death and taxes but the taxes are worse than death by charlottesweb2

Format: Commander

Commander: Grand Arbiter Augustin IV

Bracket: 4

DeckCheck Threat Index: 72

Deck overview

This deck is a high-powered Azorius control and stax build commanded by Grand Arbiter Augustin IV. It uses premier fast mana to establish an early asymmetric resource advantage, taxing opponents' spells while discounting its own. The deck layers potent stax pieces like Drannith Magistrate, Cursed Totem, Narset, Parter of Veils, and Teferi, Time Raveler to shut down opposing commanders, card draw, activated abilities, and instant-speed responses. Once the table's development is suppressed, the deck digs through its library using engines like Rhystic Study, Mystic Remora, and The One Ring. It closes the game by assembling an infinite loop with Isochron Scepter and Dramatic Reversal to drain all opponents using Blind Obedience, or through Displacer Kitten and Hullbreaker Horror loops, all protected by premier free counterspells and silence effects.

Decklist (100 cards)

  • 1 Adarkar Wastes
  • 1 An Offer You Can't Refuse
  • 1 Ancient Tomb
  • 1 Arcane Signet
  • 1 Arid Mesa
  • 1 Armageddon
  • 1 Azorius Signet
  • 1 Blind Obedience
  • 1 Chain of Vapor
  • 1 Chrome Mox
  • 1 City of Brass
  • 1 City of Traitors
  • 1 Collective Restraint
  • 1 Command Tower
  • 1 Cursed Totem
  • 1 Cyclonic Rift
  • 1 Displacer Kitten
  • 1 Dramatic Reversal
  • 1 Drannith Magistrate
  • 1 Enlightened Tutor
  • 1 Esper Sentinel
  • 1 Exotic Orchard
  • 1 Farewell
  • 1 Fellwar Stone
  • 1 Fierce Guardianship
  • 1 Flooded Strand
  • 1 Flusterstorm
  • 1 Force of Negation
  • 1 Force of Will
  • 1 Gemstone Caverns
  • 1 Ghostly Prison
  • 1 Grand Abolisher
  • 1 Grand Arbiter Augustin IV
  • 1 Grim Monolith
  • 1 Hallowed Fountain
  • 1 Hullbreaker Horror
  • 1 Idyllic Tutor
  • 1 Into the Flood Maw
  • 1 Island
  • 1 Isochron Scepter
  • 1 Karn, the Great Creator
  • 1 Lotus Petal
  • 1 Mana Confluence
  • 1 Mana Drain
  • 1 Mana Vault
  • 1 Manifold Key
  • 1 Marsh Flats
  • 1 Mental Misstep
  • 1 Meticulous Archive
  • 1 Minamo, School at Water's Edge
  • 1 Mind Stone
  • 1 Mindbreak Trap
  • 1 Misdirection
  • 1 Misty Rainforest
  • 1 Mox Amber
  • 1 Mox Diamond
  • 1 Mox Opal
  • 1 Mystic Gate
  • 1 Mystic Remora
  • 1 Narset, Parter of Veils
  • 1 Orim's Chant
  • 1 Otawara, Soaring City
  • 1 Pact of Negation
  • 1 Path to Exile
  • 1 Patrolling Peacemaker
  • 1 Plains
  • 1 Polluted Delta
  • 1 Propaganda
  • 1 Ranger-Captain of Eos
  • 1 Reliquary Tower
  • 1 Rest in Peace
  • 1 Rhystic Study
  • 1 Scalding Tarn
  • 1 Sea of Clouds
  • 1 Silence
  • 1 Sink into Stupor // Soporific Springs
  • 1 Skycloud Expanse
  • 1 Smothering Tithe
  • 1 Sol Ring
  • 1 Spellskite
  • 1 Struggle for Project Purity
  • 1 Supreme Verdict
  • 1 Swan Song
  • 1 Swords to Plowshares
  • 1 Talisman of Progress
  • 1 Teferi's Protection
  • 1 Teferi, Hero of Dominaria
  • 1 Teferi, Master of Time
  • 1 Teferi, Temporal Archmage
  • 1 Teferi, Temporal Pilgrim
  • 1 Teferi, Time Raveler
  • 1 Teferi, Timebender
  • 1 Teferi, Timeless Voyager
  • 1 Teferi, Who Slows the Sunset
  • 1 The One Ring
  • 1 Thought Vessel
  • 1 Tundra
  • 1 Unwinding Clock
  • 1 Voltaic Key
  • 1 Windswept Heath