The reason I created this deck is to play a blink deck with an heavier emphasis on creatures and less on control. While Grand Arbiter Augustin IV can be one of the most tax-happy, control-heaven, permission slinging commanders in the game, he can also enable your deck to bring out its combos faster. In order for UW to do so, it must forfeit some of its control elements so it can dig happily into its creature supply and start blinking them on the battlefield. Only through intense creature-based interactions can the blink deck function in its entirety. One of the biggest faults of players delving into blink decks is that they are too light on creatures. While you will find creatures that do not have EtB (Enter the Battlefield) effects, they are very rare and for specific reason. Otherwise, you will be piloting one of the strongest decks in all of commander once it gets set up.
As for myself, I've been playing magic since M11 standard. Before Magic, I played Pokemon, Yugioh and WoW TCG very competitively. I'm not a stranger to the tournament scene and I've been a States-winning sponsored player since my earliest days of Pokemon. Due to my competitive playstyle, I've been a blue player since I started with the hobby. As a natural Tuner Spike, my first instinct was to go for tempo-based deck featuring Lord of the Unreal before it quickly transitioned into full-on UW and UB Control. My favorite deck to this day is my UW Control deck featuring Venser, the Sojourner, Stonehorn Dignitary, and Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite. My last venture in standard was with UWb Control, playing in M13 with the likes of Terminus and Obzedat, Ghost Council. I wouldn't say that my competitive T2 days are over, but I'm having more fun playing EDH for now. If I need my competitive fix, I can always go back to my UW Tempo Modern deck utilizing Vendilion Clique and Restoration Angel.
Oh, and I have also written other Primers. You can find my Teferi one here, and my Kira one here.
Deck History
My forte has always been playing blue decks. I started off Magic as a competitive mono-blue player and my recent EDH decks have always revolved around mono-blue generals. This UW Blink deck is playing off of my favorite deck of all time: UW Venser control back in M11 standard. The objective of the deck was simple: Control the board, get out a creature with a good EtB effect, and abuse it as much as possible with a blink engine. Venser, the Sojourner was the chief workhorse for me in the deck and once I setup with someone like Stonehorn Dignitary, the game was pretty much over. Unfortunately, this is not a 1v1 format and you're playing with 3 other people who are trying to secure victory. While some cards are amazing in 1v1 play, multiplayer EDH is a completely different story. Thankfully, this is a format where you're playing with a giant 100-card deck with all kinds of great EtB creatures from Magic's long and established history. Not only will you have access to some of the greatest creatures, but you'll also have the best permission, control and enchantment cards that will synergize so well it'll make your head spin. That's the direction I want to take you with this deck and if you'll indulge me, we'll make it one of the best possible.
Deck Overview
Grand Arbiter Augustin IV (GAAIV from now on) is one of the strongest control commanders in all of Magic. In order for you to pull this off, you have to respect the amount aggro your opponents will have towards you once he hits the board. Not only is he quite affordable, he provides cost buffs to your plays while making it more difficult for your opponents to cast spells. If this isn't instantly rage-inducing, I don't know what is. Fear not, I have figured a way around this: Think of GAAIV as a combo-enabler rather than a control engine for a second and your entire way of playing him will change. Don't bother stacking hate card after hate card into the deck so you can control 3 other players trying to play their game, instead, I want you to focus on your own. Don't bother with extra tax cards because GAAIV himself is already providing it. I want you to build up your mana base, take advantage of the cheaper to cast white and blue spells, and get out creature-based combos faster and with more consistency. Trust me, other players will hate you less while still respecting the power of your commander.
You will enjoy this deck if:
You like blink effects and what they can do.
You like the colors blue and white and what they represent.
You like creature-based interactions and lots of different card synergies.
You agree that building GAAIV tax and control-heavy will only cause people to hate you.
You don't want to be hated, but you still want to play a cost-effective, powerful UW commander.
You will not enjoy this deck if:
You would rather play heavy tax/control GAAIV.
You would rather get in the game quicker and start beating face.
You dislike the colors blue/white because you don't enjoy its mechanics.
You don't like EtB creature effects and would rather play the simple game.
You find a lot of the card interactions to be complex and hard to explain.
