Hello Everyone! I'm Levi from The Thought Vessel, and this is Commander Kryptonite, the series where we break down the strongest commanders in the format - how they function, their strengths and weaknesses, and most importantly, how to beat them. This week, we're looking at one of the most iconic characters in all of Magic's lore and a gamechanger-tier commander: Urza, Lord High Artificer. I love this card, but make no mistake - this deck means business. Let's take a closer look at the commander!

The Commander

As far as flavor wins in card design go, this one might crack the top ten. Urza has three major parts to his kit. First, he creates a Construct token when he enters the battlefield. This creature's power and toughness are each equal to the number of artifacts you control. It's affectionately nicknamed a "Karnstruct," referencing Karn, Silver Golem.

The second and typically most powerful ability turns all your artifacts into mana rocks. It's a neat effect, especially considering many older artifacts like Howling Mine or Winter Orb used to become liabilities once tapped. Being able to manipulate those effects to your advantage is absolutely on-brand for a grand artificer like Urza.

Lastly, Urza's activated ability is borderline godlike. For 5 mana, he shuffles your library and exiles the top card, which you can then play for free that turn. The kicker? This is all stapled to a four-mana commander. That rate is a nightmare to deal with and makes the deck even more dangerous.

The Deck

Urza decks typically aim to generate infinite mana, then use Urza's activated ability to cast their entire library and win with cards like Aetherflux Reservoir or Thassa's Oracle. Common combos include Hullbreaker Horror paired with zero-cost artifacts or the classic Dramatic Reversal and Isochron Scepter loop.

Some builds take a different route, focusing on blinking Urza repeatedly to build a massive army of Karnstructs and win through combat. Lately, though, I've seen that strategy more with the other versions of Urza. Here is an example of an Urza deck you might see at your local game store.

EDHRec Urza | Commander

• Commander (1)
• 1 Urza, Lord High Artificer

• Creatures (16)
• 1 Displacer Kitten
• 1 Emry, Lurker of the Loch
• 1 Etherium Sculptor
• 1 Foundry Inspector
• 1 Forensic Gadgeteer
• 1 Hullbreaker Horror
• 1 Ornithopter
• 1 Padeem, Consul of Innovation
• 1 Phyrexian Metamorph
• 1 Sai, Master Thopterist
• 1 Shimmer Myr
• 1 Spellskite
• 1 The Reality Chip
• 1 Tribute Mage
• 1 Trinket Mage
• 1 Vedalken Archmage

• Planeswalkers (2)
• 1 Narset, Parter of Veils
• 1 Tezzeret the Seeker

• Instants (16)
• 1 An Offer You Can't Refuse
• 1 Brainstorm
• 1 Counterspell
• 1 Cyclonic Rift
• 1 Dramatic Reversal
• 1 Fierce Guardianship
• 1 Force of Negation
• 1 Force of Will
• 1 Mana Drain
• 1 Muddle the Mixture
• 1 Mystical Tutor
• 1 Negate
• 1 Pact of Negation
• 1 Pongify
• 1 Swan Song
• 1 Whir of Invention

• Sorceries (5)
• 1 Fabricate
• 1 Merchant Scroll
• 1 Ponder
• 1 Reshape
• 1 Windfall

• Enchantments (4)
• 1 Back to Basics
• 1 Efficient Construction
• 1 Mystic Remora
• 1 Rhystic Study

• Artifacts (25)
• 1 Aether Spellbomb
• 1 Arcane Signet
• 1 Basalt Monolith
• 1 Chrome Mox
• 1 Everflowing Chalice
• 1 Howling Mine
• 1 Isochron Scepter
• 1 Lotus Petal
• 1 Mana Vault
• 1 Manifold Key
• 1 Mind Stone
• 1 Mishra's Bauble
• 1 Mox Opal
• 1 Mystic Forge
• 1 Rings of Brighthearth
• 1 Sapphire Medallion
• 1 Sensei's Divining Top
• 1 Sol Ring
• 1 Static Orb
• 1 The One Ring
• 1 Thought Vessel
• 1 Tormod's Crypt
• 1 Unwinding Clock
• 1 Welding Jar
• 1 Winter Orb

