So this isnt my original idea, but I really am interested in it from a fun, casual perspective. I enjoy playing it, and it sometimes can be quite brutal if no one is removing my enchantments. Any help from anyone familiar with this archetype should chime in.
General gameplan is to get out zur, attack, tutor for astral slide, and go to down playing a tempo game, trying to eek out incremental advantage through cycling and blinking my own creatures, and my opponents. I also included some pillowforty stuffs to protect me more and make me less of a threat. Wins through beats, or temple bell/mom. It doesnt need Zur to function as the deck has alot of card draw through enchantments and cycling, as well as tutors, so finding astral slide or creatures that do the same isnt that difficult.
This deck is not meant to be competitive. It's for fun, but I want to make the engine work, with some backup plan(s) in case i cant slide. Inspiration is taken from other decklists online (the two there are). If a zur plan is not working, i will switch to 5c, as green offers SO much to the blink archetype. Im not normally a fan of blinking. I think it's lazy design, but the johnny in me LOVES astral slide.
Regarding the cyclers: i want alot of basicland cycling for color fixing and ramp. However, i also want it to be affordable cycling. Not > 2 unless its a killer ability. And the card has to be somewhat useful besides if its a noncreature.
Cycling creatures. Some benefit us in that they can be brought back from the grave, so watch for gy removal. Vedalken Aethermage is great in that it allows us to find Zur and other creatures. Most cycle for cheap, and many find lands so we can quickly recover from a geddon, and ramp faster to never miss a land drop.
Recursion and small tech creatures. Nabs back astral slide and friends. Use with astral slide and other blink effects for maximum advantage. Trinket mage grabs top, sol ring, expedition map, etc. Mulldrifter draws us alot of cards, and nek
Big dump beaters and tech. Lavinia allows us to neuter token decks and remove mana rocks and other dumb stax effects pretty effectively. Combine with blink effects to make your playgroup hate you. Sun Titan grabs back.Zur targets that are destroyed.
These can be grabbed with zur, and recurable with Sun Titan. Use them to grab your dumb beaters, or opposing beaters. Abuse etb and ltb effects by blinking those creatures or the enchantments.
Astral Slide
The key card of the deck. While the deck functions perfectly fine without, it is so much more fun and silly with it. Use it to protect creatures and players (this is huge in cowboy variants for politics), and to abuse etb/ltb effects.
Spirit Cairn
When.you cycle, make some dudes. Dudes are the best.
Land
Bojuka Bog
Gravehate. Be sure to reanimate their fatties first!
Mistveil Plains Volrath's Stronghold
Recursion. Synergy with Zur, while his attack is on the trigger, but somethinf back, and grab it with his trigger.
V. Stronghold is amazing in that it sets up our creatures in our gy for cycling next turn, or for more blink shinangians. It basically turns all of your creatures into undead gladiator. A must.
One thing I see missing would be a healthy amount pf countermagic. Because, you know, you want to keep Slide in play.
Yes! I considered that. I want to add more in. But right now have Replenish, and the two white creatures that let me get an enchantment back when they ETB. speaking of which, yawg will needs to be in here.
Bump. Fixed up many cards. Added better ones in, especially the landbase. Keeping it sort of budget, and with cards I own or can easily get. Need to drop about a dozen or more cards through, so help me out!
Updated the list again. Explained the card choices of less obvious additions, such as the creatures and enchantments. I hope to obtain the rest of the deck very soon as its cheap as heck to obtain.
Played my first real game last night. I really burned myself as I was getting tunnel visioned and hadn't played a game in about two weeks. But i got second in a four man pod! For some reason, my propaganda was missing. Might be in nekusar and forgot to swap it out.
I can understand how you've made a build by using cards you've had laying around or cheap cards. But with testing and whatnot, what have you figured? Do you have a wishlist of how you'd like the deck to be instead of just a deck you have / can have? At first glance, I can see some obvious cycling choices in order to abuse Astral Slide or still be useful when Astral Slide but I feel some things are lacking or don't really fit together in a general synergistic sense. Do you have any other plans / strategies besides relying on Astral Slide? Zur, the Enchanter has much more promise and use than just for Astral Slide. But if you're avoiding following any other Zur EDH, what do you have in mind?
