in reference to zur's article

Andromedea · Joined: 11 Oct 2005 Posts: 378

I think most people associate Zur's Weiridng with those nifty WUR decks. However I think there is a better way to play it. more specifically i think BWU is better equipped to handle Zur's Weirding. Black allows good card drawing with excellent hand destruction while offering recurrent attackers. white gives us removal and life gain. Blue gives us Zur's and tutors. which gives us a list that looks like this.

//NAME: Untitled Deck
1 Island
2 Plains
2 Swamp
2 Watery Grave
1 Eiganjo Castle
3 Caves of Koilos
4 Hallowed Fountain
4 Adarkar Wastes
4 Godless Shrine
4 Ravenous Rats
4 Phyrexian Arena
3 Ribbons of Night
4 Mortify
4 Descendant of Kiyomaro
4 Akuta, Born of Ash
3 Zur's Weirding
3 Compulsive Research
2 Gifts Ungiven
2 Worship
1 Persecute
1 Nightmare Void
2 Dimir House Guard

your main win condition being Zur's Weirding and Descendant. You start off with Ravenous rats to keep your opponents hand at a disadvantage. You then drop arena's to not only beef your descendent but with weirding in play they have to pay life for 2 cards instead of one. Hide and Seek is awesome for some emergency life for 2cc search out a Kokusho and keep yourself alive longer. Mortify is just removal. Worship is tech with Akuta which is your reccurent attacker.

The SB should look somthing like:

Cranial Extraction
Terashi's Grasp
WOG
sacred ground

comments?

synch987 · Joined: 31 Mar 2006 Posts: 256

i dont think your mana base can handle descendant and you dont have enough card advantage to exploit him.

what the hell do you use gifts for? akuta, nightmare void, ....., .......

i think UGB would be better, with ribbons and jitte for life gain, and graveshell scarab, and other dredgers to exploit the lock. i think if you are running white just to get more life for the lock, when you could get a soft lock but dredge threats every turn

Andromedea · Joined: 11 Oct 2005 Posts: 378

aside from gifts being a draw 2 card advantage, yes it helps me get my threats into the grave or to get zur's or other cards i need/want.

I do not think a soft lock is worth it. Its either all the way or not.

Also about descendent and how i keep him pumped.
1. Phyrexian arena
2. ravenous rats
3. Weirding, if i draw cards and they don't.. well Razz

Also so far the mana base has been fine, that was also the reason why i decided to use rats instead of distress because i felt the double black would be too hard to get with descendant also.

Also i was pretty sure that worship works well with this deck in that u can get akuta back during upkeep however i don't know if damage and life loss or whatever is exactly the same if somone could clarify that would be good.

Your version might be good if you used the golgari brownscale i think that gives u 3 life when u dredge it back to your hand.

I may change gifts to compulsive research but that is yet to be seen.

synch987 · Joined: 31 Mar 2006 Posts: 256

just tell me what you choose when you cast gifts

Quetzilla · Joined: 29 May 2005 Posts: 58

Andromedea · Joined: 11 Oct 2005 Posts: 378

updated

//NAME: Untitled Deck
1 Island
2 Plains
2 Swamp
2 Watery Grave
1 Eiganjo Castle
3 Caves of Koilos
4 Hallowed Fountain
4 Adarkar Wastes
4 Godless Shrine
4 Ravenous Rats
4 Phyrexian Arena
3 Ribbons of Night
4 Mortify
4 Descendant of Kiyomaro
4 Akuta, Born of Ash
3 Zur's Weirding
3 Compulsive Research
2 Gifts Ungiven
2 Worship
1 Persecute
1 Nightmare Void
2 Dimir House Guard

Apos · Joined: 24 May 2005 Posts: 733

am i the only 1 who thinks u dont have enough swamps to use them perfect for akuta
8 hm...not sure if its enough
and what about sum bounce lands ?
wouldnt be too bad to have virtual card advantage