Why play Zurgo?

Aggro has a big problem in EDH, dealing 21 commander damage to 3 players is incredibly difficult. Even if you're commander is able to kill an opponent in one hit (something highly unlikely), that'll still take 3 turns to take all of your opponents out of the game, the likelihood that one of your opponents isn't going to have a way to deal with you or your board is highly unlikely. Zurgo, on the surface, seems to suffer from the same fatal flaw, however he has an ace up his sleeve, and that is indestructibility. I know what you're thinking, "Indestructible is good and all, but why does that solve the aggro problem that plagues commanders like Zurgo (Ruhan of the Fomori, Rafiq of the Many, Kalemne, Disciple of Iroas, and just about every other Boros commander, etc.) Indestructible allows Zurgo to eat board wipes, clearing your opponents' field to swing in for some brutal Zurgo commander damage. You may be asking, "This is cool and all, but you're going to run out of board wipes pretty quick, right?" Well yes that's true, but again, Zurgo has another secret weapon, one that looks like a sword, and that is Worldslayer. Worldslayer + Zurgo Helmsmasher allows you to wipe the entire board of permanents, leaving only Zurgo and the sword remaining. This combo gives the deck an extra edge not available to other aggro decks.

PROS

  1. Zurgo being a 7 power creature allows him to kill an opponent w/ just 3 attacks.

  2. Zurgo having haste allows him to attack as soon as he enters the battlefield, meaning you don't have to take up deck slots trying to give him haste, something that you are forced to do w/ most aggro commander decks.

  3. Zurgo is difficult to answer on your turn, exile effects and counterspells are the only real means of dealing w/ him.

  4. Zurgo being indestructible allows you to survive board wipes, clearing your opponents' board for Zurgo.

CONS

  1. The deck can still fall for the typical aggro problem of only killing one opponent than dying to the other two, either because you wasted too many resources on killing one player, and/or because the other two team up to take you down since you're likely to be the biggest threat.

  2. Zurgo has no card draw or card advantage attached to him, so you just have to hope your deck draws you into some card draw.

  3. You're unlikely to have blockers, since Zurgo is too busy attacking, your opponents will swing at you simply, because you have no blockers, and you will rapidly start loosing life as the game goes on. The deck has a few ways to combat this like Loxodon Warhammer or War's Toll, however the best way is simply taking out any players that you're having or will have trouble w/ or just putting so much pressure on your opponents that they can't afford to swing and not leave blockers back.

LANDS

Arid Mesa, Bloodstained Mire, & Marsh Flats- The fetch lands for the color pairing, fetch lands are the best lands in the game.

Sacred Foundry, Blood Crypt, & Godless Shrine- The shock lands for the color pairing, these are almost as good as the original dual lands, especially since they're fetchable.

Clifftop Retreat, Dragonskull Summit, & Isolated Chapel- The check lands for the color pairing, check lands will usually come into play untapped, and they're relatively cheap price wise.

Cascading Cataracts, & Darksteel Citadel- Both of these are indestructible, allowing you to gain a slight mana advantage when you destroy all the lands on the battlefield.

City of Brass, & Mana Confluence- Auto-includes in any multi-color deck, the 1 life payment is well worth the cost for access to an untapped duplicate Command Tower.

Command Tower- An obvious inclusion in any multi-colored deck.

Exotic Orchard- I personally play this in any deck running 3+ colors, since it will usually be at least a dual land, and will most often be a redundant Command Tower.

Reflecting Pool- Another auto-include in any multi-colored deck, just another Command Tower, although it is useless turn 1.

Prismatic Vista- Yet another auto-include in multi-colored decks as long as you have a decent amount of basics to search up.

Flagstones of Trokair- Gets you access to a Plains when you blow up all the lands.

Luxury Suite, Spectator Seating, & Vault of Champions- The Battlebond lands are excellent and should be played in every deck that can play them.

Rogue's Passage, & Shizo, Death's Storehouse- Gives Zurgo unlockable or pseudo unblockable, and are excellent targets for Weathered Wayfarer.

Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth- Auto-include in any deck running .

ENCHANTMENTS

Blind Obedience- Makes putting up blockers for Zurgo annoying for your opponents, and gives you some lifegain, something incredibly useful for this deck, since you will rarely have blockers, because Zurgo is too busy swinging.

Land Tax- An auto-include in any deck running , it ensures land drops while thinning out your deck, one the most powerful cards in .

Phyrexian Arena- An auto-include in any , just solid, consistent card draw, something this deck desperately needs, since Zurgo has no card advantage attached to him.

Sigarda's Aid- An incredibly efficient spell at 1 mana, that makes you whole deck more explosive and efficient, since this deck relays so heavily on equipment.

Smothering Tithe- An almost broken card, the amount of mana this thing produces puts most ramp to shame, it's an auto-include in any deck running and is probably the most powerful card in .

