Only Time I ever heard of urza using B was when he was on Phyrexia and went mad. He never really used it much outside that. Compared to white and red which he wielded quite often. Urza did have the ability to use any colour of mana with the help of his gadgets i.e. sunglasses.
Urza was known to be quite intellectual (U) and wanted to help people (W) but many people thought of him as insane or irrational (Barin included). He's very UR if anything.
Also Urza does have a vanguard card for those interested to see how he is depicted as a general.
I'm seriously hoping we get to see at least a commander from each deck tomorrow. That would be nice. Or one of each that shows a new style/mechanic.
I can't agree with him not being black.
First, there are black cards named Urza's....
Second, he is a very selfish character.
Third, like his brother, he is an excavator, which is also black.
His black nature precedes his white nature and was very present in the brother's war and before, not only during the phyrexian episodes. Only after his white nature appeared with his atonement.
I've got to say, that while I agree he has black in him, I disagree with the rest of your post. He was most certainly NOT black during the Brother's War, he was very, very inflexibly stodgily white. He was trying to end the war on peaceful terms when his boss double crossed Mishra's boss without consulting Urza, and was most concerned with preserving order as best he could. Mishra was a conqueror, Urza was the bulwark that the preexisting powers employed against him. Urza was content to marry a warlord's daughter for the grant money and spend the rest of his days tinkering, until Mishra brought an army to his doorstep. Throughout the book, Urza was always content to maintain a defensive posture whenever possible. His strategy was the antithesis of black. His faults arose from stubbornness and the belief that he was on the morally right side, namely that defending the preexisting order against his marauding and destructive brother was the moral stance. Given what Mishra was willing to throw at him and the "civilized" nations of Terisiare, any character would have had to resort to the same measures Urza did to stand against Mishra, regardless of color alignment, and white is perfectly fine with diverting all resources to the military in the service of a "just" cause. White, along with Green, is the most stubborn color, the most likely to dig in its heels and stand on principle even when it is more expedient to compromise. Urza could have sought to negotiate a surrender to Mishra under which the kingdoms he was defending retained their autonomy and merely paid tribute, at least prior to Phyrexian infiltration. Black would have done so to combine forces with Mishra with the intent of usurping him and ruling a united empire, as a black character would be confident in their ability to do so. Urza's white values drove him to continue the fight when other options existed, and he conducted the war in a terribly white manner. He preferred massed armies, traditional engagements, alliances, and while he managed to end up as supreme allied commander, he still respected the preexisting monarchies and vested interests, allowing them to continue in power. Mishra fought as a black character. He preferred subterfuge, blitz attacks on soft targets, dominating territory rather than forming alliances, and he consolidated all power in his territory under his person, his rule based entirely on the power of his person without the backing of formal laws.
After the war, however, he definitely went black, in the sense that the entire focus of the rest of his life was taking revenge on Phyrexia. Early, it was recklessness, followed by madness, and at the very end on Phyrexia the madness returned and the black part dominated. Throughout his existence as a walker he had some black characteristics though, but was not black mana aligned. That single minded focus never left him, but his tunnel vision did allowing him to develop a multi pronged long term strategy that relied mostly on his blue tendencies. His trip to Serra's realm illustrates his lack of black mana alignment as they had devices which detected black mana while healing the subject. Urza was able to use it with no trace of black mana being found. Its important to remember that while personality traits are color aligned, possessing those traits to some degree does not make the character that color. Generally speaking, most characters will have traits spanning all five colors, and their mana alignment is a function of A) what color spells they use and B) what personality traits are both core to their personality and particularly salient, essentially the defining traits. Chandra, for instance, is mono red, but she has a sense of justice, has sought out power, spent a rather long character arc meditating and learning about herself, chose inaction for a long period of time, all traits associated with other colors, but these traits were all serving her core characteristics which are Red. Urza's black traits, with the exception of the very end on Phyrexia, were in service of his red and white traits, namely his love for his brother and need for revenge (red) and his sense of justice and belief that Phyrexia is an abomination that he had a moral duty to destroy (white).
If for you marrying a girl for money and power is not black, if waging War against your brother for power is not black, fine, Urza was not black during brother's War. I must have misread. My vision has always been than even without his mind being altered by the phyrexians, urza was just as bad as Mishra, and that he only realizes his faults at the end, leading to his atonement in the following stories...
It appears that you did misread. Urza wasn't looking for power, he was looking for funding so he could work on his inventions. That was thoroughly blue. He didn't fight his brother for power, he fought to preserve the preexisting order and defend his country (first Yotia, later Argive) from an invading force that had a proven history of leaving destruction in its wake.