Commanders you can sub in: Ephara, God of the Polis - When you want more card draw from an indestructible enchantment creature. Gwafa Hazid, Profiteer - When you want more attack denial because you're taking too much heat. Rasputin Dreamweaver - When you want the extra mana to get off combos faster.
The first thing you have to understand about this deck is that it's fairly creature-heavy for GAAIV. You are not playing a control-heavy deck and thus, you can't expect to make the same kind of plays. First, let's take a look at the deck and focus on some of the control elements. You have two staple enchantments that greatly reduces the amount of damage going into you throughout the game: Propaganda and Ghostly Prison. While you want to be interacted with on the table, GAAIV draws a fair amount of hate once he hits the table and you will be swung at. That's just a concept you'll have to accept. Like most control decks, we like to play with some pretty powerful removal. The first thing you will notice is that there's no single-target removal spells like Path to Exile or Swords to Plowshares. I don't like spells that only target one creature in multiplayer since I would rather have something that hits the entire board. For that reason, I've chosen to roll with Hallowed Burial, Terminus and Supreme Verdict. I want the cards I cast to make the greatest swing on the table and thus, I would rather tuck an entire board filled with generals than see people inch towards that game-winning combat.
You will start the game by making yourself an elusive target. People will probably already know what your commander does by now so there's no use hiding it. Throw out a few mana rocks here and there and establish a good, solid mana pool that you can pull from. Keep in mind that GAAIV makes all your spells cheaper once he hits the board. This is what you're using him primarily, not the fact that he taxes your opponents whenever they cast a spell. That is just a fortunate byproduct of having a powerful commander. Instead, focus on establishing your field and using your counterspells very wisely. The permission cards that I've chosen are very specific. I will go into each and every one of these cards in much greater detail in the sections below, but for now realize that they're meant to utterly destroy future plans. When you have cards like Dissipate and Faerie Trickery over the stock Counterspell, you know the cards removed from the game rather than being replayed. They might be higher cost, but this is not a problem if you have GAAIV out on the battlefield. One thing that you must note is that while there's a good amount of permission, you must not try to control everything. For one, this is just not possible because there's other players at the table, but it's also unwise because it'll paint a giant target on your head.
Azorius Signet - Mana-fixer rock that helps to get the party started. Chromatic Lantern - Fixes all of your lands while being a good rock on its own. Conjurer's Closet - One of the most stable blink engines that you can ever put out. Crystal Shard - This allows you to bounce your opponents' creatures or to save one of your own. Gilded Lotus - A solid mana rock that gives you plenty of rainbow energy. Lightning Greaves - Great boots for fast attack Sun Titan or to protect non EtB creatures. Scroll Rack - Arguably the best dig card in the game when have enough cards. Sensei's Divining Top - One of the best cards for draw consistency. Sol Ring - This staple mana-booster needs no introduction. Sword of Feast and Famine - Allows you to drop multiple combo pieces a turn on top of solid protection. Talisman of Progress - Yet another mana rock to fix your mana base.
Creatures Explained
Angel of Serenity - Fantastic EtB effect that can help save creatures or clear the board of them. Arcanis the Omnipotent - Amazing draw potential on a solid evasion body. Combos nicely with Minamo, School at Water's Edge. Archaeomancer - Brings back popular sorcery and instant cards on a blink. Body Double - Can be used to copy one of your combo pieces or an opponents' creature in a graveyard. Consecrated Sphinx - No EtB effect, but one of the most powerful blue creature cards in the game. Deadeye Navigator - The master of blink himself combos with nearly every creature in this deck. Diluvian Primordial - Amazing enter effect that allows you to use your opponents' instants and sorceries. Duplicant - Exiling other creatures on enter is one of the most exploited effects you can ask for. Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite - Acts as a pseudo wrath for token decks and buffs your weaker creatures. Glen Elendra Archmage - Persist already allows her to counter twice, but blinking her allows near-infinite use. Grand Arbiter Augustin IV - The master of the deck allows you to play all your cards cheaper. Karmic Guide - One of the best creature cards to recur, copy and blink. This is one of the best creatures to abuse recursion and EtB. Mistmeadow Witch - You can blink any creature on the battlefield with this guy. Mulldrifter - Allows you to draw cards every time he enters the battlefield. A great blink target. Phyrexian Metamorph - One of the best copycats in the entire game that can also copy artifacts. Restoration Angel - Comes in with a solid body that can immediately blink one of your non-angels. Reveillark - An amazing combo creature that recurs just about anything in your deck. Best friends with Karmic Guide. Snapcaster Mage - A fantastic creature with Flash that allows you to immediately use one of your power cards. Solemn Simulacrum - Possibly the best advantage creatures that can be blinked for land ramp. Sun Titan - Allows you to recur many things from the graveyard on EtB and when he attacks. Teferi, Mage of Zhalfir - Stops your opponents from messing up your plays and casting when you don't want them to. Venser, Shaper Savant - One of the best EtB abilities in the game. He becomes completely ridiculous when blinked. Vesuvan Shapeshifter - A flexible copycat that can be recurred by Revillark.
