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Standard Azorius Midrange Guide
A Forgotten Deck
Despite the bans of Fable of the Mirror Breaker, Reckoner Bankbuster, and Invoke Despair, the Standard metagame remains dominated by midrange decks. With UB Midrange on the rise, a somewhat forgotten deck has made a comeback in recent weeks and is now updated to perform better against Ramp: Wu Midrange.
Today, I will discuss this new list, some card choices, and a side guide against the tiers of the format.
Updated Decklist
This is the decklist I played at the MTGO Challenge, where I made it into the top 8.
$305/159.63 Tix
Maindeck (60)
| Creature [14] | ||
|---|---|---|
| 3 Ambitious Farmhand | $0.35 | |
| 3 Spirited Companion | $0.39 | |
| 3 The Restoration of Eiganjo | $0.79 | |
| 1 Sanctuary Warden | $1.29 | |
| 3 Serra Paragon | $4.99 | |
| 1 Elesh Norn, Mother of Machines | $27.99 | |
| Artifact [1] | ||
|---|---|---|
| 1 The Celestus | $2.29 | |
| Instant [1] | ||
|---|---|---|
| 1 Destroy Evil | $1.79 | |
| Sorcery [6] | ||
|---|---|---|
| 4 Lay Down Arms | $0.35 | |
| 2 Sunfall | $6.99 | |
| Enchantment [7] | ||
|---|---|---|
| 4 Wedding Announcement | $12.99 | |
| 3 Ossification | $0.69 | |
| Battle [1] | ||
|---|---|---|
| 1 Invasion of New Phyrexia | $2.49 | |
| Planeswalker [6] | ||
|---|---|---|
| 3 The Wandering Emperor | $27.99 | |
| 1 Teferi, Temporal Pilgrim | $8.99 | |
| 2 The Eternal Wanderer | $2.49 | |
| Land [24] | ||
|---|---|---|
| 10 Plains | $0.01 | |
| 2 Island | $0.01 | |
| 1 Field of Ruin | $0.49 | |
| 2 Roadside Reliquary | $0.35 | |
| 4 Obscura Storefront | $0.69 | |
| 4 Raffine's Tower | $15.99 | |
| 1 Adarkar Wastes | $7.49 | |
| Sideboard [15] | ||
|---|---|---|
| 1 Farewell | $8.99 | |
| 2 Knockout Blow | $0.35 | |
| 4 Disdainful Stroke | $0.35 | |
| 1 Destroy Evil | $1.79 | |
| 2 Temporary Lockdown | $7.49 | |
| 2 Loran of the Third Path | $4.99 | |
| 1 Elesh Norn, Mother of Machines | $27.99 | |
| 2 Invasion of Gobakhan | $5.49 | |
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Proxies
Archetype Analysis
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Apprentice and MWS .dec
Mono-White Midrange is indeed a great deck on its own, but it has a few vulnerabilities, particularly against decks that aim to play bigger than it, like Domain Ramp. Previously, we've seen versions that were more control-focused, but this is a relatively fresh strategy implemented by the player, Hermanomlg.
Card Choices
Invasion of New Phyrexia
It has been gaining increasing prominence, even appearing in Domain Ramp lists. In longer games, it truly shines by putting a formidable army on the field that is very hard to beat without sweepers. It's very good against aggro and midrange and is a card that I can see myself using more copies of. It's a pleasant surprise on the list and a very plausible reason to splash blue.
Teferi, Temporal Pilgrim
Without the presence of Invoke Despair in the environment (which easily dealt with both the token and the planeswalker), Teferi has appeared a bit more in the lists, but hasn't found a home. It fits very well in the curve of this deck, putting down a token that can become a substantial threat while providing card advantage. The double UU cost can sometimes be a hindrance, hence we do not use more copies. However, I'm quite happy with the single copy in the list.
Disdainful Stroke
In a format filled with midrange decks, counters for bombs are always welcome. Actually, this card clearly justifies the blue splash, as it hits practically all threats from the Domain Ramp, and also hits Sheoldred and The Wandering Emperor.
Speaking of the Emperor, it's interesting to note that having a counter for her in the mirror can give you the upper hand in the game. Generally, the player who resolves her first often gains a significant advantage in the match. Perhaps the number of counters should be increased either on the side or even in the main deck. Even with the splash, I still do not feel comfortable in some matches, particularly against Domain Ramp.