My YouTube Channel: The Commander Tavern - a channel I just started where I'll post deck techs and gameplays. Please support by checking it out. Maybe you'll like its content and subscribe! Thanks!
I can understand how you've made a build by using cards you've had laying around or cheap cards. But with testing and whatnot, what have you figured? Do you have a wishlist of how you'd like the deck to be instead of just a deck you have / can have? At first glance, I can see some obvious cycling choices in order to abuse Astral Slide or still be useful when Astral Slide but I feel some things are lacking or don't really fit together in a general synergistic sense. Do you have any other plans / strategies besides relying on Astral Slide? Zur, the Enchanter has much more promise and use than just for Astral Slide. But if you're avoiding following any other Zur EDH, what do you have in mind?
I forgot about my old deck! Coworker mentioned there was some activity with other people brewing this up lately, so I was digging through topics to find it.
So at the time, it was yes relying on astral slide and keeping it in play, usually through politics. I mainly played this in Cowboy since it made playing, or feigning the Deputy role really easy and fun.
Zur does have promise outside of Astral Slide, there's no doubt about that! This deck, looking back, was a mess, but it was a budget build as a sort of a prototype. Did it succeed? Yes and No. It did work decently at tables and really flew under the radar once people realized I was playing jank. At the time, I didnt enjoy it as much as I wanted to, but lately I've come more around to Esper decks, which I struggled to enjoy 3 years ago. I'm considering revisiting it!
I forgot about my old deck! Coworker mentioned there was some activity with other people brewing this up lately, so I was digging through topics to find it.
So at the time, it was yes relying on astral slide and keeping it in play, usually through politics. I mainly played this in Cowboy since it made playing, or feigning the Deputy role really easy and fun.
Zur does have promise outside of Astral Slide, there's no doubt about that! This deck, looking back, was a mess, but it was a budget build as a sort of a prototype. Did it succeed? Yes and No. It did work decently at tables and really flew under the radar once people realized I was playing jank. At the time, I didnt enjoy it as much as I wanted to, but lately I've come more around to Esper decks, which I struggled to enjoy 3 years ago. I'm considering revisiting it!
Hey grom!
You should definitely revisit your deck. I recently toyed around with Astral Slide.dec, and have mainly focused on the deck in my sig, but then I also went ahead and tried a Zur Slide. After a lot of testing with Hazezon, I just don't think I want to play anything else then Zur. He's a tutor on a stick, in colors that can protect and recover Slide pretty easily. I've only played a couple of games with it yet, but let me post my current build when I get the time!
I forgot about my old deck! Coworker mentioned there was some activity with other people brewing this up lately, so I was digging through topics to find it.
So at the time, it was yes relying on astral slide and keeping it in play, usually through politics. I mainly played this in Cowboy since it made playing, or feigning the Deputy role really easy and fun.
Zur does have promise outside of Astral Slide, there's no doubt about that! This deck, looking back, was a mess, but it was a budget build as a sort of a prototype. Did it succeed? Yes and No. It did work decently at tables and really flew under the radar once people realized I was playing jank. At the time, I didnt enjoy it as much as I wanted to, but lately I've come more around to Esper decks, which I struggled to enjoy 3 years ago. I'm considering revisiting it!
Hey grom!
You should definitely revisit your deck. I recently toyed around with Astral Slide.dec, and have mainly focused on the deck in my sig, but then I also went ahead and tried a Zur Slide. After a lot of testing with Hazezon, I just don't think I want to play anything else then Zur. He's a tutor on a stick, in colors that can protect and recover Slide pretty easily. I've only played a couple of games with it yet, but let me post my current build when I get the time!
