Kaalia Stax & Aggro

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benjameenbear
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Post by benjameenbear » 3 years ago

Terror of the Peaks actually looks quite interesting as a way to amp up the damage from Kaalia's ability. I'm very interested in this card and will likely acquire a copy to add to my Kaalia collection.

The only thing missing so far is a Rare/Mythic-Rare Demon to be printed. They've got the Angel and the Dragon, so it's simply a matter of spoiler season until a new Demon emerges. Hopefully it's as good as Vilis!

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3drinks
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Post by 3drinks » 3 years ago

Doom Whisperer is your mythic 5 drop demon.

Modern
R{R/W} 87guide Burn
Commander
WRKellan, the Fae-Blooded // Birthright Boon (local secret santa gift)
RTorbran, Thane of Red Fell (Red Deck Wins)
WBRAlesha, Who Smiles at Death (Slivers)
WBRKaalia HQ

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Post by benjameenbear » 3 years ago

Of course it is, but I'm hoping they'll print another good Demon in M21. Hopefully something on par with Doom Whisperer or Vilis, Broker of Blood would be excellent.

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Post by benjameenbear » 3 years ago

M21 Set Review:
  • Terror of the Peaks - this is a VERY good card for Kaalia. It pushes the damage that she can output even further and acts as another Worldgorger Dragon outlet. I like it very much and will definitely be acquiring a copy of the card.
  • Grim Tutor - the art and flavor text is super fitting for Kaalia. And the reprint makes it affordable, so I'll be acquiring a copy of this card too!
  • Baneslayer Angel - this is actually a solid card for a more causal build of Kaalia since a 5/5 First Strike Lifelinker can dominate combat so well. If you want to tone down your list, this is a great chance to grab one on the cheap.
  • Demonic Embrace - while I doubt I'll play it, the fact that you can have an enchantment that actually justifies Kaalia's demon-wing art... awesome.
  • Gadrak, the Crown-Scourge - nope.
  • Goremand - wait, an actually interesting budget Kaalia target? This is actually pretty awesome for budget minded players! An edict that can ETB for free, tapped and attacking, is pretty solid.
The Tutor and the Dragon are definitely worth picking up from this set.

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Post by benjameenbear » 3 years ago

Also, I forgot to update the OP with the addition of Dockside Extortionist. I've added that into the OP sine it's phenomenal.

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Post by Wraith223 » 3 years ago

Thoughts on Price of Glory for stax?

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benjameenbear
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Post by benjameenbear » 3 years ago

It's a lovely card. Price of Glory makes interaction MUCH more painful for opponents and often draws out removal faster than anything, which opens the way for other Stax pieces to stick. I think it's a great Stax piece that depends on the meta, as it punishes lands but not mana dorks or mana rocks which appear to be more rampant in typical cEDH metas.

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Post by BeneTleilax » 3 years ago

stax is even worse than combo dont play land destruction

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Post by Wraith223 » 3 years ago

benjameenbear wrote:
3 years ago
It's a lovely card. Price of Glory makes interaction MUCH more painful for opponents and often draws out removal faster than anything, which opens the way for other Stax pieces to stick. I think it's a great Stax piece that depends on the meta, as it punishes lands but not mana dorks or mana rocks which appear to be more rampant in typical cEDH metas.
Ok, will add it as a pariah for removal.

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Post by benjameenbear » 3 years ago

Sounds fair. It does make for some interesting Catch-22 situations with Armageddon and similar MLD effects, so I'm interested in your experience in playing with it.

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Post by benjameenbear » 3 years ago

After having played a few games 1v1 with my wife, neither of us really felt that WGD combo fit the deck. There either wasn't a good time to attempt the combo win line (open blue mana on the field somewhere) or there was a Stax play that would buy more time for Kaalia to execute. We also admit that we have a bias towards the Stax playstyle instead of going for hard combo lines.

That said, Leonin Relic-Warder loops have been much more attractive as a combo line. The fact that Relic-Warder has utility outside of the Combo lines (whereas WGD doesn't) has come up more than a few times and makes Razaketh a supremely valuable card for the deck. While cutting WGD eliminates a combo line from the deck that already synergizes with the Relic-Warder loops, I think that the potential blowout WGD offers isn't worth it still.

So, the updated list moving forward is looking more and more like the below. More games will help solidify the list into its new form, but this newer version has been performing quite well.

cEDH Kaalia's Stax Combo

Commander

Approximate Total Cost:


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Post by benjameenbear » 3 years ago

Terror of the Peaks is definitely as good as I had hoped it would be. It essentially doubles up on damage that you can do for a turn and makes for some VERY intimidating attack sequences with Utvara Hellkite spawning 6/6 tokens. I heartily recommend it in all Kaalia lists.

