REAL MEN DON'T PLAY STAX.

>Why Urza?

>Story Time

I've been playing Magic since about 1998 and have always been captivated by the lore and the different characters.
The character I always liked the most and unfortunately never had his own creature card was Urza.
After a very intense time around the Onslaught block, I took a long break and gave up playing completely.
During Corona, my friend with whom I played Magic at the beginning got me back on track. I built my first Commander decks and then I found him: URZA, FCKING LORD HIGH ARTIFICIER.

> Facts

I decided to play Urza WITHOUT stax and WITHOUT infinite combos. I just don't like it.

So Urza is the right commander for you if you:

• love the lore around him
• want a extreme fast commander deck
• like to play a little bit of control
• love artifacts
• love big blue spells

>How fast is this deck?

I play almost all fast mana rocks in this deck, so Urza is an extremely fast and versatile commander deck.

Once Urza is on the field, you also get a construct token that you can instant speed tap for blue mana.

As a rule, you can say that Urza is on the field 90% of the time on turn 2-3. With a very good hand also on turn 1.

An average start would look like this:

>Setup Phase

Turn 1: Land for turn + Mana Rock
Turn 2: Land for turn + Urza (or Mana Rock)
Turn 3: Land for turn + Value Card
Turn 4: Land for turn + Ability of Urza

>Time to kill

As a rule, a quick start and a few value cards make you public enemy number 1.
This deck runs all the best counterspells to protect Urza and my key cards.
Urza often wins out of nowhere because with his ability you can cast cards like Expropriate, Time Stretch, Blightsteel Colossus or similar for free.

>Important

At the beginning, the first law is to protect urza. After a successful build-up phase, it is bearable if he is destroyed multiple times. At the beginning, however, it is a big problem.

>Starting Hands

In most cases, an average starting hand will look like this:

• 1 mana source (For example Mana Crypt, any Mox or Sol Ring)
• 1 counterspell (For example Force of Will)
• 2 Island
• 2 value cards (For example Rhystic Study, Sensei's Diving Top or Sculpting Steel)
• 1 Removal spell (For example Pongify)

>Get your Setup online

The best setup plan (in case you have the right cards) would be:

1. Get your manabase ready with at least 1-2 mana rocks
2. Play an early Urza and have 1-2 blue mana in case of a need for a counterspell
3. Play value cards or the activated ability
4. Play value cards or the activated ability
5. Play value cards or the activated ability

>Why no Stax or Infinte Combos?

I hate it.

>Fuel for the machines

A quick overview of the included ramp cards and why I play them:

• Chrome Mox - I only imprint in the early game, in the mid or late game I play it as a 0 mana artifact that taps with Urza for blue mana
• Everflowing Chalice - classic ramp artifact that fits perfectly with urza, I can play it either with multikicker or as a 0 mana artifact that taps with Urza for blue mana
• Grim Monolith - Fast mana to quickly play Urza or other payoffs, untaps itself with unwinding clock
• Jeweled Lotus - perfect for casting Urza on turn 1 or getting it back on the board quickly after removal
• Karn, Legacy Reforged - Extreme ramp as soon as there are some artifacts on the board, I usually use it to trigger urza 1-2 times
• Lotus Petal - 0 mana artifact that taps with Urza for blue mana and can be sacrificed for 1 mana in a pinch
• Mana Crypt - the epitome of fast mana
• Mana Vault - Fast mana to quickly play Urza or other payoffs, untaps itself with unwinding clock
• Mox Opal - can usually be used immediately due to the large number of artifacts
• Sol Ring - the GOAT

Why no Mox Diamond?
I'm poor.

>Just don't think about it

I currently play the following counterspells in this deck:

• An Offer You Can't Refuse - One of the best counterspells for one mana in my opinion
• Counterspell - the GOAT
• Fierce Guardianship - Free as soon as Urza is up and therefore perfect to protect Urza or prevent value plays of the opponent
• Force of Negation - Semi free counterspell
• Force of Will - Semi Free counterspell
• Mana Drain - One of the best counterspells in combination with Urza
• Spell Pierce - budget variant for Flusterstorm
• Swan Song - Extremely good and cheap counterspell, mostly to prevent removal or counterspells
• Arcane Denial - Value Counterspell
• Narset's Reversal - Counter and copy
• Flusterstorm - Counter without limits
• Disallow - Counters spells and abilities
• Dispel - Cheap Counterspell for instants
• Trickbind - Shuts down infinite combos
• Chimil, the Inner Sun - Absolute value card that protects my spells (which is important because Urza casts the cards for free with his ability) and in my end step I can still discover.