Hey man! thanks for the kind words! I've been at a crossroads. There's a thread on this forum with two of the partner commanders that does a similar strategy, but uses creatures instead as a way to just draw through your deck to combo pieces. Adds green for color fixing, the gitrog monster, etc. It's by Dementedkirby, I dont have the link on me. I'm torn between rebuilding Zur or that! Not sure which I'd rather do as both seem fun.
General gameplan is to get out zur, attack, tutor for astral slide, and go to down playing a tempo game, trying to eek out incremental advantage through cycling and blinking my own creatures, and my opponents. I also included some pillowforty stuffs to protect me more and make me less of a threat. Wins through beats, or temple bell/mom. It doesnt need Zur to function as the deck has alot of card draw through enchantments and cycling, as well as tutors, so finding astral slide or creatures that do the same isnt that difficult.
This deck is not meant to be competitive. It's for fun, but I want to make the engine work, with some backup plan(s) in case i cant slide. Inspiration is taken from other decklists online (the two there are). If a zur plan is not working, i will switch to 5c, as green offers SO much to the blink archetype. Im not normally a fan of blinking. I think it's lazy design, but the johnny in me LOVES astral slide.
Regarding the cyclers: i want alot of basicland cycling for color fixing and ramp. However, i also want it to be affordable cycling. Not > 2 unless its a killer ability. And the card has to be somewhat useful besides if its a noncreature.
1 Zur, the Enchanter
Creatures
1 Architects of Will
1 Auramancer
1 Deadeye Navigator
1 Dread
1 Esper Sojourners
1 Eternal Dragon
1 Glen Elendra Archmage
1 Grave Titan
1 Jhessian Zombies
1 Lavinia of the Tenth
1 Magister Sphinx
1 Mistmeadow Witch
1 Mulldrifter
1 Nekrataal
1 Nephalia Smuggler
1 Restoration Angel
1 Rune-Scarred Demon
1 Sanctum Plowbeast
1 Solemn Simulacrum
1 Sphinx of the Steel Wind
1 Stonehorn Dignitary
1 Street Wraith
1 Sun Titan
1 Trinket Mage
1 Undead Gladiator
1 Vedalken Aethermage
Artifact
1 Azorius Signet
1 Chromatic Lantern
1 Expedition Map
1 Fellwar Stone
1 Fluctuator
1 Gilded Lotus
1 Lightning Greaves
1 Otherworld Atlas
1 Sensei's Divining Top
1 Sol Ring
1 Surveyor's Scope
1 Temple Bell
1 Venser, the Sojourner
Enchantment
1 Animate Dead
1 Astral Slide
1 Aura of Silence
1 Copy Enchantment
1 Greater Auramancy
1 Mind Over Matter
1 Necromancy
1 Oblivion Ring
1 Phyrexian Arena
1 Propaganda
1 Quest for Ancient Secrets
1 Rhystic Study
1 Righteous Aura
1 Spirit Cairn
Instant
1 Countersquall
1 Cyclonic Rift
1 Enlightened Tutor
1 Hindering Light
1 Miscalculation
1 Negate
1 Oblation
1 Swan Song
1 Swords to Plowshares
Sorcery
1 Decree of Pain
1 Demonic Tutor
1 Replenish
1 Wrath of God
1 Yawgmoth's Will
Land
1 Barren Moor
1 Bojuka Bog
1 Command Tower
1 Dromar's Cavern
1 Drowned Catacomb
1 Exotic Orchard
1 Flooded Strand
1 Glacial Fortress
1 Godless Shrine
1 Hallowed Fountain
6 Island
1 Isolated Chapel
1 Lonely Sandbar
1 Marsh Flats
1 Mistveil Plains
1 Misty Rainforest
1 Mystic Gate
5 Plains
1 Reflecting Pool
1 Secluded Steppe
1 Sunken Ruins
3 Swamp
1 Watery Grave
1 Volrath's Stronghold
Creatures
Cycling creatures. Some benefit us in that they can be brought back from the grave, so watch for gy removal. Vedalken Aethermage is great in that it allows us to find Zur and other creatures. Most cycle for cheap, and many find lands so we can quickly recover from a geddon, and ramp faster to never miss a land drop.
