Background for context: We just started playing EDH at my work a month or so ago (around when they announced the Commander decks). We're playing casually in the sense that people are playing essentially whatever deck they feel like, though competitively in that it's really no-holds-barred and in that people are building their decks well. We've got some serious MTG players in it - one former pro tour player and several people who regularly participate in Constructed Standard and Limited tournaments.
Another player is using Reaper King with various recursion engines and recurring tutors for changelings to vindicate people out of the game. A third is playing a Kresh combo deck that sweeps everything smaller than Kresh and then pounds a defenseless player for 21+.
The main thing that's missing from the table is countermagic. My brother (who works with me and plays regularly) is paying for up to $95 of cards as a Christmas gift, and I'm looking to change that with Azami, Lady of Scrolls. I have two huge limitations that I need to overcome to build this deck effectively.
1. I'm most comfortable playing aggro- or midrange-oriented Standard - when evaluating cards, I'm good at picking out card advantage (particularly advantage generated on the board) and efficient creatures with strong synergies, but not good at seeing combos or at building control decks.
2. I'm very familiar with Time Spiral block, Lorwyn, Morningtide, Alara block, Zendikar block and new Mirrodin. I'm very unfamiliar with the rest of magic (I have some experience with Ravnica, Mirrodin, Shadowmoor, and a few other sets, but not much.
This is just the start of cards on the table for this deck (list needs to be culled):
Future Sight or Magus of the Future + Sensei's Divining Top = a well known synergy that I don't need to spell out even though typing this small explanation took longer than just spelling it out would have
Archmage Ascension + Beacon of Tomorrows = infinite turns
Mind Over Matter + Elixir of Immortality + Azami + Beacon of Tomorrows = infinite turns and infinite life and extremely large Aeon Chronicler or Diviner's Wand
Deserted Temple + Magosi, the Waterveil + Rings of Brighthearth = infinite turns given 4U in addition to the two lands
Winning the Game:
I'm looking to win once I have control of the board. That means disruptable combos, since I don't just want to combo out non-interactively.
Probable ways to win the game: Combo out and beat down with Soramaro or Diviner's Wand (or random dorks).
If you put the number "1" before each card name inside the deck tags it will put links up for each of them. That will make the whole process here a lot easier.
One card that is an absolute must for an Azami deck is Mind over Matter. With even just azami in play you can basically craft a perfect hand. And as long as you have at least one big GY shuffle effect in your deck (see: Kozilek/Ulamog) you can shuffle everything you've discarded right back in when you're done.
Beyond that, I'd just scope out some of the other Azami threads and see what tickles your fancy.
EDH: UG Momir Vig, Simic Visionary BW Vish Kal, Blood Arbiter BUG The Mimeoplasm UWR Zedruu the Greathearted RUG Riku of Two Reflections UR Niv-Mizzet, Dracogenius WR Aurelia, the Warleader
The first question you have to do to yourself before you picked Azami as your Commander is...How busted you want your deck to be?
This Lady of the Scroll has the flexibility to create decks around her with different levels of brokeness. You can build a very fun deck, or and Fun but almost over the top deck, or build something just plain broken. And the rare thing about it is that the deck will always be 100% synergetic with your Commander.
This doesnt happen much with other Commanders that either are very strong to have a name, or they kind of sux as a fun one.
Going for a significant amount of tribal synergy. I don't want to combo out until the game has gone on for a while and I clearly have board control, so I'm looking to finish with things like Echo Mage + Time Stretch, where it won't work if I haven't got control of the game.
Basically, the deck needs to be fairly high quality, but I don't want to just abuse a broken combo to win in a few turns every game.
Going for a significant amount of tribal synergy. I don't want to combo out until the game has gone on for a while and I clearly have board control, so I'm looking to finish with things like Echo Mage + Time Stretch, where it won't work if I haven't got control of the game.
Basically, the deck needs to be fairly high quality, but I don't want to just abuse a broken combo to win in a few turns every game.