I think your problem is that you ascribe bad outcomes to black, when Urzas crimes were committed with White motivations. He fought a ruinous defensive war that ended in disaster, like mono white Konda. Urzas remorse comes from the realization that his efforts to protect his society failed utterly and made things worse. Black would have been upset that they lost, Urza was upset that he failed everything he was fighting for. Urza was blue white during the war, and his crimes were blue white. He uses white mana to activate the cylix for Pete's sake! His entire characterization was of an emotionally detached and analytical man more concerned with working on his artifacts than anything else. His tragic flaws were his stubbornous and deference to rules and order and his inability to relate emotionally to people, especially his wife, his brother, and his "son". He was specifically contrasted with his passionate and iconoclastic brother and his ruthless pursuit of power and conquest. His tragedy was that he fought a war to save terisiare and ended up destroying it.
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
The Meaning of Life: "M-hmm. Well, it's nothing very special. Uh, try and be nice to people, avoid eating fat, read a good book every now and then, get some walking in, and try and live together in peace and harmony with people of all creeds and nations"
Onering's 4 simple steps that let you solve any problem with Magic's gameplay
Whether its blue players countering your spells, red players burning you out, or combo, if you have a problem with an aspect of Magic's gameplay, you can fix it!
Step 1: Identify the problem. What aspect of Magic don't you like? Step 2: Find out how others deal with the problem. How do players deal with this aspect of the game when they run into it? Step 3: Do what those players do. Step 4: No more problem. Bonus: You are now better at Magic. Enjoy those extra wins!
I just remembered the commanders in this are foil. I hope that means the oversized card is foil or something. PLEASE NO FOILS for the regular sized card
I just remembered the commanders in this are foil. I hope that means the oversized card is foil or something. PLEASE NO FOILS for the regular sized card
Assuming nothing's changed since the announcement, there's going to be one oversized foil (the 4-color commander) and 4 regular sized foil commanders. The only question is, are they going to be the only versions of the commander in the box.
I just remembered the commanders in this are foil. I hope that means the oversized card is foil or something. PLEASE NO FOILS for the regular sized card
No, it means all four of the new commanders in each deck are foil.
Sorrynotsorry, as I've had to put up with *nonfoil* Ezuri, Meren, Teferi, Jeleva, etc.
They also pretty much had to do this as they are unlikely to reprint the 4-color cards anytime soon,
and more people are annoyed by nonfoil commanders than are annoyed by foil ones.
Momir Vig, Simic Visionary
Melek, Izzet Paragon
Oona, Queen of the Fae
Bruna, Light of Alabaster
Gisela, Blade of Goldnight
Rhys the Redeemed
Jarad, Golgari Lich Lord
Sen Triplets
The Mimeoplasm WUBRGSliver OverlordGRBUW WUBRGSliver Hivelord(Superfriends)GRBUW
I just remembered the commanders in this are foil. I hope that means the oversized card is foil or something. PLEASE NO FOILS for the regular sized card
Assuming nothing's changed since the announcement, there's going to be one oversized foil (the 4-color commander) and 4 regular sized foil commanders. The only question is, are they going to be the only versions of the commander in the box.
Yeah that's what I want to know. I really do not like foils at all. I hope there is a non-foil version as well, but suspect there may not be. I'd gladly trade the useless oversized foil for a regular sized non-foil version of the Commanders.
I just remembered the commanders in this are foil. I hope that means the oversized card is foil or something. PLEASE NO FOILS for the regular sized card
Assuming nothing's changed since the announcement, there's going to be one oversized foil (the 4-color commander) and 4 regular sized foil commanders. The only question is, are they going to be the only versions of the commander in the box.
Yeah that's what I want to know. I really do not like foils at all. I hope there is a non-foil version as well, but suspect there may not be. I'd gladly trade the useless oversized foil for a regular sized non-foil version of the Commanders.
But why would you want Kynaios and Tiro to be any less fabulous than at all possible? (I kid, I kid.)
I just remembered the commanders in this are foil. I hope that means the oversized card is foil or something. PLEASE NO FOILS for the regular sized card
No, it means all four of the new commanders in each deck are foil.
Sorrynotsorry, as I've had to put up with *nonfoil* Ezuri, Meren, Teferi, Jeleva, etc.
They also pretty much had to do this as they are unlikely to reprint the 4-color cards anytime soon,
and more people are annoyed by nonfoil commanders than are annoyed by foil ones.
Call me greedy, but the problem literally lies in all the new cards they printed. I feel like if they sold an all-foil version of Commander Decks at twice the MSRP along with the regular ones, I would leap at the foil ones. Or if that is too greedy considering some older/chase cards have their foils way more than double their nonfoil, even a "platinum edition" that foils only the new cards still goes fine with me (I don't really need 20 foil Butcher of Malakirs anyway). How many times have I stared at something simple like Commander's Sphere and went "why are you never foiled?"
It appears that you did misread. Urza wasn't looking for power, he was looking for funding so he could work on his inventions. That was thoroughly blue. He didn't fight his brother for power, he fought to preserve the preexisting order and defend his country (first Yotia, later Argive) from an invading force that had a proven history of leaving destruction in its wake.
