I don't have the budget for anything over $30 or so, but I am willing to spend up to that much on a card. So no Zodiac Dragon, Scrubland, etc. for now, though optimally I will most definitely want to include those, as well as a Sneak Attack.
6/23 Update: I've refocused the deck a little (in a slightly different direction), removed some of the more lackluster creatures, and added in some reanimation effects for after Kaalia becomes un-castable. I removed a couple of removal and wrath cards, seeing as how for the most part, this deck is going to force Wraths if people don't want to lose in a hurry. Thoughts on the current build? I know there are tons of Kaalia threads popping up, but I'm asking you to please throw in your input. I want to still be a contender in longer games with 4~5 people, instead of just a ridiculously fast aggro on turn 4~7.
7/4 Update: Yet again, I've attempted to refocus the list to be a little more resilient and to have some more answers for whenever Kaalia is out of castable range, and I've restructured the mana-base to be able to more consistently hit land drops and cast more threats that are actual threats. There are a few cards that I want to include, even though they don't fit the tribes of the deck: Solemn Simulacrum (is just awesome), Sun Titan (recurring fetches and wastelands mainly), and Sheoldred (for obvious Sheoldred reasons). Give me some opinions on including them or not. Don't tell me to include them because they are good, I know they are good. Tell me why exactly they deserve a spot in this deck and what they should take the place of and why that card is less desirable. Also what cards are worth considering from M12 besides Rune-Scarred Demon and Buried Ruin?
7/7 Update: Added Signets back in. Trying out Anger, Solemn, and Sun Titan. Removed Promise of Power, Scroll Rack, and Victimize for them. Added in Rune-Scarred Demon and Swiftfoot Boots from M12. There are a couple other minor changes as well.
7/10 Update: Swapped out another few cards. Restructured the decklist that I posted into 2 forms: one sorted by card type and one sorted by detailed purpose. I want to try out Decree of Pain if I can find one. Possibly also Aegis Angel as another form of protecting Kaalia. Liking Demon of Death's Gate less and less, as even though he is a 9/9 flying trampler, that's all he does. I feel like I could get more out of that slot than just damage.
7/12 Update:
- Demon of Death's Gate
+ Armageddon
- Life's Finale
+ Day of Judgment
- Mountain
+ Temple of the False God
- Wild Ricochet
+ Expedition Map
- Cruel Tutor
+ Diabolic Tutor
- Debtor's Knell
+ Nim Deathmantle
Any help is welcomed and appreciated. I've been working on this list since the day Kaalia was spoiled and I'm feeling better and better about it. Note that my list is not optimized by any means. I can't afford a Plateau, Badlands, or Scrublands, Imperial Seal, Zodiac Dragon, etc. I can't find a Damnation, Yawgmoth's Will, Volrath's Stronghold and a few other $15-20 cards that I really want. Until I do find them, you can surely suggest them, just know that I may already intend to do that.
i think Xathrid Demon is much better than the lord of the pit because it costs 1 less and it deals damage to each opponent = to the sacrificed creature's power instead of just eating it. hes still got the same drawback but is a lot better imo
I agree with Xathrid Demon, I don't know how I missed that. Also Enlightened Tutor does seem a bit weak, and I do need to take something out for, at the very least, Lightning Greaves. Also thinking that Obliterate is most likely not necessary. So I can potentially add a Darksteel Plate/Wispersilk Cloak in that slot for more Kaalia protection. So...
-1 Lord of the Pit
-1 Enlightened Tutor
-1 Obliterate
+1 Wispersilk Cloak/Darksteel Plate (but which?)
+1 Lightning Greaves
+1 Xathrid Demon
Whispersilk Cloak practically guarantees that she will survive combat, and makes her untargetable until its destroyed. Attached to the huge creatures she brings with her into the fray, you looking at a four to six power monstrosity that can only be neutralized by a few types of removal.
Darksteel Plate only defends against one form of removal effect, and most forms of mass removal. If your opponent is sitting behind a wall of flying 1/1 tokens, they couldn't care less how large and indestructible your Angel is.
You can't cheat it in with her but Gustcloak Savior says even if she's blocked she'll be fine. And it's a fairly easy to find rare, I've got 6 sitting in my trade book no one cares about since they released.
Through me the way to the suffering city; Through me the everlasting pain; Through me the way that runs among the Lost. Justice urged on my exalted Creator: Divine Power made me, The Supreme Wisdom and the Primal Love. Nothing was made before me but eternal things And I endure eternally. Abandon all hope - You Who Enter Here.