Recursion and small tech creatures. Nabs back astral slide and friends. Use with astral slide and other blink effects for maximum advantage. Trinket mage grabs top, sol ring, expedition map, etc. Mulldrifter draws us alot of cards, and nek
Repeated blinking. Combine with targets like Magister Sphinx and Grave Titan for max effects.
Dread
So we dont kill ourselves off temple bell/mom.
Glen Elendra Archmage
More control, beats, and can be blinked to abuse her abilities.
Big dump beaters and tech. Lavinia allows us to neuter token decks and remove mana rocks and other dumb stax effects pretty effectively. Combine with blink effects to make your playgroup hate you. Sun Titan grabs back.Zur targets that are destroyed.
Artifacts
Pretty straight forward.
Mana ramp and manipulation
Wincons and extra draw/hug.
Sensei's Divining Top
Draw manipulation
Fluctuator
Reduces cycling costs. This and slide is just silly, as you deny removal and kills and reap etb effects.
Lightning Greaves
Protect our general and allow him to swing out of the gate. Same with the Titans.
Enchantments
These can be grabbed with zur, and recurable with Sun Titan. Use them to grab your dumb beaters, or opposing beaters. Abuse etb and ltb effects by blinking those creatures or the enchantments.
Astral Slide
The key card of the deck. While the deck functions perfectly fine without, it is so much more fun and silly with it. Use it to protect creatures and players (this is huge in cowboy variants for politics), and to abuse etb/ltb effects.
Use these to discourage other players from comboing out, or as protection for yourself. Do note all can be grabbed via Zur or Sun Titan.
Copy Enchantment
You're noticing a theme of cmc 3 or less... this can become whatever you need it to be. Get creative!
Mind Over Matter
Combo to win if beats cant get there.
Quest for Ancient Secrets
Kills gy strategies, and can save your own in a pinch.
Card advantage
Spirit Cairn
When.you cycle, make some dudes. Dudes are the best.
Land
Bojuka Bog
Gravehate. Be sure to reanimate their fatties first!
Mistveil Plains
Volrath's Stronghold
Recursion. Synergy with Zur, while his attack is on the trigger, but somethinf back, and grab it with his trigger.
V. Stronghold is amazing in that it sets up our creatures in our gy for cycling next turn, or for more blink shinangians. It basically turns all of your creatures into undead gladiator. A must.
Cycling Lands
Basic lands
To be grabbed with cyclers, as well as to avoid nonbasic land hate.
GB [Primer][Competitive][Stax][Combo] Meren of Clan Nel Toth 95% RETIRED
UW [Primer][Competitive][Combo][Stax] Brago, King Eternal RETIRED
BR Rakdos, Lord of Riots (75%)
G Titania - 75%
W SRAM - Welcome to the cheeri0s jam 95%
U Teferi - stax 100%
R Neheb - janky mono red eggs combo 90%
B Gonti - 50% valuetown
One thing I see missing would be a healthy amount pf countermagic. Because, you know, you want to keep Slide in play.
Yes! I considered that. I want to add more in. But right now have Replenish, and the two white creatures that let me get an enchantment back when they ETB. speaking of which, yawg will needs to be in here.