I think your problem is that you ascribe bad outcomes to black, when Urzas crimes were committed with White motivations. He fought a ruinous defensive war that ended in disaster, like mono white Konda. Urzas remorse comes from the realization that his efforts to protect his society failed utterly and made things worse. Black would have been upset that they lost, Urza was upset that he failed everything he was fighting for. Urza was blue white during the war, and his crimes were blue white. He uses white mana to activate the cylix for Pete's sake! His entire characterization was of an emotionally detached and analytical man more concerned with working on his artifacts than anything else. His tragic flaws were his stubbornous and deference to rules and order and his inability to relate emotionally to people, especially his wife, his brother, and his "son". He was specifically contrasted with his passionate and iconoclastic brother and his ruthless pursuit of power and conquest. His tragedy was that he fought a war to save terisiare and ended up destroying it.
Onering's 4 simple steps that let you solve any problem with Magic's gameplay
Step 1: Identify the problem. What aspect of Magic don't you like? Step 2: Find out how others deal with the problem. How do players deal with this aspect of the game when they run into it? Step 3: Do what those players do. Step 4: No more problem. Bonus: You are now better at Magic. Enjoy those extra wins!
|| UW Jace, Vyn's Prodigy UW || UG Kenessos, Priest of Thassa (feat. Arixmethes) UG ||
Cards I still want to see created:
|| Olantin, Lost City || Pavios and Thanasis || Choryu ||
Not the best idea but this commander may bring ogre tribal to life.
When I saw this it was the final nail in the coffin of getting all 5
Yawgmoth's will is put on a creature and you just need A permanent that gives your stuff haste and Progenitor Mimic and then you have it on a stick
|| UW Jace, Vyn's Prodigy UW || UG Kenessos, Priest of Thassa (feat. Arixmethes) UG ||
Cards I still want to see created:
|| Olantin, Lost City || Pavios and Thanasis || Choryu ||
Assuming nothing's changed since the announcement, there's going to be one oversized foil (the 4-color commander) and 4 regular sized foil commanders. The only question is, are they going to be the only versions of the commander in the box.
No, it means all four of the new commanders in each deck are foil.
Sorrynotsorry, as I've had to put up with *nonfoil* Ezuri, Meren, Teferi, Jeleva, etc.
They also pretty much had to do this as they are unlikely to reprint the 4-color cards anytime soon,
and more people are annoyed by nonfoil commanders than are annoyed by foil ones.
Reprint Stasis!
Control needs more love.
EDH:
Momir Vig, Simic Visionary
Melek, Izzet Paragon
Oona, Queen of the Fae
Bruna, Light of Alabaster
Gisela, Blade of Goldnight
Rhys the Redeemed
Jarad, Golgari Lich Lord
Sen Triplets
The Mimeoplasm
WUBRGSliver OverlordGRBUW
WUBRGSliver Hivelord(Superfriends)GRBUW
|| UW Jace, Vyn's Prodigy UW || UG Kenessos, Priest of Thassa (feat. Arixmethes) UG ||
Cards I still want to see created:
|| Olantin, Lost City || Pavios and Thanasis || Choryu ||
But why would you want Kynaios and Tiro to be any less fabulous than at all possible? (I kid, I kid.)
|| UW Jace, Vyn's Prodigy UW || UG Kenessos, Priest of Thassa (feat. Arixmethes) UG ||
Cards I still want to see created:
|| Olantin, Lost City || Pavios and Thanasis || Choryu ||
How much longer till we see all the reprints.
|| UW Jace, Vyn's Prodigy UW || UG Kenessos, Priest of Thassa (feat. Arixmethes) UG ||
Cards I still want to see created:
|| Olantin, Lost City || Pavios and Thanasis || Choryu ||
BChainer, Dementia Master(Big Mana/Reanimator)
BRRakdos, The Showstopper (Mass Life Loss/Ramp)
BUThe Scarab God (Zombie Tribal/Control)
BWKarlov of the Ghost Council (Life Gain)
BGJarad, Golgari Lich Lord (Stompy/Dredge)
BRGProssh, Skyraider of Kher (Tokens/Non-infinite Combo)
Definitely love that guy
That's why I'm thrilled I bought Kozilek, butcher of truth and Ulamog, the infinite gyre yesterday. (cascading with them would be nuts.)
BChainer, Dementia Master(Big Mana/Reanimator)
BRRakdos, The Showstopper (Mass Life Loss/Ramp)
BUThe Scarab God (Zombie Tribal/Control)
BWKarlov of the Ghost Council (Life Gain)
BGJarad, Golgari Lich Lord (Stompy/Dredge)
BRGProssh, Skyraider of Kher (Tokens/Non-infinite Combo)
Call me greedy, but the problem literally lies in all the new cards they printed. I feel like if they sold an all-foil version of Commander Decks at twice the MSRP along with the regular ones, I would leap at the foil ones. Or if that is too greedy considering some older/chase cards have their foils way more than double their nonfoil, even a "platinum edition" that foils only the new cards still goes fine with me (I don't really need 20 foil Butcher of Malakirs anyway). How many times have I stared at something simple like Commander's Sphere and went "why are you never foiled?"
Most of the reprints are close to the $5 or slightly higher range.