The single most important factor in building a fun Commander deck is choosing a theme. A good theme gives a deck definition and identity, encouraging different card choices and giving a unique play experience.

Most decks are built around mechanical or tribal themes—Elf decks, Equipment decks, reanimator decks, and so on. However, a flavorful theme can also help set a deck apart and give it a distinct identity. Today, I want to demonstrate the process of thematic deck-building around the Azorius guild and its new leader, Isperia, Supreme Judge.

I AM THE LAW!

The Azorius were pretty mechanically muddled when they first appeared in Dissension. They had themes of flying matters, defender matters, counterspells, damage prevention and life-gain, and the seemingly unrelated forecast keyword. We'll need to pick our own definition of what makes a card Azorius if we want to determine what non-watermarked cards fit the bill.

The Azorius are defined by their adherence to law above all else. They believe in logic, authority, and government. Azorius embody the static elements of W/U—they lack the fervor of religious faith or the drive of intellectual curiosity.

An Azorius deck should be the ultimate W/U control. Nothing happens without your say-so, and you intend to make sure the game runs long. You play to the color combination's strengths of mass removal and counterspells. You can lay down the law by playing cards that change the rules of the game and play defensive cards that encourage people to spend their time attacking elsewhere.

The Guild

We could easily include either of the previous Azorius legends, Isperia the Inscrutable or Grand Arbiter Augustin IV. I'm not inclined to do so, though. Neither makes much sense flavorwise with Isperia as the new guild leader and our general, and I feel that they would pull focus.

There are only ten cards with forecast, and most of them aren't particularly exciting. Govern the Guildless seems fun. Pride of the Clouds and Sky Hussar could both be good with some sort of token subtheme, but I don’t Foresee heading in that direction. Despite being printed in the Commander deck series, Skyscribing doesn't seem like something we want to be doing. Proclamation of Rebirth is extremely interesting, though, and it may well warrant a subtheme all its own.

Of the remaining watermarked cards, only a few stand out. Swift Silence and Overrule are both over-costed counterspells with fun upsides that will definitely make the cut. Court Hussar is a pretty good Impulse on a body, and Azorius Guildmage is a solid utility creature.

Like most Morphling variants, Windreaver was hit pretty hard by the loss of damage on the stack, but he may still make the cut as a pseudo-firebreathing finisher. Dovescape may not be the best choice for our deck, but it is far too awesome for me to pass up on.

Azorius Aethermage is a pretty cool card, but I don't think we want to run enough bounce to make it useful. The related spell Aethermage's Touch also seems a bit weak simply due to a high chance of missing entirely.

Of course, we also have some spoilers from Return to Ravnica to consider.

Three of the new gold cards leap out to me as strong inclusions. These are powerful effects that work well in a control deck. Azorius Charm and Detention Sphere are cool cards, but I don’t see them doing what we want in Commander.

Subtheme

Proclamation of Rebirth is a cool build-around card I haven’t seen played in Commander. If we’re going to be running sweet 1-drops, Ranger of Eos can also help out.

Serra Ascendant and Weathered Wayfarer are Commander staples in their own right, and Martyr of Sands is a classic card to combine with Proclamation. Mother of Runes and Enclave Cryptologist are both solid utility creatures that round out our package.

Thematic Utility

Part of the fun in building around a flavorful theme is having a whole new set of criteria on which to judge cards. We get to choose our spells not just on their effects, but on their names and styles.

We want a suite of board sweepers, but the Azorius aren't about Wrath or Vengeance. We’ll be casting Day of Judgment and Final Judgment. We can issue the newly spoiled Supreme Verdict or lay down an Austere Command.

For more targeted removal, we can Dispense Justice, make an Arrest, or even Condemn someone to a Prison Term.

For card-draw, Fact or Fiction fits a courtroom setting, and Foresee fits our keyword and outlook. Keep Watch fits our general thematically, but it doesn't require the creatures to be attacking us.

We can make a Decree of Silence or a Decree of Justice. We believe in Karmic Justice and the Rule of Law. As the government of a bustling metropolis, we're happy to levy a Land Tax or a War Tax (though we'll leave Tithe to the Orzhov).

For large creatures, the Azorius seem to lean toward Sphinxes and Archons. The two most powerful Sphinxes are distastefully Phyrexian (and somewhat overplayed), so we can look at other options. Sphinx Ambassador is especially appropriate, and Sphinx of Uthuun works well with our goals. All four mono-white Archons give us a flying force to be reckoned with.

Putting It Together

"Law Incarnate"

• Commander (1)
• 1 Isperia, Supreme Judge

• Creatures (19)
• 1 Archon of Justice
• 1 Archon of Redemption
• 1 Azorius Guildmage
• 1 Blazing Archon
• 1 Court Hussar
• 1 Enclave Cryptologist
• 1 Martyr of Sands
• 1 Mother of Runes
• 1 Ranger of Eos
• 1 Serra Ascendant
• 1 Sphinx Ambassador
• 1 Sphinx of Uthuun
• 1 Tidespout Tyrant
• 1 Vedalken Plotter
• 1 Vengeful Archon
• 1 Wall of Denial
• 1 Weathered Wayfarer
• 1 Windreaver
• 1 Archon of the Triumvirate

• Spells (41)
• 1 Abolish
• 1 Condemn
• 1 Cryptic Command
• 1 Dismantling Blow
• 1 Dispense Justice
• 1 Fact or Fiction
• 1 Harsh Justice
• 1 Hinder
• 1 Keep Watch
• 1 Last Word
• 1 Mirrorweave
• 1 Overrule
• 1 Swift Silence
• 1 Austere Command
• 1 Day of Judgment
• 1 Decree of Justice
• 1 Final Judgment
• 1 Foresee
• 1 Govern the Guildless
• 1 Ponder
• 1 Proclamation of Rebirth
• 1 Revoke Existence
• 1 Arrest
• 1 Aura of Silence
• 1 Decree of Silence
• 1 Dovescape
• 1 Karmic Justice
• 1 Land Tax
• 1 Marshal's Anthem
• 1 Prison Term
• 1 Rule of Law
• 1 Seal of Cleansing
• 1 True Conviction
• 1 War Tax
• 1 Armillary Sphere
• 1 Azorius Signet
• 1 Coalition Relic
• 1 Mind Stone
• 1 Talisman of Progress
• 1 Sphinx's Revelation
• 1 Supreme Verdict

• Lands (37)
• 12 Island
• 12 Plains
• 1 Azorius Chancery
• 1 Celestial Colonnade
• 1 Coastal Tower
• 1 Glacial Fortress
• 1 Hallowed Fountain
• 1 Mystic Gate
• 1 Mystifying Maze
• 1 Nimbus Maze
• 1 Prahv, Spires of Order
• 1 Reliquary Tower
• 1 Skycloud Expanse
• 1 Tolaria West
• 1 Azorius Guildgate

Buy This Deck

I seem to be featuring a lot of W/U decks here. I’ll try something different next week with a different guild. What would you like to see?

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See you next week!