<p style="text-align: right;"><em><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Aziza, Mage Tower Captain" href="#" target="_blank">Aziza, Mage Tower Captain</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art By <a href="https://scryfall.com/search?q=a%3A%E2%80%9CAurore+Folny%E2%80%9D&amp;unique=art">Aurore Folny</a> </em></p>
<p>With all the talk of the new mechanics from <a href="https://edhrec.com/sets/sos" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>Secrets of Strixhaven</em></a> and the new Elder Dragons taking up the top spots, a Boros legend rises in the ranks silently.</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Aziza, Mage Tower Captain" href="#" target="_blank">Aziza, Mage Tower Captain</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a take on <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-r" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-w" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span> that immediately caught my eye. The deck does some familiar things and certainly plays cards that any Boros mage is used to. Inside the list lay cards that you'd never think to sleeve up in a million years. And what better way to make a Commander deck?</p>
<h2>What Does Aziza, Mage Tower Captain Do?</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Aziza, Mage Tower Captain"></div></div>
<p>My favorite thing about <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Aziza, Mage Tower Captain" href="#" target="_blank">Aziza, Mage Tower Captain</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is the familiarity of its ability. While it takes a bit more to use, and isn't keyworded, the ability is a slight callback to the conspire mechanic found on cards such as <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Wort, the Raidmother" href="#" target="_blank">Wort, the Raidmother</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. The decks also share the same bones and framework.</p>
<ul>
<li>Step One: Make tokens</li>
<li>Step Two: Use tokens to copy spells</li>
<li>Step Three: Profit</li>
</ul>
<p>The upside that Aziza has is that they don't care about the color of the token that you make or the color of the spell you're casting.</p>
<p>So what are the best spells to copy, and how will we make enough tokens to do the copying? Well, keep reading to find out.</p>
<h2>Making Copies</h2>
<p>So what are we using to make copies? Besides a lineup of honestly boring but needed spells such as <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Gather the Townsfolk" href="#" target="_blank">Gather the Townsfolk</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cenn&#039;s Enlistment" href="#" target="_blank">Cenn&#039;s Enlistment</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Secure the Wastes" href="#" target="_blank">Secure the Wastes</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, we have a few unique creatures at our disposal.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Monastery Mentor"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Prismari Pianist"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Charismatic Conqueror"></div></div>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Monastery Mentor" href="#" target="_blank">Monastery Mentor</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is one of my favorite cards in the game, and a powerhouse in a deck wanting to sling spells and make tokens; it fits perfectly. The tokens the Mentor makes are a force to be reckoned with and can serve as a legit win-con thanks to prowess.</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Prismari Pianist" href="#" target="_blank">Prismari Pianist</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a new card from the aforementioned <em>Secrets of Strixhaven.</em> Making flying tokens to gum up the air helps us stay alive, and the added benefit of making three of those tokens if we cast a spell with mana value five or greater means an instant setup to copy another spell, all in one go.</p>
<p>Lastly, the <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Charismatic Conqueror" href="#" target="_blank">Charismatic Conqueror</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> comes with a "Do you pay the one?" style of downside. This card is a true powerhouse. A single time around the table is often going to net you three tokens minimum, or sometimes up to six or more, depending on the table. This card should be a kill on sight for the opposition, but most people tend to let it live far too long.</p>
<p>We also have a suite of token doublers to...well, double tokens.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Mondrak, Glory Dominus"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Exalted Sunborn"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Elspeth, Storm Slayer"></div></div>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mondrak, Glory Dominus" href="#" target="_blank">Mondrak, Glory Dominus</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Exalted Sunborn" href="#" target="_blank">Exalted Sunborn</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Elspeth, Storm Slayer" href="#" target="_blank">Elspeth, Storm Slayer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> all make the list to help us do one specific thing: make more tokens. Every game played with this deck, you'd better hope to see one of these or preferably an <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Anointed Procession" href="#" target="_blank">Anointed Procession</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> to kickstart token production.</p>
<h2>Instants and Sorceries to Copy With Aziza</h2>
<p>What are we copying with Aziza? Big spells that make a lot of creatures and payoffs for having those creatures.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Battle Screech"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Conqueror&#039;s Pledge"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Furygale Flocking"></div></div>
<p>Truly, my favorite card in the deck has to be <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Battle Screech" href="#" target="_blank">Battle Screech</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. At face value, like most of the token makers in the deck, the card is just okay. But with a flashback cost of tapping creatures, something we should be good at, we can pump out a lot of tokens fairly quickly.</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Conqueror&#039;s Pledge" href="#" target="_blank">Conqueror&#039;s Pledge</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> might be the opposite of Battle Screech. <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-2" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-w" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-w" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-w" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span> to get six 1/1 Kor Soldiers is a decent rate. And if we happen to have mana lying around, possibly from a copied <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mana Geyser" href="#" target="_blank">Mana Geyser</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, 12 tokens might be coming our way. Or maybe, 24 Kor Soldiers thanks to a copy and a kicker.</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Furygale Flocking" href="#" target="_blank">Furygale Flocking</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> comes from the <em>Secrets of</em> <em>Strixhaven Commander</em> decks. Many of the tokens this deck makes are on the smaller side, and they don't come with evasion. Furygale getting us 3/3 creatures that fly with haste until the end of the turn is a big swing from this deck. Yes, there's a downside that the tokens have to attack every turn if able. Luckily, in a world where we don't want to attack with them, we can just tap them to copy another spell.</p>
