It is thus proclaimed on this day that [card]Azor, the Lawbringer[/card] is a Legendary Creature Sphinx with 6/6 and Flying.
When Azor comes into play, thou shalt get a free [card]Sphinx's Decree[/card].
When Azor attacks, thou can cast [card]Sphinx's Revelation[/card].
And thus it is proclaimed as law. The law has been brought. By Azor.
To get more value from his Decree, we will use repeatable effects to [card]Flicker[/card] Azor out of play and back in once during each of our turns to reactivate his enter the battlefield trigger. Hopefully, our opponents will never be able to cast another instant or sorcery ever again. I hear those are useful, so let's pass an injunction to stop all that nonsense. Since he has to attack to trigger his other ability, it would be optimal to wait until after combat to flicker him.
To boost his Revelation, let's add [card]Thought Vessel[/card] and [card]Reliquary Tower[/card] up front so that we don't have to worry about overdrawing and discarding our lovely cards and then we can really cut loose with the mana. As long as we are planning to gain life and draw cards, let's really sphinx up the place with [card]Alhammarret's Archive[/card] so we can do both of those things twice as hard. As I learned from [card]Damia, Sage of Stone[/card], it is deceptively strong to have a [card]Terrain Generator[/card] to get the basic lands out of your hand and onto the board after drawing a fistful of cards.
Sphinx Tribal?
Blue/white sphinx tribal is probably better as [card]Isperia the Inscrutable[/card] with [card]Telepathy[/card], to tutor a new sphinx after each successful combat. Many sphinges have their own enter the battlefield trigger, but not many do something when another sphinx enters play, such as a repeatedly flickering Azor. [card]Unesh, Criosphinx Sovereign[/card] stands out, as he helps cast Azor and will get a pseudo-[card]Fact or Fiction[/card] trigger whenever Azor comes back into play.
ETB Tribal?
If we load the deck with ways to flicker our commander, we could also load the deck with other things that have enter the battlefield triggers so we can flicker those as well. However, what makes this strategy with Azor different from (and better than) making [card]Brago, King Eternal[/card] the commander with Azor in the 99? Brago seems a better tactical fit to head up that approach (if not as flavorful), even with a bunch of ETB sphinges in the 99.
Repeatable Flicker
To get to the mechanics of making the deck work, here is a list of repeatable ways to flicker Azor. This does not include one-shot instants and sorceries, not even the two-shot [card]Momentary Blink[/card]. This list was made by searching for both "exile" and "return" and then reading each card to see if their effect was applicable and repeatable without extreme shenanigans. All search lists in this article are restricted to those cards playable in blue and/or white (or more accurately from a technical search perspective, not black, not red, and not green).
Repeatable Flicker
View on ArchidektCreatures (8)
- 1 * Nephalia Smuggler* Nephalia Smuggler
- 1 * Mistmeadow Witch* Mistmeadow Witch
- 1 * Eldrazi Displacer* Eldrazi Displacer
- 1 * Angel of Condemnation* Angel of Condemnation
- 1 * Brago, King Eternal* Brago, King Eternal
- 1 * Galepowder Mage* Galepowder Mage
- 1 * Identity Thief* Identity Thief
- 1 * Deadeye Navigator* Deadeye Navigator
Artifacts (1)
- 1 * Conjurer's Closet* Conjurer's Closet
Enchantments (3)
- 1 * Flickerform* Flickerform
- 1 * Astral Slide* Astral Slide
- 1 * Skybind* Skybind
Sorcery (1)
- 1 * Voidwalk* Voidwalk
Planeswalker (1)
- 1 * Venser, the Sojourner* Venser, the Sojourner
As far as [card]Astral Slide[/card] goes, there are nine lands playable in blue/white with some kind of cycling on them. Seven of those enter the battlefield tapped if you want to use it as a land, so consider whether that is an acceptable trade off for you. [card]Skybind[/card] seems a safe bet as long as we use several other enchantments in blue/white. You know the ones I mean... (Hint: "can't attack you"). [card]Voidwalk[/card] can work as long as we have another creature on the board to take the cipher, preferably something unblockable.
Sphinx's Revelation
Azor has [card]Sphinx's Revelation[/card] as a triggered ability during the attack step of combat. At first glance, it might resemble an activated ability since it generally requires tapping Azor and paying mana, but it is indeed a triggered ability that requires a condition to be met before it can be used (namely, Azor attacking in combat). Thus [card]Training Grounds[/card] and [card]Heartstone[/card] do not work with Azor.
