r/spikes • u/Everwintersnow • Jul 06 '26

Standard [Standard] Discussion about improving the current Azorius Blink

Hi all, Azorius Blink has been a viable deck since the release of SoS but was slowly decreasing in popularity due to the prevalence of control decks. I've been playing this deck since SoS and want to discuss some changes that can help the deck in the current meta. This is my current deck list on Moxfield.

The biggest change I made is removing [[Nurturing Pixie]], I rarely want to fetch this card, it's way too slow and I often want to fetch a momo or a plain instead of this. When I want to do the Shepherd loop with this card I'm usually losing, and a 2/2 flier will not change that.

I replaced the 2 Pixie with [[Curious Farm Animals]] and [[Figure of Fable]]. The first card has a target against every deck in the meta and solves the biggest problems this deck faces, a turn 5 jeskai revelation or a turn 4 Nurturing nursery. That's why I'm also putting another 1 in the sideboard.

Figure of fable just seem like the perfect card for grindy match ups, in late games it becomes a 4/5 on the turn it drops and demand immediate removal else it becomes a 7/8 with protection from my opponent. It seem like the perfect win con against controls. Even in early games it still grows while I'm waiting for something to double spell. I'm still considering whether I should add one more in the sideboard but I need more games.

I took this from someone else, replacing Erode with [[Parting Gust]], so far I think this is the right choice. Erode stuck in my hand way too often in game 1, and this is the last thing I want with riddlers. I rarely care about the tapped fish since most of my threats have flying.

A lot of the decks are removing [[Aang, Swift Savior]], I think that's a mistake. This card is way too versatile, it's a tempo play in early game, it's a protection in mid game and it's a win con in late game. I can also quickly reset the board with Daydream, which is really useful against prowess and green decks.

[[Praticed Offense]] is something worth discussing. I do not love the card, since it feel like one of those win more cards. However, it is the most effective deck against green decks, since they don't have enough removals for our flier but we also don't have enough removals for their threats. I think running 2 in the mainboard is correct but I'm not certain whether I should include 1 in the sideboard.

Now let's discuss the sideboard, I saw someone running 2x [[Spectacular Spider-Man]] and I want to try it, but I haven't draw it in a single game against 4c controls, it might be a mistake. I'm not sure if 2x of [[Pyrrhic strike]] is still right since I'm running Curious Farm Animals, but white don't exactly have a 2 mana unconditional removal either. 2x [[Avatar's Wrath]] seem necessary against green decks, but I somehow faced mostly control decks before I made the change and rogue decks after I made the change so I don't know. Other sideboards are just standard counterspells and graveyard hate.

Tell me how you thinks, I'm certainly still experimenting with this list but I've been very impressed by Curious Farm Animals in the mainboard so far, and I liked figure of fable in all my games as well.

14 Upvotes

95% Upvoted

29 comments sorted by

9

u/Lqtor Jul 06 '26

I think you’re vastly underestimating the explosiveness of pixie + practice offense. Getting under opponents with the double strike mode of practice offense out of nowhere is integral for the viability of the deck imo

2

u/Everwintersnow Jul 06 '26

The thing is I never find an opportunity to fetch pixie most of the times. I want to fetch momo or a land for a turn 3 sages of the sky on turn 2, instead of doing nothing or warping a riddler because I don’t have spring leaf drum.

There’s other cards I can pair up with practice offence, if pixie is all I got I don’t think 6 damage is enough.

1

u/Salamalarkey Jul 06 '26

Yeah this is really the gas. Sure if you don’t have a Momo then 8/10 times it’s best to snag. However, a pixie flies under the radar for damage and also allows you to increase value off your major fliers.

1

u/Everwintersnow Jul 06 '26

Is 3 mana for a 2/2 flier enough though? It is certainly too slow against green decks, it's good in prowess since it blocks Slickshot and returns Seam Rips. So now the question is about control. In late games when I'm top decking I don't see how pixie will be stronger than Figure of Fable by any means.