Enchantments Explained
Angelic Renewal - Synergizes well with just about every creature, but no one more than Sun Titan. Ghostly Prison - Deters enemies from attacking you unless they pay. No one really likes to pay, especially if they're being taxed. Land Tax - Amazing enchantment that helps thin out your deck. Propaganda - The blue version of Ghostly Prison does the same thing. Rhystic Study - When you're already being taxed by GAAIV, no one wants to pay more to stop you from drawing.
Instants Explained
Blue Sun's Zenith - Every control deck needs some way to draw cards and to fuel combos. At least this one recycles. Cyclonic Rift - Possibly the strongest blue spell in EDH since it resets everybody but you. Dissipate - Counter the spell and remove it from the game. Show no mercy. Enlightened Tutor - This flexible instant tutor allows you to pull a much needed enchantment or artifact. Faerie Trickery - Basically the same thing as Dissipate but with a Faerie restriction. Ghostway - Blinks your entire side of the board, allowing you to dodge board wipes. Hinder - Tucking spells is much better than destroying them in EDH, especially when used on enemy commanders. Mana Drain - One of the best counterspells in all of Magic that allows you to power up next turn. Momentary Blink - A great blink instant that can be used twice to get the most mileage out of your creatures. Muddle the Mixture - Solid counterspell for sorceries and instants, but also great for fetching Cyclonic Rift. Mystical Tutor - Another great instant tutor that can fetch permission cards or top-deck Terminus. Render Silent - Shuts down the spell and Silence the opponent on the same turn. Return to Dust - Outright removing things is better than not. Can be cast on your turn for more juice. Spell Crumple - Another tuck permission card that can be recycled through Mystical Tutor. Sphinx's Revelation - With a good mana base, you can draw plenty of cards and heal a decent amount as well. Time Stop - When you absolutely need to shut down an game-winning turn or infinite, accept no substitutes.
Sorceries Explained
Hallowed Burial - A great, well-priced board wipe that tucks all creatures on the field. Rite of Replication - Find the most promising EtB creature on the field and replicate them for great justice. Supreme Verdict - An uncounterable board wipe that annihilates all creatures on the battlefield. Terminus - One of the best tucks when you miracle, but even better when you plan it with Mystical Tutor.
Planeswalkers Explained
Jace, the Mind Sculptor - The God-Jace does pretty much everything you want in blue, including being able to Brainstorm every turn. Tamiyo, the Moon Sage - Lock-down cards that are troublesome for you in hopes of reach ult. Once that happens, things get crazy. Venser, the Sojourner - One of the best blink engines since it bounces any perm you own. Also has an absolutely ridiculous ult.
Lands Explained
Adarkar Wastes - A solid mana-fixing land at a little life loss. Cavern of Souls - Allows your combo pieces and important creatures to be uncounterable. Celestial Colonnade - When you need a solid beater with flying, activate this awesome man-land. Command Tower - Taps for the mana you need every time. Eiganjo Castle - Allows to negate some damage on one of your creatures on demand. Evolving Wilds - Helps filter your deck and fix your mana base. Glacial Fortress - This dual-land comes in untapped if you have a Plains or Islands. Hallowed Fountain - A great shockland that's a staple in UW play. Homeward Path - Make sure your creatures remain yours with this land. Kor Haven - Helps deny your opponent damage by completely negating one creature. Maze of Ith - Deny an attack by untapping the creature. Minamo, School at Water's Edge - Helps untap one of your legendary creatures, most notably Arcanis the Omnipotent. Mystic Gate - Fixes your mana base whenever you need the UU or WW. Nimbus Maze - Taps for the right mana as long as you have the right lands. Prahv, Spires of Order - The more expensive and better version of Kor Haven. Reflecting Pool - Another mana fixer that taps for the mana you need. Reliquary Tower - Allows you to have an infinite hand size. Very important for control decks. Riptide Laboratory - You can bounce one of your wizards into your hand to be recast again. Seachrome Coast - Comes in untapped at the beginning of the game. Temple of Enlightenment - A solid dual land with built-in scry effect. Terramorphic Expanse - Yet another filter card and fixes your lands.