I think that, at the moment, I have enough ways to protect Kaalia during combat, and even if I didn't, I'm not so sure that Gustcloak Savior is the best include for that effect. Seizan is good, but I don't really want my opponents getting a free Sign in Blood every turn. It's interesting in theory, that they'd want to keep it alive since it's giving them free cards, but my playgroups will get their cards for free, and kill it before I get a chance to attack with it or get free cards from it. That's just what they do.
I need to cut 1 card, and I'm thinking possibly Necropotence? I love the idea of drawing a lot of cards, but triple black is kind of hard in this mana base sometimes, even with the fixing I have. Also if I get Mindslavered, I just die. Either Necropotence or Beseech the Queen are the ones to go, I think, as BtQ is either BBB (which I've just established is hard to do at times because of this mana base) or 2BB+, which makes it no better than Diabolic Tutor, which I'm already not running because that's just expensive.
Yeah the Gustcloak Savior is just one way to make sure she never dies to combat. Personally I think Whispersilk Cloak is the better call on that. Beseech the Queen I'd say keep, yeah it can be expensive but it can be worth it mid to late game in long games. Diabolic Intent could work as well if you don't mind sacrificing a creature for a tutor.
Though if you do decide to drop Necropotence it'd be good to replace it with another means to reliably draw cards. Possibly Scroll Rack if you can get a hold of one cheaply.
I'd also say drop the Kilnmouth Dragon just because you're a little light on total dragon count in favor of something like Dragon Tyrant (Pricey but doublestrke is brutal on him especially if Kaalia cheats him in) or if you want to play politics, Mana-Charged Dragon. Yes your opponents won't be willing to pay in, unless you're swinging on the guy who's poised to pull a game winning move the next turn if he doesn't die right then. Or the one guy who just completely demolished someone's board position. Then you've got your extra mana sink ready to go.
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Through me the way to the suffering city; Through me the everlasting pain; Through me the way that runs among the Lost. Justice urged on my exalted Creator: Divine Power made me, The Supreme Wisdom and the Primal Love. Nothing was made before me but eternal things And I endure eternally. Abandon all hope - You Who Enter Here.
I'd somehow forgotten completely about Scroll Rack. That seems strictly better than Necropotence in most scenarios. I'm definitely doing that swap. I understand about the Kilnmouth's amplify being potentially useless since I'm only running 8 dragons, but I don't know what to replace him with as I have problems with Dragon Tyrant (I'll almost never be able to pay RRRR to keep it alive) and Mana-Charged Dragon (my playgroup will kill me just for playing a Join Forces card, lol). I do feel I need the spot to be filled by a dragon though, otherwise Bladewing becomes less and less useful. Perhaps I'll give the Tyrant a chance.
I still have to cut 1 card. And as I make changes which I consider to be upgrades, this becomes harder and harder.
I'd somehow forgotten completely about Scroll Rack. That seems strictly better than Necropotence in most scenarios. I'm definitely doing that swap. I understand about the Kilnmouth's amplify being potentially useless since I'm only running 8 dragons, but I don't know what to replace him with as I have problems with Dragon Tyrant (I'll almost never be able to pay RRRR to keep it alive) and Mana-Charged Dragon (my playgroup will kill me just for playing a Join Forces card, lol). I do feel I need the spot to be filled by a dragon though, otherwise Bladewing becomes less and less useful. Perhaps I'll give the Tyrant a chance.
I still have to cut 1 card. And as I make changes which I consider to be upgrades, this becomes harder and harder.
scroll rack is amazing with land tax, but nothing compares to the raw drawing power of necropotence. crystal ball might be a better replacement, since at least it can fix your draws so you can land your fatties consistantly and doesnt rely on cards in hand. the big problem with scroll rack is if your playing a land + cheating a creature, your going -2 cards a turn, and that can really reduce its power to dig through your library
also i hate malfegor. its very rare that you want to turn every card in your hand into a removal, and its hard enough to draw cards.
Just got to say, you've definitely earned distinction as an MTGS hero
Quote from Stardust »
Because he's the hero MTGS deserves, and the one it needs right now. So we'll global him. Because he can take it. Because he's not just our hero. He's a silent guardian, a watchful protector. An expired rascal.
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ExpiredRascals you sir are a god-like hero.
Quote from Lanxal »
ER is a masterful god who cannot be beaten in any endeavour.
Knyght - About protecting Kaalia. I found a cute trick, though it's a $pricey card. You can swing into anything with Kaalia to trigger her ability and then if she becomes blocked, you can use Maze of Ith to prevent her getting killed (much like the reconnaissance suggestion above but in a land).
Since Haste is so effective with her, you also might consider Hall of the Bandit Lord. And with two new tech lands in the deck, Expedition Map can fetch either.