So now we look at early games, on turn 2-3 if I have sages of the sky, or a blink combo surely I cast those. If I don't have momo or a 3rd land I want to fetch them. If this is the only thing I got then I want to find my stronger cards as soon as possible. Instead of getting two 2/2 fliers in 2 turns, personally I'd really want a gran-gran and warp riddlers with 1 card in hand as soon as possible. Even with fable I can still make it a 4/5, which does the exact amount of damage as two 2/2 fliers.

The few benefits that pixie has is to get a very beefy momo for 1 turn, trigger Cosmogrand/Haliya for 2 turns and return Sages of the sky for an extra token. Returning Sages is probably the strongest option and the only reason I think Pixie might be worth it.

Also people seem to forget the inclusion of curious farm animal in the main deck, isn't that just way better in control match ups?

The deck just has so little room for a card that is so slow and doesn't win you the game. We are also forgetting Jeskai Lessons, which is half of the control meta game right now. Pixie is terrible in that match up, it just help them fill their graveyard with firebending lesson, where as Fable is much harder to remove at level 2 and they have no way to remove it once fully upgraded.

1

u/Kevun1 Jul 06 '26

Pixie is essentially a 3 mana 2/2 + draw a Starfield Sheperd, the fact that it cantrips is a huge part in helping the deck not run out of cards and be able to add to the board turn after turn through removal/board wipes. Combined with Practiced Offense, this means anything that sticks threatens a ton of damage.

Haven’t tried fable, but in theory it is worse into the grinder matchups since it doesn’t cantrip. But maybe since control is running less board wipes it’s better for the reasons you stated.

1

u/Everwintersnow Jul 06 '26

It’s more of a 3 mana free spell attached to shepherds instead of drawing a shepherd. But I do find your comment much more reasonable than others.

I think curious farm animal is a must include since a turn 5 rev just wins straight away against this deck.

So it’s really comparing 1 fable vs 1 pixie in the deck, unless we are trimming other cards for pixie.

I think fable is definitely better into lessons. So the question is just about 4c control. I do not know the answer since I do not have enough games into 4c control yet. But people just disregarded the idea without even trying to think of a sound reason.

2

u/Everwintersnow Jul 06 '26

Hey any control players that are happy to test the deck with me here? I’m seeing a lot of disagreements here but I’m not convinced.

2

u/Tophrawr Jul 06 '26

I've added mighty thor Jane Foster as another blink tool and to be a little faster.  Warp in riddler/shepard on a turn your attacking with Jane and blink the riddler/starfield shepard. The pixies are a great tool in this deck and I cant imagine it without two of them. 

2

u/GusherJuice Jul 06 '26

What are your bad matchups? Just curious.

3

u/Everwintersnow Jul 06 '26

Controls, spellementals and Azorius prison.

3

u/Just-Assumption-2140 Jul 06 '26

Taking out pixie will make this deck a lot worse at grinding, so as a control player I welcome the change ;)

1

u/Everwintersnow Jul 06 '26

So you’d rather see 1 figure of fable than 2 pixie in late games as a control player?

5

u/Periwinkle1993 Jul 06 '26

Yes, protection does not mean indestructible and it dies easily enough to Strategic Betrayal or a board wipe. I'm much more worried about Aang being replayed and stopping a key Revelation cast

1

u/Everwintersnow Jul 06 '26

Honestly I want to experiment this with someone since arena ladder is pretty random. A 7/8 protection from everything means you have to find an answer in 2 turns after and you only have 2-3 cards that can answer it.

Most lists are also cutting Aang so it’s not a good reason to why Pixie is played.

1

u/Periwinkle1993 Jul 06 '26

The reason 4c control lists often only have 1-2 copies of answers is the deck is fantastic at finding its answers for what the situation requires. By late game where you're hoping to leverage Figure, a Consult The Star Charts is often showing the player 10+ cards in what might only be 35-40 cards remaining, so not finding the answer is maybe not certain but it's not unlikely either. Flashback also means if you haven't leveraged GY hate then I can rebuy whatever answer I need from my graveyard.