L:ike i said before, dont matter what route you take She will always be synergetic. That what i like about her as a General.
When i first built mine it was a litte bit more busted that i really wanted. So i tried to fix that; But she was still too powerfull.
So i've been shaping down her power to a Multiplayer powerhouse, wich means, she will always be fighting for the top spots on Multiplayer games without using degenerated combos.
So the last exclussion (maybe the last and hardest one) was to take out Mind ove Matter I think this card is the one that pushes the deck from Fair to Unfair. I tried to keep playin with it without abusing its power And there is no point not to abuse Mind over Matter if you have it in you deck.
My lisy is on my signature. Hopefully you can grab few ideas from it and feel free to comment on it.
I really leke where you are going with yours.
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I've been playing Savra, Queen of the Golgari with Buried Alive - Genesis - Kagemaro, First to Suffer - Mortivore as the main combo (I also have Life from the Loam, Crucible of Worlds, Strip Mine going at times, though we play primarily multiplayer so that's not as evil as it could be).
Another player is using Reaper King with various recursion engines and recurring tutors for changelings to vindicate people out of the game. A third is playing a Kresh combo deck that sweeps everything smaller than Kresh and then pounds a defenseless player for 21+.
The main thing that's missing from the table is countermagic. My brother (who works with me and plays regularly) is paying for up to $95 of cards as a Christmas gift, and I'm looking to change that with Azami, Lady of Scrolls. I have two huge limitations that I need to overcome to build this deck effectively.
1. I'm most comfortable playing aggro- or midrange-oriented Standard - when evaluating cards, I'm good at picking out card advantage (particularly advantage generated on the board) and efficient creatures with strong synergies, but not good at seeing combos or at building control decks.
2. I'm very familiar with Time Spiral block, Lorwyn, Morningtide, Alara block, Zendikar block and new Mirrodin. I'm very unfamiliar with the rest of magic (I have some experience with Ravnica, Mirrodin, Shadowmoor, and a few other sets, but not much.
This is just the start of cards on the table for this deck (list needs to be culled):
General
1 Azami, Lady of Scrolls
[CARDS]
Wizards
2 Teferi, Mage of Zhalfir
3 Venser, Shaper Savant
4 Arcanis the Omnipotent
5 Ertai, Wizard Adept
6 Rayne, Academy Chancellor
7 Stonybrook Banneret
8 Aphetto Grifter
9 Sage of Fables
10 Soratami Rainshaper
11 Vodalian Illusionist
12 Fallowsage
13 Glen Elendra Archmage
14 Sower of Temptation
15 Magus of the Future
16 Memnarch
17 Graceful Adept
18 Shapesharer
[CARDS]
Bouncing My Own Permanents
19 Vedalken Mastermind
20 Linessa, Zephyr Mage
21 Capsize
22 Crystal Shard
[CARDS]
Mean Wizarding Tricks
23 Cytoplast Manipulator
[CARDS]
Just Plain Mean
24 Hinder
25 Commandeer
26 Bribery
27 Proteus Staff
[CARDS]
Trinket Mage Package
28 Trinket Mage
29 Elixir of Immortality
30 Meekstone
31 Relic of Progenitus
32 Engineered Explosives
33 Expedition Map
34 Voidmage Apprentice
35 Willbender
36 Voidmage Prodigy
37 Patron Wizard
38 Voidmage Husher
[CARDS]
Tutors
39 Vedalken Aethermage
40 Merrow Harbinger
41 Faerie Harbinger
42 Long-Term Plans
43 Merchant Scroll
44 Mystical Tutor
[CARDS]
Counterspells
45 Cryptic Command
46 Forbid
47 Spell Burst
[CARDS]
Non-Wizard Card Advantage
48 Future Sight
49 Sensei's Divining Top
50 Mind Over Matter
51 Parallel Thoughts
52 Rings of Brighthearth
[CARDS]
Mana Acceleration
53 Sol Ring
54 Gauntlet of Power
55 Sapphire Medallion
56 Extraplanar Lens
57 Everflowing Chalice
58 Helm of Awakening
[CARDS]
Win Conditions
59 Diviner's Wand