Let's look at cards that do something whenever you gain life or draw cards, so that we get more value from Azor's mighty powers. This might be one of the very few commanders where [card]Felidar Sovereign[/card] and [card]Laboratory Maniac[/card] are both legitimate win conditions.
Whenever you draw a card
View on ArchidektArtifact (2)
- 1 * Diviner's Wand* Diviner's Wand
- 1 * Moonring Mirror* Moonring Mirror
Creature (2)
- 1 * Chasm Skulker* Chasm Skulker
- 1 * Psychosis Crawler* Psychosis Crawler
Enchantment (3)
- 1 * Hoofprints of the Stag* Hoofprints of the Stag
- 1 * Jace's Erasure* Jace's Erasure
- 1 * Sphinx's Tutelage* Sphinx's Tutelage
[card]Chasm Skulker[/card] and [card]Psychosis Crawler[/card] are regular characters for any commander that has "draw a card" in their rules text. [card]Jace's Erasure[/card] and [card]Sphinx's Tutelage[/card] suggest that an Azor mill deck might actually be able to work, if we lean on more blue mill cards. [card]Hoofprints of the Stag[/card] in this deck might be almost as effective as [card]Luminarch Ascension[/card] for a possible flying token swarm.
Whenever you gain life
View on ArchidektArtifact (1)
- 1 * Well of Lost Dreams* Well of Lost Dreams
Creature (2)
- 1 * Archangel of Thune* Archangel of Thune
- 1 * Drogskol Reaver* Drogskol Reaver
Enchantment (2)
- 1 * Cradle of Vitality* Cradle of Vitality
- 1 * Sunbond* Sunbond
Spending mana into [card]Well of Lost Dreams[/card] is not as efficient as putting more mana into Azor's Revelation, unless you just don't want to gain as much life for some reason. [card]Archangel of Thune[/card] seems nice and those enchantments are tempting, but if we are going to flicker Azor out of play and back in, then +1/+1 counters will fall off of him and disappear. [card]Drogskol Reaver[/card] seems like a great card with amazing spooky art hands, but the casting cost is scarier than the hands.
Your Opponents Can’t
To make the deck's flavor more in line with Azor's abilities, let's look at other ways to stop our opponents from doing things we don't want them to do, such as... anything at all. If we search cards for the text "each opponent can’t" within blue/white, then we get just Azor and [card]Sphinx's Decree[/card]. This isn't helpful. Let's rephrase that to "your opponents can’t" and see what we get.
Your opponents can’t
View on ArchidektArtifacts (2)
- 1 * Conqueror's Flail* Conqueror's Flail
- 1 * Godsend* Godsend
Creatures (8)
- 1 * Grand Abolisher* Grand Abolisher
- 1 * Council of the Absolute* Council of the Absolute
- 1 * Llawan, Cephalid Empress* Llawan, Cephalid Empress
- 1 * Alhammarret, High Arbiter* Alhammarret, High Arbiter
- 1 * Platinum Angel* Platinum Angel
- 1 * Iona, Shield of Emeria* Iona, Shield of Emeria
- 1 * Void Winnower* Void Winnower
- 1 * Brisela, Voice of Nightmares* Brisela, Voice of Nightmares
Enchantment (2)
- 1 * Ixalan's Binding* Ixalan's Binding
- 1 * Gideon's Intervention* Gideon's Intervention
Instant (2)
- 1 * Angel's Grace* Angel's Grace
- 1 * Silence* Silence
Planeswalker (3)
- 1 * Gideon of the Trials* Gideon of the Trials
- 1 * Dovin Baan* Dovin Baan
- 1 * Narset Transcendent* Narset Transcendent
Sorcery (1)
- 1 * Failure // Comply* Failure // Comply
Ah yes, these cards look familiar.
The Deck
If we really plan on blinking only one creature in particular, is it really blinking? It seems more like winking. Anyway, here is perhaps the most accurately named deck I've ever put in these articles.
