Wombo Combo - Azorius Edition

<h6 style="text-align: right;"><span style="font-size: 8pt;">(<span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Grand Arbiter Augustin, IV" href="#" target="_blank">Grand Arbiter Augustin, IV</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Original art by <a href="http://www.matthew-stewart.com/">Matt Stewart</a>)</span></h6>
<h1>Coming Soon to a <del>Theater</del> Table Near You</h1>
<p><em>Power Sink</em> is back with a vengeance. In a world dominated by high-powered commanders, one article series is out to take them down (in power level). This time, it's teaming up with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Grand Arbiter Augustin IV" href="#" target="_blank">Grand Arbiter Augustin IV</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> to get him out of his chair and into the streets.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Grand Arbiter Augustin IV"></div></div>
<p>Grand Arbiter comes in as the number 158 commander on EDHREC, touting 1,198 decks. In terms of just Azorius commanders, this makes him number three with a bullet at the blue-white box office. Augustin has been in this game a long time, originally printed back in 2006. During that time he's ruffled a lot of feathers and earned a 2.22 <a href="https://edhrec.com/top/salt">Salt Score</a>, making him the 23rd saltiest card in the entire format. With his tax effect, Grand Arbiter is known for keeping other players from doing what they want to do by covering it with a bunch of bureaucratic red tape, while his cost discount makes it easier to cast his own spells, which often make sure everyone else has to go through even more of the proper protocols.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Grand Arbiter Average Deck" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*1 Grand Arbiter Augustin IV
[/Commander]
[Creatures]
*1 Archon of Emeria
*1 Aven Mindcensor
*1 Azor&#039;s Elocutors
*1 Consecrated Sphinx
*1 Drannith Magistrate
*1 Esper Sentinel
*1 Fatespinner
*1 Grand Abolisher
*1 Hullbreacher
*1 Hushbringer
*1 Lavinia, Azorius Renegade
*1 Mangara, the Diplomat
*1 Spelltithe Enforcer
*1 Strict Proctor
*1 Thalia, Guardian of Thraben
*1 Thalia, Heretic Cathar
*1 Wandering Archaic
*1 Windborn Muse
[/Creatures]
[Enchantments]
*1 Aura of Silence
*1 Authority of the Consuls
*1 Blind Obedience
*1 Ghostly Prison
*1 Land Tax
*1 Mystic Remora
*1 Propaganda
*1 Rest in Peace
*1 Rhystic Study
*1 Smothering Tithe
*1 Sphere of Safety
[/Enchantments]
[Instants]
*1 Brainstorm
*1 Counterspell
*1 Cyclonic Rift
*1 Dovin&#039;s Veto
*1 Enlightened Tutor
*1 Fierce Guardianship
*1 Force of Will
*1 Mana Drain
*1 Mystical Tutor
*1 Negate
*1 Path to Exile
*1 Render Silent
*1 Sphinx&#039;s Revelation
*1 Swan Song
*1 Swords to Plowshares
[/Instants]
[Artifacts]
*1 Arcane Signet
*1 Azorius Signet
*1 Fellwar Stone
*1 God-Pharaoh&#039;s Statue
*1 Jeweled Lotus
*1 Mana Crypt
*1 Norn&#039;s Annex
*1 Sensei&#039;s Divining Top
*1 Sol Ring
*1 Talisman of Progress
*1 Winter Orb
[/Artifacts]
[Sorceries]
*1 Approach of the Second Sun
*1 Ponder
*1 Preordain
*1 Solve the Equation
*1 Supreme Verdict
*1 Time Wipe
*1 Wrath of God
[/Sorceries]
[Planeswalkers]
*1 Dovin, Hand of Control
*1 Narset, Parter of Veils
*1 Teferi, Who Slows the Sunset
[/Planeswalkers]
[Lands]
*1 Azorius Chancery
*1 Command Tower
*1 Deserted Beach
*1 Flooded Strand
*1 Glacial Fortress
*1 Hallowed Fountain
*1 Hengegate Pathway
*1 Irrigated Farmland
*9 Island
*1 Nimbus Maze
*11 Plains
*1 Port Town
*1 Prairie Stream
*1 Reliquary Tower
*1 Sea of Clouds
*1 Temple of Enlightenment
[/Lands]"></span></div>

