Budget Commander Staples: Azorius

A few months ago, I looked at mono-colored Commander staples (see this post for an introduction). This month, I'll continue that theme, but look at two-color combos. Today I look at budget Commander staples in Azorius colors (white/blue), focusing on four categories: ramp, card draw, targeted removal, and board wipe. And this is budget, so most cards cost under $2.

Ramp

Ramp is about accelerating land deployment and/or mana access. Azorius really has no options here (in exactly two colors).

Card draw

White likes life gain, and blue excels at card draw. It's not surprising that Azorius has many options that give you both, be they creatures (Cloudblazer, Elite Guardmage) or instants (Sphinx's Revelation).

Targeted removal

White likes permanents that exile creatures while they remain on the battlefield; blue likes countering spells. Azorius has options in both. Absorb and Dovin's Veto are nice counterspells; Lawmage's Binding and Deputy of Detention are useful exile permanents.

Board wipe 

White likes wiping the board; blue likes returning creatures. Time Wipe does a little of both, and Supreme Verdict is a nice way to get creatures off the board. 

Combos

Hindering Light is both a counterspell and a card draw aid. Azorius Charm can help you draw a card or remove an attacking/blocking creature. 

Conclusion

The 11 cards shown above are easy 'includes' in any Azorius Commander deck.