Playing the Deck
Like any self-respecting midrange deck, it is crucial to make your land drops in the early turns, so even if your hand appears weak (with Spirit Companions and/or Ambitious Farmlands), keep it, as the draws of this deck are potent. If you're against faster decks, it's also important to keep low-cost removals, such as Lay Down Arms and Ossification.
Example Hand #1
As with any self-respecting midrange deck, it's crucial to hit your land drops in the early turns, so even if your hand seems weak (with Spirit Companions and/or Ambitious Farmlands), it's a keeper because the draw power of this deck is formidable. If you're up against faster decks, it's also essential to keep low-cost removals, such as Lay Down Arms and Ossification.
Example Hand #2
Well-balanced hand, with early game interaction and two of the best cards from the deck. Easy keep.
Example Hand #3
Hand with strong early-game interactions, but could be quite risky if we don't draw any more lands. Regardless, it's a keep, because the potential payoff is very high.
Matchups & Sideboard Guide
Esper Legends
This deck is seeing less play recently, but either way it's still a solid match-up for us. We have plenty of interactions, and our deck is heavily creature-oriented. Additionally, the fact that players are no longer using Thalia is fantastic news for us. Post-sideboard, they might have more counters, but the match-up remains largely in our favor. The only real threats we need to be concerned about are Sheoldred and Raffine.
Mono-red Aggro
Another matchup in our favor. Lots of interactions, life gain, and The Wandering Emperor, which is an absolute nightmare for him. After sideboarding, we have even more removals and life-gaining cards. We took out the heavier cards and added more low-cost ones. Not much to worry about.
Azorius Soldiers
A matchup that was tough when the deck was solely white doesn't improve much with the addition of blue. Even with numerous low-cost spells, the deck is loaded with counters and flash creatures, making gameplay quite challenging. Typically, it's a long and heavily grinded game, so try to focus on eliminating key creatures like Valiant Veteran and Skystrike Officer. After sideboarding, we increase our removals slightly, but overall, it remains a difficult matchup.
Domain Ramp
The deck leans heavily on the splash for this matchup, primarily because the counters are incredibly effective. They provide one of our few avenues for interacting with the bombs within the deck. Moreover, Elesh Norn is undeniably the best card; it virtually shuts down the entire deck, and the only counter is mass removal. Consequently, much of our G1 strategy revolves around her, as well as Invasion of New Phyrexia, another card that shines in the late game. Post-sideboard, another Elesh joins the deck, along with additional counters for the bombs.
Monowhite Midrange
Mirror matches often hinge on who can keep their The Wandering Emperor on the board. We've got the edge post-sideboard with counters for their plays, and they've got no answers for ours. Other blue cards like Teferi and Invasion of New Phyrexia also tip the scales in our favor. But in general, it's a heavily grinding game, and in long games, we come out ahead due to having more answers in the form of counters to our opponent's bombs.
Monoblack Midrange/UB Midrange
This is a solid matchup, but it's a dangerous deck, especially if it's a build with Faire Mastermind, which heavily penalizes cards like Spirit Companion and Wedding Announcement. The version without blue mana is better because we can play our strongest cards without the risk of falling prey to Make Disappear and Ertai, Resurrected. But overall, both matchups are favorable for us and the fact that this deck is delivering such good results is one of the reasons to play with this deck.
GW Enchantments
Enchantments are back in the game, largely due to the rise of the MonoB/UB Midrange, and that's good news for our deck. Yet again, having a lot of low-cost removals, and cards like The Wandering Emperor that can surprise and break the biggest creatures is a solid strategy against them. Post-sideboard, cards like Temporary Lockdown and, most importantly, Farewell, completely dismantle anything the opponent can throw at us. Elesh Norn also shines in this match-up.
Final Thoughts
Monowhite has adapted to attempt to improve one of its toughest matchups, demonstrating how Standard decks can strive to reinvent themselves. Winning every game may not be feasible, but there are steps that can be taken to alter the outcome. With counters and valuable blue cards, this new configuration of the W Midrange seems like it's here to stay.
Until next time!