I have just gotten into standard and want to go start getting into commander. I have three of the 2016 precons, but I kinda wanna build my own for the first time. So I have all the cards from Stalwart Unity, Breed Lethality, and Invent Superiority. I was thinking mono blue or maybe something else with blue would be good for budget control. I also have most all standard cards that could be plugged into control blue. Torrential Gearhulk, Glimmer of Genius, Anticipate, Disallow, Negate, Dispel, Void Shatter, Baral's Expertise, Baral, Chief of Compliance, ect.
Well any info on budget commanders for a deck like this or budget win cons?
If you go Azami, most of the wizards for a wizard tribal theme are inexpensive, and you can win via psychosis crawlerdiviner's wand, or docent of perfection. This is in tandem with clone effects, possession effects etc.
As I suggest in every budget and/or mono blue control thread, it doesnt get any much budget than Talrand, Sky Summoner. Pack the deck full of counters, draw spells, other assorted blue answers, and Islands, and BAM! A mono blue control deck that can hold its own.
As people have suggested, on a budget there are four pretty good options (one being non-budget but an option for you. Those options lead to three distinct archetypes of "control" though:
2. Baral, Chief of Compliance and Talrand, Sky Summoner - These two are similar in that they want to run as many cheap cantrips and "free" spells (like Gitaxian Probe, High Tide, Frantic Search, Snap, etc.) as possible. Baral obviously wants to go deeper on counterspells since he gets to loot and likes those "free" untap land spells since he can make mana off of them, while Talrand wants to make sure he is running every single one mana cantrip that has ever been printed so he can make lots, and lots, and lots, of drakes. Baral will kill in a fashion similar to Azami.
It would be helpful to understand how many opponents you would be facing, and the quality of their decks.
All of the above mentioned commanders (arcanis/teferi/azami/talrand) are all pretty common and most opponents can figure out what you are trying to do before turn-zero. In multi-player tables, some of those commanders just won't survive for a full turn cycle. Arcanis and Azami both tend to paint huge targets on your head in multi-player.
My preference for control in mono-blue, in multi-player, is actually Rayne, Academy Chancellor. She has a subtle deterrent effect, comes out very early, and isn't threatening enough to warrant removal. Once you have the mana for a counterspell ready, then throw Oracle's Insight on her, so no-mater-what (even if the opponents board-wipe), you can still get some card advantage.
I wouldn't worry about any other enchantments for her, other than maybe Fate Foretold in a more casual table (only cantrips, won't trigger if Rayne goes to command zone).
It is almost always 4-6 players when we play commander. Will very rarely if ever play 1 v 1. I would just play standard or modern if we only had 2 players.
Well any info on budget commanders for a deck like this or budget win cons?
If you go Azami, most of the wizards for a wizard tribal theme are inexpensive, and you can win via psychosis crawler diviner's wand, or docent of perfection. This is in tandem with clone effects, possession effects etc.
Any preference for or against infinite combos? There's a great list of potential win cons here.
As for a commander UW is good with Grand Arbiter Augustin iv, and UR is also solid with Nin, the Pain Artist at the helm.
Azami is really fun. You can power it up with Mind Over Matter combo, or power it down to more wizard tribal.
On that note some of the best wizards for a tribal strategy are
....not that I had a list prepared earlier...
The Mimeoplasm || Karador, Ghost Chieftain
Prossh, Skyraider of Kher || Vial Smasher/Tymna Group Slug
Drana, Kalastria Bloodchief || Talrand, Sky Summoner
Yidris - Unblockable Saboteurs || Kiki-Jiki, ETB breaker
Kess, Dissident Mage
He breaks parity with Winter Orb, Static Orb, Back to Basics and Rising Waters.
He's really strong with other mana rocks/high tide
He ignores hate like Leovold, Emissary of Trest and Spirit of the Labyrinth.
He is one half of his own win condition
Play him, a few other PWs, chain veil, and toolbox a bunch of hate rocks to shut down whatever it is your meta likes to win with (Meekstone, Ensnaring Bridge, Trinisphere, Cursed Totem, Torpor Orb, Grafdigger's Cage, etc.), alongside spells to find that hate. Garnish with All is Dust, Cyclonic Rift, and Chain of Vapor.
Oh Rider, my heart will go on...