War's Toll- Works both defensively and offensively, either forcing your opponent not to have blockers or to keep your opponent from retaliating, and it will shut off instant speed interaction by tapping all their mana (except for mana rocks), this card in general is a headache for your opponents to deal with.

ARTIFACTS

Arcane Signet, Boros Signet, & Orzhov Signet- The signets are solid mana rocks, and they help get Zurgo out sooner.

Champion's Helm- I decided to put this in the deck instead of Swiftfoot Boots or Lightning Greaves, since Zurgo already has haste, but I still wanted an equipment that gave him hexproof.

Coalition Relic- All you need is this, 3 lands, and a charge counter, and you can cast Zurgo, this is one of the best mana rocks for 5 & 6 drop commanders.

Conqueror's Flail- Gives Zurgo +3/+3 & keeps your opponents from messing around w/ you or Zurgo during your turn.

Embercleave- This card packs a lot of punch for just one equipment, it gives both double strike and trample, both of which are incredibly useful when paired w/ Zurgo, and it has the same surprise factor that the double strike mode on Boros Charm, which can allow you to take out carless opponents that have already taken 7 Zurgo damage and let him through, foolishly thinking that they will survive.

Fellwar Stone- The best 2 cmc mana rock.

Mind Stone- Another solid mana rock that, lets you cash it in for a card in a pinch.

Sensei's Divining Top- Goes in almost any commander deck, especially in commander decks that struggle w/ card draw.

Shadowspear- Seems to be made for this deck, it gives Zurgo 2 incredibly useful abilities w/ Trample and Lifelink, and it's activated ability can be invaluable against decks w/ indestructible permanents to allow you to completely wipe the board uses a Worldslayer effect.

Skyclave Relic- A mana rock that is indestructible, so it's able to survive the many permanent board wipes like Worldslayer, Jokulhaups, & Obliterate.

Sol Ring- It's commander play this card!

Sunforger- The best card in , especially w/ the release of Teferi's Protection, this card can one man the whole game for you.

Sword of Fire and Ice- Card draw attached to an equipment, w/ additional benefits including +2/+2, protection from , and 2 damage to any target.

Sword of the Animist- Ramp attached to an equipment, definitely a solid equipment.

Worldslayer- Is the card that the whole deck is based on, if you have this triggered while attached to Zurgo, it's pretty much GG, about the only way your opponents can deal w/ this is if they play an untapped land that produces and use Swords to Plowshares or Path to Exile on Zurgo.

CREATURES

Akri, Fearless Voyager- Does everything that a Voltron deck wants, draws cards and protects you Voltron creature.

Ardenn, Intrepid Archaeologist- Sigarda's Aide is already and incredibly powerful card in this deck, and this card does that effect on every one of your combats, all for just 3 mana.

Avacyn, Angel of Hope- This is a board wipe centered deck, and she turns those into one-sided board wipes.

Godo, Bandit Warlord- Tutors up an equipment onto the battlefield.

Grand Abolisher- A solid card in any deck running , it enables you to go all out on your turn without worrying about counterspells and removal on your turn.

Keeper of the Accord- Goes in every deck w/ a decent amount of basic Plains in the deck, and we run 10 in the deck, so that should be plenty, plus pooping out some soldiers for defense is something the deck can definitely use.

Knight of the White Orchid- Ramp in that's attached to a creature, so it can be equipped w/ the myriad of equipment in the deck.

Mother of Runes- A solid card in any deck running where you need to protect key creatures, usually being your commander.

Puresteel Paladin- A most have in any equipment deck, gives you both card draw and makes your deck much more mana efficient.

Relic Seeker- A tutor for equipment attached to a creature.

Stoneforge Mystic- One of the best equipment tutors in commander, and it allows you to cheat equipment into play, dodging counterpsells and large casting costs.

Stonehewer Giant- A creature than can continually tutor and cheat equipment into play from your deck.

Weathered Wayfarer- An auto-include in any deck running , this card allows you to continually make land drops and it allows you to search up any land, including utility lands like Rogue's Passage or Shizo, Death's Storehouse.

PLANESWALKERS

Nahiri, the Lithomancer- Her +2 makes a creature to attach equipment to, her -2 allows you to recur equipment from your graveyard or cheat equipment from your hand to the battlefield, and her ultimate makes a broken equipment that when equipped to Zurgo will make a one-hit K.O. from commander damage.

SORCERIES

Armageddon- Mass land destruction is one of the most powerful effects in , and this card is the most efficient mass land destruction spells, this can be incredibly effective in this deck if Zurgo is able to get out early when your opponents are still setting up, you can blow up everyone's lands, which might give you enough time to swing in w/ Zurgo and hopefully kill a couple of opponents.

Blasphemous Act- An auto-include in any deck running , this is the only 1 mana board wipe in commander, making it incredibly efficient.

Catastrophe- Gives you the choice of a board wipe or mass land destruction, just chose which one is better at the time.

