Welcome Magic lovers!
As we stand on the cusp of Standard rotation, which coincides with the imminent release of the new Edge of Eternities set, it's time to start reviewing and updating some of the established archetypes to see if they still have what it takes to remain in tier 1 after losing several of their powerful tools.
One such deck, which has recently seemed to hover just outside of tier 1 status, is Azorius Control.
While many were quick to condemn the archetype as 'unplayable' due to both Temporary Lockdown and Jace, the Perfected Mind leaving the format with rotation, we've now learned that Edge of Eternities will be bringing some useful tools to shore up the gaps left in the wake of these departures.
Today, let's break down what an Azorius Control deck may look like in the upcoming Standard Regional Championship Qualifier season, which begins at the same time as rotation, and the Edge of Eternities release!
First, however, we must say goodbye to a few old friends.
With rotation, we lose access to the once-ubiquitous sweeper, Sunfall, though we're fortunate to still have some excellent replacements for this fine board-wipe, like Ultima, so the loss isn't felt quite as strongly.
The loss of the three-mana catch-all, Temporary Lockdown, is much more significant, as it's much more difficult to replace. Temporary Lockdown was able to come down early enough to clean up the entire early rush of creatures presented by red-based aggro decks before they knocked one's life total into single digits, which obviously made it an indispensable tool in the control deck's arsenal.
Jace, the Perfected Mind was always a fine win condition in the control shells, especially when format churn brought late-game decks like Domain ramp or Mono-White Caretaker's Talent decks to the fore of the metagame. Fortunately, losing access to the blue 'mill' planeswalker isn't that devastating, as late-game decks have all but disappeared from Standard, with Dimir Midrange, Vivi prowess, and red-based aggressive decks all rising from the ashes of the recent ban announcement to dominate the format.
Finally, the Azorius mana base took a significant hit, losing not one, but two dual lands in the form of Adarkar Wastes and Seachrome Coast. This will certainly need to be taken into consideration when piecing together which lands to play, though hopefully the deck can get to a point where it is still able to run several colorless utility lands like Fountainport and Demolition Field.
However, as some old staples shuffle out of the current Standard format, other new and intriguing tools have been released to take their place.
A great many players were worried that Temporary Lockdown rotating would leave the Azorius Control decks with no way to survive the early game against aggro, so imagine the sigh of relief that was breathed when Pinnacle Starcage was spoiled in Edge of Eternities.
While Pinnacle Starcage does resemble its predecessor in many ways, there are some distinct differences, which must be kept in mind.
First, it will not sweep away enchantments the way Temporary Lockdown did. This is obviously a weakness, as there are plenty of enchantments running around that it would be nice to cleanly deal with. However, it's also a boon, as sweeping away one's own Rest in Peace or Authority of the Consuls was always rather awkward and led to deck building concessions that often felt subpar.
Add to that Pinnacle Starcage's late-game, eight-mana activated ability to put all the cards it had exiled into the graveyard and create a bunch of 2/2 robot creature tokens, and it suddenly becomes much, much more appealing. A deck like Azorius Control is often trying to get to the stage of the game where it has eight or more mana in play, which makes this cheap sweeper a potent late-game threat as well.
Another excellent tool that Azorius mages received in Edge of Eternities was Seam Rip.
In the same vein as the previously played control deck staple, Portable Hole, this unassuming one-mana, white removal spell is often exactly what the control deck needs in the early game to stabilize and survive. It hits a surprising number of powerful early-game threats from almost every other deck in Standard, while also conveniently being an enchantment that doesn't get swept away by one's own Pinnacle Starcage.
While it will most often be taking out creatures, its flexibility means it can easily snag a powerful non-creature permanent, such as a Prophet's Eidetic Memory or Astrologian's Planisphere, for just a single mana. That's incredible in a deck that wants to affect the board while also leaving up a counter for the opponent's next threat.
The final new addition from Edge of Eternities that entered Azorius Control's orbit is the excellent card draw spell, Consult the Star Charts.
A two-mana cantrip which, in the early game, plays like a beefed-up Sleight of Hand, while also being cast in the late-game as a four-mana Dig Through Time, is absolutely incredible in this shell.
Remember, control decks are rather thirsty. They require a continuous supply of fresh cards in order to keep staving off the unending threats continually bursting forth from the aggressive and midrange decks. While Stock Up still does much of the heavy lifting in the card advantage department, the deck needed another cheap draw spell to complement it.
Previously, control mages were torn choosing from a bevy of serviceable, yet mostly mediocre, draw spells, including: Deduce, Dreams of Laguna, Think Twice, etc.
The new Consult the Star Charts fills that role beautifully, looking at the top two or three cards in the early game and netting one of them for only two mana, then also being cast later for four or more mana in order to dig deeply into the deck to potentially find a pair of specific silver bullets. It's such a potent card draw spell that it's probably not necessary to even run the full playset of Stock Up anymore (though I will still try playing four of each).
Here's an example of what an Edge of Eternities Standard Azorius Control deck may look like in the first couple of weeks of the format:
Naturally, it's impossible to paint an accurate picture of what the larger Standard metagame will look like now, which any good control deck needs to know in order to find its optimal configuration. Though with the next Standard Regional Championship Qualifier season right around the corner, we should have plenty of data soon enough.
Regardless, this list looks like it covers all the bases: plenty of early interaction between Seam Rip, No More Lies, and Pinnacle Starcage, a ton of card draw in the form of Stock Up and Consult the Star Charts, and some solid ways to close out the game via Elspeth, Storm Slayer, Marang River Regent, and Overlord of the Mistmoors.
Take it to your first Standard event of the new season and crush all those who rely on pathetic creatures to do their bidding!