The Winking Sphinxter
View on ArchidektCommander (1)
- 1 Azor, the LawbringerAzor, the Lawbringer
Creatures (23)
- 1 Nephalia SmugglerNephalia Smuggler
- 1 Grand AbolisherGrand Abolisher
- 1 Mistmeadow WitchMistmeadow Witch
- 1 Chasm SkulkerChasm Skulker
- 1 Eldrazi DisplacerEldrazi Displacer
- 1 Hanna, Ship's NavigatorHanna, Ship's Navigator
- 1 Laboratory ManiacLaboratory Maniac
- 1 Thalia, Heretic CatharThalia, Heretic Cathar
- 1 Aura ThiefAura Thief
- 1 Brago, King EternalBrago, King Eternal
- 1 Grand Arbiter Augustin IVGrand Arbiter Augustin IV
- 1 Identity ThiefIdentity Thief
- 1 Lavinia of the TenthLavinia of the Tenth
- 1 Loxodon GatekeeperLoxodon Gatekeeper
- 1 Llawan, Cephalid EmpressLlawan, Cephalid Empress
- 1 Linvala, Keeper of SilenceLinvala, Keeper of Silence
- 1 Galepowder MageGalepowder Mage
- 1 Psychosis CrawlerPsychosis Crawler
- 1 Deadeye NavigatorDeadeye Navigator
- 1 Felidar SovereignFelidar Sovereign
- 1 Unesh, Criosphinx SovereignUnesh, Criosphinx Sovereign
- 1 Iona, Shield of EmeriaIona, Shield of Emeria
- 1 Void WinnowerVoid Winnower
Instants (4)
- 1 Path to ExilePath to Exile
- 1 Swords to PlowsharesSwords to Plowshares
- 1 Cyclonic RiftCyclonic Rift
- 1 Return to DustReturn to Dust
Sorceries (3)
- 1 Supreme VerdictSupreme Verdict
- 1 Fractured IdentityFractured Identity
- 1 Austere CommandAustere Command
Artifacts (12)
- 1 Sol RingSol Ring
- 1 Azorius SignetAzorius Signet
- 1 Fellwar StoneFellwar Stone
- 1 Mind StoneMind Stone
- 1 Thought VesselThought Vessel
- 1 Prismatic LensPrismatic Lens
- 1 Lightning GreavesLightning Greaves
- 1 Swiftfoot BootsSwiftfoot Boots
- 1 Worn PowerstoneWorn Powerstone
- 1 Thran DynamoThran Dynamo
- 1 Alhammarret's ArchiveAlhammarret's Archive
- 1 Conjurer's ClosetConjurer's Closet
Enchantments (16)
- 1 Authority of the ConsulsAuthority of the Consuls
- 1 Blind ObedienceBlind Obedience
- 1 Absolute GraceAbsolute Grace
- 1 Absolute LawAbsolute Law
- 1 Greater AuramancyGreater Auramancy
- 1 Ghostly PrisonGhostly Prison
- 1 PropagandaPropaganda
- 1 CrackdownCrackdown
- 1 Test of EnduranceTest of Endurance
- 1 Leyline of SanctityLeyline of Sanctity
- 1 KismetKismet
- 1 Frozen AetherFrozen Aether
- 1 Collective RestraintCollective Restraint
- 1 Sphere of SafetySphere of Safety
- 1 Consulate CrackdownConsulate Crackdown
- 1 SkybindSkybind
Planeswalkers (2)
- 1 Dovin BaanDovin Baan
- 1 Venser, the SojournerVenser, the Sojourner
Lands (39)
- 1 Cavern of SoulsCavern of Souls
- 1 Command TowerCommand Tower
- 1 Reflecting PoolReflecting Pool
- 1 Path of AncestryPath of Ancestry
- 1 Exotic OrchardExotic Orchard
- 1 Glacial FortressGlacial Fortress
- 1 Hallowed FountainHallowed Fountain
- 1 Mystic GateMystic Gate
- 1 Nimbus MazeNimbus Maze
- 1 Skycloud ExpanseSkycloud Expanse
- 1 Command BeaconCommand Beacon
- 1 Hall of the Bandit LordHall of the Bandit Lord
- 1 Homeward PathHomeward Path
- 1 Reliquary TowerReliquary Tower
- 1 Rogue's PassageRogue's Passage
- 1 Scavenger GroundsScavenger Grounds
- 1 Terrain GeneratorTerrain Generator
- 1 Kor HavenKor Haven
- 1 Serra's SanctumSerra's Sanctum
- 10 PlainsPlains
- 10 IslandIsland
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