A very first draft of a Blue/White control deck with Azor, the Lawbringer leading the way.
Why U/W? Approach of the Second Sun is an extremely powerful, hard to interact with win condition in the new "Brawl" format and serves as serious incentive to play white. It also offers multiple wrath effects to control the board. Blue offers the card advantage needed to quickly cast the spell a second time and counter spells, for now, are the cleanest way to bring universal answers in the format. Adding black would be ideal, but there simply isn't an Esper general available at this time.
Why Azor, the Lawbringer?
The only other option, currently available is Dovin Baan. Dovin is very, very underwhelming at the head of the deck. Azor provides not only a place to dump excess mana, but is a 6/6 flyer at 6 mana. That's big enough to block a large number of the things coming your way and provide some serious clock if the Approach of the Second Sun isn't coming together. Teferi, Hero of Dominaria may be a better option when Dominaria released, but only time will tell.
I think this is a good framework, but it's far from complete. My biggest concern is defensive speed. Making sure the deck has good, high quality blockers in play to deter early attacks. A lot of turns are going to be spent churning through the deck, so the more cushion you have when you cast your first copy of Approach the better. The second concern is what happens when Approach isn't an option? Azor is a potential win condition, but far from high quality. Nezahal, Primal Tide does work, as does a copying something boss with Vizier of Many Faces, but does it actually get there? Could this be a deck for Aetherflux Reservoir or Dynavolt Tower alongside Sanguine Sacrament? Do we play Perpetual Timepiece and just try to simply deck our opponents? Curious what the rest of you are playing in the vein!
Induced Amnedia was in an earlier draft of the deck for that reason. I see pros and cons. When things are going to plan, it's pretty good. It draws you right in to Approach to recast. When things are going badly... let's say it's turn 10, you've just swept the board and are light on cards. In that scenario, you'd much rather this be an actual draw spell like Secrets of the Golden City. It's on the maybe list for the deck because it is, kind of, a solo windfall effect. Even better since the best wraths in white seem to blow up on-board enchantments, so you'd pick up the old cards again. I do realize now, that you don't discard what your drew, so that changes things slightly...
As always, when I talk my way through the card, it's probably better than I initially gave it credit for. I have a small, but growing maybe board for this deck I'll add to the opening post.
Which is fair, my Teferi deck is slower to empty the hand and focuses on a renewable engine. Hmm there is also Precognition Field. a more limited Future Sight that can exile unwanted cards.
Oh yeah, I plan to do a bunch of changes after Dominaria comes out, but for now it's gotta be something I can play in paper. GP Seattle is in a couple weeks and I'm really hoping they'll have some kind of support for it there.
I personally like the concept of having Azor be the General over Planeswalkers, mainly because reliably having access to his ability seems like it has the best option of just snowballing, especially if you are trying to get a victory off Approach of the Second Sun. Below is my current brew with what has been leaked/spoiled from Dominaria.
Thank you for sharing! I think there's some cool stuff going on here and I, personally, can't wait for Dominaria. It's going to bring a LOT of play to the deck and some real crazy options.
My concern with what I see here is pretty simple. It's protecting these planeswalkers. Planeswalkers are notoriously hard to protect in multiplayer games, so I'm guess I'm nervous about theme generating the kind of value you hope. Especially since none of the U/W ones really protect themselves. Only time will tell I guess!
My experience with the format so far is that unless the deck is aggressive, turn 3 is really where your option to ensure your key plays can start to compound. It is the primary reason I am looking at so many 3 mana counterspells. Planeswalkers in this format have not been as snowbally as they often times are in Commander, mainly because they are much weaker in comparison, but also because they do not let you really access degenerative stuff. My theme was not really to roll out multiple planeswalkers and have them stick, it was really just to make sure when I was tapping out, that it was something that has some sort of density to it. Removal options in Standard are slim pickings and I opted to have more angles to work with that essentially either do their own thing with enough power to hold some sort of ground, or good enough to just keep you alive and run them out of gas so you can Approach of the Second Sun.