Combos and Synergies
Notable Deadeye Navigator combos:
+Venser, Shaper Savant - Mass bounce perms and spells back to their opponents' hand.
+Duplicant - Allows you to exile creatures on the board for dirt cheap.
+Karmic Guide - Bring back everything in your graveyard.
+Mulldrifter - Draw as many cards as you have mana for.
Notable blink effects: Angel of Serenity enters + blink/bounce effect on stack - Allows you to exile three enemy creatures permanently. Archaeomancer - Bring back game-ending cards like Cyclonic Rift to force a scoop. Body Double - Copy multiple creatures with great EtB effects per turn. Solemn Simulacrum - Being able to repeatedly blink for lands is a combo that must be stopped by the table. It allows you to outramp green.
Notable Sun Titan targets: Angelic Renewal - This essentially makes your Sun Titan invincible unless one of them gets exiled. When he dies, you sac renewal to get him back, and in turn, Sun Titan enters the board and brings back Angelic Renewal. Crystal Shard - Allows you to quickly bounce other targets battlefield, including your own. Lightning Greaves - Immediately Sun Titan to swing, giving you another chance to bring back something important. Sword of Feast and Famine - This is a great equipment piece to bring back since it allows you to untap all your lands. Ghostly Prison and Propaganda - Stops people from hitting you too much.
Cards I've tried recently: Gideon Jura - Just dies too quickly because he doesn't force people to attack through Propaganda. I could never get him to work with Tamiyo, the Moon Sage because they're rarely on the board at the same time. Seems gimmicky and the creatures in multiplayer are much bigger than 1v1.
Cards I want to try: Time Warp - You can infinite off Time Warp with any blink enabler and Archaeomancer. This seems to stand out like a sore thumb and one of the more popular combos to pull off. Almost seems too good not to put in.
Entreat the Angels - This card can be a win condition by itself depending on how much mana you have. Absolutely back breaking if you're able to force the draw from Mystical Tutor or even Scroll Rack.
Phantasmal Image - A remarkably cheap copycat that can be brought back by Sun Titan. The only downside with this dude is that he does not benefit at all from blinks, in fact, he outright dies to it.
Sakashima the Impostor, perhaps? Because the only thing worse than a Grand Arbiter is two Grand Arbiters. Plus, it has its own built-in reset effect, albeit a slightly delayed one.
Sakashima the Impostor, perhaps? Because the only thing worse than a Grand Arbiter is two Grand Arbiters. Plus, it has its own built-in reset effect, albeit a slightly delayed one.
Yeah, it was a really, really tough call to cut Sakashima the Impostor. The reason why I had Vesuvan Shapeshifter in there to begin with is because of his interaction with Reveillark. Being able to recur such a powerful copycat is really powerful, but man.. you're making me rethink my decision!
Grand Arbiter's Blink Party
Introduction
Deck History
Deck Overview
The Deck Itself
Deck Strategy
Artifacts Explained
Creatures Explained
Enchantments Explained
Instants Explained
Sorceries Explained
Planeswalkers Explained
Lands Explained
Combos and Synergies
Testing Grounds
EDH: Teferi, Mage of Zhalfir
EDH: Teferi, Mage of Zhalfir
EDH: Teferi, Mage of Zhalfir
Also, two Elesh Norns is just plain unfair.
Yeah, it was a really, really tough call to cut Sakashima the Impostor. The reason why I had Vesuvan Shapeshifter in there to begin with is because of his interaction with Reveillark. Being able to recur such a powerful copycat is really powerful, but man.. you're making me rethink my decision!
EDH: Teferi, Mage of Zhalfir