[Primer] Azusa, Lost But Unfair [MTGO]

Commander / EDH* Competitive Control Eldrazi Mono-Green Primer Ramp

andrea98

Land (58)

• 1x Arch of Orazca
• 1x Ash Barrens
• 1x Blasted Landscape
• 1x Blinkmoth Well
• 1x Cavern of Souls
• 1x Crystal Vein
• 1x Dark Depths
• 1x Desert of the Indomitable
• 1x Dryad Arbor
• 1x Dust Bowl
• 1x Eldrazi Temple
• 1x Eye of Ugin
• 1x Field of Ruin
• 14x Forest
• 1x Gemstone Caverns
• 1x Ghost Quarter
• 1x Haunted Fengraf
• 1x Havenwood Battleground
• 1x Hickory Woodlot
• 1x Maze of Ith
• 1x Mikokoro, Center of the Sea
• 1x Mishra's Factory
• 1x Misty Rainforest
• 1x Myriad Landscape
• 1x Okina, Temple to the Grandfathers
• 1x Petrified Field
• 1x Rishadan Port
• 1x Sanctum of Ugin
• 1x Sea Gate Wreckage
• 1x Shrine of the Forsaken Gods
• 1x Slippery Karst
• 1x Tectonic Edge
• 1x Temple of the False God
• 1x Thespian's Stage
• 1x Tranquil Thicket
• 1x Treetop Village
• 1x Untaidake, the Cloud Keeper
• 1x Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
• 1x Urza's Factory
• 1x Verdant Catacombs
• 1x Vesuva
• 1x Wasteland
• 1x Windswept Heath
• 1x Wooded Foothills
• 1x Yavimaya Hollow

Creature (16)

• 1x Avenger of Zendikar
• 1x Courser of Kruphix
• 1x Emrakul, the Promised End
• 1x Eternal Witness
• 1x Fierce Empath
• 1x Kozilek, Butcher of Truth
• 1x Kozilek, the Great Distortion
• 1x Nissa, Vastwood Seer  ^Flip
• 1x Oracle of Mul Daya
• 1x Primeval Titan
• 1x Ramunap Excavator
• 1x Sundering Titan
• 1x Tireless Tracker
• 1x Ulamog, the Ceaseless Hunger
• 1x Woodland Bellower
• 1x World Breaker

Artifact (5)

• 1x Crucible of Worlds
• 1x Expedition Map
• 1x Horn of Greed
• 1x Mindslaver
• 1x Oblivion Stone

Instant (4)

• 1x Beast Within
• 1x Crop RotationGC
• 1x Realms Uncharted
• 1x Summoner's Pact

Commander (1)

Sorcery (10)

• 1x All is Dust
• 1x Ancient Stirrings
• 1x Explore
• 1x Green Sun's Zenith
• 1x Harmonize
• 1x Hour of Promise
• 1x Life from the Loam
• 1x Mulch
• 1x Sylvan Scrying
• 1x Time of Need

Planeswalker (3)

• 1x Karn Liberated
• 1x Nissa, Vital Force
• 1x Ugin, the Spirit Dragon

Enchantment (3)

• 1x Defense of the Heart
• 1x Exploration
• 1x Song of the Dryads

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Sideboard

Sorcery (2)

• 1x Clear the Land
• 1x Scapeshift

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Introduction:

Hi everyone, this is my personal approach to Azusa, Lost but Seeking with a MTGO decklist. The deck is really competitive and has a decent matchup against most of the other popular decks, and, most of all, it's really funny.

The Primer:

Show

Archetype: Ramp/Control

As a Control deck, your objective is to disrupt the enemy playstile and contain the early damage. Since this deck is mono we don't have any access to counters or efficient removal (except for Song of the Dryads which is a key card), and the main control tools are lands, for example Maze of Ith or any land destruction such as Wasteland.

As a ramp deck, your main goal is to always be ahead on land base and mana resource than your opponent. The main ramp tool is Azusa of course, which will let you play 3 lands every turn instead of one.

Why ?

I chose because he has efficient ways to ramp and great creatures. The main problem is the lack of hard removal and aoes since the green ones are really inefficient. The draw engines are solid and overall the color is capable of great sinergy. Of course, colorless creatures and sorceries such as All Is Dust helps the deck a lot.

Why Azusa?

Azusa is one of my favourite cards in the whole game. Her effect is great and unique, he's relatively cheap and gives access to really great interactions between land and recursion effects such as Ramunap Excavator.

There are a lot of commanders out there, the most common ones are listed below:

Omnath, Locus of Mana is a great ramp commander too, but in contrast to Azusa you always need his presence on board in order to keep some advantage.