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Post by Wraith223 » 3 years ago

Price of Glory has great as it shows up regularly. I have seen a counter war to remove/protect it from opponents. Hilarious to watch. If it sticks, the game dynamic changes immediately to punch face game.
Terror of the peaks has yet to show up in any games. :pensive:

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Post by RowanKeltizar » 3 years ago

I thought I'd chime in here with my 2 cents regarding WGD.

While I agree that WGD struggles to find a home in Kaalia of the Vast (still possible as 3drinks has demonstrated), I find it works very well with Kaalia, Zenith Seeker because she has an ETB that allows you to win the game. She is easy to get into play and keep there since people don't feel she is a threat. I DO think this is worth building around here and I have had a lot of success with it. It is on theme and has synergy with the rest of the deck if you are going blink/reanimator as an even higher percentage of your creatures will have abusable ETBs. This combo also gives you a very compelling reason to run Zenith Seeker as your commander instead if you want to go that route.

While at first glace you would think that Zenith Seeker is strictly worse than OG Kaalia, and you'd be right in terms of raw power I find that she can give you something OG Kaalia struggles with a bit which is card advantage. Continually having ADD bodies to throw on the table is pretty strong. Kaalia does nothing without ADD in your hand to cheat out. Also, Zenith Seeker doesn't draw nearly the hate that OG Kaalia does.

I did a search for Zenith Seeker in your primer and didn't see one mention as an alternative commander, and I find that a bit odd. In my estimation after running her for a while I find her to be quite viable for players wanting a different approach without as much hate, sans the stax.

Back to WGD: Final Parting can tutor for both pieces of the combo, although at 5cmc this is a bit less than ideal. Probably better to simply use Entomb or Buried Alive and then tutor for the Animate Dead later or draw into it.

Once you end the loop, with infinite mana from lands, you can cast all your A/D/D in your deck. Dragonlord Kolaghan gives everything haste, but Terror of the Peaks should allow you to win without needing to enter combat. (thinking of swapping Kolaghan out actually for this reason) Or if Terror of the Peaks is in play, that's game as well!

Things like Insidious Dreams and Faithless looting can also get WGD out of your hand and into your yard where he wants to be. Sneak Attack actually plays very well with WGD and can blink your whole field for just R. You can use this as a way to respond to targeted removal as well or even board wipes for that matter.

Of course any other appropriate ETB effect like Angel of Despair or Bogardan Hellkite will also win you the game without Kaalia in play.

The main weakness to this creature based strategy is instant speed graveyard exile or creature exile as this will simply stop the combo. There are ways to counteract this, but you may not always have them in hand. Therefore you should be prepared for the combo to fizzle and go to plan B. I don't really recommend committing 100% to this combo because it is so creature and graveyard reliant but when it works it works.
WRBKaalia, Zenith Seeker - Certified Air Raid Material
WBElenda, the Dusk Rose - Drain and Gain
WRAurelia, the Warleader - Tokens/Equipment
URNiv-Mizzet, Parun - Controlled Burn primer
BRGHenzie, "Toolbox" Torre - Creature Feature
BRGSoul of Windgrace - Lands Matter
RGWGishath, Sun's Avatar - I'M YOUR DADDY
GWUBAtraxa, Praetors' Voice - Artifact Stax Beatdown
Budget Starter Decks
UBSygg, River Cutthroat
WU Shorikai, Genesis Engine
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Post by benjameenbear » 3 years ago

You bring a fair point about the omission of nu-Kaalia, so I'll adjust the Primer accordingly. I'll most likely put a link to your own Kaalia thread as a viable option for her. I will say that nu-Kaalia's strategy is an entirely different strategy than what my Primer is devoted to, so that may be why I never bothered to update it.

Make sure to repost your above comment in your own thread so that it can be referenced by other readers!