60 Lighthouse Chronologist
61 Beacon of Tomorrows
62 Soramaro, First to Dream
63 Archmage Ascension
[CARDS]
Land
64 Seat of the Synod
65 Riptide Laboratory
66 Academy Ruins
67 Tolaria West
68 Minamo, School at Water's Edge
69 Magosi, the Waterveil
70 Reliquary Tower
71 Coral Atoll
72 Deserted Temple
Considered But Rejected
69 Wanderwine Prophets
69 Aeon Chronicler
68 Supreme Inquisitor
54 Sage's Dousing
20 Temporal Adept
1 Lullmage Mentor
7 Martyr of Frost
1 Counterspell
35 Pithing Needle
1 Opposition
67 Nameless One
23 Mistbind Clique
48 Pact of Negation
16 Riptide Director
10 Sea Gate Oracle
32 Brittle Effigy
39 Daring Apprentice
64 Echo Mage
65 Sigil Tracer
67 Time Stretch
15 Inspired Sprite
53 Rhystic Study
54 Mind's Eye
26 Spin Into Myth
24 Mnemonic Wall
Combos and Synergies:
Future Sight or Magus of the Future + Sensei's Divining Top = a well known synergy that I don't need to spell out even though typing this small explanation took longer than just spelling it out would have
Archmage Ascension + Beacon of Tomorrows = infinite turns
Mind Over Matter + Elixir of Immortality + Azami + Beacon of Tomorrows = infinite turns and infinite life and extremely large Aeon Chronicler or Diviner's Wand
Deserted Temple + Magosi, the Waterveil + Rings of Brighthearth = infinite turns given 4U in addition to the two lands
Winning the Game:
I'm looking to win once I have control of the board. That means disruptable combos, since I don't just want to combo out non-interactively.
Probable ways to win the game: Combo out and beat down with Soramaro or Diviner's Wand (or random dorks).
One card that is an absolute must for an Azami deck is Mind over Matter. With even just azami in play you can basically craft a perfect hand. And as long as you have at least one big GY shuffle effect in your deck (see: Kozilek/Ulamog) you can shuffle everything you've discarded right back in when you're done.
Beyond that, I'd just scope out some of the other Azami threads and see what tickles your fancy.
If you head over here http://forums.mtgsalvation.com/showthread.php?t=269517 You can check out the blue decks and there will be a number of different Azami decks to get ideas from.
EDH:
UG Momir Vig, Simic Visionary
BW Vish Kal, Blood Arbiter
BUG The Mimeoplasm
UWR Zedruu the Greathearted
RUG Riku of Two Reflections
UR Niv-Mizzet, Dracogenius
WR Aurelia, the Warleader
This Lady of the Scroll has the flexibility to create decks around her with different levels of brokeness. You can build a very fun deck, or and Fun but almost over the top deck, or build something just plain broken. And the rare thing about it is that the deck will always be 100% synergetic with your Commander.
This doesnt happen much with other Commanders that either are very strong to have a name, or they kind of sux as a fun one.
Basically, the deck needs to be fairly high quality, but I don't want to just abuse a broken combo to win in a few turns every game.
L:ike i said before, dont matter what route you take She will always be synergetic. That what i like about her as a General.
When i first built mine it was a litte bit more busted that i really wanted. So i tried to fix that; But she was still too powerfull.
So i've been shaping down her power to a Multiplayer powerhouse, wich means, she will always be fighting for the top spots on Multiplayer games without using degenerated combos.
So the last exclussion (maybe the last and hardest one) was to take out Mind ove Matter I think this card is the one that pushes the deck from Fair to Unfair. I tried to keep playin with it without abusing its power And there is no point not to abuse Mind over Matter if you have it in you deck.
My lisy is on my signature. Hopefully you can grab few ideas from it and feel free to comment on it.
I really leke where you are going with yours.