Yisan, the Wanderer Bard is a more combo-oriented deck, that's why he doesn't fit really well the role as a control deck commander.

Titania, Protector of Argoth is more aggro-oriented than Azusa. Despite being one of the most popular decks out there it's a completely different strategy than the one adopted in this deck.

Strenghts of the deck:

The deck shines against other control decks since he relies on land synergy. Big creatures have a cast effect too, so they are almost immune to counters. Land denial is a key component against other slow decks and with so many recursion spells and abilities you can easily outrace your opponent while ramping.

Weaknesses of the deck:

The deck finds his bad matchup against fast aggro decks. Since your deck need some turns to start working, it's vital to not take too much damage early on. Cards like Tangle Wire destroys this deck in the first few turns because it slows you down too much and for too many turns. However, with a decent starting hand you can compete for the win even against these decks too.

You will enjoy this deck if:

-You prefer slow paced matches and control approach: since this is mainly a control deck you'll need to ponder before acting, and against other slow decks you'll be sitting at the table for a really long time.

-You love land shenanigans: destroying lands, copying other lands or combo off with Dark Depths; the choice is yours to take!

-"Turn 3 Karn"

You will hate this deck if:

-You prefer a faster gameplay: if you are an addicted aggro or combo deck you'll find strange to not combo off in the first few turns; maybe you'll like something more proactive.

-You play in an heavy aggro meta: since aggro are the worst matchup for this deck, if you have too many friends playing aggro decks in your local shop it might be better to use a faster deck.

General Strategy

This deck was built for a competitive environment. It is played efficiently using a three-stage approach:

Early game - Ramp, ramp, ramp again,

Mid game - Set up a lategame plan, start putting down big threats,

Late game - Board control, outlast your opponent.

These stages are discussed at length in the sections below.

Stage I - The Early Game

Main Goals

• Start to ramp;
• Set up a good land base;
• Decide a good mid game plan.

The main objective of the Early Game is to ramp up effectively with the aid of Azusa, Lost but Seeking. Be sure to cast it as fast as you can in order to make a good advantage before your opponent can answer to your first threats.

In this stage of the game is vital to not waste too much card advantage, cards like Courser of Kruphix or Oracle of Mul Daya can give you a good advantage without wasting too much hand size.

It's important to have a good plan for the mid game too: If you lose the race against faster decks after the first few turns it's really hard to make a comeback. One of the best card you can rely on is Nissa, Vital Force. With a perfect hand is possible to cast Karn Liberated early on, which will obviously gives you an incredible advantage.

Stage II - The Mid Game

• Start putting down some big creatures;
• Gather Combo pieces or great threats for your late game.

Getting straight into turn four or five you need to put some pressure into the battlefield. As mentioned above, Nissa, Vital Force is one of your best gameplan in this stage of the game: her emblem gives you infinite card advantage and her +1 helps you to cover her (or your face) from most of the creatures.

While contesting the board you should always keep an eye on gather some late game material, such as Ugin, the Spirit Dragon or some Eldrazi, depending from the situation. Tutoring for Dark Depths or Thespian's Stage can help you to take the edge against other control decks.

Stage III - The Late Game

Main Goals

• Combo-off;
• Lock your opponent resources, stomp with Eldrazi.

The main objective of the third phase is, of course, winning.

If everything went well in the first stages of the game you should've come to your domain: in the lategame you have an incredible amount of resources and options wich will outlast every other control deck or will close the game against faster decks.

Against slower decks your main win conditions are Emrakul, the Promised End and Mindslaver as well as Dark Depths + Thespian's Stage combo discussed below.

Mulligan

This deck is typically played in games that use a full mulligan.

The first and foremost rule when taking mulligans with this deck is that you must take aggressive mulligans while keeping an eye for some lategame cards or tutors. Cards like Nissa, Vital Force or Woodland Bellower are good options if you start with a bunch of lands. If you play against flying commanders you should always look for World Breaker or Maze of Ith. Generally speaking, you want to see four to five lands in your opening hand. This gives you security of a great land advantage after the first cast of Azusa.

If you have at least Dark Depths or Thespian's Stage you always want to see Sylvan Scrying or Hour of Promise later on.

Card choices explained

Lands

- Despite Being Mono-colored, the deck plays only 14 basic lands in order to give more consistency at the deck. Fetches are great to thin your deck and synergizes very well with recursion mechanics early on.

• Arch of Orazca

Not a great card by itself, but since doesn't have that many efficent draw engines, this land might be helpful also because city's blessing is really easy to obtain.

