But on the control side of the coin, this feels like a "win more" card, as you don't really want to spend 5 mana at sorcery speed, and if you do, you probably have the board locked up enough already.
That said I'm gonna try to build Mind's Desire Azami though, and test it out online.
So how about that new spice from the previews? I think this one is gonna be an auto include for me.
It's Venser without the wizardy body but half the mana cost!
Definitely thinking about shaving some of the meh cards like Disciple so I can fit more of this annoying goodness in!
In my list I actually run both, but irl I only run Foil. In place of FoW I would have Commandeer.
I've found that "free" counterspells are very VERY important. In the early game, I play extremely aggressively towards developing my board, almost always tapping out to get whatever resources I can slam down on the table, and these free counters lets me do that if they attempt to disrupt it. Once Azami gets out, I usually don't play anything for a turn or two while I make my land drops, since after those few turns, I should be able to generate a pretty strong lock. (I'm actually considering running Daring Apprentice, if only it costed only 2 mana or that it didn't require tapping to activate it would have been an auto-include for me)
Disciple of the Ring has been pretty interesting for me, I wish it costed less but it's effectiveness in being able to continuously manipulate the board while synergizing with many of our cards is unrivaled. In a sense, it's a Staff of Domination on a wizard stick. It should be noted though that unless you are going for the kill, you rarely want to pay 1 to untap a creature and draw with Azami. You only have so many instants and sorceries in your grave, it's really not worth it.
(I think it should be noted that a regular player in the group plays Horobi, Death's Wail, this card is pretty good against it)
As for Disdainful Stroke, it's such a good card in EDH, maybe because in my meta, all the commander players wants to play big flashy spells, but this card is a 1U counter target spell because by the time you want to be countering stuff, this will hit just about anything.
Lastly Time Stop has been so good to me. When countering spells just isn't enough anymore, this card has my back. I've had a Kozilek player use the Spawnsire of Ulamog's second ability to instantly cast 7 big fat eldrazi spells, only to get all of those cards exiled by Time Stop. Playing blue just simply feelsgoodman.
This is my list. It is meant to be as cutthroat of a control/annoyance deck as possible.
I run something very close to this irl, but with budget replacements. (Mana Drain, FoW, mana crypt, and a few other cards are too rich for my blood)
Also the reason I run Bazaar over Jace, Vryn Prodigy is because I don't care much for the planeswalker side of Jace in this deck, I much rather keep filtering cards over and over, and flipped jace doesn't let me do that.
I can see that flipped jace be better in your deck though since you run extra turn spells.
As for strategy, my decklist is very different in terms of gameplan. (Though I want to change it towards the other way)
I plan to drag out the game as long as possible and make the game an absolute nightmare.
My list has no wincon except for Lab Man. I don't have infinite draws. I just draw my deck one wizard at a time till I deck myself out.
TBH There are so many cards I'd love to talk about naming them all in one post would be insane, and probably best waited till after the construction of "Notable Exclusions".
I'm just wondering if you ever considered these cards, as they are not really well known Azami cards.
Thoughts on Fatespinner?
I feel like she can put a decent soft lock on the table (Negates combat early, pick your poison type of deal late). She's bad against combo, sure, but as mono-blue, almost our entire deck can deal with combos.
Also I really liked Sakashima, The Imposter, hard to beat a bouncy clone that gets around the legendary rule.
Lastly, It may not be apparent since both of the cards are staples in the deck, but Sigil Tracer and Turnabout can generate infinite mana and draw your deck the same time.
You need Sigil Tracer, 3 other wizards, and 6 lands.
Tap 4 lands, Cast Turnabout. Hold Priority. (2 lands 4 wizards untapped)
Tap 2 lands and 2 wizards, Copy Turnabout. (0 land 2 wizards untapped)
Control Magic at #42.
What sits between it and Daze at #44? Speculate!
Counterspell or Counterbalance.
My guess is Counterbalance.
Let's not forget Cyclonic Rift is also a possibility, which imho makes more sense in a draft set.
I'd love it to be counterbalance but it would lead to a boatload of mistriggers, and potentially frustrating and slow gameplay.
Also now with the inclusion of Curious Homunculus/Voracious Reader, It feels very possible.
But on the control side of the coin, this feels like a "win more" card, as you don't really want to spend 5 mana at sorcery speed, and if you do, you probably have the board locked up enough already.
That said I'm gonna try to build Mind's Desire Azami though, and test it out online.
It's Venser without the wizardy body but half the mana cost!
Definitely thinking about shaving some of the meh cards like Disciple so I can fit more of this annoying goodness in!