GB [Primer][Competitive][Stax][Combo] Meren of Clan Nel Toth 95% RETIRED
UW [Primer][Competitive][Combo][Stax] Brago, King Eternal RETIRED
BR Rakdos, Lord of Riots (75%)
G Titania - 75%
W SRAM - Welcome to the cheeri0s jam 95%
U Teferi - stax 100%
R Neheb - janky mono red eggs combo 90%
B Gonti - 50% valuetown
GB [Primer][Competitive][Stax][Combo] Meren of Clan Nel Toth 95% RETIRED
UW [Primer][Competitive][Combo][Stax] Brago, King Eternal RETIRED
BR Rakdos, Lord of Riots (75%)
G Titania - 75%
W SRAM - Welcome to the cheeri0s jam 95%
U Teferi - stax 100%
R Neheb - janky mono red eggs combo 90%
B Gonti - 50% valuetown
GB [Primer][Competitive][Stax][Combo] Meren of Clan Nel Toth 95% RETIRED
UW [Primer][Competitive][Combo][Stax] Brago, King Eternal RETIRED
BR Rakdos, Lord of Riots (75%)
G Titania - 75%
W SRAM - Welcome to the cheeri0s jam 95%
U Teferi - stax 100%
R Neheb - janky mono red eggs combo 90%
B Gonti - 50% valuetown
GB [Primer][Competitive][Stax][Combo] Meren of Clan Nel Toth 95% RETIRED
UW [Primer][Competitive][Combo][Stax] Brago, King Eternal RETIRED
BR Rakdos, Lord of Riots (75%)
G Titania - 75%
W SRAM - Welcome to the cheeri0s jam 95%
U Teferi - stax 100%
R Neheb - janky mono red eggs combo 90%
B Gonti - 50% valuetown
BGU [Primer] Sidisi, Brood Tyrant BGU | BG [Primer] Mazirek, Kraul Death Priest BG | G [Primer] Polukranos, World Eater G
My YouTube Channel:
The Commander Tavern - a channel I just started where I'll post deck techs and gameplays. Please support by checking it out. Maybe you'll like its content and subscribe! Thanks!
I forgot about my old deck! Coworker mentioned there was some activity with other people brewing this up lately, so I was digging through topics to find it.
So at the time, it was yes relying on astral slide and keeping it in play, usually through politics. I mainly played this in Cowboy since it made playing, or feigning the Deputy role really easy and fun.
Zur does have promise outside of Astral Slide, there's no doubt about that! This deck, looking back, was a mess, but it was a budget build as a sort of a prototype. Did it succeed? Yes and No. It did work decently at tables and really flew under the radar once people realized I was playing jank. At the time, I didnt enjoy it as much as I wanted to, but lately I've come more around to Esper decks, which I struggled to enjoy 3 years ago. I'm considering revisiting it!
GB [Primer][Competitive][Stax][Combo] Meren of Clan Nel Toth 95% RETIRED
UW [Primer][Competitive][Combo][Stax] Brago, King Eternal RETIRED
BR Rakdos, Lord of Riots (75%)
G Titania - 75%
W SRAM - Welcome to the cheeri0s jam 95%
U Teferi - stax 100%
R Neheb - janky mono red eggs combo 90%
B Gonti - 50% valuetown
Hey grom!
You should definitely revisit your deck. I recently toyed around with Astral Slide.dec, and have mainly focused on the deck in my sig, but then I also went ahead and tried a Zur Slide. After a lot of testing with Hazezon, I just don't think I want to play anything else then Zur. He's a tutor on a stick, in colors that can protect and recover Slide pretty easily. I've only played a couple of games with it yet, but let me post my current build when I get the time!
Hey man! thanks for the kind words! I've been at a crossroads. There's a thread on this forum with two of the partner commanders that does a similar strategy, but uses creatures instead as a way to just draw through your deck to combo pieces. Adds green for color fixing, the gitrog monster, etc. It's by Dementedkirby, I dont have the link on me. I'm torn between rebuilding Zur or that! Not sure which I'd rather do as both seem fun.
GB [Primer][Competitive][Stax][Combo] Meren of Clan Nel Toth 95% RETIRED
UW [Primer][Competitive][Combo][Stax] Brago, King Eternal RETIRED
BR Rakdos, Lord of Riots (75%)
G Titania - 75%
W SRAM - Welcome to the cheeri0s jam 95%
U Teferi - stax 100%
R Neheb - janky mono red eggs combo 90%
B Gonti - 50% valuetown