Zur's Doomsday Toolbox PRIMER

Commander / EDH Combo Competitive Control Doomsday Pile Primer Suicide Black WUB (Esper)

lukecwolf

Land (34)

• 1x Adarkar Wastes
• 1x Aether Hub
• 1x Ash Barrens
• 1x Caves of Koilos
• 1x City of Brass
• 1x Command Tower
• 1x Dimir Aqueduct
• 1x Dromar's Cavern
• 1x Exotic Orchard
• 1x Fetid Heath
• 1x Flooded Strand
• 1x Forbidden Orchard
• 1x Gemstone Caverns
• 1x Godless Shrine
• 1x Hallowed Fountain
• 1x Island
• 1x Mana Confluence
• 1x Marsh Flats
• 1x Misty Rainforest
• 1x Orzhov Basilica
• 1x Otawara, Soaring City
• 1x Plains
• 1x Polluted Delta
• 1x Silent Clearing
• 1x Sink into Stupor  ^Flip
• 1x Snow-Covered Island
• 1x Snow-Covered Swamp
• 1x Sunken Ruins
• 1x Swamp
• 1x Tarnished Citadel
• 1x Underground River
• 1x Verdant Catacombs
• 1x Watery Grave
• 1x Windswept Heath

Combo helm dauthi RIP (3)

• 1x Dauthi Voidwalker
• 1x Helm of Obedience
• 1x Rest in Peace

Interaction (14)

• 1x Arcane Denial
• 1x Chain of Vapor
• 1x Counterspell
• 1x Cursed Totem
• 1x Flusterstorm
• 1x Force of Will
• 1x Mental Misstep
• 1x Miscalculation
• 1x Misdirection
• 1x Notion Thief
• 1x Opposition Agent
• 1x Pact of Negation
• 1x Silence
• 1x Swan Song

Draw / tutor (7)

• 1x Brainstorm
• 1x Demonic Tutor
• 1x Enlightened Tutor
• 1x Lim-Dul's Vault
• 1x Profane Tutor
• 1x Vampiric Tutor
• 1x Whispering Madness

Removal boardwipe (6)

• 1x Cyclonic Rift
• 1x Damn
• 1x Out of Time
• 1x Sudden Spoiling
• 1x Supreme Verdict
• 1x Toxic Deluge

Combo ad naus Angel's grace (4)

• 1x Ad Nauseam
• 1x Angel's Grace
• 1x Flare of Fortitude
• 1x Phyrexian Unlife

Draw / tutor enchantments (4)

• 1x Dress Down
• 1x Mystic Remora
• 1x Necropotence
• 1x Rhystic Study

Goodstuff (2)

• 1x Grand Abolisher
• 1x Lightning Greaves

Commander (1)

Ramp (13)

• 1x Arcane Signet
• 1x Cabal Ritual
• 1x Chromatic Lantern
• 1x Dark Ritual
• 1x Dimir Signet
• 1x Fellwar Stone
• 1x Lotho, Corrupt Shirriff
• 1x Lotus Petal
• 1x Mox Diamond
• 1x Sol Ring
• 1x Talisman of Dominance
• 1x Talisman of Hierarchy
• 1x Talisman of Progress

Combo lab man / thoracle (5)

• 1x Demonic Consultation
• 1x Laboratory Maniac
• 1x Tainted Pact
• 1x Thassa's Oracle
• 1x Unearth

Doomsday package (4)

• 1x Doomsday
• 1x Frantic Search
• 1x Gitaxian Probe
• 1x Omen of the Sea

Removal stock removal (3)

• 1x Grasp of Fate
• 1x Path to Exile
• 1x Swords to Plowshares

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Maybeboard

Might try (7)

• 1x Aura of Silence
• 1x Baral, Chief of Compliance
• 1x Blind Obedience
• 1x Containment Priest
• 1x Imprisoned in the Moon
• 1x Mage's Guile
• 1x Pentad Prism

Replacements for broken cards if they gets banned (rhystic study, tainted pact, demonic consulation, Thassa's Oracle, etc.) (5) (4)

• 1x Chrome Mox
• 1x Dark Confidant
• 1x Esper Sentinel
• 1x Wishclaw Talisman

Budget options (2)

• 1x Gemstone Mine
• 1x Yahenni's Expertise

More interaction (4)

• 1x Daze
• 1x Fragmentize
• 1x Into the Roil
• 1x Jwari Disruption  ^Flip

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ZUR THE ENCHANTER DOOMSDAY TOOLBOX Primer

This Zur the Enchanter cEDH deckbuild is an Esper Control Deck that tries to create a 2 card combo that enables you to win the game after controlling the game for the first few turns.

Zur was a tier 0 deck until the mid 2010s when a wider pool of cards and commanders entered the fray. Zur still remains cEDH viable, as having necropotence in the command zone and over 1/4 of a deck devoted to interaction just works. My version runs about 22 interaction, 2 stax, and 4 board wipes.

Zur remains a viable deck, but just doesn't see much tournament play due to his difficulty of play and more appealing deck options. If anything, Zur is tainted by his history and is usually the target of decks that rely on combat.