May try it out online a little bit, but being ~$100 probably not irl lol
I've found that "free" counterspells are very VERY important. In the early game, I play extremely aggressively towards developing my board, almost always tapping out to get whatever resources I can slam down on the table, and these free counters lets me do that if they attempt to disrupt it. Once Azami gets out, I usually don't play anything for a turn or two while I make my land drops, since after those few turns, I should be able to generate a pretty strong lock. (I'm actually considering running Daring Apprentice, if only it costed only 2 mana or that it didn't require tapping to activate it would have been an auto-include for me)
Disciple of the Ring has been pretty interesting for me, I wish it costed less but it's effectiveness in being able to continuously manipulate the board while synergizing with many of our cards is unrivaled. In a sense, it's a Staff of Domination on a wizard stick. It should be noted though that unless you are going for the kill, you rarely want to pay 1 to untap a creature and draw with Azami. You only have so many instants and sorceries in your grave, it's really not worth it.
(I think it should be noted that a regular player in the group plays Horobi, Death's Wail, this card is pretty good against it)
As for Disdainful Stroke, it's such a good card in EDH, maybe because in my meta, all the commander players wants to play big flashy spells, but this card is a 1U counter target spell because by the time you want to be countering stuff, this will hit just about anything.
Lastly Time Stop has been so good to me. When countering spells just isn't enough anymore, this card has my back. I've had a Kozilek player use the Spawnsire of Ulamog's second ability to instantly cast 7 big fat eldrazi spells, only to get all of those cards exiled by Time Stop. Playing blue just simply feelsgoodman.
I run something very close to this irl, but with budget replacements. (Mana Drain, FoW, mana crypt, and a few other cards are too rich for my blood)
Also the reason I run Bazaar over Jace, Vryn Prodigy is because I don't care much for the planeswalker side of Jace in this deck, I much rather keep filtering cards over and over, and flipped jace doesn't let me do that.
I can see that flipped jace be better in your deck though since you run extra turn spells.
1 Azami, Lady of Scrolls
Ramp
1 Sol Ring
1 Mana Crypt
1 High Tide
1 Extraplanar Lens
Non-Wizard Annoyance
1 Declaration of Naught
1 Arcane Laboratory
1 Quicksilver Fountain
1 Back to Basics
1 Vedalken Shackles
1 Intruder Alarm
1 Rhystic Study
1 Psychic Surgery
1 Stasis
1 Bribery
1 Thada Adel, Acquisitor
1 Sensei's Divining Top
1 Counterbalance
Wizards
1 Snapcaster Mage
1 Stonybrook Banneret
1 Magus of the Bazaar
1 Trinket Mage
1 Vendilion Clique
1 Sower of Temptation
1 Glen Elendra Archmage
1 Teferi, Mage of Zhalfir
1 Venser, Shaper Savant
1 Patron Wizard
1 Fatespinner
1 Disciple of the Ring
1 Vedalken AEthermage
1 Laboratory Maniac
1 Vedalken Mastermind
1 Beguiler of Wills
1 Tezzeret the Seeker
1 Ertai, Wizard Adept
1 Cyclonic Rift
1 Capsize
Counters
1 Stifle
1 Arcane Denial
1 Hinder
1 Misdirection
1 Force of Will
1 Familiar's Ruse
1 Counterspell
1 Cryptic Command
1 Mystic Confluence
1 Muddle the Mixture
1 Spell Crumple
1 Forbid
1 Foil
1 Disdainful Stroke
1 Mana Drain
Utils
1 Fabricate
1 Venser's Journal
1 Dig Through Time
1 Clever Impersonator
1 Phyrexian Metamorph
1 Sakashima the Impostor
1 Turnabout
1 Time Stop
1 Merchant Scroll
1 Mystical Tutor
1 Long-Term Plans
1 Minamo, School at Water's Edge
1 Riptide Laboratory
1 Tolaria West
1 Reliquary Tower
1 Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx
1 Cavern of Souls
1 Ancient Tomb
1 Academy Ruins
28 Snow-Covered Island
As for strategy, my decklist is very different in terms of gameplan. (Though I want to change it towards the other way)
I plan to drag out the game as long as possible and make the game an absolute nightmare.
My list has no wincon except for Lab Man. I don't have infinite draws. I just draw my deck one wizard at a time till I deck myself out.
TBH There are so many cards I'd love to talk about naming them all in one post would be insane, and probably best waited till after the construction of "Notable Exclusions".
I'm just wondering if you ever considered these cards, as they are not really well known Azami cards.
I feel like she can put a decent soft lock on the table (Negates combat early, pick your poison type of deal late). She's bad against combo, sure, but as mono-blue, almost our entire deck can deal with combos.
Also I really liked Sakashima, The Imposter, hard to beat a bouncy clone that gets around the legendary rule.
Lastly, It may not be apparent since both of the cards are staples in the deck, but Sigil Tracer and Turnabout can generate infinite mana and draw your deck the same time.
You need Sigil Tracer, 3 other wizards, and 6 lands.
I didn't see it with your list of combos so I thought I would point it out.
Let's not forget Cyclonic Rift is also a possibility, which imho makes more sense in a draft set.
I'd love it to be counterbalance but it would lead to a boatload of mistriggers, and potentially frustrating and slow gameplay.
Between 219-Chrome Mox and 222-Goblin Charbelcher, 2 spots are open.
Notable Artifacts are
Between 222-Goblin Charbelcher and 225-Mana Crypt, 2 spots are open.
Notable Artifacts are