>More cards = more ways to build my army.

To have a consistent card draw, I play the following cards:

• Consecrated Sphinx - Absolute board, usually becomes the number 1 target as soon as it's up. But generates massive value.
• Mystic Remora - Perfect one drop - I usually pay the cumulative upkeep 1-2 times
• Rhystic Study - the GOAT
• Sensei's Divining Top - Perfect for drawing an extra card in an emergency and changing the order. In the future, fetchlands will be added to shuffle the deck in case of 3 bad cards.
• The One Ring - in my opinion the best card from the Lord of the Rings set. In combination with unwinding clock simply unfair.
• The Reality Chip - play spells from the deck
• Brainstorm - Draw and Top Deck Manipulation
• Mishra's Bauble - draw and mana rock
• Urza's Bauble - draw and mana rock
• Preordain - Scry 2 and draw

Why no Windfall?
I just don't like this card, because you give your opponents also too much value in my opinion.

>I'm not gonna lie - this is going to hurt like hell :D

These two cards are absolute finishers and spread fear and fright as soon as they enter the field:

• Blightsteel Colossus - Can destroy opponents without blockers with one attack - I like to play this card in combination with Lightning Greaves or Swiftfoot Boots
• Cityscape Leveler - Absolute Beast - On cast it permanently destroys a nonland and again for each attack. If it is destroyed, I can unearth it again and, in the best case, copy it.
• Shark Typhoon - since I play over 75% non-creature cards in my deck, this card just makes sense.
• Expropriate - My friends hate me

>Bounce that

• Hullbreaker Horror - I play this in my opponent's endgame before it's my turn so I can start bouncing on my turn.
• Cyclonic Rift - the GOAT
• Aether Spellbomb - Bounce, draw or mana rock

>Say goodbye

To control the board and to defend myself I play the following removal spells:

• All is dust - Boardwipes everything except my beloved artifacts - in best case i phase out urza before that
• Portal to Phyrexia - All in one, one-sided boardwipe and reanimator. Copy target number one.
• Resculpt - cheap exile spell for creatures or artifacts
• Tormod's Crypt - GY hate

>Call the machines

I deliberately decided against a high number of tutors because I'm just personally not a fan of this way of playing.

The following tutors are included in the deck:

• Arcum Dagsson - Targets: Portal to Phyrexia, Chimil the Inner Sun
• Proteus Staff - Targets: Random search OR removal for opposing creatures
• Tezzeret the Seeker - Untap 2 artifacts like Grim Monolith or Mana Vault / Tutor Targets: Mana Rocks or High Value cards like Unwinding Clock, Vedalken Orrey
• Polymorph - Hit my own Creatures to get a big boy

The following tutors are not included:

• Whir of Invention - Reason: I had this card in my deck for a long time, but personally I'm just not a fan of the cost/benefit ratio.

>Don't you dare to touch the King.

To protect myself and my cards, I play the following cards:

• Lightning Greaves - the GOAT
• Propaganda - prevents opponents with many creatures from attacking me
• Darksteel Forge - Protection for my artifacts from cards like Vandalblast or Reclamation Sage
• March of Swirling Mist - Phase out my board

>Like in school = Copy & Paste

I play various cards that can copy effects or cards:

• Lithoform Engine - Universal copier, mostly for Urza's activated ability
• Phyrexian Metamorph - Universal copier, mostly I use it for high value cards from the opponent or for artifacts like Portal to Phyrexia or Chimil, the Inner Sun
• Rings of Brighthearth - copier for effects, mostly for the activated ability of Urza
• Isochron Scepter - In cedh i play it with dramatic reversal - in normal matches flickerspells

>Don't stop.

Don't stop, make it pop
DJ, blow my speakers up
Tonight, I'm fighting
'Til we see the sunlight
Tick tock on the clock
But the party don't stop, no

• Teferi, Mage of Zhalfir - Allows my opponents to only play at sorcery speed and thus gives me the opportunity to play my card completely unhindered. In addition, I can play creatures at instant speed
• Unwinding Clock - Untap my artifacts in my opponents' untap step. Extremely strong with Vedalken Orrery because I can then trigger Urza on every opponent's turn. Absolutely unfair with The One Ring too. Additionally untap cards like Grim Monolith or Mana Vault
• Vedalken Orrery - Simply a strong card to be able to play anything at instant speed
• Emry, Lurker of the Loch - Perfect for recasting cards like Portal to Phyrexia or even a Jewled Lotus
• Dramatic Reversal - good in a one cast - finisher with isochron

>Inflation kicks also in MTG!

Everything gets more expensive! Inflation keeps growing!