I've quit playing her until late game. I let the rest of the deck do the work getting life totals down and use her as a (usually hasty) finisher. The decklist is in my sig, it's goes a very different direction though.
I've come to agree with previous sentiments about Malfegor. As powerful as he is, it's not worth dropping my entire hand, ever. Even if the game is absolutely broken and Malfegor can fix it, I have no hand and all they have to do is Path Malfegor and I'm left sitting there with nothing to do. Also, Yawgmoth's Will is an absolute necessity I've found out today. So many times I was digging through my yard, wishing I could recast a thing or two. I also think that I should swap out Return to Dust for Hoard-Smelter Dragon as a source of repeatable artifact destruction.
Restructured the manabase and added in some cards that I've picked up. Give me your thoughts! I have 100 cards in there now, but I don't have a Yawgmoth's Will, and when(/if) I get one, I will most certainly be kicking something out for it, possibly Victimize.
The biggest thing I could mention is sunforger. It let's you tutor instants from your library whenever you need them.
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EDH Decks:
Kaalia's Army of AnnhilationRWB
Obzedat, Ghost Council - Life Gain MattersWB
Jarad, Golgari Lich Lord - Fatty Reanimator ToolboxBG
Nekusar, the Mindrazer - Draw to DieRBU
Marath, Will of the Wild - Token Pump and TapGWR
Roon of the Hidden Realm - Blink to BleedWBG
Some of you may think that you have made great mistakes in your lives, and perhaps you have. But let me ask you this.... did you ever play strip poker with two fat chicks and win?
I really don't feel like going the Sunforger route as it means I have to include a Stonehewer Giant (imo) to make it even worthwhile, otherwise I'm looking at using an invaluable tutor to fetch up a narrow tutoring equipment that will cost me 8 mana before I get to use it once, and the equipment can only fetch a handful of cards in this deck that make its instant speed any kind of valuable. Sure, with Mistveil Plains, I can aspire to play the card that Mistveil fetches up endlessly if I control 2 white permanents (which is rare as it maens no one is wrathing; i.e. I am already winning) and if my opponents don't blow up the Mistveil(which I don't know why they wouldn't, considering it'd be essentially Yawgmoth's Will'ing every turn). So let's see, an equipment that I have to work around to make it usable, costs in excess of 9 mana to get the first spell back, and is so fragile that it falters to any of: spot removal (common), board wipe (common), artifact hate (common), or land destruction (common). Pass.
I don't mean to be rude at all, and don't take it as such, but I just think that people severely overvalue the Sunforger combo in a deck that it actually doesn't fit into for any reason other than its color identity.
Worldgorger Dragon should have a place in my deck, the only problem is that I don't really have anything to go infinite about. Just about the only card I have that has any recurring damage is Bogardan Hellkite and the combo itself is vulnerable to spot removal. I could run a Comet Storm and/or an Exsanguinate to up the chances of going infinite with a purpose, I suppose.
Spirit of the Night is a great card, imo, I just can't find one at all. I would definitely include it if I could. Stronghold overseer is kinda meh to me though. I don't really care about 5 unblockable damage and its ability will really only ever be used on opponent's turns, if they're attacking me, and can probably only be activated once due to it being double black in a tri-color deck.
I've come to agree with previous sentiments about Malfegor. As powerful as he is, it's not worth dropping my entire hand, ever. Even if the game is absolutely broken and Malfegor can fix it, I have no hand and all they have to do is Path Malfegor and I'm left sitting there with nothing to do. Also, Yawgmoth's Will is an absolute necessity I've found out today. So many times I was digging through my yard, wishing I could recast a thing or two. I also think that I should swap out Return to Dust for Hoard-Smelter Dragon as a source of repeatable artifact destruction.
I've had Malfegor save me quite a few times, most notably taking out an untargetable, unblockable, indestructable Jor Kadeen with metalcraft enabled and a Quietus Spike on him (which is just absolutely absurd, by the way). I wound up discarding a 4 card hand (taking out Jor Kadeen and 4 big dragons from a Scion deck), and swinging in for the win on the next turn.
I really don't feel like going the Sunforger route as it means I have to include a Stonehewer Giant (imo) to make it even worthwhile, otherwise I'm looking at using an invaluable tutor to fetch up a narrow tutoring equipment that will cost me 8 mana before I get to use it once, and the equipment can only fetch a handful of cards in this deck that make its instant speed any kind of valuable. Sure, with Mistveil Plains, I can aspire to play the card that Mistveil fetches up endlessly if I control 2 white permanents (which is rare as it maens no one is wrathing; i.e. I am already winning) and if my opponents don't blow up the Mistveil(which I don't know why they wouldn't, considering it'd be essentially Yawgmoth's Will'ing every turn). So let's see, an equipment that I have to work around to make it usable, costs in excess of 9 mana to get the first spell back, and is so fragile that it falters to any of: spot removal (common), board wipe (common), artifact hate (common), or land destruction (common). Pass.