<h2>How Does <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Aziza, Mage Tower Captain" href="#" target="_blank">Aziza, Mage Tower Captain</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> Win?</h2>
<p>Now that we have all the tokens we could ever want, we need to turn those into a game-winning turn. The easiest way is to use a card like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Song of Totentanz" href="#" target="_blank">Song of Totentanz</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> to give all our creatures haste for just a single <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-r" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span>. Or to pump a lot of mana into <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Forth Eorlingas!" href="#" target="_blank">Forth Eorlingas!</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and get hasty tokens right from the jump.</p>
<p>I have found some other, more interesting ways to close out the game.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Mob Justice"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Price of Progress"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Moonshaker Cavalry"></div></div>
<p>Sometimes, making a lot of creatures doesn't allow you to win the game through combat. When those moments occur, a good bout of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mob Justice" href="#" target="_blank">Mob Justice</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is just what the doctor ordered. A single cast of Mob Justice might not close out a game, but copying it once, maybe twice, with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Flashback" href="#" target="_blank">Flashback</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, or many times with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Twinning Staff" href="#" target="_blank">Twinning Staff</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, should close out a game.</p>
<p>In the same vein as Mob Justice, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Price of Progress" href="#" target="_blank">Price of Progress</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> cuts most math in half when games need to end. With more and more examples of decks running fewer basics, the time to force your opponents to pay the price has never been better.</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Moonshaker Cavalry" href="#" target="_blank">Moonshaker Cavalry</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> cheats a bit with my stance of not being able to attack to close out a game. But when dealing with the "white <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Craterhoof Behemoth" href="#" target="_blank">Craterhoof Behemoth</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>," cheating is allowed.</p>
<h2>Spice Corner</h2>
<p>I only have one real card to focus on in the spice corner this time, that being <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="To Arms!" href="#" target="_blank">To Arms!</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="To Arms!"></div></div>
<p>While it shows up on <a href="https://edhrec.com/commanders/aziza-mage-tower-captain#instants" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Aziza's page,</a> I haven't seen this card in enough of the Aziza lists I've looked over. Maybe people don't realize the synergy of copying this card and getting a second untap of all your creatures. Maybe people don't want to draw two cards? Most likely, it's because this is an uncommon card from <em>Guildpact</em> and isn't well-known to the masses.</p>
<h2>Wrap Up</h2>
<p>This is one of the most fun decks I have brewed up<em>. </em>So far, this has been a great set for individual decks and for cards to add to many of the decks in my roster. While token decks such as this do tend to fold to a wrath effect or two, this list is fun and will take a table by surprise as they underestimate Aziza, Mage Tower Captain.</p>
<p>There're also many different token creators that you could run that didn't make the cut in this list. Which ones do you think I should have added? What big payoff cards would you run in a deck like this to close out the game? Let me know here or anywhere online where @nicnax96 is found.</p>
<h2>Aziza, Mage Tower Captain Commander Deck List</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Tech The Deck - Aziza, Mage Tower Captain" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*1 Aziza, Mage Tower Captain
[/Commander]
[Creatures]
*1 Charismatic Conqueror
*1 Drumbellower
*1 Exalted Sunborn
*1 Longshot, Rebel Bowman
*1 Monastery Mentor
*1 Mondrak, Glory Dominus
*1 Moonshaker Cavalry
*1 Ornithopter of Paradise
*1 Prismari Pianist
*1 Spirited Companion
*1 Storm-Kiln Artist
*1 Voice of Victory
*1 Welcoming Vampire
*1 Wildfire Awakener
*1 Young Pyromancer
[/Creatures]
[Enchantments]
*1 Anointed Procession
*1 Prosperous Partnership
*1 Smothering Tithe
[/Enchantments]
[Artifacts]
*1 Arcane Signet
*1 Boros Signet
*1 Sol Ring
*1 Talisman of Conviction
*1 Twinning Staff
[/Artifacts]
[Instants]
*1 Battle Hymn
*1 Benevolent Offering
*1 Big Score
*1 Flashback
*1 Grand Crescendo
*1 Great Train Heist
*1 Massive Raid
*1 Moogles&#039; Valor
*1 Path to Exile
*1 Price of Progress
*1 Return the Favor
*1 Secure the Wastes
*1 Seething Song
*1 Swords to Plowshares
*1 Tibalt&#039;s Trickery
*1 To Arms!
*1 Unexpected Windfall
*1 White Sun&#039;s Zenith
*1 Will of the Mardu
[/Instants]
[Sorceries]
*1 Blasphemous Act
*1 Burn at the Stake
*1 Conqueror&#039;s Pledge
*1 Flame Fusillade
*1 Forth Eorlingas!
*1 Furygale Flocking
*1 Gather the Townsfolk
*1 Hit the Mother Lode
*1 Hop to It
*1 Improvisation Capstone
*1 Jeska&#039;s Will
*1 Mana Geyser
*1 Mob Justice
*1 Molten Note
*1 Seize the Spoils
*1 Song of Totentanz
*1 Tempt with Bunnies
*1 Tempt with Vengeance
*1 Visions of Glory
*1 Volcanic Vision
*1 Wild Guess
[/Sorceries]
[Lands]
*1 Arid Archway
*1 Arid Mesa
*1 Battlefield Forge
*1 Clifftop Retreat
*1 Command Tower
*1 Elegant Parlor
*1 Fabled Passage
*1 Forgotten Cave
*1 Glittering Massif
*1 Great Hall of the Biblioplex
*1 Kher Keep
*1 Lindblum, Industrial Regency // Mage Siege
*1 Lotus Field
*9 Mountain
*7 Plains
*1 Prismatic Vista
*1 Radiant Summit
*1 Sacred Foundry
*1 Spectator Seating
*1 Sunbaked Canyon
*1 Sundown Pass
*1 Turbulent Steppe
[/Lands]"></span></div>


boros spellslinger

Making Copies With Aziza, Mage Tower Captain in Commander

Miracles Every Turn With Lorehold, the Historian in Commander