#Zurgo

[incorrect-mtg]

Back before he became a planeswalker

Sarkhan: If I saw a dragon, nobody would be able to stop me.

Zurgo: Stop you from what.

Sarkhan:

Sarkhan: Nobody would be able to stop me

[googlyeyesonmagiccards]

Can we has googly eyes on zurgo?(helm smasher)

Y'know, I'm suddenly very glad for the Ultra Pro sticker so I can't remember what year I first cracked this guy. *takes back medicine*

[almostlookedhuman]

[vonbaghager]

Is Squee, the Immortal good? No. Will that stop me from putting him in every Brawl deck i own that's part red? Also no. He is my favorite little guy.

[fictionkinfessions]

I can't believe I'm voiced by Stuart Zurgo.

IF YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW. - young Xehanort fictive, kingdom hearts

kge

[fellwar-finch]

Okay so Sidisi’s been, in canon, working as Silumgar’s translator while taking poisons from would-be assassins and mixing them together in the cavern where her heart used to be. (Metal)

She’s been waiting for an opportunity to strike, to take back control for the Sultai.

And uhhhh

What better time than now? The plane just got invaded by the most powerful ‘poison’-adjacent villains in the multiverse, at least one of the dragonlords has been deposed and compleated, the plane’s in the midst of a world wide war, would-be khan and dragonlord fighting side by side.

It’s easy to see how Zurgo might win back the mardu. Kolaghan is compleated and probably dead, and he got glory from fighting atop the back of a dragonlord in the biggest battle of the plane’s history.

But sidisi? Sidisi isn’t the type to make an alliance. She’s the type to stab when your back is turned.

I’m just saying… have we seen Silumgar since the invasion?

Hell, even if her assassination attempt failed, omenpaths are open now, perfect escape route.

I’m not saying Magic’s storyline is actually going to follow through on this, I don’t trust them like that. But there’s potential…

[commenter2]

What if Talwyn Apogee was in other R&C games

Talwyn is a loved character, yet Insomniac Games hasn't had her in many games though hopefully that comes to an end by having her in the Lombax Dimension game.

Still over the years I have thought about what games would be like if Talwyn had been in there and I wanted to talk about them.

In A Crack in Time Ratchet was with a NPC character for most of his gameplay whether it be with Captain Qwark or Azimuth, yet in Tools of Destruction he could have up to 3 NPCs at once and with Quest for Booty looking like Talwyn was going to join him only for her to leave in between the events of QFB and ACIT I felt like they could have added her into the game as another NPC. I could have seen Talwyn doing things like helping Ratchet in space combat and maybe had a moment where she doesn't take Dr. Nefarious as a serious threat but after a confrontation wiht him she realizes how dangerous he is but knows Ratchet could beat him. One big role I could see her having in ACIT is that she would noticed how obsessive Azimuth is about the Great Clock and thoughout the game Talwyn would warn Ratchet that Azimuth is becoming a bit unstable and that they shouldn't let him get near the Clock esepucally if it could ruin the timeline including how Ratchet not only met Clank but also their meeting, as the two would show more romantic chemistry between each other.

In All 4 One I could have seen her taking Dr. Nefarious' spot if IG had gone in a different direction. Sure we wouldn't have gotten to see Nefarious slowly show signs of wanting to change we could have gotten more of Talwyn. I could have seen All 4 One being about how recent events have made Ratchet, Clank, Qwark, and Talwyn angry or annoyed with each other for some reason, in Talwyn's case she is a little angry and disappointed about Ratchet and Clank (especially Ratchet) wanting to retire as even though she understands why, she says the universe needs heroes like them to help prevent bad things like people losing loved ones from happen and they seem to be giving up too easily. This could lead to some tension between her and Ratchet thoughout the game, but they make amends at the end before Ratchet even wants to go out of retirement.

Full Frontal Assault originally was going to have Talwyn as seen in some art in the R&C Art Book and she should have been. I could have seen her being the team's intel gather and map coordinator, as in she would be the one to figure out what Zurgo is doing in a certain area and come up with plans on how to stop him by telling Ratchet and co. where to go. I actually did a rewrite of FFA years ago that has her in it and you can read that HERE

Into the Nexus does have Talwyn but I bet if it was longer we could have gotten more of Talwyn, like she and Vendra got into a fight before Vendra was taken captive, thus explaining why Talwyn was so nervous about Ratchet and Clank taking her to jail. We also could have seen her deal with her feelings about losing Cronk and Zephyr more, but thanks to Ratchet and Clank (mostly Ratchet) we see her get over it, and of course we could have gotten more Ratchet X Talwyn moments as they were confirmed to be dating around the events of Full Frontal Assault. I also did a rewrite for this game which you can read HERE

And finally she definitely should have been in Rift Apart, as personally that game needed at least 2 more levels anyway. I could have seen her at the parade on a TOD themed platform where she would explain important things bout the Lombaxes and the Dimensionator which the game never went over. I also could have seen her helping Ratchet and Clank try and capture Nefarious before he got away. We also could have seen an AU version of her in Rivet's Dimension, who I picture being named Talon and hates Lombaxes because of personal reasons. I could have seen Ratchet having to work with her and feeling awkward about working with what is basically his girlfriend who hates him.

