"This world may not know peace, but in my presence you WILL know quiet." -Augustin IV
Overview:
This is a control deck utilizing powerful and tricky counterspells and card draw to fuel my hand as I burn it almost indiscriminately on powerful spells my opponents play, waiting for the right time to drop my spells and start winning.
The motivation for this deck is to create a deck that is a lot different from my other French ban list following EDH deck, Will It Sac?, whilst still being competitive versus that deck (and others) in case someone wants to play Commander with me but doesn't have a deck of their own.
As stated this deck is following the French ban list. Thus I cannot run things that well, every other deck runs like Sol Ring and Grim Monolith and Mana Vault and Mana Crypt etc. Not everyone in my playgroup believes in this ban list, but I believe following this list makes for a more wholesome EDH experience, even in multiplayer. Nothing puts a bigger target on your back than turn one Sol Ring into Mana Vault into turn two Karn Liberated.
That kind of stuff isn't very fun in my opinion, which may be hard to believe if you've seen my Arcum Dagsson deck: Wreaking Such Sorrow, but that deck serves a different purpose. I like to see a game progress over time at a reasonable speed, not just end because of turn two Blightsteel Colossus or turn three Stasis lock.
The Commander: Grand Arbiter Augustin IV
Auggy is a champion, the definition of a utility creature. He simply sits on the board like some kind of enchantment and more or less ramps my spells and bogs my opponents down with a tax on all of their spells. 10/10 will probably cast every game for literal value.
The Counterspells:
The deck features a wide array of counter-magic from Force Spike to Dissipate to
Foil
to Condescend to Mana Tithe to Stifle. Most of these have synergy with our commanders ability but doesn't need him to succeed. Hopefully the threat of nearly guaranteed having counter-magic available will make opponents hesitant to play their powerful spells the turn they get enough mana for it.
The Card Advantage:
Sphinx's Revelation - I feel it's pretty obvious why this is good with my commander.
Blue Sun's Zenith - Another Rev without lifegain, shuffles into my library for a chance to get it and use it again.
Consecrated Sphinx - A must have for the avid card-drawer, never let your opponents draw more than you!
Snapcaster Mage - You know how this works
Jace Beleren - You get a card, you get a card, and you get a card, and I get a card! Now just I get a card! Combo's hard with Consecrated Sphinx
Future Sight - Sometimes the best spell for any given moment is only one more card down
Guile
- Turns my counterspells into threats/permanently exiles cards I counter.
Other things too, but these are some of the most notable.
How to win:
Tidespout Tyrant - Turns every spell into even more value, is a flying beater.
Treachery - Kozilek, Butcher of Truth?!?! Blightsteel Colossus??! You shouldn't have!!!
Elspeth, Sun's Champion - She does it in standard, she can do it in EDH too.
Guile
- Can net me some pretty powerful spells.
Conclusion:
So that's the deck! I just built it so surely some tweaking will be necessary and some changes will be made, but I am hoping that it will be good enough to stand up to my Vish Kal, Blood Arbiter deck. If it's not I will simply have to tweak it until it can compete and games can go either way.