I don't mean to be rude at all, and don't take it as such, but I just think that people severely overvalue the Sunforger combo in a deck that it actually doesn't fit into for any reason other than its color identity.
Worldgorger Dragon should have a place in my deck, the only problem is that I don't really have anything to go infinite about. Just about the only card I have that has any recurring damage is Bogardan Hellkite and the combo itself is vulnerable to spot removal. I could run a Comet Storm and/or an Exsanguinate to up the chances of going infinite with a purpose, I suppose.
Spirit of the Night is a great card, imo, I just can't find one at all. I would definitely include it if I could. Stronghold overseer is kinda meh to me though. I don't really care about 5 unblockable damage and its ability will really only ever be used on opponent's turns, if they're attacking me, and can probably only be activated once due to it being double black in a tri-color deck.
So use a tutor instead of stonehewer to get it if it isn't already in your hand, and use your instants that you don't have in your hand whenever you want. You don't need stonehewer to fetch it, and you don't need to reuse any instants with mistveil plains. Do you normally recur instants out of your gy in most games anyways?
For one card, the advantages it brings is heavy. Count how many instants are left over in your library at the end of a game, or how many times an exile or wild ricochet would of changed the game when it wasn't in your hand.
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EDH Decks:
Kaalia's Army of AnnhilationRWB
Obzedat, Ghost Council - Life Gain MattersWB
Jarad, Golgari Lich Lord - Fatty Reanimator ToolboxBG
Nekusar, the Mindrazer - Draw to DieRBU
Marath, Will of the Wild - Token Pump and TapGWR
Roon of the Hidden Realm - Blink to BleedWBG
Malfegor: Yea, I've had the few save-the-game scenarios with Malfegor before, but the problem is that once he wraths, I have no hand, and therefore I'm put in topdeck mode, hoping for a way to accelerate draws so that I can get a new hand of Kaalia-fodder. It never happened for me and I just drew a bunch of land. So essentially Malfegor saved the game, and then lost me the game.
Sunforger: The entire reasoning for including Stonehewer is to streamline the process of not paying 3 mana to play the Sunforger, and then 3 to equip it. Plus I run what, 6 instants? I'd almost certainly have to run more to make any use of the thing, which means less of something else, which means more of my deck is built around a single card that, without Stonehewer reads "6RW: Search your library for ~instant and play it." And yes, if ever I can, I absolutely will Yawgmoth's Will my Wild Ricochet or Path anytime I ever get the chance. If I just took out one card and plopped in Sunforger, I wouldn't be very happy with the lack of optimizing synergy. I won't deny that it works, it does have an effect, but without proper assistance, I don't feel the effect is strong enough to warrant including it alone.
Thoughts on Sun Titan, Sheoldred, and Solemn Simulacrum please?
Malfegor: Yea, I've had the few save-the-game scenarios with Malfegor before, but the problem is that once he wraths, I have no hand, and therefore I'm put in topdeck mode, hoping for a way to accelerate draws so that I can get a new hand of Kaalia-fodder. It never happened for me and I just drew a bunch of land. So essentially Malfegor saved the game, and then lost me the game.
Sunforger: The entire reasoning for including Stonehewer is to streamline the process of not paying 3 mana to play the Sunforger, and then 3 to equip it. Plus I run what, 6 instants? I'd almost certainly have to run more to make any use of the thing, which means less of something else, which means more of my deck is built around a single card that, without Stonehewer reads "6RW: Search your library for ~instant and play it." And yes, if ever I can, I absolutely will Yawgmoth's Will my Wild Ricochet or Path anytime I ever get the chance. If I just took out one card and plopped in Sunforger, I wouldn't be very happy with the lack of optimizing synergy. I won't deny that it works, it does have an effect, but without proper assistance, I don't feel the effect is strong enough to warrant including it alone.
Thoughts on Sun Titan, Sheoldred, and Solemn Simulacrum please?
Hmm I can see your point. This is something I really want to test before throwing away. Even just coming across sunforger from drawing midway through the game and on could be a game changer for access to the rest of my instants. I could get reiterate, along with one of my 2 buyback cards that destroy an artifact or enchantment, or save myself with wild ricochet, return to dust, etc.
The potential is huge, and that's what's drawing me in right now. I already have an equipment setup for kaalia with stonehewer anyways. It fits my deck better.
