Overview:

This Grand Arbiter Augustin IV deck focuses on stax effects and resource denial to control the game, leveraging tax effects, Rule of Law locks, and asymmetrical mana advantages. It aims to stall opponents with disruptive permanents, then win via slow alt-win conditions like Approach of the Second Sun or incremental value from planeswalkers and stax-backed threats.

Primer:

Core Strategy:
Deploy layered stax pieces (Archon of Emeria, Ethersworn Canonist) by turns 3–5 to restrict opponent actions. Use Augustin’s cost reduction to maintain tempo while taxing opponents. Win via:

1. Stax Locks: Rule of Law effects + Drannith Magistrate/Lavinia, Azorius Renegade to prevent spellcasting.
2. Alt-Win Engines: Luminarch Ascension tokens or Azor's Elocutors filibuster counters.
3. Value Overload: Rhystic Study/Smothering Tithe synergies into Approach of the Second Sun.

Mulligan Priorities:

• Keep hands with early stax (T2 Thalia, Guardian of Thraben/Authority of the Consuls).
• Prioritize 2–3 mana sources and at least one tax effect.
• Avoid hands reliant solely on Augustin without protection.

Key Tips:

• Sequence stax to overlap: Deploy Cursed Totem before Ethersworn Canonist to disable creature-based answers.
• Use Teferi, Time Raveler to bypass Rule of Law restrictions during your turn.
• Tutor Solve the Equation for Approach of the Second Sun or Cyclonic Rift to reset stalled boards.

Weaknesses:

Critical

• Slow Win Conditions: Relies on alt-wins requiring 3+ turns to activate (Approach, Elocutors).
• Enchantment Vulnerability: Key stax pieces (Aura of Silence, Luminarch Ascension) are soft to mass enchantment removal.

Moderate

• Commander Dependency: Augustin’s tax effect isn’t fully redundant; 3+ removals cripple tempo.
• Mana Curve Clunk: High density of 3+ CMC stax pieces risks slow starts.

Minor

• Graveyard Weakness: Limited recursion outside Mystic Sanctuary.

Most Important Cards:

• Rhystic Study
• Smothering Tithe
• Teferi, Time Raveler
• Drannith Magistrate
• Grand Abolisher
• Approach of the Second Sun
• Luminarch Ascension
• Narset, Parter of Veils
• Grafdigger's Cage
• Cyclonic Rift

Attribute Ratings:

Speed: 4/10

• Wins typically materialize turns 8–10 via alt-wins or stax attrition.

Resilience: 7/10

• 12 counterspells and tax effects protect key pieces, but wincons lack redundancy.

Consistency: 6/10

• Moderate tutoring (Solve the Equation, Mystic Sanctuary) but relies on stax redundancy over combo lines.

Interaction: 9/10

• Premium counters (Force of Negation, Dovin's Veto) and board wipes (Supreme Verdict) dominate spell-based interaction.

Rating Justification:

The deck establishes T5–7 stax locks (Focused Competitive benchmark) but lacks fast deterministic wins, placing it between optimized stax and slower casual builds.

Power level: 6.5 – 7.0