Azorius control splashed for red to allow access to Assemble the Legion, Warleader's Helix, Mizzium Mortars, Anger of the Gods and Purphoros, God of the Forge.
This is a more aggressive version of Burning the Soldiers Fate , which is more passive agressive strategy. It's win condition are fewer, but the deck is meant to cycle, so they come back if they don't stick. I wanted to see if a more aggro style control would produce better results.
Assemble the Legion is great in this format that has seen a lot of monoblack, monoblue devotion decks, and the occasional red aggro decks. Red and Black have no way of interacting with it, unless they are splashing green for Destructive Revelry or Golgari Charm. Blue has bounce spells to reset the counter when recast, such as Cyclonic Rift.
Mana Base
The mana base here is pretty solid, and will get better when Born of the Gods is released. Temple of enlightenment with replace the Azorius Gates giving us more Scry lands. Two Mutavault give us defense/attack options. I've considered going up to 26 lands, or replacing a Mutavault with a Chromatic Lantern, but I haven't had any problems due to the card draw engine.
Card Draw Engine
Divination, Sphinx's Revelation, Azorius Charm, Jace, Architect of Thought.
I'm not the biggest fan of Azorius Charm. I'd rather destroy creatures rather than bounce them any day, but in this deck, I love Azorius Charm. On turn 2, it can bounce a creature to buy another turn and spare us from damage, or allow us to cycle for lands. In the mid to late game it gets way better.
Divination gives us a play on turn 3 to search for lands or Supreme Verdicts for turn 4 if needed. This card is great in the early game, and can help offset the effects of Thoughtseize, Duress, or, Sin Collector. In the mid/late game your able to search for answers to problems.
Sphinx's Revelation...Enough said.
Jace, Architect of Thought is my favorite planeswalker. +1, gives us a reduction in damage from aggro creature, and tokens. Jace protects himself well, and distracts opponents from our life. -2, helps us get further into the deck to find lands, threats, and counters. -7, allows us to play a card from our library and our opponents without paying mana cost. What's not to love.
This draw engine is really solid, and makes hitting land drops a lot easier. Finding answers and threats gets easier too.
Removal package
Supreme Verdict, Detention Sphere, Azorius Charm, Warleader's Helix
Supreme Verdict is our wrath, and it will become your best friend. What I like most is the fact it doesn't interfere with creature product. Clear the board, and at upkeep, tokens are right back up.
Detention Sphere is too good, and will serve you well in isolating singular threats between verdicts, and removing gods from play.
Azorius Charm give you a cheap bounce to deal with problems short term to buy time for Surpreme Verdict, or Detention Sphere.
Warleader's Helix- I like the card, 4 damage to target opponent or creature, gain 4 life at instant speed representing an 8 life point swing. I got tired of playing for a Supreme Verdict on turn 4. This gives me an additional turn 4 play to stabilize the board.
Counter Package
A playset of Dissolve. Originally I ran 4 Counterflux and 2 Syncopate, but it was too much. 4 Dissolve, with access to 2 Gainsay and 1 Negate should be plenty.
Threats
I run 4 Assemble the Legion because it is a consistent turn 5 play that resolves, and is hard to remove. I believe it to be superior to Elspeth, Sun's Champion. Lower mana cost, more tokens, haste tokens, and dodges Hero's Downfall. Other control match ups andmonoblue match ups are looking to stick a Jace, Architect of Thought/Bident of Thassa on turn 4 leaving you free on turn 5. A turn 4 Purphoros, God of the Forge is a four turn clock when followed by an Assemble the Legion on turn 5. Purphoros, God of the Forge doesn't have a play order in that it can be played before or after and maintains clock ability. I only run 2 because it would be foolish to Sphere on due to the fact it does nothing on it's own. If I pump the tokens I get around Jace's +1, and can control lethal damage output.
I run 1 Strionic Resonator as suggested by ChrisHansonBiomancin to double up mid-late game Detention Sphere and speed up my muster counter on Assemble the Legion.
Elephant in the Room
What, no AEtherling? I get this a lot. People are ready for it, AEtherling is that good. Gainsay, Pithing Needle, Blind Obedience...sideboards are all set to handle it, and so are we. I aim to punish people for playing AEtherling. We don't play it so we don't have to weaken our deck in matches that feature AEtherling. Sphere and Pithing Needle really hurt in mirror matches that have similar goals. While they're looking to get him in on turn 7, we are ready because our goal is to set up on turn 5 after a Jace play. I feel they same way about Elspeth mirrors. Also, I don't have to play into Gainsay. Most people run 2 Elspeth, sometimes as a sole win condition. so I run four Assemble and punish their Elspeth with Pithing Needle and Sphere. Most decks run 8 counter spells at most after sideboard with normally a 50/50 split, half being Gainsay which my threats dodge. I love the metagame.
Sideboard
2 Mizzium Mortars- This is for the esper match up with Blood Barn of Vizkopa and generally a good utility card.
1 Blind Obedience- This helps with the aggro match up, and helps stall AEtherling should he be cast. The extort also adds value in form of 1 life and 1 damage to the opponent.
2 Celestial Flare- This is added in mainly to add outs to deal with hard to destroy creatures, primarily Blood Baron of Vizkopa.
2 Gainsay- A staple in the format, helps with control, and monoblue match up.
2 Glare of Heresy- White permanent removal to the graveyard sucks, but exiling a white permanent is awfully useful in the control match up. I primarily want to free up exiled permanents by opponents Detention Sphere. If they're running Elixir, that's potentially Detention Spheres or Elspeths that won't be returning to haunt you later. It also gives you 6 ways of exiling cards.
1 Jace, Memory Adept- Gives you card draw, while milling our opponent for 1 card as a +1. That's good, but milling an opponent for 10 cards at -0 is even better. Its great in the control match up, and draws out a Detention Sphere, one that is not targeting our main threats.
2 Anger of the Gods- A great card that would be way better at instant speed, but it's not. I've considered running this instead of Fiendslayer Paladin for the White Weenie, and Red Aggro match ups. Same mana cost and it catches the vast majority of threats in those colors; however it doesn't fair as well in monoblue, monoblack, and decks utilizing green. In monoblack, Desecration Demon, and Gray Merchant can dodge. In monoblue, it misses Frostburn Weird, and Master of Waves. On the pro side, it exiles hexproof, Fiendslayer, Voice of Resurgence, and Xathrid Necromancer for three mana. The biggest upside for me is it interacts with Nightveil Specter, without having to play Last Breath which gives opponents life and only targets one creature with a power of 2; however Last Breath as a two drop is not bad, what do we care about giving our opponent life. Were in for the long haul.
1 Negate- Useful cheap counter utility card. Nuff said.
2 Pithing Needle- A very useful utility card, a cover all for planeswalkers, god abilities, monstrosity, Underworld Connections, Pack Rat and most importantly AEtherling.