I have not gotten to play with Dominaria at all yet, but my current UW Approach deck for Brawl left me feeling like I needed more meat cards
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STANDARD|UW Control MODERN| UBG Midrange PAUPER| UG Fog COMMANDER| UBG The Mimeoplasm
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Why U/W?
Approach of the Second Sun is an extremely powerful, hard to interact with win condition in the new "Brawl" format and serves as serious incentive to play white. It also offers multiple wrath effects to control the board. Blue offers the card advantage needed to quickly cast the spell a second time and counter spells, for now, are the cleanest way to bring universal answers in the format. Adding black would be ideal, but there simply isn't an Esper general available at this time.
Why Azor, the Lawbringer?
The only other option, currently available is Dovin Baan. Dovin is very, very underwhelming at the head of the deck. Azor provides not only a place to dump excess mana, but is a 6/6 flyer at 6 mana. That's big enough to block a large number of the things coming your way and provide some serious clock if the Approach of the Second Sun isn't coming together. Teferi, Hero of Dominaria may be a better option when Dominaria released, but only time will tell.
1 Azor, the Lawbringer
CREATURES (5)
2 Baral, Chief of Compliance
3 Nezahal, Primal Tide
4 Torrential Gearhulk
5 Vizier of Many Faces
6 Vizier of Tumbling Sands
ARTIFACTS (7)
7 Azor's Gateway
8 Cultivator's Caravan
9 Manalith
10 Orazca Relic
11 Sorcerous Spyglass
12 Thaumatic Compass
13 Treasure Map
ENCHANTMENTS (4)
14 Authority of the Consuls
15 Cast Out
16 Search for Azcanta
17 Thopter Arrest
PLANESWALKERS (1)
18 Dovin Baan
SORCERIES (7)
19 Approach of the Second Sun
20 Flood of Recollection
21 Fumigate
22 Hour of Revelation
23 River's Rebuke
24 Secrets of the Golden City
25 Strategic Planning
26 Commit // Memory
27 Countervailing Winds
28 Disallow
29 Forsake the Worldly
30 Glimmer of Genius
31 Hieroglyphic Illumination
32 Opt
33 Pull from Tomorrow
34 Settle the Wreckage
35 Spell Swindle
36 Supreme Will
LANDS (24)
37 Aether Hub
38 Arch of Orazca
39 Desert of the Mindful
40 Desert of the True
41 Evolving Wilds
42 Field of Ruin
43 Glacial Fortress
44 Ipnu Rivulet
45 Irrigated Farmland
46 Island
47 Island
48 Island
49 Island
50 Island
51 Island
52 Island
53 Island
54 Plains
55 Plains
56 Plains
57 Plains
58 Plains
59 Plains
60 Plains
I think this is a good framework, but it's far from complete. My biggest concern is defensive speed. Making sure the deck has good, high quality blockers in play to deter early attacks. A lot of turns are going to be spent churning through the deck, so the more cushion you have when you cast your first copy of Approach the better. The second concern is what happens when Approach isn't an option? Azor is a potential win condition, but far from high quality. Nezahal, Primal Tide does work, as does a copying something boss with Vizier of Many Faces, but does it actually get there? Could this be a deck for Aetherflux Reservoir or Dynavolt Tower alongside Sanguine Sacrament? Do we play Perpetual Timepiece and just try to simply deck our opponents? Curious what the rest of you are playing in the vein!
1x Aerial Responder
1x Everdawn Champion
1x Scribe of the Mindful
Artifact (5)
1x Aetherflux Reservoir
1x Crook of Condemnation
1x Dynavolt Tower
1x Perpetual Timepiece
1x Primal Amulet
1x Gideon's Intervention
1x Induced Amnesia
Instant (5)
1x Essence Scatter
1x Farm / Market
1x Insidious Will
1x Negate
1x Sanguine Sacrament
R Norin the Wary: I've Got a Bad Feeling About This
UG Thrasios & Kydele: Knowledge is Power
RG Borborygmos Enraged: The Breaking of the World
BG The Gitrog Monster: All Glory to the Hypnotoad
WUR Zedruu the Greathearted: Endless Possibilities, One Outcome
WBG Karador, Ghost Chieftain: What's Dead May Never Die
Turn your junk into something great with PucaTrade!
