This is my approach to Zur - and I have never played against him before.Usually when I make a deck, I have experience playing against at least the commander,but this isn't the case. I've heard of how strong Zur can be if built competitively, but I justdon't have the staples, rocks, or fetches to make him such. I'm sure just having him in the command zone is enough of a threat to focus me down, but I really like how he just... works. I've for a long time been wanting to build an Esper deck that isn't some cookie-cutter artifact build, and I've never owned or had interest in Sen Triplets. After a few rounds, Zur fits my playstyle. Ok onward...
As you'd expect, Zur runs a few "can't do X unless you pay y" cards, a few pillowfort cards, removal, draw, and recursion. This deck is in its infancy, but here's some things going on, which I'd expect you to expect.
Stax: Kambal, Consul of Allocation,
Teysa, Envoy of Ghosts
, Eidolon of Rhetoric, Blind Obedience, Authority of the Consuls, Conqueror's Flail, and Mind's Dilation are the only permanents I can consider stax, maybe. They get the job done and keep too many interactions from focusing me down too quick.
Draw: Mystical Tutor, Lim-Dul's Vault, Pull from Tomorrow,
Fact or Fiction
, Frantic Search, and Dark Petition are my non-permanent draws spells and tutors. Others are Mesa Enchantress and Underworld Connections. With all the focus I get, Phyrexian Arena imo is too risky for me, though I'm considering Monastery Siege for the flexibility and the synergy with the reanimation bit in the deck.
Recursion: Replenish, Starfield of Nyx, Open the Vaults, Sun Titan, and Hanna, Ship's Navigator help keep my enchantments out of my graveyard and onto the battlefield, although I've get to come across a Bane of Progress. It's only a matter of time. Dance of the Dead, Animate Dead, and Necromancy are choices here for creature targeting since they're Sun Titan targets, Zur trigger-friendly, and can return with the permanents stated above. I feel that the creatures included have some strong selections, so they warrant the reanimation bit.
Single-Target Removal / Wipes / Hate Cards Agent of Erebos lets me keep graveyards in check as long as I can keep him out of exile with all these constellation triggers going off left and right. Especially since Rest in Peace would be absolute trash in this strategy. Oblivion Ring, Detention Sphere, and Imprisoned in the Moon were obvious choices here and they serve specific purposes. Detention Sphere gets rid of tokens from say, Omnath, Locus of Rage or Entreat the Angels, etc. Imprisoned in the Moon turns off commanders, and Oblivion Ring is just an all around good include.
Consulate Crackdown
is in here because I plan on picking up a Mycosynth Lattice because reasons. (Read as Open the Vaults.)Anguished Unmaking, Utter End - Well I don't have Swords or Path extras, so these will do for now. Also they can pick off different targets.
Wipes and Walkers: Tezzeret the Seeker finds me mana rocks or Conqueror's Flail, which is what I need to "go off" or just act uninterrupted during my turn. Elspeth, Sun's Champion acts as an attacker deterrent, a board wipe, and an endgame option if I can get her emblem. Sorin, Lord if Innistrad is here to put dudes in the way for blockers and absorb damage for me while I set up in the early game. If I can ulti him, well, that's great. His emblem isn't very useful in this deck tbh. Cyclonic Rift, Supreme Verdict, Merciless Eviction and Toxic Deluge seem stapley enough for me here. I'm not sure how I feel yet about Doomwake Giant but he's there in case. In case tokens, mana dorks, that moment when I can so several things at once and get multiple triggers... Seems decent to me.
Can't Touch This! - I can't name this section anything else. Don't hit me, don't target my stuff, etc. Glory - God forbid I'm allowed to pitch this. It just saves the day. Every day. It's ridiculous. Academy Rector - Don't attack. I have a blocker. A really, really good blocker. Righteous Aura - Criminally underplayed pillowfort enchantment. No, I don't want to take that damage. I'll boop myself for 2 life instead. And it doesn't even friggin' target! Propaganda, Ghostly Prison, War Tax and Sphere of Safety are in any deck that can be called pillowfort. Although this one does much more. Diplomatic Immunity seems risky, but with so many ways to recur it, it isn't a bad choice for early game setup with Zur triggers.
Perplexing Chimera
Uh, no I'll take that Sheoldred. You can have my 3/3. This is the worst trade deal in the history of trade deals.
Teferi's Veil
Protects any attackers that survive combat from board wipes. It's disgusting and needs to be chastised for its transgressions.
Utility
Stormscape Familiar
- Is your deck Esper? Do you want your black spells and white spells to cost (1) less to cast? Well I do. Thassa, God of the Sea - Trust me, you declare no blocks.
Copy Enchantment
- I don't really know why I have this, but I picked it up a while back and it does wonders. I'd imagine playing it as a copy of Ethereal Armor or Doomwake Giant seems optimal. Steel of the Godhead - A mainstay for any attack-based commander that can use it.
Opalescence
All our board wipes dodge enchantments other than Merciless Eviction's mode we'll avoid at almost all costs, so when we need an army, we have our army. Ethereal Armor There's 28 enchantments in the deck. Sounds like a solid include to me.
I'm not including a mana rock section with details. There's the signets, 2 talismans, sol ring, Pearl Medallion, Fellwar Stone and Coldsteel Heart. Lands... Z.z..zz...
If you can't cast Approach, into Lim-Dul's Vault, into Approach for the win, proceed to beating that @ss with Zur and friends. He's more than capable of doing the deed by himself.
