Azorius stax led by Grand Arbiter Augustin IV, whose discounts on white and blue spells and one-mana tax on opponents' spells set the tone for a list full of taxing and lock pieces. Medallions and cheap rocks keep the deck's own spells cheap. Meanwhile, cost increases, attack taxes, tapped-entry effects, search and graveyard hate, and spell-count limits make opponents' turns slow and painful. Tax-punishing draw and Treasure engines turn every payment opponents refuse into card or mana advantage, backed by a dense counterspell suite. How it wins: Once opponents are locked down, the deck closes with alternate wins like Azor's Elocutors and Approach of the Second Sun, or with incidental drain and small fliers, behind counterspells and attack taxes. Key roles: - Symmetry breakers: Augustin and the medallions cut the deck's own costs, so global taxes like Sphere of Resistance and Thalia land mostly on opponents. (Pearl Medallion, Sapphire Medallion, Sphere of Resistance) - Spell and resource taxes: These make opponents pay more for spells, cap how many they cast, or slow when and how they can cast them, crippling combo and big turns. (God-Pharaoh's Statue, Archon of Emeria, Teferi, Time Raveler) - Pay-or-punish engines: Opponents choose between paying extra into an already taxed board or feeding the deck cards and Treasures, compounding Augustin's tax. (Rhystic Study, Smothering Tithe, Mystic Remora) - Combat lockout: Per-creature attack taxes plus tapped-entry effects keep the deck's life total intact, which also protects the Elocutors win. (Ghostly Prison, Propaganda, Authority of the Consuls) - Hoser package: Search, graveyard, trigger and activated-ability hate shut off tutors, recursion, ETB value and creature combos. (Aven Mindcensor, Rest in Peace, Linvala, Keeper of Silence) - Counter wall and alternate wins: Cheap counters, and Grand Abolisher on the deck's own turn, protect the lock while Azor's Elocutors or a recast Approach of the Second Sun finishes. (Mana Drain, Grand Abolisher, Azor's Elocutors)

Grand Arbiter Augustin IV decklist

• Arcane Signet
• Azorius Signet
• Fellwar Stone
• God-Pharaoh's Statue
• Mind Stone
• Pearl Medallion
• Sapphire Medallion
• Sol Ring
• Sphere of Resistance
• Talisman of Progress
• Thought Vessel
• Adarkar Wastes
• Azorius Chancery
• Command Tower
• Deserted Beach
• Flooded Strand
• Glacial Fortress
• Hallowed Fountain
• 10× Island
• Mystic Gate
• Nimbus Maze
• 10× Plains
• Port Town
• Prairie Stream
• Reliquary Tower
• Sea of Clouds
• Skycloud Expanse
• Temple of Enlightenment
• Archon of Emeria
• Aven Mindcensor
• Azor's Elocutors
• Baird, Steward of Argive
• Drannith Magistrate
• Esper Sentinel
• Fatespinner
• Grand Abolisher
• Hushbringer
• Jin-Gitaxias, Progress Tyrant
• Lavinia, Azorius Renegade
• Leonin Arbiter
• Linvala, Keeper of Silence
• Soulless Jailer
• Spelltithe Enforcer
• Strict Proctor
• Thalia, Guardian of Thraben
• Thalia, Heretic Cathar
• The Council of Four
• Windborn Muse
• Aura of Silence
• Authority of the Consuls
• Blind Obedience
• Ghostly Prison
• Gleaming Splendor
• Land Tax
• Mystic Remora
• Propaganda
• Rest in Peace
• Rhystic Study
• Smothering Tithe
• Sphere of Safety
• Aetherize
• An Offer You Can't Refuse
• Arcane Denial
• Brainstorm
• Counterspell
• Dovin's Veto
• Mana Drain
• Mana Leak
• Negate
• Path to Exile
• Render Silent
• Swan Song
• Swords to Plowshares
• Dovin, Hand of Control
• Teferi, Time Raveler
• Approach of the Second Sun
• Idyllic Tutor
• Ponder
• Supreme Verdict
• Island
• Plains