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Post by RowanKeltizar » 3 years ago

Thanks, I would consider writing up a primer for her at some point if there were more interest. Be sure to link to 3drinks decklists as well. There are several viable directions you can take her. Cycling and miracles are interesting options too. I personally I enjoy blink/reanimator as that is the direction I originally tried to go with OG Kaalia many years ago but it didn't quite turn out how I had envisioned. Thankfully, Zenith Seeker came along and really stole my heart.
WRBKaalia, Zenith Seeker - Certified Air Raid Material
WBElenda, the Dusk Rose - Drain and Gain
WRAurelia, the Warleader - Tokens/Equipment
URNiv-Mizzet, Parun - Controlled Burn primer
BRGHenzie, "Toolbox" Torre - Creature Feature
BRGSoul of Windgrace - Lands Matter
RGWGishath, Sun's Avatar - I'M YOUR DADDY
GWUBAtraxa, Praetors' Voice - Artifact Stax Beatdown
Budget Starter Decks
UBSygg, River Cutthroat
WU Shorikai, Genesis Engine
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Post by 3drinks » 3 years ago

RowanKeltizar wrote:
3 years ago
Once you end the loop, with infinite mana from lands, you can cast all your A/D/D in your deck. Dragonlord Kolaghan gives everything haste, but Terror of the Peaks should allow you to win without needing to enter combat. (thinking of swapping Kolaghan out actually for this reason) Or if Terror of the Peaks is in play, that's game as well!

Things like Insidious Dreams and Faithless looting can also get WGD out of your hand and into your yard where he wants to be. Sneak Attack actually plays very well with WGD and can blink your whole field for just R. You can use this as a way to respond to targeted removal as well or even board wipes for that matter.
So, I only recommend Dragonlord Kolaghan if you're running a Dragonstorm chain (plz don't do this, save yourself the painstaking months I lost realizing this doesn't work in spite of having the math suggest that it does -_- ) or a Living Death finish. Otherwise, like yeah haste is cool, but we can replicate the mass haste via a number of cheaper effects - Hammer of Purphoros comes to mind, Dragon Tempest is on theme, Mass Hysteria is a concordant crossroads that isn't your cell phone bill, and Crashing Drawbridge is my new personal fave way, though at odds with my recent null rod approach to deckbuilding.

I quite like the idea of using dragon in conjunction with sneak attack as a pseudo Teferi's Protection. That's a neat interaction. scribbles down in notebook

Modern
R{R/W} 87guide Burn
Commander
WRKellan, the Fae-Blooded // Birthright Boon (local secret santa gift)
RTorbran, Thane of Red Fell (Red Deck Wins)
WBRAlesha, Who Smiles at Death (Slivers)
WBRKaalia HQ

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Post by RowanKeltizar » 3 years ago

Yes, I think Kolaghan will be coming out for Terror of the Peaks once he arrives in the mail. 1 less cmc for a lot more value. I already run Dragon Tempest and to be honest haste is not that important to the deck overall. It's more the value ETB that I'm after, so I don't necessarily feel it justifies another slot. This swap definitely signifies a larger shift in deck philosophy from the combat step to the ETB.

I might consider something like Hanweir Battlements though. I hate colorless lands though
I quite like the idea of using dragon in conjunction with sneak attack as a pseudo Teferi's Protection. That's a neat interaction. scribbles down in notebook
If you can manage to get Phyrexian Reclamation into play, this is abusable every turn as long as you have 1RB. :P Same goes for any other ETB creature of course. A Vindicate every turn from Angel of Despair for example!
WRBKaalia, Zenith Seeker - Certified Air Raid Material
WBElenda, the Dusk Rose - Drain and Gain
WRAurelia, the Warleader - Tokens/Equipment
URNiv-Mizzet, Parun - Controlled Burn primer
BRGHenzie, "Toolbox" Torre - Creature Feature
BRGSoul of Windgrace - Lands Matter
RGWGishath, Sun's Avatar - I'M YOUR DADDY
GWUBAtraxa, Praetors' Voice - Artifact Stax Beatdown
Budget Starter Decks
UBSygg, River Cutthroat
WU Shorikai, Genesis Engine
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Post by Dumoko » 3 years ago

Hi, benjameenbear!
I am a long time follower of your Kaalia Primer, startig with the Salvation times.

Your threads were always helpful for finding new cards that might fit my own Kaalia deck, so thanks a lot for your efforts!

Considering that I only play Kaalia in a multi-player environment of 3-5 players, do you think it is possible to have a constructive discussion, or Multi-Player is too much of a "much-random-format-and-too-many-variables-to-consider"?

Read: what do you think about discussing multi-player Kaalia and is this thread an acceptable place for such convos? If not, is there a thread for that?

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Post by benjameenbear » 3 years ago

This decklist is catered exclusively to multi-player Kaalia and is definitely the correct place for such convos @Dumoko. Also, welcome to MTGNexus! I love it here and I'm glad it's replaced MTGSalvation. In fact, the Stax package was selected and implemented in the first place because of how aggressive this deck is in a multi-player format. I started looking for cards that slowed down my opponent asymmetrically WAY back in the day and I stumbled upon Stax as a strategy for Kaalia and never looked back.