Demonic Tutor- The best card in commander and an auto-include in any deck running , an efficient, unconditional tutor, just pay to get any card from your deck.

Devastation, Jokulhaups, & Obliterate- These cards are basically one time Worldslayer effects attached to sorceries.

Night's Whisper & Read the Bones- Efficient and effective card draw.

Open the Armory & Steelshaper's Gift- Efficient equipment tutors.

Vandalblast- An auto-include in any deck running , a one-sided artifact board wipe.

INSTANTS

Anguished Unmaking- An incredibly efficient and effective removal spell that should be played in any deck running .

Boros Charm- Double strike mode can allow you to sneak in double strike on Zurgo to cheese an opponent, and the indestructible mode allows your permanent board wipes to be one sided or save your permanents from an opponent's board wipes.

Deadly Rollick- Basically a 0 mana exile effect, an obviously powerful card for any deck.

Enlightened Tutor- An auto-include in any deck running , give you the option to tutor up Sol Ring turn 1 or allows you to tutor the myriad of enchantment and/or artifacts in the deck.

Path to Exile, & Swords to Plowshares- Are auto-includes in any deck running , these are the most efficient single targeted removal spells in the format.

Return to Dust- An auto-include in any deck running , an incredibly efficient and effective single or dual targeted removal spell that also exiles.

Settle the Wrekage- This deck is very offensive, which means we're too busy turning our creatures sideways to have creatures to block, leaving us open for attack, this is a great defensive option to blow out your opponents when they think they can swing all out at you. It is also an excellent Sunforger target.

Teferi's Protection- An auto-include in any deck running , saves you from a myriad of threats during a game of commander such as board wipes, lethal damage, etc.

Tithe- A mini-Land Tax that still is a solid, one time effect.

Vampiric Tutor- An auto-include in any deck running , a powerful, unconditional tutor for one mana.

Wear / Tear/Wear / Tear- A Boros version of Return to Dust that doesn't exile and costs one less mana.

Modern Horizons Updates:

Replaced Battlefield Forge, Caves of Koilos, & Sulfurous Springs for Prismatic Vista, Sunbaked Canyon, & Silent Clearing. I feel that the new version of the pain lands are better than the old ones and Prismatic Vista is an auto-include in any multi-colored deck running a decent amount of basics.

Throne of Eladraine Updates:

Replaced Rakdos Signet for Arcane Signet, since it's a strict upgrade and are the least used colors out of the three, so I replaced the signet w/ those two colors.

Replaced Fireshrieker for Embercleave, since it's basically strictly better and having a redundant double strike effect on a creature is nearly completely useless.

Theros Beyond Death Update:

Replaced Loxodon Warhammer for Shadowspear, Shadowspear is ridiculously good for this deck and strictly better than Loxodon Warhammer.

Random Update 1:

Replaced Relic Seeker for Settle the Wreckage, I needed more defensive options for the deck, and you can cast it using Sunforger, I ditched Relic Seeker since I feel I plenty of equipment tutors and he was the worse one.

Ikoria/C2020 Update:

Replaced Terminate for Deadly Rollick, a free exile effect is just better than a 2 mana kill spell.

Replaced Solemn Simulacrum for Flawless Maneuver, Solemn is way to slow for todays commander meta, and I needed to make room for Flawless Maneuver.

Commander Legends Update:

Replaced Silent Clearing & Sunbaked Canyon for Spectator Seating & Vault of Champions, just better lands in my opinion, drawing off the Horizon lands just never happens.

Replaced Darksteel Ingot for Skyclave Relic, just strictly better, I honestly don't see myself kicking the spell ever, but I might as well replace it just in case.

Added Akiri, Fearless Voyager, Arden, Intrepid Archeologist, & Keeper of the Accord, they're all amazing cards for this deck. I got rid of Erebos, God of the Dead, his card draw is just too clunky for today's meta, and my devotion to is really low, so it's almost impossible to turn him into a creature, which is annoying. I got rid of Flawless Maneuver, Teferi's Protection & Boros Charm are better and I don't need three of those kind of effects. I got rid of Lethal Vapors, I have someone in my play group who sacrifices it every time it hits the board, which is really annoying, I guess they just really wanted me to take it out of the deck, well you win, so yeah this card kind of sucks if it never stays on the board, because someone wants to be a "hero".

New decklist: https://www.moxfield.com/decks/VKK2KRIOVkWBPwLMS94y1g

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Date added 8 years
Last updated 2 years
Exclude colors UG
Key combos
Legality

This deck is Commander / EDH legal.

Rarity (main - side)

8 - 0 Mythic Rares

55 - 0 Rares

16 - 0 Uncommons

7 - 0 Commons

Cards 100
Avg. CMC 3.03
Tokens Copy Clone, Kor Soldier 1/1 W, Soldier 1/1 W, Stoneforged Blade, Treasure
Folders Edh, EDH ideas, Deck Templates, COMMANDER WANT
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