• Lands (31)
• 21 Island
• 1 Academy Ruins
• 1 Ancient Tomb
• 1 Buried Ruin
• 1 Darksteel Citadel
• 1 Inventors' Fair
• 1 Mystic Sanctuary
• 1 Otawara, Soaring City
• 1 Reliquary Tower
• 1 Seat of the Synod
• 1 Urza's Saga

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Strengths

Being Mono-Blue, this deck is incredibly consistent. There's no risk of color-screw, and Urza is often hitting the board as early as turn three. If he gets removed, the deck usually has enough resources to recast him - plus you get another Karnstruct out of it.

The deck's use of tappable artifacts allows it to run a potent Stax subtheme. With cards like Winter Orb or Stasis turned off during the Urza player's turn, they can essentially ignore symmetrical hate pieces. Urza serves as both an infinite mana enabler and an outlet, meaning the only step left to win is assembling that combo.

Weaknesses

Urza's biggest weakness is the narrative around him. There's no hiding - people know he's broken. Most pods will evaluate the Urza player as the archenemy right away, and that puts a target on their back from the get-go.

Also, being Mono-Blue limits the removal suite. Without access to Black or White, answering threats directly becomes more difficult. This makes it easier to pressure Urza with the right hate pieces.

Cards to Look Out For

1. Static Orb / Winter Orb - Making these one-sided is one of the deck's most devastating plays. A Stax deck that also ramps off everything it casts can easily run away with the game.
2. Back to Basics - Since the deck can function off only basic Islands, Back to Basics barely affects the Urza player but can completely shut down multicolored opponents.
3. Forensic Gadgeteer - A double threat. Every artifact Urza plays generates a Clue (read: a mana rock), and its cost reduction ability enables combos - especially with Basalt Monolith for infinite colorless mana.
4. Displacer Kitten - Kitten allows Urza to flicker every time a noncreature spell is cast, generating a swarm of Karnstructs in no time.
5. Vedalken Archmage - If a commander has too much ramp or draw, that's a problem. If it has both, it's usually the winner. This card ensures that every artifact spell draws a card - giving Urza all the gas he needs.

How to Beat Urza

First, communicate with the table. Most players know what Urza's capable of, so if everyone's on board, it becomes a three-on-one match that can spread out the burden of interaction.

If there's another threat at the table (like The Ur-Dragon), sometimes it makes sense to sandbag and let the two titans clash, then pick off the winner. If Winter Orb hits the board, aim to remove Urza right before your turn. Odds are, they'll tap the Orb for mana, shutting off the effect for your turn.

Try to find a window to land mass artifact removal like Vandalblast or Bane of Progress. Even if it feels like an uphill battle, the deck is beatable with coordination and timing.

Commander Kryptonite

If you are still having problems with Urza, Lord High Artificer, consider adding these cards to your deck to help.

1. Drana and Linvala - This and other cards in the same lane are great at shutting Urza down. Drana and Linvala let you steal Urza's ability, which is huge. People often forget - turning artifacts into mana rocks requires Urza's ability, not the artifacts themselves. So something like Stony Silence isn't as impactful as you'd expect.
2. Vandalblast - Urza needs artifacts. Period. It's hard to resolve this spell against blue, but if it sticks, their game plan is basically dead.
3. Allosaurus Shepherd - Mono-Blue decks rely heavily on counterspells and bounce. Creatures like Allosaurus Shepherd or Spider-Punk make your spells uncounterable, which strips Blue of its most reliable defenses.

And there you have it! That's how you beat Urza, Lord High Artificer. If there's a commander you'd like to see covered in Commander Kryptonite, shoot us an email at thoughtvesselshow@gmail.com.

Until next time, happy gaming!