It's been the most effective way to negate multiple cards of my opponent's while granting me enough of a resource/board advantage position that this deck is ALWAYS a significant player at the table. While it sometimes loses to concentrated hate (it's hard to overcome the resources of 3+ players that are focused exclusively on you) it generally performs well despite the hate it receives.

Are there specific cards/strategies you'd like to discuss?

I'm glad the Primer has been useful to you! There are some more cards I need to add to the Card Choices section, so your comments suddenly reminded me that the Primer is semi-outdated. Time to go back and update it...

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Post by Dumoko » 3 years ago

Oh, right, so I had a wrong impression that "cEDH" means 1v1 EDH :D

I feel it would be fair to back the discussion with an actual decklist, and while I will be preparing my next post with a BBC-version of this decklist, I can start with this:

After cards like Chancellor of the Annex, Cursed Totem, Eidolon of Rhetoric, Rule of Law, Aven Mindcensor started to see play, the feedback I got from the community was quite direct.TLDR.

Disussion topic: Keeping myself alive with non-stax Kaalia

I was forced to switch to Reanimator Kaalia.
But without STAX, I noticed that I struggle heavily maintaining a healthy life total. Basically, I felt that I cannot use the best resource in black called "life", since it just makes me even more vulnerable.
Having cards like Resolute Archangel, Sunscorch Regent helps, but it's just not enough! :(

Cards I consider removing:
Shattered Angel
Akroma, Angel of Fury (She looks so great on paper, but I rarely saw her helping me)

Cards I consider adding:
Celestial Mantle
Sephara, Sky's Blade
Vault of the Archangel

What is your personal opinion on keeping the life total at a decent level with reanimator Kaalia and maybe on these cards in particular?

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Post by 3drinks » 3 years ago

Worth noting, @Dumoko, I also maintain a Kaalia primer (that will also cover zenith seeker, once I stumble upon a list I'm confident in posting), and while there's some steady differences with @benjameenbear's in terms of philosophies, they both play to a stax approach (mine is decidedly a more "nuclear" ...in some respects...approach).

If the stax is causing issues with the group, I'd have a discussion to learn why. Stax is a very important part of a healthy meta, and without it, the pendulum becomes lopsided. Is it just that they don't like being interacted with? Are the lock pieces coming down but there's no way to finish in a timely manner, and they're growing annoyed at the game they can't win but won't end?

Modern
R{R/W} 87guide Burn
Commander
WRKellan, the Fae-Blooded // Birthright Boon (local secret santa gift)
RTorbran, Thane of Red Fell (Red Deck Wins)
WBRAlesha, Who Smiles at Death (Slivers)
WBRKaalia HQ

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Post by benjameenbear » 3 years ago

While I personally strongly agree with @3drinks about the necessity of Stax in a meta, but it can be decidedly unfun approach for a table to deal with. Having cards that you've spent money on and are integral to your deck's strategy be invalidated by a single card, halting or slowing down your ability to interact in a game completely while one player builds ahead... it's not for everyone, so I think it's important to respect your playgroup so that you can keep playing.

Now, @Dumoko, I checked out your list and I think I have some ways that you can add in some lifegain while retaining the feel of your Aggro/Reanimator strategy. The first card I would recommend to you is Lyra Dawnbringer. This card will do a whole lot in helping you recoup a ton of life so that you stay relevant in the game since you have a decent suite of Angels in your decklist already. And I definitely agree that Akroma (both versions) is just too vanilla of a creature to include. Baneslayer Angel was recently reprinted and has the Lifelink keyword that will help you regain some life. The Angel is also a decent attacker. Angelic Arbiter is also lackluster becuase I don't think that it will do enough for you. Reya Dawnbringer is expensive and may or may not give you enough value.

I definitely think that Vault of the Archangel is an easy include since it's a land slot. But instead of Celestial Mantle may I recommend True Conviction instead? It grants lifelink to your whole team, can have an immediate impact (if you have a board to attack with) and accomplishes the primary purpose of shortening the clock for Kaalia. And Sephara, Sky's Blade is also a great add, so I think you're on the right track.