Do you agree in that Talwyn Apogee should have been in any of these games?

[blitherbug]

My magic decks in a sentance:

Zurgo(helms masher): i cast:beating you up.2

Saheeli(the gifted): im just a little guy, sike four metal work colosus upoun ye.

Cesar( legions emporor): shit fuck why isint this working oh go oh fuck this is a pre con why are you bad?

(The wise)Mothman: get in the fuckin microwave.

Rulik mons(warren chief): i am here and i am shit.

[revelens-light]

Zurgo, God of War!

(Commissioned Alter - NFS)

[shrillestceiling]

Gonna be real, between Zurgo and Ojutai, and the new Thunder Junction set, I don't have high hopes for the return to Tarkir that's being planned.

[incorrect-mtg]

Flavor Text Highlights - Khans of Tarkir

<- Previous Set | Next Set ->

Cool - Utter End

“I came seeking a challenge. All I found was you.” —Zurgo, khan of the Mardu

Cool - Incremental Growth

The bonds of family cross the boundaries of race.

Worldbuilding - The Banner Cycle

Stone to endure, roots to remember.

Discipline to persevere, insight to discover.

Speed to strike, fury to smash.

Power to dominate, cruelty to rule.

Savagery to survive, courage to triumph.

Emotional - Duneblast

The Abzan turn to this spell only as a last resort, for its inevitable result is what they most dread: to be alone.

<- Previous Set | Next Set ->

[googlyeyesonmagiccards]

Zurgo does not like Helm of the Host

[askkrenko]

Krenko’s Guide to Creature Types: Orc

Art by Darren Tan

What is a Orc (flavorfully)?

Orcs are basically larger, stronger, more ferocious Goblins. They’re known for being brutish, ferocious, impulsive, stupid, and basically everything Goblins are except that they’re big enough to back it up on an individual level rather than needing to swarm. The reason they’re so much like Goblins is that classic Orcs ARE Goblins and it wasn’t until 1977 when Dungeons and Dragons decided they were different.  Since then, the modern idea has been that Goblins are the small ones, Orcs are the medium ones, and Ogres, which are also historically the same thing, are the large ones. While this line of thought has mostly been accepted into modern culture, it’s not a hard and fast rule and it’s often not codified at all in things that aren’t directly from the D&D lineage. Orcs just being big goblins was extremely obvious in the early sets, where cards like Orcish Librarian and Orcish Settlers used the commonly repeated Goblin joke of being really bad at their stated job.

Orcs in Magic: the Gathering appear sparingly on Dominaria and heavily among the Pirates of Ixalan and the Mardu/Kologhan Clan of Tarkir. Population density on Arcavios is unclear, but there are a few at Strixhaven University.  As a D&D race, they’re also featured in Forgotten Realms sets.

What is an Orc (mechanically)?

Orc is a racial creature type, usually for Black or Red creatures with power and toughness in the 2-4 range. Forgotten Realms Orcs are often other colors, but Forgotten Realms does a lot of weird things to match the D&D flavor. All the Orcs in MtG worlds are Black and/or Red, at least. 

Orcs have a high instance of the Dash ability, but this is primarily due to being so heavily focused on the faction it belongs to. Most Orc abilities seem to be based more on their faction than the identity of being an Orc, though they do seem to have a higher than usual instance of cards that use drawbacks to get more power. 

Can I make an Orc deck?

Despite very little Orc tribal support or synergy, Orcs come with enough raw Red/Black aggression that putting a pile of them together to turn sideways is perfectly viable. That said, if you actually want to make a competent deck full of Orcs, you’re better off ignoring Orc tribal and either going Pirate tribal or making a Mardu/Khologan faction deck. You’re going to get a lot of Orcs either way, but the best support Orcs are cards like Dire Fleet Neckbreaker and Warbringer that support faction rather than all Orcs.  The only actual Orc Tribal cards, Orc General and Orcish Captain, aren’t even better than the artifact ‘choose a creature type’ rewards.

In Commander, you’re using Zurgo Helmsmasher. He’s one of the best Orcs on his own and he’s in all the colors you actually care about. Yes, there are other Legendary Orcs, but the only other one with an argument is Sek’Kuar, Deathkeeper, and the White splash is far, far better than the Green splash here. With the handful of Orcs printed in Commander Legends, Orcs actually have a bit extra going on in a multiplayer format. 