<hr />
<p>In case his own tax effect wasn't enough, Grand Arbiter is running even more mandatory tax effects like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Thalia, Guardian of Thraben" href="#" target="_blank">Thalia, Guardian of Thraben</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Spelltithe Enforcer" href="#" target="_blank">Spelltithe Enforcer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dovin, Hand of Control" href="#" target="_blank">Dovin, Hand of Control</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, making it tough to pay for the <em>optional</em> tax cards like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Smothering Tithe" href="#" target="_blank">Smothering Tithe</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Rhystic Study" href="#" target="_blank">Rhystic Study</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Wandering Archaic" href="#" target="_blank">Wandering Archaic</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<p>There are also a bunch of cards in the average deck that just straight up disallow things: <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Narset, Parter of Veils" href="#" target="_blank">Narset, Parter of Veils</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> stops additional card draw, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Hushbringer" href="#" target="_blank">Hushbringer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> shuts off ETB and Aristocrat strategies, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Fatespinner" href="#" target="_blank">Fatespinner</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> makes opponents skip one of their phases, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Drannith Magistrate" href="#" target="_blank">Drannith Magistrate</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> says "no" to anything not cast from a player's hand, which is bad news for anyone who wants to cast their commander. Board wipes like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cyclonic Rift" href="#" target="_blank">Cyclonic Rift</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are somehow made even worse than normal, as opponents have to jump through tons of hoops to replay their cards.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Approach of the Second Sun"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Thalia Guardian of Thraben"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Drannith Magistrate"></div></div>
<p>The end result is a deck that makes it nigh impossible for opponents to resolve anything, while the Grand Arbiter deck takes its time to put together a win with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Approach of the Second Sun" href="#" target="_blank">Approach of the Second Sun</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> or some sort of combo.</p>
<p>However, this has been the typical Grand Arbiter deck for long enough. His reputation has been smeared, so for this article, he's out for revenge. In the past, he made them pay mana, but this time, he's just going to make them pay.</p>
<hr />
<p><strong><span style="font-size: 18pt;">I'm All Out of Bubblegum</span></strong></p>
<p>For this deck we're dropping the stax and tax and taking the fight to our opponents. People don't expect blue and white to leave opponents black and blue, but Azorius fliers has long been a consistent combat-focused draft archetype, and there have been several excellent creatures printed throughout <em>Magic</em>'s history that are ready to bring the pain. Instead of trying to slow down our opponents, we're going to capitalize on our commander's cost reduction to drop devastating haymakers way ahead of schedule.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Grand Arbiter: Arbit Harder" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*1 Grand Arbiter Augustin IV
[/Commander]
[Creatures]
*1 Azor, the Lawbringer
*1 Cloudblazer
*1 Deputy of Detention
*1 Dragonlord Ojutai
*1 Dream Trawler
*1 Drogskol Reaver
*1 Ethereal Valkyrie
*1 Hero of Precinct One
*1 Intrepid Adversary
*1 Ishai, Ojutai Dragonspeaker
*1 Isperia, Supreme Judge
*1 Knight of the White Orchid
*1 Linvala, Shield of Sea Gate
*1 Loyal Drake
*1 Loyal Warhound
*1 Medomai the Ageless
*1 Midnight Pathlighter
*1 Reflector Mage
*1 Selfless Spirit
*1 Shabraz, the Skyshark
*1 Spell Queller
*1 Sun Titan
*1 Sunscorch Regent
*1 Thistledown Liege
*1 Unsettled Mariner
[/Creatures]
[Artifacts]
*1 Arcane Signet
*1 Azorius Signet
*1 Bident of Thassa
*1 Heraldic Banner
*1 Lightning Greaves
*1 Mind Stone
*1 Sol Ring
*1 Strixhaven Stadium
*1 Swiftfoot Boots
*1 Thought Vessel
*1 Tome of Legends
*1 Tome of the Guildpact
*1 Wayfarer&#039;s Bauble
[/Artifacts]
[Enchantments]
*1 Cloud Cover
*1 Detention Sphere
*1 Duelist&#039;s Heritage
*1 Reconnaissance Mission
*1 Righteous Authority
*1 True Conviction
[/Enchantments]
[Sorceries]
*1 Austere Command
*1 Chart a Course
*1 Cleansing Nova
*1 Migratory Route
*1 Time Wipe
*1 Winds of Abandon
[/Sorceries]
[Instants]
*1 Akroma&#039;s Will
*1 Counterspell
*1 Delay
*1 Dovin&#039;s Veto
*1 Generous Gift
*1 Heliod&#039;s Intervention
*1 Keep Watch
*1 Make a Stand
*1 Path to Exile
*1 Resculpt
*1 Sphinx&#039;s Revelation
*1 Unbreakable Formation
[/Instants]
[Lands]
*1 Castle Ardenvale
*1 Castle Vantress
*1 Command Tower
*1 Deserted Beach
*1 Ghost Quarter
*1 Glacial Floodplain
*1 Glacial Fortress
*1 Guildmages&#039; Forum
*1 Hallowed Fountain
*1 Hengegate Pathway
*10 Island
*1 Nimbus Maze
*12 Plains
*1 Prairie Stream
*1 Reliquary Tower
*1 Scavenger Grounds
*1 War Room
[/Lands]"></span></div>