I think that, given your playgroup's preferences and your card pool, I would try and build a deck that looks a little like this (because I love brewing lists with restrictions):
Decklist

Commander

Lands (36 of your Choice)

Approximate Total Cost:

There's quite a few elements of lifegain present in here and I recommend adding in Gisela, the Broken Blade and Bruna, the Fading Light because both cards individually enhance the themes you are striving for and, when combined, create a HUGE threat for the table. Vilis, Broker of Blood could be a good way to deter attackers from you because they wouldn't want to flood you with cards for doing damage to you. Whip of Erebos adds more lifelink to your deck and enhances the Reanimator feel you're going for. I think adding in Morbid Curiosity is a great way to put a target into your 'yard for Reanimation effects while also replenishing your hand. I realize that some other additions, in conjunction with the cards I've already recommended, might be more costly to trade/purchase, so do take that into consideration. Of the cards to invest in, the ones I most highly recommend are Terror of the Peaks and Vilis, Broker of Blood. They are incredible cards and some of the most impactful Kaalia targets printed in recent memory.

I would also inquire as to your general strategy during the course of a game. Do you go for Kaalia ASAP or do you take time to let the board develop, sculpt your hand? The reason I ask is because if you come out of the gates too quickly you'll inevitably draw attention to yourself and draw the negative attention that might be inhibiting your ability to win or preserve your life total appropriately.

Anyways, I hope the list gives you some inspiration. You've got great bones already, but I think you can definitely make some additions and improvements that will help your deck and playstyle soar.

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Post by 3drinks » 3 years ago

Since you're wanting to gain life, and draw cards, I'd ask where is Disciple of Bolas? Would do better over Archfiend of Depravity for sure.

Modern
R{R/W} 87guide Burn
Commander
WRKellan, the Fae-Blooded // Birthright Boon (local secret santa gift)
RTorbran, Thane of Red Fell (Red Deck Wins)
WBRAlesha, Who Smiles at Death (Slivers)
WBRKaalia HQ

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Post by Dumoko » 3 years ago

3drinks wrote:
3 years ago
Worth noting, @Dumoko, I also maintain a Kaalia primer (that will also cover zenith seeker, once I stumble upon a list I'm confident in posting), and while there are some steady differences with @benjameenbear's in terms of philosophies, they both play to a stax approach (mine is decidedly a more "nuclear" ...in some respects...approach).

If the stax is causing issues with the group, I'd have a discussion to learn why. Stax is a very important part of a healthy meta, and without it, the pendulum becomes lopsided. Is it just that they don't like being interacted with? Are the lock pieces coming down but there's no way to finish in a timely manner, and they're growing annoyed at the game they can't win but won't end?
I definitely understand the sanity of your arguments.
But here we play a style called "kitchen magic with really expensive cards". When somebody is low-life or with a weak board, that person is usually left to recover.
We're trying to keep fun as the most important criteria of our meta, so no MLD and STAX :D We "banned" Iona before the committee did it :D

benjameenbear wrote:
3 years ago
While I personally strongly agree with @3drinks about the necessity of Stax in a meta, but it can be decidedly unfun approach for a table to deal with. Having cards that you've spent money on and are integral to your deck's strategy be invalidated by a single card, halting or slowing down your ability to interact in a game completely while one player builds ahead... it's not for everyone, so I think it's important to respect your playgroup so that you can keep playing.

Now, @Dumoko, I checked out your list and I think I have some ways that you can add in some lifegain while retaining the feel of your Aggro/Reanimator strategy. The first card I would recommend to you is Lyra Dawnbringer. This card will do a whole lot in helping you recoup a ton of life so that you stay relevant in the game since you have a decent suite of Angels in your decklist already. And I definitely agree that Akroma (both versions) is just too vanilla of a creature to include. Baneslayer Angel was recently reprinted and has the Lifelink keyword that will help you regain some life. The Angel is also a decent attacker. Angelic Arbiter is also lackluster because I don't think that it will do enough for you. Reya Dawnbringer is expensive and may or may not give you enough value.

I definitely think that Vault of the Archangel is an easy include since it's a land slot. But instead of Celestial Mantle may I recommend True Conviction instead? It grants lifelink to your whole team, can have an immediate impact (if you have a board to attack with), and accomplishes the primary purpose of shortening the clock for Kaalia. And Sephara, Sky's Blade is also a great addition, so I think you're on the right track.