Is Orc a good creature type?

Orc is not doing great. Their identity of mid-sized black/red creature is interesting, but they don’t have enough in there to call their own. They operate on the ground between Goblins and Ogres without any traits to really set them apart from either, but Goblins can get as big as Orcs and Ogres can get as small as them, so Orcs are just fighting for design space with both. Orcs having drawbacks to gain more benefit is a good idea, but it’s certainly not being leaned into, and for whatever reason we’re seeing Orcs in Blue and White now, which just muddies what an Orc is even further.

Now, people like Orcs, I get that. Thanks to D&D inspiring Warhammer and that being blatantly ripped off into Warcraft, Orcs have a huge space in modern culture, but they’re just not doing anything in Magic. Wizards does seem committed to printing more Orcs, but this commitment doesn’t seem to include a willingness to define the Orc as something other than a Goblin/Ogre, and Ogre is historically just Orc in French.

My personal opinion is that for gameplay purposes Orcs and Ogres should just be the same tribe, but that’s not a fight I’m going to win, so I think Wizards needs to stop printing off-color Orcs and lean more heavily into the idea of Orcs as a tribe with a lot of strength and a lot of drawbacks. Mardu Outrider, which doesn’t even exist in paper, feels like a perfect Orc to me and I’d love to see more like that.

[jones-friend]

In an Effort to Archive my Decks here is every list.

Sai, Master Thopterist - MonoU Thopter Artificing

Daretti, Scrap Savant - MonoR Artificing

Lathliss, Dragon Queen - MonoR Dragons

Oviya Pashiri, Sage Lifecrafter - MonoG big n tall

The Council of Four - Azorius Profiteering

Tajic, Blade of the Legion - Boros Damage Redirection

Tasha/Sygg - Dimir Theft

Lazav, Dimir Mastermind - Dimir Mill

Wilhelt, the Rotcleaver - Dimir zombie tribal

Vadrik, Astral Archmage - Izzet Spellslinget

Jori En, Ruin Diver - Izzet Cantrips

Athreos, God of Passage - Orzhov Aristocrats

Obzedat, Ghost Council - Orzhov Lifegain

Prosper, Tome-Bound - Rakdos Treasures

Chainer, Nightmare Adept - Rakdos Reanimator

Prime Speaker Zegana - Simic Counters

Ixhel, Scion of Atraxa - Abzan Poison

Kathril, Aspect Warper - Abzan Keyword Counters

Kestia, the Cultivator - Bant Auras

Roon of the Hidden Realm - Bant Fair-er Flicker

Aminatou, the Fateshifter - Esper Topdeck

Sharuum the Hegemon - Esper Artificer

Zurgo and Ojutai - Jeskai Combat Control

Sidisi, Brood Tyrant - Sultai Self Mill

Riku of Two Reflections - Temur Hug

Maelstrom Wanderer - Temur Topdeck

Horde of Notions - 5c Elementals

Ramos, Dragon Engine - 5c Casting Tribal

The Ur-Dragon - 5c Dragons

[zoydraft]

Tactics for stretching your complexity budget

Can we reduce experienced complexity by being thoughtful about where we allow complexity?

Successful decision-making often involves recognizing situations where you are not (and should not be) guided by averages or typical cases. The rules of thumb don't apply evenly across the distribution, and recognizing that gives you an opportunity to benefit from those differences.

Breaking symmetry with the Magic card Balance is an example. If you're not thinking about how to break the symmetry there's a ≤50% chance that it's an advantageous spell, but if you plan for it it's incredibly powerful.

Complexity is not absolute in its effect. That should be clear if you think about games of Magic.

All else being equal, the complexity of permanents creates a bigger mental load than instants and sorceries; The sorcery creates a temporary spike in complexity, while the permanent is a step up.

Cards that are played more often also disproportionately drive complexity—a labyrinthine 7-drop in hand isn't contributing much to anyone's mental load until there's mana to cast it. If that 7 drop finishes the games rapidly, that's arguably also an outlet but your mileage may vary.

Permanents that are harder to remove (like enchantments) contribute more to complexity than something likely to be destroyed.

Let's refer to these concepts as absolute and experienced complexity. Absolute complexity includes but is not limited to comprehension complexity; more or less judging the card in a vacuum. Notably, it's irrespective of mana value.

Experienced complexity speaks to how much burden the card actually places on players. In the 7-drop example the absolute complexity of the card may be through the roof, but the experienced complexity will be lower.

How can we reduce experienced complexity in a draft? I've thought of two exploitable factors.

How much attention is this card likely to receive, based on colour identity?