• Ash Barrens

In contrast to classic cycle lands, this one lets you search your deck for another basic land. It's not that efficient but it might help you to not get stuck with specific card cost early on. Most of the times it's a simple colorless land but it's fine anyway.

• Blinkmoth Well

Simple colorless land which may help you against annoying TAP artifacts.

• Cavern of Souls

Obviously core card of EDH in general. While it helps to cast Azusa uncontested, it might be a good idea to chose Eldrazi too and let them enter the battlefield uncontested.

• Cycle lands: Blasted Landscape, Desert of the Indomitable, Slippery Karst, Tranquil Thicket

As Arch of Orazca these lands help you to thin your deck if you don't need any immediate mana.

• Crystal Vein

Weakest version of Ancient Tomb (banned, sadly), it offers base colorless mana or, if you need it, a fast mana ramp. It's also really easy to take back this land from the graveyard and use it again.

• Dark Depths

This land is one of the win condition of the deck. With Thespian's Stage you cheat out counters and put a 20/20 token for ony two mana. Amazing land that sadly doesn't make any mana.

• Dryad Arbor

Both creature and land, this is one of the favourite target for an early Green Sun's Zenith which can help you to cast Azusa sooner.

• Dust Bowl

As long as you have lands and mana you can destroy one land each turn. Amazing card that works as a charm.

• Eldrazi Temple

This deck chooses Eldrazi as lategame: it would be crazy to not run this card.

• Eye of Ugin

As above, this card is a must have. The tutor effect is really good and helps you to snowball an Eldrazi one after another.

• Field of Ruin

Obviously non the best land destruction, but gives to both the opportunity to search for basic, which is decent.

• Gemstone Caverns

Since it's a singleton format it's hard to find it in the opening hand, but at least it's a decent land by itself, so it's worth the chance.

• Ghost Quarter

Weaker version of the infamous Strip Mine, but if you can take it back from the graveyard it's really good when your opponent doesn't have any basic left.

• Haunted Fengraf

Since the deck doesn't run too many creatures, you'll often take back exactly what you need.

• Havenwood Battleground

Even if it comes in play tapped it's still a decent way to cast Azusa on the second turn. Rather slow but accettable.

• Hickory Woodlot

Just as above, the only main difference is that you cannot TAP it for ordinary mana.

• Maze of Ith

Amazing land, one of the most important in the deck. Extremely powerful against creature-based deck or deck who relies on flying creatures or commander. One of the lands you'll tutor the most.

• Mikokoro, Center of the Sea

Draw for two mana is really good in a deck like this. Just pay attention when you use it since you can help your opponent a lot.

• Mishra's Factory

Decent land, he can be a blocker against smaller creatures or a little beater against control matches.

• Myriad Landscape

Rather slow fetchland, but gives you two lands out of one wich is a really good advantage early in the game.

• Okina, Temple to the Grandfathers

It's effect is really situational, but who knows? Maybe you can save your little Azusa just for that +1/+1.

• Petrified Field

Really good effect and rather fast. Most of the times you'll take back Dark Depths or Thespian's Stage, or it will be one of the land you'll always choose with Realms Uncharted.

• Rishadan Port

This card is a real nightmare if someone is stuck with lands. Otherwise the land is rather fast and surely worth its place in this list.

• Sanctum of Ugin

This is a great tutor land, it doesn't require a TAP effect and you can activate his ability even if you cast Karn Liberated or Ugin, the Spirit Dragon, overall a great way to tutor the next Eldrazi for your stampede.

• Sea Gate Wreckage

In late game this card means double draw, which is really good. Of course the situation where you can use it it's critical, but it can really helps to find the perfect answer.

• Shrine of the Forsaken Gods

Obviously this card is good for his second effect, which in a deck with 58 lands it's rather easy to activate.

• Tectonic Edge

Of course not the best land destruction, but it's really handy in the early stages of the game.

• Temple of the False God

Great land, i love it! If you have it in your first hand you can start using its effect on turn 3 or 4, which is a great boost.

• Thespian's Stage

The main purpose of this card is to combo off with Dark Depths, but it may be useful in many other spots, and with the opponent's land too.

• Treetop Village

Slower manland, but instead of a 2/2 is a 3/3 with trample which is definitely more scary.

• Untaidake, the Cloud Keeper

Ancient Tomb only for legendary spells, which means planeswalkers, Eldrazi and most importantly Azusa.

• Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth

Seems rather odd, but it's a great land in order to make any land TAP for mana regardless their conditions while keeping their abilities.

• Urza's Factory

Probably the slowest card in the deck. But maybe one day those tokens will save you..or not?

