Edge of Eternities cards are finally tournament legal. With their arrival also comes the departure of a handful of MTG sets from Standard via rotation. Standard is due for some major metagame shifts.
Right out of the gates, one archetype that may have improved its position in the format is Azorius control. Azorius control lost very little to rotation. On top of that, the deck gained a lot of new tools from Edge of Eternities, helping to stave off early pressure and take over grindy games.
Today, we’re going to highlight a decklist that got 1st place in a HARERUYA Daily Tournament. Some expected inclusions have been added as well as a spicy new Sphinx that provides a ton of value over the course of a game.
Rotation Proof
Before we get into all that Edge of Eternities had to offer, it’s important to go over the essential cards that the deck maintained past rotation. Most of the card draw elements, pieces of counter magic, and ways to stabilize the board are here to stay.
For card advantage, both Dreams of Laguna and Stock Up make a return as usual. Stock Up only appears as a two-of here, which may seem a bit abnormal. However, as we will see in the next section, you have no shortage of ways to draw cards.
To keep your head above water while you relish this card advantage, board wipes like Day of Judgment as well as traditional removal spells such as Get Lost play important roles. Get Lost is particularly necessary, as it can answer problematic permanents like Kaito, Bane of Nightmares or Unholy Annex that could otherwise run away with the game singlehandedly.
In addition to board wipes, Beza, the Bounding Spring is still one of your best options against aggressive strategies. Beza’s presence often forces aggro players to overcommit, making Day of Judgment that much more brutal when it hits.
At the top end, Marang River Regent and Overlord of the Mistmoors can close games in a flash. Both cards are quite flexible in their casting cost and effect, which gives you a ton of agency on how you want to play the game depending on the matchup.
New Pieces
Moving on to the new additions, there are three elite Edge of Eternities cards in this decklist, all of which serve important purposes. First, we have Seam Rip. Seam Rip may just be an uncommon, but it’s value to this archetype cannot be overstated.
As good is Beza and your board wipes are at catching you back up, you really need cheap removal against aggro decks so you don’t fall too far behind. Azorius control has been lacking a reliable one-mana answer to opposing early plays. Seam Rip solves this issue nicely.
Furthermore, Seam Rip doesn’t just deal with creatures. Azorius control now has an efficient answer to Agatha’s Soul Cauldron. Old versions of the deck relied on Temporary Lockdown and Ultima, which are undoubtedly strong cards but were more expensive and thus vulnerable to being tagged by Spell Pierce.
Losing Temporary Lockdown is annoying, but luckily, Edge of Eternities brought Azorius control a great replacement in the form of Pinnacle Starcage. This card provides a similar effect, just with a couple key differences.
One difference is that Pinnacle Starcage doesn’t exile enchantments. Not exiling enchantments can be annoying versus Stormchaser’s Talent. More importantly, though, Pinnacle Starcage therefore doesn’t exile your own copies of Seam Rip. This is a huge deal and makes it much harder for the opponent to successfully play around all of your interaction.
Another thing Pinnacle Starcage brings to the table is its eight-mana ability. This is very relevant in a control deck like this that plays a lot of lands and card draw. This ability should come up more than you might expect.
Finally, we’ve reached the most intriguing card in the deck: Quantum Riddler. Quantum Riddler is extremely underrated. In attrition battles, you can Warp it early as a pseudo-cantrip. Then in the mid-game, you’ll play it, draw another card, and your opponent will be hard pressed to kill it.
The kicker that makes the card so scary is that if your opponent doesn’t deal with it, eventually, you’ll start drawing a bunch of extra cards. Quantum Riddler provides so much value and gives you inevitability, a deadly combination. This makes Quantum Riddler one of your best topdecks. You just have to live long enough to take advantage of the Sphinx, and your new removal spells help in this regard.
A Sweet Spot
It’s still very early in new Standard, and it’s hard to draw conclusions from one small event. That being said, there is a lot to like about Azorius control as things currently stand.
Versus Dimir midrange, so long as you can keep Kaito and Enduring Curiosity in check, you’re in great shape to grind them into dust. Versus Izzet Cauldron, you have more answers to Cauldron itself. Seam Rip should improve your position against the red aggro decks as well as mono-green Landfall, giving you a better shot at staving off a quick Tifa Lockhart or Bristly Bill, Spine Sower.
Azorius control also has plenty of ways to adapt as the metagame continues to mold. Currently, this decklist is more proactive, running zero copies of No More Lies in the maindeck. This has its advantages, though countering combo cards and powerful three-drops such as Vivi Ornitier and Sephiroth, Fabled SOLDIER that can pose problems once they stick could prove to be essential.
Other potential inclusions to keep on your radar include Consult the Star Charts and Annul. Consult is a card advantage option that works well in a build heavier on Counterspells. Annul is a top sideboard option if more players flock towards Pinnacle Emissary or Yuna, Hope of Spira shells.
We’re excited to see how the Standard environment shapes out. Edge of Eternities could play a major role in defining Standard for the foreseeable future.
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