How much differentiation does there need to be between cards, based on their role?

Attention based on Colour

How many cards do you read in a pack? How many are you really scrutinizing by your, say, 35th pick?

The majority of players are not paying the same level of attention to cards outside of their colours midway through a draft. The breakdown of players interested in a colour identity is as follows (mono-colour decks / two-colour decks / three-color decks):

Colourless: 100%

Hybrid: 40% / 70% / 90%

Mono-Colour: 20% / 40% / 60%

Two-Colour: 0% / 10% / 30%

That is, halfway through a draft a Baleful Strix (💙 🖤), will only be interesting to drafters in exactly Dimir, or one of the three shards/wedges that includes blue and black. Over 70% of drafters are going to skim right over it.

This makes multicolour cards an excellent section of your cube to spike the absolute complexity, without a corresponding spike in experienced complexity during the draft. Complex gold cards aren't a virtue, but it's a spot where you have greater allowances for complex cards that fit your goals.

The need for differentiation

The other exploit I see within drafts is how selective players are going to be with a type of pick.

For an aggro deck, a drafter doesn't need to scrutinize aggressive 1-drop creatures. You do not need to grok Zurgo Bellstriker to understand if you want it

For a Xerox deck, a drafter doesn't need to scrutinize cantrips: it is sufficient to recognize that they are cantrips

However, there isn't a ton of opportunity within those two examples. Where there is opportunity is curve-toppers.

Which 6-drop you draft is often inconsequential. You just know whether you want one. Within a draft you probably don't need to scrutinize a 6 drop closely. This grants them allowances that other cards don't have.

The corollary is that slots like 3 drop creatures do require a lot of attention. It's a natural slot to put synergy pieces and utility cards, where the function of the card is extremely relevant to whether they're desirable picks to an individual drafter. This is a spot where it's imperative that a drafter can understand a card in the time it takes to make their pick, so there are far fewer allowances for complexity.

The other implication of this is that players ought to be able to assume that complex cards are good. Unfortunately this isn't always the case in retail drafts, with weird constructed build-around rares, but we have different requirements than WotC. If you glaze over in a draft, it's far preferable to be pleasantly surprised during deck building than to feel like you made a mistake. As a cube designer, you can design out those feel-bads.

Stray Thoughts

The opposite, still useful tactic is that you can reduce average complexity by including outliers in the opposite direction. Isamaru is the perfect example of a card that is a reasonable power level, while also offering rock-bottom complexity. You can use that to either reduce your average complexity, or offset other complexity spikes.

Drafters benefit from accessibility. Being thoughtful about where complexity spikes within a list improves the experience of both drafting and gameplay, and grants greater allowances to include interesting effects.

[danco110]

Far below the aerial battlefield, a dragon sat atop a rocky mountain, looming larger than any of the others winged monsters, Phyrexian or no. He gazed upward at the dogfight, sighing as he watched the metallic dragons gain the upper hand on their incompleat counterparts. Then he turned, and glanced down skeptically at the muscular orc standing beside him.

“Zurgo. Are you ready?”

“Uh…” Despite the orc’s toned physique, he wore an extremely anxious expression. “No, Ojutai. I am not.”

“Wrong answer. Climb on.”

Ojutai leaned down, close to Zurgo. But the orc folded his arms and refused to ride the dragon.

“But I’m just a bell-ringer! Even with you helping me, I’ve never even fought a dragon before.”

“Not in this life, maybe…” Ojutai muttered under his breath.

“What was that?”

“Er, nothing. But, though you may not have been born to greatness, I think I can see a glimpse of something great in you. Would you like to see if I am right?”

Zurgo grumbled something inaudible under his breath.

“Come again, Zurgo?”

“I said,” Zurgo growled, “why me? Why not someone else?”

“Because…”

Ojutai’s eyes flicked upwards.

“Because you’re the only khan I could find on such short notice. I would’ve preferred Narset, but needs must. Now, shall we?”

Zurgo again shook his head, even as he begrudgingly clambered atop Ojutai’s back. “I’ll try, sir. But you should probably prepare to be disappointed.”

Ojutai uttered a booming laugh. “Well, either we’ll win, or we’ll all become like those metallic creatures, in body and mind both, and it won’t matter to us, anymore.”

“…Is that supposed to be reassuring?”

“For me, yes,” Ojutai snorted.

Before Zurgo could react, the dragonlord shot into the sky, towards the dogfighting. From his perch atop Ojutai’s back, Zurgo held onto the nearby feathers and flimsy reins for dear life.

[So, Zurgo in the Dragons timeline is a bell-ringer by name, and presumably by trade, too. I don’t know much about Tarkir, but does that mean in riding Ojutai into battle, he’s basically a custodian or something who got drafted when he clocked into work one morning?]