• Vesuva

Funny Utility which will let you create a copy of any other non-legendary land with a great effect. Maybe another Maze of Ith?

• Wasteland

Second only to Strip Mine, it's the nightmare of every stuck opponent.

• Yavimaya Hollow

Really good card, helps your creature tu survive to most of the hard removals and keep them safe from some aoes too.

Ramp Mechanics

Creatures

The main ramp option of the deck is, of course, its commander:

• Azusa, Lost but Seeking

MVP of the early game, this little girl lets you virtually skip the first mid game turns, leading you in the late game from turn 3 or 4. The most positive aspect of Azusa is that, after the first cast or two the deck works as a charm without the immediate need of her presence, letting you use your mana in the most optimal way.

• Nissa, Vastwood Seer  

While only giving the land in your hand, this creature thin your deck and it's really fast to flip. In her planeswalker form her +1 can give a both card or land advantage.

• Oracle of Mul Daya

His orrible stats are well balanced by his great effect: not only he gives +1 land each turn, but he helps you to manage your draw, removing any land from the top of your library.

• Primeval Titan

A giant in every sense. Two land ramp everytime this guy attacks or enter the battlefield is an incredible advantage. Most of the time you'll searching for both Eldrazi lands Eldrazi Temple and Eye of Ugin or combo lands Dark Depths or Thespian's Stage.

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Enchantments

• Exploration

Core card of the deck: if you have it on your opening hand it's almost always a hand you'll keep. Incredible card, incredibly cheap, incredible effect.

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Sorceries

• Explore

Both double land drop and draw effect. Great card for only two mana, definitely worth its place.

• Hour of Promise

Even if this card is really slow you can search for two any lands and play them. Since we are playing lot of great lands is always good to have more tutors for them.

Draw Engines

Creatures

• Tireless Tracker

Amazing 3 cmc creature. If you cast it early in the game you can have an incredible card capable of carrying the game for a lot of turns. Landfall is always present and you have both immediate and late advantage drawing whenever you want.

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Artifacts

• Horn of Greed

Controversial artifact; you need to pay attention when you play it since you can give your opponent more advantage than you can have in the immediate.

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Sorceries

• Ancient Stirrings

Looking at 5 cards and selecting whatever you want for only one mana is really good. You don't even lose what you don't chose, in order to tutor it later. Amazing card overall.

• Harmonize

Not the fastest draw engine of Magic, but at least for 4 mana you can have a decent card advantage. Must have in a deck like this.

• Mulch

Similar to Ancient Stirrings but you need to discard everything that isn't a land. It's risky but you can have a good card advantage from this card.

Tutors

Creatures

• Fierce Empath

Obviously, with that many fat boy in the deck it's always a great card to see in your hand.

• Woodland Bellower

Green creature tutor wich will put it directly into play; it's an enormous tempo swings. Most of the times you'll end up searching for Courser of Kruphix or Nissa, Vastwood Seer  .

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Artifacts

• Expedition Map

Great card, cheap and reliable. Every land you need in your hand.

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Sorceries

• Green Sun's Zenith

Staple of almost every deck. In the early game you'll almost always end up searching Dryad Arbor.

• Sylvan Scrying

Two mana for searching whatever land you need: early in the game will help you to ramp while in the late game it will help you to close the game.

• Time of Need

Rather unusual tutor, but since our lategame is only of legendary creatures it's simply a must have.

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Instants

• Crop Rotation

Useful tutor for lands. You'll never regretting destroying your land since this deck has infinite ways of taking back lands from the graveyard.

• Realms Uncharted

Gifts Ungiven for lands. Most of the time you'll end up taking two or three lands you need, while one will always be Petrified Field. Really good and reliable card.

• Summoner's Pact

Sad replacement for the begone Worldly Tutor. It has his advantages, you can play it on your turn and play what you want, but the land tax the next turn is almost always a bad drawback.

Beaters

Creatures

• Avenger of Zendikar

This creature mostly shines against aggro decks, bit it's good overall against other matchups too. If they cannot clear all the token you'll end up swarming with giant plants in a couple of turns.

• Emrakul, the Promised End

The doom of every control deck: just take your opponent's turn and waste whatever they have in hand! Most of the time you'll still end up having a 13/13 flying beater too.

• Kozilek, Butcher of Truth

His draw effect is relevant, but what makes this card incredibly good is his reshuffle effect. If you have precious beaters in your graveyard you'll end up having everything back again, and it's insane. Moreover, if he can attack his Annihilator effect is really disgusting.