<hr />
<p>We're focusing heavily on multicolor creatures to take full advantage of Arbiter's discount. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Shabraz the Skyshark" href="#" target="_blank">Shabraz the Skyshark</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ishai, Ojutai Dragonspeaker" href="#" target="_blank">Ishai, Ojutai Dragonspeaker</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sunscorch Regent" href="#" target="_blank">Sunscorch Regent</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> become big threats very quickly, and Shabraz even has the added benefit of giving Grand Arbiter flying, so even our commander can get in for a little extra damage. Conveniently, some of our heavy hitters, like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ethereal Valkyrie" href="#" target="_blank">Ethereal Valkyrie</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dragonlord Ojutai" href="#" target="_blank">Dragonlord Ojutai</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, draw us cards when they head into combat.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ishai, Ojutai Dragonspeaker"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Drogskol Reaver"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Medomai, the Ageless"></div></div>
<p>We aren't really leaning on lifegain, but <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Drogskol Reaver" href="#" target="_blank">Drogskol Reaver</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can take advantage of the limited lifegain effects we happen to have, along with its native lifelink; just make sure the Reaver isn't out at the same time as Shabraz, or you'll be forced to draw your whole deck! With so many multicolor spells in this list, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Hero of Precinct One" href="#" target="_blank">Hero of Precinct One</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is going to generate a lot of tokens. Finally, if it manages to connect, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Medomai, the Ageless" href="#" target="_blank">Medomai, the Ageless</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can give us an extra turn, complete with another attack step, doubling up our beats.</p>
<hr />
<p><span style="font-size: 18pt;"><strong>Do You Feel Lucky? Well, Do Ya, Punk?</strong></span></p>
<p>Eventually, our opponents will likely notice that we've become a threat to their organization and will send their assassins (read: removal) to deal with us. Of course, we've prepared for this with a suite of protection effects. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Linvala, Shield of Sea Gate" href="#" target="_blank">Linvala, Shield of Sea Gate</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Selfless Spirit" href="#" target="_blank">Selfless Spirit</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> offer on-board protection for our creatures, along with the capability to do some damage in the air. Speaking of damage, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Akroma&#039;s Will" href="#" target="_blank">Akroma&#039;s Will</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Unbreakable Formation" href="#" target="_blank">Unbreakable Formation</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can protect our board or provide us with even more combat prowess.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Linvala, Shield of Sea Gate"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Unbreakable Formation"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Cloud Cover"></div></div>
<p>The protection doesn't stop there! <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Unsettled Mariner" href="#" target="_blank">Unsettled Mariner</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> adds a tax on targeting our permanents, and while opponents might not want to see another tax effect, it's not like we're <em>making</em> them target our stuff! <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Lightning Greaves" href="#" target="_blank">Lightning Greaves</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Swiftfoot Boots" href="#" target="_blank">Swiftfoot Boots</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are format staples for the protection they provide, but the haste they give is important for our creature-based strategy. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cloud Cover" href="#" target="_blank">Cloud Cover</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> will make it hard to keep our beaters down for good, since we can save them by returning them to hand, and even though they need to be recast, our commander makes that much easier. We've even got a few counterspells like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dovin&#039;s Veto" href="#" target="_blank">Dovin&#039;s Veto</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Delay" href="#" target="_blank">Delay</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> to either protect our board or shut down a problematic enemy spell.</p>
