[SCD] Azorious Guildmage

[Mr. Safety]

Is Azorius Guildmage a potentially explosive control element in Modern? It's Stifle on a stick along with a relevant anti-aggro ability with a creature tap down. In blue/white, it can really support a powerful Aether Vial engine set @2 with Meddling Mage, Spellstutter Sprite, Leonin Arbiter, and Ethersworn Canonist. Add in Path, permission, Ponder, some equipment...you have a deck.

What I like the most about the card is that it's a CREATURE that can tap other creatures...meaning it will land in time to make it relevant against Emrakul.

Thoughts? Is this thing busted or am I just dreaming?

[Maveric78f]

Gideon's Lawkeeper
Goldmeadow Harrier

[Wereodile]

I think a lot of the red based aggro decks are just going to try and puke as much onto the board as possible and control the red zone so the tap ability could get outclassed very quickly though the "stifle" ability will find many uses in this format.

[TheInfamousBearAssassin]

Gideon's Lawkeeper
Goldmeadow Harrier

You're not being serious, are you?

Anyway, yes, Azorius Guildmage is a playable card in Modern. Several of the guildmages seem playable.

[Wereodile]

I think this format will allow us to pull out a lot of those cards that were fringe or pet cards (Like the guildmages) and add them into some builds. It is of course still to be determined how effective they will be.

[Mr. Safety]

I think the Stifle ability is more relivant than the tap down. The tap-down is an answer to Emrakul from 12-Post. Think for a long minute how to deal with Emrakul in Modern...there aren't many ways to do it. This is one, Tumble Magnet is another. You need instant speed effects from permanents, otherwise they take the extra turn and decimate your board, sometimes winning on the spot. Trickbind is another answer, but it only negates the extra turn. You buy one turn to find an answer (Shriekmaw, Diabolic Edict, Geth's Verdict, Journey to Nowhere, Oblivion Ring)

What makes Azorius Guildmage so sexy is the Aether Vial engine. You can run U/W hatebears, a few equipments like Sword of Fire and Ice, Sword of Feast and Famine, etc., and play some permission (Mana Leak, Spell Snare, Rune Snag, etc.) and Paths. So far, it's the most exciting prospect I've seen IMHO for Aether Vial in the format.

I know folks will probably suggest Squadron Hawk...and it's crap, crap, crap. Hatebears is what you want:
Potential List:

4x Leonin Arbiter
2x True Believer
4x Azorius Guildmage
4x Serra Avenger
4x Spellstutter Sprite

4x Aether Vial
4x Path to Exile
2x Mana Leak
2x Ponder
4x Spell Snare
3x Crucible of Worlds
1x Sword of Fire and Ice
1x Sword of Light and Shadow
1x Sword of Feast and Famine

1x Misty Rainforest
1x Marsh Flats
4x Hallowed Fountain
4x Mystic Gate
4x Island
3x Plains
4x Ghost Quarter


I particularly like what Fabricate can do for you, fetching out Ethersworn Canonist or a Sword. Leonin Arbiter makes it a little more difficult to use Fabricate, but Arbiter essentially does the same thing as Canonist for combo hate but ALSO hoses lands. It gives the deck a little more consistency. Think about what Ghost Quarter can do with Leonin Arbiter on the table...yep, Strip Mine action going on. Crucible makes it a lock.

Thoughts?

[perm]

I can completely see trickbind and/or squelch being used as stifle replacements. The format is slower, so the 1 extra CMC isn't that big of a deal for them, and they have extra functionality and utility.

[Mr. Safety]

Yes, I'll be looking into getting Trickbind for sure.

[Tammit67]

Yes, I'll be looking into getting Trickbind for sure.

You have better answer against storm and or other combo than trickbind, to be sure. What would you want it against that guildmage is unworthy?

[dahcmai]

Guildmage was actually borderline playable in Legacy for a short time. He did kind of eventually lose some favor when Zoo started really kicking into gear. The mana investment on him can be a downer when you play against zoo a lot, but the point remains he was actually decent in Legacy. So I am sure that he can be decent in Modern if Zoo has something to kick it's rear a little more. Right now he's going to suck because of that since Zoo obviously is a force in this new format.

[perm]

What would you want it against that guildmage is unworthy?

Lol, fetchlands?

[264505]

I think the value for a card like Trinket Mage is a little undervalued as well. It still can find a land, EE, Needle, removal in the form of Brittle Effigy (which also answers Emrakul) and a whole host of other cards that can potentially be sideboard options. I would try to squeeze in 3 into a hate bears deck if I could.

