Azorius Control

Colors:Archetype: Control

Also known as: UW Control

Azorius Control is a classic reactive control deck built around a high density of countermagic, single target removal, and wraths with relatively limited proactive options. Games are often won with an enormous resource disparity built over many turns rather than by directly attacking the opponent. The archetype is characterized by a lower threat density and a higher curve than other blue decks. Unlike other modern control decks, most cheap and efficient creatures are omitted to fit more interaction in, blank opponent's removal spells, and allow the deck's many wraths to be one-sided. Typically, games begin by interacting repeatedly before pulling ahead with a wrath, planeswalker, or large card advantage spell. Due to the potential for games to go long, the deck rewards quick play in events with timed rounds.

While the deck's higher curve and enormous amount of board-based interaction lends itself well to midrange heavy metas, the lack of cheap threats and the inability to efficiently interact with spell-based combo outside of the stack makes combo-heavy metagames less favorable. Tools like Wrath of the Skies, Ultima, Farewell, or other wraths capable of hitting noncreature permanents can result in near-instant wins versus artifact heavy or Tolarian Academy focused strategies. In general, the deck is at its best when decks like Flash Hulk or various Storm strategies (Breach, Citadel, etc.) are uncommon in the metagame.

Point spreads typically vary between wide spreads with moxen and delve spells or Ancestral Recall focused spreads. Either way, Mystical Tutor and Mana Drain are almost always included. Mystical Tutor is essential due to its synergy with Terminus and other silver bullets like Wrath of the Skies. While Mana Drain is sometimes 'just' a second copy of Counterspell, it is particularly powerful in this archetype due to the above average density of high mana value payoffs.

— written by smnk