<hr />
<p><span style="font-size: 18pt;"><strong>No, Mr. Bond, I Expect You to Die</strong></span></p>
<p>Having a few big, evasive creatures will get you pretty far in a Commander game, but we'll need a bit more weight behind our punches to take out three opponents. Both <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Duelist&#039;s Heritage" href="#" target="_blank">Duelist&#039;s Heritage</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="True Conviction" href="#" target="_blank">True Conviction</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> give us that one-two punch with double strike, while <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Thistledown Liege" href="#" target="_blank">Thistledown Liege</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> takes advantage of the fact that most of our creatures are multicolored. Plus, since all of our creatures are white, we're going to want to choose 'white' for <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Heraldic Banner" href="#" target="_blank">Heraldic Banner</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Thistledown Liege"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="True Conviction"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Midnight Pathlighter"></div></div>
<p>From the recently-released <em>Innistrad: Midnight Hunt</em> set, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Intrepid Adversary" href="#" target="_blank">Intrepid Adversary</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can be a a huge boost, provided that you have a lot of mana. With the numerous card draw effects in our deck, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Righteous Authority" href="#" target="_blank">Righteous Authority</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can help do a lot of damage. For those times that flying just isn't enough, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Midnight Pathlighter" href="#" target="_blank">Midnight Pathlighter</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> will make blocking nigh impossible, and on top of that, we can even get some extra value from venturing into the dungeon!</p>
<hr />
<p><strong><span style="font-size: 18pt;">Hasta la Vista, Baby</span></strong></p>
<p>There's no denying that Grand Arbiter has a bad reputation, but I think much of the ire comes from what people expect from the 99. While that one-mana tax can be annoying, it doesn't really stop anyone from playing the game; people supposedly pay the one for <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Rhystic Study" href="#" target="_blank">Rhystic Study</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, after all. Grand Arbiter is just as much a ramp card as it is a hatebear, and I think anyone looking to play a casual version of this commander would do well to treat it this way when brewing and when discussing a deck in a rule zero conversation.</p>
<p>I'm not the first person with this idea for a Grand Arbiter deck - back in 2017, <a href="http://www.commandercookout.com/">Commander Cookout podcast</a> did an <a href="https://www.podomatic.com/podcasts/commandercookout/episodes/2017-10-26T17_57_48-07_00">episode</a> on a very similar deck. Of course, a beatdown deck isn't the only way to approach this commander. Human tribal and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Persistent Petitioners" href="#" target="_blank">Persistent Petitioners</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> show up as notable themes on Grand Arbiter's EDHREC page, and Coach JRO (a.k.a <a href="https://www.twitch.tv/unsummonedskull">Unsummoned Skull</a> on Twitch) has a spicy <a href="https://www.moxfield.com/decks/tUYudS0sw0SGYdosF5bHyg"><em>Storm</em> deck</a> he was kind enough to share.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Erratic Explosion"></div></div>
<p>It's about time for us to walk away from this explosion without looking at it. Let me know in the comments if this Grand Arbiter deck is worth the price of admission and if there are any commanders you'd like me to line up for the inevitable sequel.</p>


medomai the ageless

Wombo Combo - Azorius Edition

Power Sink - Arbit Harder

Too-Specific Top 10 - Extra, Extra!