[Mr. Safety]

Nice call, 264505. I'm actually using a Trinx package in my sideboard of my BUG 187 deck. Needle, Nihil Spellbomb, and Basilisk Collar are present, and I'm testing out Executioner's Capsule (which also deals with Emrakul, and it's cheaper to activate than Brittle Effigy)

@Tammit67: yeah, ditto on what perm said...fetchlands early game is what Trickbind is for. It also works well against Grims, Engineered Explosives, and storm. I think Squelch has some pretty cool ramifications, simply because it replaces it self.

[evanmartyr]

What about the enchantment that reduces mana costs of activated abilities by 2? Spending a single mana to tap each creature/stifle things seems very good, and I'm sure there are other creatures that could take advantage of it also.

Seems janky, but pretty broken against a lot of things.

[Hanni]

What about the enchantment that reduces mana costs of activated abilities by 2? Spending a single mana to tap each creature/stifle things seems very good, and I'm sure there are other creatures that could take advantage of it also.

Seems janky, but pretty broken against a lot of things.

Without Rebels around, I'm not sure how much value you'd actually be getting out of Training Grounds.

[perm]

Without Rebels around, I'm not sure how much value you'd actually be getting out of Training Grounds.

Esper Guildmage deck with 4 Azorious Guildmage, 4 Dimir Guildmage and 4 Orzhov Guildmage

:P

[Tammit67]

Lol, fetchlands?

Lol, useless?

At best, you weren't able to play anything turn two on the play, and you keep your opponent off two mana, which is great and all but not worth it when you consider all the times you don't have that work for you. I don't see many unstable manabases at this point, especially not to the degree that I want to hold up 2 mana. And god forbid they know it is in your list and just play around it. You want to keep up two mana as they simply don't play fetchlands from their hand? It feels like losing.

So no, Fetchlands should not be a good reason. A serious outbreak in storm or even cascade(?) would warrant this card maybe. In the sideboard.

[Mr. Safety]

Lol, useless?

At best, you weren't able to play anything turn two on the play, and you keep your opponent off two mana, which is great and all but not worth it when you consider all the times you don't have that work for you. I don't see many unstable manabases at this point, especially not to the degree that I want to hold up 2 mana. And god forbid they know it is in your list and just play around it. You want to keep up two mana as they simply don't play fetchlands from their hand? It feels like losing.

So no, Fetchlands should not be a good reason. A serious outbreak in storm or even cascade(?) would warrant this card maybe. In the sideboard.

I think you're forgetting about folks most likely playing Spell Snare alongside Trickbind/Squelch. If you're on the play, you can go 'Ponder, pass', then leave mana open to Squelch that fetchland on turn 2. Draw a card, profit. They go for land #2 on turn 3, and they land it and play a relivant 2-mana spell (Goofy, Bob, Green Sun's Zenith into Noble) and you counter it with Spell Snare. Profit. This is the fundamental tempo-denial strategy, and gives you another turn to get Guildmage down. Guildmage in the mid-late game can keep greedy mana-bases in check, and can keep Grim Lavamancer and other effects in check.

I may be wrong, It looks like good strategy to me...especially if you can somehow in those 2 turns to get an Aether Vial into play. Your opponent should be scrambling from that point forward against your free threats (hopefully hatebears to hinder them further) and other control factors you have sandbagged for THEIR attempts at threats.

Also, be aware that the most powerful control strategy in modern ATM is Gifts Ungiven, hands down. Keeping them off 4 mana is pretty nasty, so in steps tempo factors like Squelch and Tectonic Edge. Tectonic Edge in particular has game vs. Gifts decks...because it only costs 1 mana and Edge to rip off land #4. They play Gifts in response, when you play Spell Pierce/Mana Leak to cut them off. Profit.

[Tammit67]

I feel as though a deck that is looking to go play ponder and snare would rather just have mana leak. Without the free counterspells of legacy, you can't play threats and counter at the same time, so either you have your threats at the higher end of the curve or you run vial. If you are running higher costed threats, you are running control, and the mana denial from squelch is unnecessary, as you will rarely be able to take advantage of whatever time you bought yourself. If you run vial, then you need to run 20+ creatures to ensure vial is worth the slot (In most cases).

I'm just trying to think what kind of deck would want to capitalize on squelch and trickbind. Even an aggro control deck would rather drop noble heirarch or goyf or clique or mana leak than stare across at their opponent, who should be able to invalidate squelch if they need to.

TL;DR: You dont have the card pool to deny them resources and put pressure on early. Seems like a problem.

[Tammit67]

EDIT: Double the flavor, double the fun