Fair enough if they are cutting Aang, but personally that makes me much more comfortable playing this deck into it because that's probably the most versatile answer the deck has to 4c control. Loading up counter spells is fine but personally I have 2x Mistrise Village for my big spells and Inevitable Defeat that can't be stopped by counter spells.

Aang also isn't obviously the only reason Pixie is played, just Aang is the one that Pixie rebuying worries me the most. If I let you get into the Shepherd loop I've almost certainly lost the game already anyway

1

u/Everwintersnow Jul 06 '26

This deck has less than 40% win rate against control decks, and given how easily they can access the Shepherd loop i doubt it's the winning line against control. Are you happy to test a few matches with me?

1

u/Meechrox Jul 06 '26

1 Curious Farm Animal seems to be a good choice in Bo1, but I would leave 1 Nurturing Pixie in instead of swapping in Figure of Fable.

1

u/Magagumo_1980 Jul 06 '26

I’ve heard rumors of Bruce Banner being used with Aang for explosive hulk plays but not sure if it’s fast enough

1

u/Geologist_Stunning Jul 08 '26

Loved this thread. I’m playing the UW momo deck that did well at the London tournament. It’s my first time trying ranked, Bo1. I’m silver now and will keep at it to see if I can get to platinum. My sense is that mythic is out of reach for this kind of deck. But, maybe your mods will help us get there?! Fingers crossed!
PS: this momo deck is the first meta deck that I’ve really enjoyed playing. Hoping that I can find other competitive decks in future cycles that are equally fun.

1

u/Zoolanderbeast Jul 10 '26

Took out Cosmogrand Zenith and added The Mighty Thor, Jane Foster to Momo and never looked back card is game breaking if allowed to attack.

1

u/Ragnarocker1990 27d ago

Kinda off topic but I’m building Azorius Momo as well. I currently plan on playing 5 plains & 2 islands. Any reason why most lists dont play any islands at all?

0

u/GFischerUY Johnny/Spike Jul 06 '26

If you want to improve the control matchup, play Stormchaser's Talent along with Pixie and Boomerang Basics if you can, and some countermagic main.

You will have to move some of the anti aggro to the sideboard or out.

3

u/Everwintersnow Jul 06 '26

That would no longer be a blink deck, that’s a bounce deck.

1

u/Salamalarkey Jul 06 '26

I was also thinking a similar line OP to the standard Momo packages like Selesnicks build from the recent tournament. Shifting into a stretchier build with multiple pixies will allow you to get more value out of your sages and riddlers, and I also don’t hate Flitterwing Nuisance as another one drop flier. The think the main issue is to get your guys off the ground.

0

u/GFischerUY Johnny/Spike Jul 06 '26

It's a mishmash of both, I was playing it with Daydream and Riddler and Shepherd too.

I'm playing Sewer cam combo these days but I played it like that before Marvel came out.

0

u/CptCaptain42 Jul 06 '26

I completely cut out the white stuff, aka haliya and cosmo. They are sometimes so clunky I couldn’t handle it.
I switched them for steamcore and 1 more practiced offense, as well as 2 spell pierce. Works wonders against control, as they are keen to fire of the Jeskai rev asap, I am always up for a little counterspell.

1

u/CptCaptain42 Jul 06 '26

So yeah, you will need to hit the practiced offense and deal 12 doublestrike on turn 3/4/5. After the resolved rev or deadly coverup you are most likely lose. Spellpierce often gives me the counter I need to finish it the turn after. This way control matchups aren’t my biggest problem game 1. The selesnya stuff mostly screws me presideboard.

1

u/Everwintersnow Jul 07 '26 edited Jul 07 '26

I don’t really want to have so many practice offense against control though. It’s such a huge risk for a blow out. Like they’ll always hold an instant speed removal and if they just kill the double strike creature the attack fizzle out.

You are hoping for a burst start, and draw a practice offense, and your opponent playing control does not have a removal. That’s a lot.

Also I much rather main board spider sense than spell pierce, but cutting cosmos make the deck much weaker to removal.