-ish matchup against another aggressive Lizard-focused red-black deck, so the game is decided by who removes the other's key threats and races most efficiently. Keep your curve low and prioritize killing their Hired Claw and Iridescent Vinelasher early since those scale with their attacks. Hold Sear for their best threat rather than using it reactively on small creatures when possible.