Let me be very clear that this deck is difficult to play. A control deck is already difficult in any tcg but having 2 additional opponents to control while also knowing the probability getting the deck combos makes this very tough. I play this unless I am already in a competitive pod. And even then, Zur's history makes people know that Zur is worth ganging up on.

Esper was my first commander deck which eventually evolved into this Zur cEDH deck, which won me 4 tournaments October 2019- Spring 2020, before the pandemic retired me from magic the gathering for years. Even after that heyday and powercreep, this deck remained tournament viable, and I never had problems with this deck outside of my own skill due to my lack of practice.

Build a Zur deck as you will. The cost of a Zur deck has gone down considerably over time, but the power level of Zur has also diminished with the new cache of commanders slowly being released and new commander staples. Other Zur lists are widely available and are likely more up to date.

Archive: 2019 Zur decks - Pre Thassa's Oracle (Historical)

This subsection describes a lot of the Zur decks before Thassa's Oracle was printed in early 2020. I compiled this list of decks in 2019 as I was figuring my deck out. Most of these decks have been powercrept by 2024 for being too bricky, too fragile, or not fast enough but are here for consideration. One could argue that by 2024, Doomsday has also been powercrept from most decks.

In the 2010s I used to go for the legacy RIP Helm of Obedience combo frequently. It requires the least amount of mana provided that Zur gets a free tutor (meaning 5) and the combo is only 2 cards with one variance. Graveyard decks were also more prevelant back then so RIP was an auto include.

For some time, I also had Zur as a toolbox and had this list available.

• Removal: Imprisoned in the Moon, Rest in Peace, Grasp of Fate, Aura of Silence

• Draw: Necropotence, Rhystic Study, Mystic Remora, Omen of the Sea, Verity Circle, Mirrormade

• Protect: Ghostly Prison, propoganda Solitary Confinement (With Necropotence ends game and was only necessary here)

For a real blast in time, here is a rundown of some pre Thassa's Oracle archetypes from 2019.

• Doomsday Zur tries to win with a Doomsday Pile ASAP. Like Doomsday Zur, this deck aims to top deck from a near empty library and win with a doomsday pile, ending on Laboratory Maniac , but as a last resort rather than the only goal. Doomsday Zur decks aims to find the combo quickly with a decent amount of protection after rushing out Necropotence and other spells. It’s a linear all or nothing deck. Take risks as best as you can.

• Shimmer Myr Zur tries to win with a storm combo by finding Necropotence and flashing in Shimmer Myr and other artifacts and winning with a storm combo such as the Aetherflux Reservoir , Bolas's Citadel and/or Sensei's Divining Top. However, the deck is bricky, can end poorly on a storm turn, and needs shimmer myr to be cast successfully.

• Prison Zur decks try to be as oppressive as possible. Possible options include Stasis + Brago, King Eternal, Stasis + Smothering Tithe, Contamination / Intruder Alarm + Vampire Nighthawk / Thraben Doomsayer, Counterbalance, Epic Spells, etc. As with most stax decks, your opponents can often sneak through the cracks. It’s best in casual pods where you want to be as infuriating as possible. Pure Zur Stax is uncommon in cEDH matchups, but a little stax never hurts.

Then in 2020, The release of Thassa's oracle altered the cEDH landscape. Specific strategies like Blue/Black decks and Flash Hulk strategies relied solely on achieving a victory with Thassa's Oracle usually with Tainted Pact/Demonic Consultation. Specific cards were maindecked to stop Thassa's Oracle wins, such as split second cards like Trickbind and Angel's Grace, Containment Priest during the Flash Hulk Era, and Endurance.
Laboratory Maniac decks pivoted to using Thassa's Oracle, and decks that still used Labman used them in conjunction with Thoracle.

In practice, Thassa's Oracle or Tainted Pact should be banned, but seeing the commander ban commitee will sooner unban a card than ban a card, just keep doing Thoracle combo.

Combos/Cards not in this deck

There's very little fast mana. I want to get it out of the way that colored mana matters more than colorless, and cards that can be cast without mana are favored. I will die on this hill, but I have repeatedly found that a stax piece and draw cards are much more preferable than needing to ramp up in the first few turns as there's no payoff here.

WINCONS ZUR can Search for: A lot of decklists include Heliod, Sun Crowned + Walking Ballista. I favor the Legacy strategy of Rest In Peace/Dauthi Voidwalker + Helm of Obedience

My rationale is that I would rather have One dead card in hand that kills people one at a time than two dead cards in hard that can kill all opponents at once.

I toyed with the combo alongside Thassa's Oracle when Theros Beyond death was released but kept taking it out.

It is highly advised to have Ranger-Captain of Eos in deck to synergize combo but that's also a good card anyways.

BORNE UPON A WIND The one colorless mana was just too much. Still a great card.