As always, when I talk my way through the card, it's probably better than I initially gave it credit for. I have a small, but growing maybe board for this deck I'll add to the opening post.
R Norin the Wary: I've Got a Bad Feeling About This
UG Thrasios & Kydele: Knowledge is Power
RG Borborygmos Enraged: The Breaking of the World
BG The Gitrog Monster: All Glory to the Hypnotoad
WUR Zedruu the Greathearted: Endless Possibilities, One Outcome
WBG Karador, Ghost Chieftain: What's Dead May Never Die
Turn your junk into something great with PucaTrade!
R Norin the Wary: I've Got a Bad Feeling About This
UG Thrasios & Kydele: Knowledge is Power
RG Borborygmos Enraged: The Breaking of the World
BG The Gitrog Monster: All Glory to the Hypnotoad
WUR Zedruu the Greathearted: Endless Possibilities, One Outcome
WBG Karador, Ghost Chieftain: What's Dead May Never Die
Turn your junk into something great with PucaTrade!
1 Azor, the Lawbringer
CREATURES
1 Angel of Condemnation
1 Angel of Sanctions
1 Lyra Dawnbringer
1 Evra, Halcyon Witness
PLANESWALKERS
1 Gideon of the Trials
1 Dovin Baan
1 Karn, Scion of Urza
1 Teferi, Hero of Dominaria
SORCERY
1 Approach of the Second Sun
1 Fumigate
1 Baral's Expertise
1 Kefnet's Last Word
INSTANT
1 Disallow
1 Glimmer of Genius
1 Pull from Tomorrow
1 Spell Swindle
1 Settle the Wreckage
1 Supreme Will
1 Cancel
1 Blink of an Eye
1 Admiral's Order
ENCHANTMENT
1 Search for Azcanta
1 Cast Out
1 Ixalan's Binding
1 Gideon's Intervention
1 Overwhelming Splendor
1 Seal Away
1 Azor's Gateway
1 Treasure Map
1 Thaumatic Compass
1 Oracle's Vault
1 Pyramid of the Pantheon
1 Sorcerous Spyglass
1 Mirage Mirror
LAND
1 Glacial Fortress
1 Irrigated Farmland
1 Meandering River
1 Evolving Wilds
1 Aether Hub
1 Arch of Orazca
1 Field of Ruin
1 Scavenger Grounds
1 Endless Sands
1 Hostile Desert
8 Island
7 Plains
1 Negate
1 Insidious Will
1 Sanguine Sacrament
1 Dusk // Dawn
1 Failure // Comply
1 Oketra, the True
1 Regal Caracal
1 Glyph Keeper
1 Sandblast
1 Saving Grace
1 Invoke the Divine
1 Fragmentize
1 Thopter Arrest
1 River's Rebuke
1 Essence Scatter
STANDARD|UW Control MODERN| UBG Midrange PAUPER| UG Fog COMMANDER| UBG The Mimeoplasm
My concern with what I see here is pretty simple. It's protecting these planeswalkers. Planeswalkers are notoriously hard to protect in multiplayer games, so I'm guess I'm nervous about theme generating the kind of value you hope. Especially since none of the U/W ones really protect themselves. Only time will tell I guess!
R Norin the Wary: I've Got a Bad Feeling About This
UG Thrasios & Kydele: Knowledge is Power
RG Borborygmos Enraged: The Breaking of the World
BG The Gitrog Monster: All Glory to the Hypnotoad
WUR Zedruu the Greathearted: Endless Possibilities, One Outcome
WBG Karador, Ghost Chieftain: What's Dead May Never Die
Turn your junk into something great with PucaTrade!
I have not gotten to play with Dominaria at all yet, but my current UW Approach deck for Brawl left me feeling like I needed more meat cards
STANDARD|UW Control MODERN| UBG Midrange PAUPER| UG Fog COMMANDER| UBG The Mimeoplasm