I think that, given your playgroup's preferences and your card pool, I would try and build a deck that looks a little like this (because I love brewing lists with restrictions):

<removed to save space>

There's quite a few elements of lifegain present in here and I recommend adding in Gisela, the Broken Blade and Bruna, the Fading Light because both cards individually enhance the themes you are striving for and, when combined, create a HUGE threat for the table. Vilis, Broker of Blood could be a good way to deter attackers from you because they wouldn't want to flood you with cards for doing damage to you. Whip of Erebos adds more lifelink to your deck and enhances the Reanimator feel you're going for. I think adding in Morbid Curiosity is a great way to put a target into your 'yard for Reanimation effects while also replenishing your hand. I realize that some other additions, in conjunction with the cards I've already recommended, might be more costly to trade/purchase, so do take that into consideration. Of the cards to invest in, the ones I most highly recommend are Terror of the Peaks and Vilis, Broker of Blood. They are incredible cards and some of the most impactful Kaalia targets printed in recent memory.

I would also inquire as to your general strategy during the course of a game. Do you go for Kaalia ASAP or do you take time to let the board develop, sculpt your hand? The reason I ask is that if you come out of the gates too quickly you'll inevitably draw attention to yourself and draw the negative attention that might be inhibiting your ability to win or preserve your life total appropriately.

Anyways, I hope the list gives you some inspiration. You've got great bones already, but I think you can definitely make some additions and improvements that will help your deck and playstyle soar.
This comment is golden for me... Thank you so much for putting it together and providing your argumented point of view!
Reya Dawnbringer I did feel that this card is slow (I should wait a turn to get the real value from it), and it's basically only Kaalia-entering... Removed.
Akroma, Angel of Fury - time to say goodbye. Removed.
____
Vilis, Broker of Blood - I was watching your guide closely, and when you insta-added Vilis, I hesitated, since I knew I had problems with life. With the changes we make, I think it's time to get this card.
True Conviction instead of Celestial Mantle - I actually didn't know about this card! I find it absolutely fantastic! Thanks for this simple yet fantastic suggestion!
Whip of Erebos - I don't know how I didn't consider this one. Thanks a lot, will add!

Mythos of Snapdax - same as with the Whip. How it's not already in the deck? :D
____
Lyra Dawnbringer
Gisela, the Broken Blade
Bruna, the Fading Light
Terror of the Peaks
These are fantastic cards, and I will definitely add them. It's just that the cards that are >$8 are not as a "insta-buy" as those <$8... Terror and Lyra were already in my wishlist. Will definitely add Brisela ;)
____
Angelic Arbiter - Can we discuss this one for a bit? It's one of the two stax(can we call it stax?) cards left (second being Grand Abolisher). And when I play versus most of the decks (our meta is full of artifacts aggro, elves, cats, etc), I do feel happy to see it in my hand almost all of the time. And it doesn't generate as much hate: people are free to play whatever they want, just can't attack... Giving me time. Thank you for the proposal!
Morbid Curiosity - I did play this card... But after hitting some plays where it does nothing with tokens and that it's just a much worse version of Disciple of Bolas... Dunno... Plus I didn't feel much lack of a card draw... I think I will wait on this one. Thanks for suggesting!
____
Reaper from the Abyss - offtopic. just bought me this card. Curios to try it. What was your personal experience with it?
____

General strategy:
Since our meta shifted towards more aggro play, and without having STAX, I feel forced to get her out ASAP, since most of my Kaalia-targets are in a way or another board controllers (Balefire, Tyrant, Gisela Gold, etc), or just blocking bodies at their worst :D
As you can see I don't have many tutors (Diabolic and Rune-Scarred Demon), so my focus is just get out Kaalia and start pumping those bodies.
Now I see much less "default Kaalia-hate", but still people kick me in the face really painfully, that's why I still need that lifegain.
Any thoughts on this style?

Board and Kaalia protection
Each of my opponents plays in their decks from 2-4 wraths(it's synonym with "board wipe", right?), and multiple targeted removals. It's very common that Kaalia gets removed as the most dangerous single target (even if somebody else's board is more imminently dangerous).
I did notice that purposely or not, but these cards were removed from your brew of my decklist:
Boros Charm - when somebody wipes the board, it's absolutely invaluable!
Darksteel Plate - protecting Kaalia
Whispersilk Cloak - protecting Kaalia
I also was considering adding cards like Teferi's Protection (super expensive but in my wishlist).
But I see you do have a philosophy that overrides the idea of "keep Kaalia alive".
Can you please share the thoughts behind this?


3drinks wrote:
3 years ago
Since you're wanting to gain life, and draw cards, I'd ask where is Disciple of Bolas? Would do better over Archfiend of Depravity for sure.
I do agree that it is a very valuable card, and that's why it is in the deck from its first iterations.

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