• Master Transmuter - I use it to trade cheap artifacts or tokens for cards like Blightsteel Colossus
• Sapphire Medallion - Discounts blue spells by one colorless mana
• Training Grounds - reduces Urza's ability to 3 colorless mana

>Flicker to get bigger

I play flicker spells for 2 reasons:

1. I can flick Urza to protect him
2. I can flick Urza to create construct tokens

• Displacer Kitten - Flicker once for each spell, so a construct token can quickly become 10 ;)
• Essence Flux - faster and cheaper flicker spell
• Ghostly Flicker - I like to use it to flicker Urza and an artifact like The One Ring, Mana Vault or Grim Monolith
• Deadeye Navigator - Flicker Urza for protetcion OR construct tokens
• Teferi's Time Twist - Boardwipe Protection

> Lands of Urza

• Academy Ruins - Brings back my artifacts
• Ancient Tomb - fast and good
• Buried Ruin - Return my artifacts
• Darksteel Citadel - artifact and indestructible = SAY NO MORE
• Inventors' Fair - brings me life and is a tutor
• Island - the GOAT
• Mirrex - universal land, can create mana rocks
• Mystic Sanctuary - brings me back spells like Time Stretch
• Otawara, Soaring City - simply good
• Seat of the Synod - artifact <3
• The Mycosynth Gardens - universal land that can become a copy
• Tolaria West - Landdrop or tutor for mana rocks
• Urza's Saga - so much value on one card
• Emergence Zone - Cast with flash

Why no Gemstone Cavern?
I dont see the need for it.

>Ways to win

In most cases, Urza wins because of the sheer value the deck can generate. There is always the possibility to play a finisher spell via Urza's ability for free.

Finishers in this deck would be:

• Expropriate
• Time Stretch
• Blightsteel Colossus
• Cyclonic Rift (Overload only)
• Omniscience
• Construct Token
• Portal to Phyrexia

An example of a value setup that can lead to victory would be:

-The One Ring

• Vedalken Orrery
• Unwinding Clock

With this setup, one Ring AND Urza can be triggered in each upkeep of each player.

>Matchups

Combo decks:
Due to the large number of counterspells, I can control the opponent's combo pieces well (in a round of 4 it becomes more difficult for me alone). In general, I have to say that I have a bad matchup against cedh combo decks due to my lack of combos. However, in rounds of 4, combo decks are usually the number 1 goal, which in turn works in my favor because I can build up in peace.

Swarm, Stompy or Voltron Decks:
I have a hard time against decks that attack me with a variety of creatures, so I try to stop that with Propaganda and Aetherize. Against stompy or voltron decks I can often try to jump block or try to generate a larger number of strong construct tokens. I can also limit this using targeted removal spells. One possibility here would be to reanimate strong opponent blockers, for example with a portal to Phyrexia.

Stax decks:
If the corresponding stax cards are played AFTER Urza is on the field, I can generally handle it well. I can tap all artifacts for mana and can also use my tutors to search for an unwinding clock from the deck, for example. If the Stax limits the card draw, I will change my play style solely to urza's ability. If activated abilities are restricted, I try to win through value. However, in rounds of 4, Stax decks are usually the number 1 target, which in turn works in my favor because I can build up in peace.

Control decks:
I can keep up well against control decks because of the variety of interactions in my deck. The goal, however, is to tutor Chimil, the Inner Sun very quickly and bring it onto the field to protect my spells. Another possibility here would be Teferi, Mage of Zhalfir.
Urza is definitely the least effective against control decks because all spells that are cast for free with Urza can be countered.

>How to keep the pressure off or "How to be a politcian"

There are 2 ways to make sure your opponents don't put too much pressure on you:

1. Build a solid defense with cards like Construct Token

2. Politics. My game depends a lot on who the strongest player is and how I get him not to attack me and increase the pressure on the other opponents. I often achieve this through agreements such as: "I won't destroy XY for you if you don't attack me" - sounds easy? It is, and it works very often.

Ultimately, the plan is not to look dangerous until you can be ;)

>FAQ

1. How fast is this deck? How many turns does it take to do the setup? On what turn do you typically play Urza?

• Very fast, turn 1 Urza is a absolut realistic thing. In most cases he comes about turn 2-3.

2. How do you keep the pressure off?

• Really good question. The answer is - politics - because I'm always trying to put the focus on an opponent and away from me.

3. How badly is this deck hurt by stax pieces that limit card draw? How would you deal with this situation?

• Stax is painful but not dramatic. Mana is usally not a problem in this deck. Card draw is also painful, but with the ability of urza it is okay to deal with.