Uril or zur?
Commander (EDH) forum
Posted on Aug. 24, 2013, 9:59 p.m. by Deckologist
So I've evolved a lot as a magic player and have decided that I want to try a voltron deck. I was considering Uril, the Miststalker and Zur the Enchanter . I don't play super spike anymore but I do like having answers and beating faces. Which would you choose and why?
Both generals you mentioned are great aura voltron generals. Zur is generally accepted as better because he can fetch the cards you need (controlling enchantments as well as auras), as well as giving you blue, one of the better colors.
I run an equipment voltron deck, with Sigarda as general. Equips aren't compatible with Zur or Uril, unfortunately, but it should give you a rough idea of voltron.
August 24, 2013 11:22 p.m.
Uril, the Miststalker has access to all the totem armor enchantments, such as Hyena Umbra and Bear Umbra , which helps to protect it against destroy sweepers. You also have the option of including Sigarda, Host of Herons in your deck, which protects against sacrifice effects. No such luck against Terminus and its ilk though.
The enchantments for Zur the Enchanter are generally less suited for beating face, as you lose access to unblockable combinations like Madcap Skills + Alpha Authority , but you get the option of weird blue enchantments like Curiosity which help you in other ways.
So it depends on your playstyle. Since you said you liked beating face, I would suggest Uril, the Miststalker . It also draws less hate in general than Zur the Enchanter , as Epochalyptik has already said.
August 25, 2013 4:42 a.m.
MagicalHacker says... #5
I would suggest neither.
The best voltron generals I have seen are Geist of Saint Traft , Thrun, the Last Troll , and Sigarda, Host of Herons . What people do against Voltron is KILL IT, KILL IT WITH FIRE. So having hexproof built in (and some other form of protection, which a low mana cost could apply to) is really necessary in my opinion. I went from a Skullbriar, the Walking Grave voltron to a Sigarda, Host of Herons voltron, and I am so much more comfortable now.
Now, Uril, The Mistalker could work like Sigarda, Host of Herons by replacing cards that give buffs with cards that give blocker evasion.
My $.02
August 25, 2013 9:12 a.m.
Epochalyptik says... #6
@mstancea: Actually, Zur the Enchanter is widely considered one of the best voltron generals. Typically, Zur decks are built with heavy control suites because Zur suits itself up when it attacks; countermagic protects Zur while that happens and prevents opponents from doing much in the meantime.
August 25, 2013 11:54 a.m.
Deckologist says... #7
Thank you all for your input. This is what I love about tapped out, fast and informative responses. I have decided to go with uril simply because I feel zur would be too linear and that is why I stopped playing my sharuum deck. His built in hexproof doesn't hurt either. Once again thanks.
August 25, 2013 12:05 p.m.
MagicalHacker says... #8
@Epochalyptik, I know, but I would say that he isn't as scary as some of the other commanders. He has sort of like a "delayed hexproof" since when he attacks you can give him a hexproof aura, but in my commander games, my opponents seem to play by an altered version of Murphy's law: If they can kill your voltron, they will.
So I would say for a commander to even be in the running for good voltrons, it's gotta have that hexproof.
Then again, everyone is entitled to their own opinion, so its just my opinion that the opinion of zur being one of the best voltrons is not a good opinion.
August 25, 2013 3:04 p.m.
Epochalyptik says... #9
@mstancea: I would, in turn, argue that Zur's track record proves the deck's power, but I suppose it's irrelevant if you're only considering cards with hexproof. Still, Zur is very strong. Many hexproof generals tend to sacrifice some flexibility or efficiency for the sake of hexproof, though.
August 25, 2013 4:18 p.m.
Hexproof isn't everything. You can build a decent voltron deck without a hexproof general, but hexproof is just icing on the cake, not a crucial determinant on whether a general is good for a voltron strategy or not.
Zur is very strong because he can tutor for whatever you need, and gives you access to esper colors, one of the best color combinations in edh.
August 25, 2013 4:49 p.m.
Deckologist says... #11
Ok I lied, I ended up biting the bullet and just building both. Uril for casual and zur for competitive. Zur already has 4 turn 4-5 wins and I've had the deck for less than 24 hours. Uril made 3 people scoop just with me casting him. My meta is so squishy all of a sudden
August 26, 2013 5:46 p.m.
Hahaha is this a group of friends you're playing with or random people in your LGS? If it's a group of friends you should recommend them stuff to make their decks more of a match for yours! I wouldn't have thought Uril had that kind of fear factor hahaha. Zur maybe, but Uril has tons of answers and tends to run out of steam quickly. Blazing Archon laughs at voltron.
Bruna, Light of Alabaster is actually a pretty good voltron general, though her colors don't lend herself to many good enchantments. She is very easy to deal with while still being fun, so you could consider her if the power level of your playgroup is not very high.
Epochalyptik says... #2
Uril, the Miststalker is good for voltron because the colors support that strategy. You have access to great auras as well as cards like Kessig Wolf Run and Sunhome, Fortress of the Legion . However, Uril, the Miststalker is very vulnerable to sacrifice effects and sweepers, and you lose a lot of investment if it dies (all the Auras go with it).
Zur the Enchanter is the better general, in my opinion, but it also tends to get hated out of most games. People know Zur the Enchanter as a competitive general, and it's not lokely to make a good first impression if you're playing in a casual meta.
August 24, 2013 10:22 p.m.