• Kozilek, the Great Distortion

Almost no one plays it. However it's a great card advantage and you can also have the ability to counter your opponent's moves which is great. Not as powerful as a beater, but a great support unit. It's still a 12/12 with menace anyway!

• Sundering Titan

You'll love this card in the first moment you play it. Land destruction at its finest, great beater overall and incredibly powerful effect.

• Ulamog, the Ceaseless Hunger

The greatest removal of the deck, exiling whatever you want..and 20 card of your opponent's library is an option too.

• World Breaker

Little brother of Ulamog, the Ceaseless Hunger, he's in the deck mostly for his good stats and reach ability, which will give you a great blockers for flying creatures.

Recursion Spells

Creatures

• Eternal Witness

Regrowth with legs. Easily tutorable, she's a really good card to rely on.

• Ramunap Excavator

In this deck she's more deadly than ever. With Azusa on the field you can destroy the entire mana base of your opponent, ramping out as a charm or keep creating 20/20 tokens with Dark Depths.

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Artifacts

• Crucible of Worlds

Famous and good card, must have in decks who uses land as the main resource.

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Sorceries

• Life from the Loam

Amazing card in every way, even if you don't take it back every turn, you'll always feel how powerful this card can be. This is one of the powerhouses of the deck.

Utility Cards

Creatures

• Courser of Kruphix

Acting as a weaker Oracle of Mul Daya, her defensive stats and lifegain ability will help you to stabilize against faster decks.

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Artifacts

• Mindslaver

His effect is even more powerful than Emrakul, the Promised End since you don't let your opponent having another turn. Relatively fast to cast and activate, and deadly.

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Enchantments

• Defense of the Heart

Even if this card is fairly slow, it can act as a win condition by just choosing whatever you want from your deck and putting them onto the battlefield. Obviously this card is extraordinary against aggro or midrange decks, while it can be a dead draw against control decks focused more in spells rather than creatures.

Aoes And Removals

Artifacts

• Oblivion Stone

Rather slow aoe artifact, but it can help you to choose what to save if you have enough time.

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Enchantments

• Song of the Dryads

Extraordinary card, it's deadly if you use it against your opponent's commander, but it can turn everything annoying into a simple land. Really powerful spell.

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Sorceries

• All Is Dust

Surely not the cheapest aoe of the game, but yet one of the deadly. Destroys everything regardless regeneration and indestructible abilities. Its tibal is a good advantage in order to cast it earlier with Eldrazi Temple.

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Instants

• Beast Within

Not the greatest removal, but one of the best tool for to contrast annoying permanents.

Planeswalkers

• Karn Liberated

The good old Karn does extremely well his job. In the later stage of the game is not so incisive, however if you manage to get him down in the early game or mid game he can really give you a great advantage.

• Nissa, Vital Force

Probably the most useful planeswalker of the deck: her emblem is amazing in this deck and it's really fast to make, while the + effect gives herself a blocker and can activate some good combo with particular lands. her - effect might be good in some situations.

• Ugin, the Spirit Dragon

Sometimes we must say goodbye to some of our permanent too, but his aoe effect is great to contest wide boards of aggro deck. Obviously you'll always cast him before the turn 8.

Win Conditions

Dark Depths + Thespian's Stage

This is probably the fastest and reliable win condition of the deck. Since we play a lot of recursion, especially land specific, you can easily swarm the board with two or three 20/20 tokens.

Thespian's Stage being a copy of Dark Depths lets you instantly create a token without removing any counter on Depths. When you activate this ability, however, you need to destroy both lands since Dark Depths is legendary.

This win condition is really effective against control matchups, since the tokens are indestructible and cannot be countered.

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Eldrazi Stampede

Obviously, playing 5 Eldrazi, tutors and ramp for them is right to say that most of the time you'll end up winning by an infinite stampede of big creatures with powerful effects. Since they have great effects and huge stats they are both effective against aggro and control decks. If you play them right you can shuffle them back in the deck thanks to Kozilek, Butcher of Truth and start the swarm again.

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[Primer] Excuse for the..Ooze! [Mimeoplasm EDH]

Date added	7 years
Last updated	7 years
Key combos	Dark Depths + Thespian's Stage
Legality	This deck is not Commander / EDH legal.
Rarity (main - side)	16 - 0 Mythic Rares 39 - 2 Rares 18 - 0 Uncommons 13 - 0 Commons
Cards	100
Avg. CMC	4.31
Tokens	Ashaya, the Awoken World, Assembly-Worker 2/2 C, Beast 3/3 G, City's Blessing, Clue, Emblem Nissa, Vital Force, Marit Lage, Plant 0/1 G, Zombie 2/2 B