1. Azami, Lady of Scrolls wants to run lots of wizards, draw tons of cards, and bully the table with superior handsize before eventually combo-killing them with something like a Psychosis Crawler or Diviner's Wand or some sort of infinite combo they assemble (like Time Warp + Archaeomancer). You might also win via Laboratory Maniac.
2. Baral, Chief of Compliance and Talrand, Sky Summoner - These two are similar in that they want to run as many cheap cantrips and "free" spells (like Gitaxian Probe, High Tide, Frantic Search, Snap, etc.) as possible. Baral obviously wants to go deeper on counterspells since he gets to loot and likes those "free" untap land spells since he can make mana off of them, while Talrand wants to make sure he is running every single one mana cantrip that has ever been printed so he can make lots, and lots, and lots, of drakes. Baral will kill in a fashion similar to Azami.
3. Teferi, Temporal Archmage plays less like a traditional monoblue control deck and more like a prison deck, locking the table up with Stasis, Winter Orb, Ensnaring Bridge, Rising Water, Static Orb, and Tangle Wire while using his minus ability to "cheat" around those and untap big mana artifacts like Gilded Lotus, Caged Sun, Basalt Monolith, and Thran Dynamo. While he may hold counter mana up he also wants to supplement his prison with deterrence like Propaganda, Crawl Space, Pendrell Mists, etc. He likes Time Warp effects and planeswalkers as well, with Tezzert, the Seeker being his #1 partner in crime. He tends to be heavier on artifacts (he needs his prison cards, mana rocks, and a Chain Veil or Contagion Clasp to keep the engine running) so it's more common for him to want to run stuff like Fabricate, Whir of Invention, Trophy Mage, and similar cards to find the tools he needs.
RCRDaretti: Superfriends Forever RCR
WGBDoran: Ent-mootWBG
GGGMultani: Group Bear HugGGG
GB(B/G)The Gitrog Monster: Dredgefall DurdleGB(B/G)
RGWGahiji, the Honored Group Hug MonsterRGW
UB(U/B)Yuriko, Ninja Trinket AggroUB(U/B)
WUBRGAtogatog: Assembling a OHKOWUBRG
All of the above mentioned commanders (arcanis/teferi/azami/talrand) are all pretty common and most opponents can figure out what you are trying to do before turn-zero. In multi-player tables, some of those commanders just won't survive for a full turn cycle. Arcanis and Azami both tend to paint huge targets on your head in multi-player.
My preference for control in mono-blue, in multi-player, is actually Rayne, Academy Chancellor. She has a subtle deterrent effect, comes out very early, and isn't threatening enough to warrant removal. Once you have the mana for a counterspell ready, then throw Oracle's Insight on her, so no-mater-what (even if the opponents board-wipe), you can still get some card advantage.
I wouldn't worry about any other enchantments for her, other than maybe Fate Foretold in a more casual table (only cantrips, won't trigger if Rayne goes to command zone).
For 1v1, mono-blue control, I wiill always choose vendilion clique - counter/tempo until you can fabricate up a runechanter's pike or empyrial plate and swing away. Wydwen, the Biting Gale is my preference for this sort of deck - the addition of black really helps.
Links to my most current deck lists;
Primary EDH; Rakka Mar Token Perfection, Crosis Mnemonic Betrayal, Cromat Villainous, Judith Gravestorm, Rakdos Empty Storm, Exava Artifacts, Bant Trash, & Fumiko Voltron!
EDH kept at home; Ruzzian Isset & Rakdos LoR!
EDH (nostalgic/pimp/retired) in storage;
Latulla Burns, Akroma Smash, Jeska Voltron, Rakdos Storm, Bladewing Darghans, Lyzolda Worldgorger, Xantcha Steals your Heart, Jori Storm, Wydwen Permission, Gwendlyn Paradox, Jeleva Warps, & Sigarda Brick!
Legacy Showanimator and High Tide!
(W/U)(B/R)GForm of Progenitus, Shape of a Scrubland
BRGJund Tokens with Prossh, the Magic Dragon Foil
URGAnimar, the RUG CleanerFoil
RRRFeldon of the Third Path 2.0 Foil
BG(B/G)Not Another Meren DeckFoil
UR(U/R)Mizzix, Y Control and X Burn Spells
(W/U)(B/R)GHarold Ramos - The 35 Foot Long Twinkie (In +1/+1 counters)
UB(U/B)Dragonlord Silumgar