WINCONS:

This Zur is a suicide black control commander. Your goal is to ramp up and control the game for the first few turns, fish out a combo, and go all in. A typical line of play goes as follows:

1. Build up mana, throw counterspell(s)/removal, achieve one combo piece

2. Assemble one of the following combos and make threat assessment:

3. Rest in Peace / Dauthi Voidwalker + Helm of Obedience

4. Ad Nauseam + Phyrexian Unlife // Angel's Grace (draw library, cast free mana, keep 2 mana open for Thassa's Oracle, Silence, Unearth)

5. Demonic Consultation/ Tainted Pact + Laboratory Maniac / Thassa's Oracle (use as last resort or w/ a counter)

6. Doomsday: See 4, add Pact of Negation, Silence etc; build combo pile;. Beware Aven Mindcensor and Opposition Agent Gitaxian Probe, Omen of the Sea,

The deck's worst enemy is honestly the common stax pieces of Rule of Law and Deafening Silence.

STRATEGY

Begin by having an opening hand with 3 mana pieces and hoping a tutor or a combo piece, preferably a combo piece that Zur can tutor out or use Necropotence if it’s worth the risk (usually is). Adjust your strategy based on opponents if needed, especially turbo decks. There is little stax to stop the Turbo ad nauseum deck for instance.

Necropotence is the go to card for Zur. If you don't have the RIP/Helm combo and your opponents aren't immediately threatening, Zur should usually try to find Necropotence all things withstanding to gain card advantage. The old rule of thumb was to pay half the life you can afford rounded down. However, by the 2020s as the game sped up, you should now pay as much life to sculpt an optimal hand up until the damage you can tank. e.g. if you can see 6 damage coming, go down up to 12 life. But If you want to keep 2 cards in hand, pay up to 15 to get 5 good cards.

STAX I am adamanet that any deck that is not a turbo deck should have some stax in the current meta. Even if it's a few pieces, stax takes the place of counterspell and removal by being a better engine and are protected among enemies.

Cursed Totems ends many decks. The best deck I've used this against is K'riik, as I never realized 90% of the combos rely on activating creature abilities, and monoblock cEDH has almost no artifact removal outside of maybe Tower.

Opposition Agent Self Explanatory

Dauthi Voidwalker Combos with Helm of Obedience and often a free removal/COunterspell. Best I've gotten was a Bolas's Citadel.

Rest in Peace A relic of its time, graveyard decks just aren't as common in the 2020s as they were in the 2000s and 2010s, when most decks even ran a Tormod's Crypt. Still used for the Helm of Obedience Combo and to stop Underworld Breech.

Cards to Consider

BOARDWIPES

DOesn't deter cEDH as much as it does more casual games. But are still necessary with the prevelance of creature based decks beginning in the 2020s.

Most boardwipes cost at least 4 mana, which is one more than can be efficient. Hence reasons why Toxic Deluge is excellet. Supreme Verdict is arguably the best simply for its ability to not be countered. Damn is amazing for its modularity (and clever allusion to the all powerful damnation and Wrath of God) -

CARDS THAT DID NOT MAKE THE CUT (I personally don’t like these cards, but they can still work well in other builds)

Counterbalance: Staple in a Zur prison deck and really messes with the low cmc curve of cEDH, but as the game has changed, I think Counterbalance has lost some of its potency. Most importantly, this Zur deck doesn’t need to stall as much as other decks but rather control for first two or so turns. Use a better stax piece instead.

Stasis: In most games I’ve played, this combo is only worth siding out against heavier combo players as more realistically the loop only stalls the game for a few turns rather than deny some other player victory. Use stasis if you’re running Smothering Tithe, Brago, King Eternal or heavily use Vedalken Mastermind, or Equipoise

Strionic Resonator: Just not fast enough. Because there are many games where this deck does not cast Zur, it doesn’t do enough. However, if you have other cards that synergize such as Brago, feel free to use this it.

CREATURE SPAM: Previously, I ran Intruder Alarm + Thraben Doomsayer/ Vampire Nighthawk, but I found that the cards were too expensive to hardcast and were largely conditional. Thraben Doomsayer/Vampire Nighthawk may be worth maindecking just for chump blockers, but in around 2/3 of games I play, they are too slow.
It may be worth adding to the Meta against more creature heavy decks, but the combo takes one turn or something like Altar of the Brood to win on spot, which is sometimes just too slow.

SWIFTFOOT BOOTS: Because the deck runs so few creatures and only casts Zur less than half of games, I took it out for a mana rock instead. It’s also worth nothing that the 1 to equip does change games since Zur is so resource intensive.

FIERCE GUARDIANSHIP: (Avoid Fierce guardianship because 1/3 of games don't play Zur)

Feel free to check my other decks for more ideas and primers. Upvotes are much appreciated

Date added	1 year
Last updated	4 weeks
Legality	This deck is Commander / EDH legal.
Rarity (main - side)	1 - 0 Mythic Rares 57 - 0 Rares 20 - 0 Uncommons 17 - 0 Commons
Cards	100
Avg. CMC	2.17
Tokens	Bird 2/2 U, Energy Reserve, Spirit 1/1 C, Treasure