As for solemn, I'm wondering why he is so popular. If his "draw a card" was "search for a card in your library" then I could easily understand it. What are your thoughts on him? I find that card draw would already take care of his draw aspect and then some, and searching for a basic land isn't appealing to me, especially since he is a one time use without recursion. Weathered Wayfarer would make much more sense to me, since it can get ANY land, and more than once.
Sun titan - are you running enough converted mana cost of 3 or less creatures for it to matter. And are they worth it to bring back out? If it was 4 instead of 3, you would have a little combo with solemn, but it isn't.
Sheoldred, Whispering one - could be fun for a mini recursion/sac strategy. I'm using grave pact, martyr's bond, and proper burial with sac outlets (along with recursion). If that proves to be unsuccessful or overkill, sheoldred might make a good substitute. Remember that Reya Dawnbringer can be cheated in with kaalia.
Kaalia's Army of AnnhilationRWB
Obzedat, Ghost Council - Life Gain MattersWB
Jarad, Golgari Lich Lord - Fatty Reanimator ToolboxBG
Nekusar, the Mindrazer - Draw to DieRBU
Marath, Will of the Wild - Token Pump and TapGWR
Roon of the Hidden Realm - Blink to BleedWBG
Solemn has a nice EtB and LtB effect on him, and since everything dies, a lot, in my playgroup, that ranks him pretty highly. Sun Titan can recur Strip Mines/Wastelands/Tec Edges (allowing me to take out another utility land per turn), fetches, thus letting me hit 2 land drops a turn, and he can also bring back Lightning Greaves, Crucible of Worlds, Sol Ring, Signets, etc. that die from whatever mass removals. Sheoldred is essentially just that - a mini recursion engine that can help keep the board a little clearer and gets around shroud or protection by just forcing them to sacrifice it. However, Sheoldred doesn't fit the theme of the deck and puts a big target on her head the second she's casted. I already Run Reya Dawnbringer, and she hardly ever lives to let me recur even one creature ;(
im just wondering if you have thought of Rune-scarred Demon from M12. he can get more kaalia fodder or he can get you the card you need to save your ass.
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1 Kaalia of the Vast
Control (3):
1 Iona, Shield of Emeria
1 Yosei, the Morning Star
1 Linvala, Keeper of Silence
Protect Kaalia (5):
1 Deathless Angel
1 Razia, Boros Archangel
1 Eiganjo Castle
1 Shinka, the Bloodsoaked Keep
1 Shizo, Death's Storehouse
Das Beats (5):
1 Akroma, Angel of Wrath
1 Akroma, Angel of Fury
1 Sunhome, Fortress of the Legion
1 Hellkite Charger
1 Vicious Shadows
Targetted Removal (9):
1 Mortify
1 Terminate
1 Path to Exile
1 Swords to Plowshares
1 Chaos Warp
1 Hoard-Smelter Dragon
1 Steel Hellkite
1 Angel of Despair
1 Bogardan Hellkite
Wraths (5):
1 Austere Command
1 Day of Judgment
1 Wrath of God
1 Hallowed Burial
1 Rakdos the Defiler
Haste, Moar Haste (4):
1 Swiftfoot Boots
1 Lightning Greaves
1 Anger
1 Hall of the Bandit Lord
1 Cruel Tutor
1 Diabolic Tutor
1 Liliana Vess
1 Vampiric Tutor (*)
1 Rune-Scarred Demon
1 Demonic Tutor
1 Praetor's Grasp
1 Beseech the Queen
Card Draw (6):
1 Dragon Mage
1 Mind's Eye
1 Solemn Simulacrum
1 Phyrexian Arena
1 Wheel of Fortune
1 Sensei's Divining Top
Recursion (14):
1 Tariel, Reckoner of Souls
1 Necromancy
1 Bladewing the Risen
1 Debtors' Knell
1 Animate Dead
1 Beacon of Unrest
1 Karmic Guide
1 Crucible of Worlds (*)
1 Yawgmoth's Will (*)
1 Oversold Cemetary
1 Reya Dawnbringer
1 Twilight Shepherd
1 Volrath's Stronghold (*)
1 Eternal Dragon
Ramp (5):
1 Sol Ring
1 Gilded Lotus
1 Darksteel Ingot
1 Thran Dynamo
1 Land Tax
1 Armageddon
1 Wasteland
1 Strip Mine
1 Tectonic Edge
Other Utility Lands (6):
1 Arid Mesa
1 Bloodstained Mire (*)
1 Marsh Flats
1 Windbrisk Heights
1 Spinerock Knoll
1 Lavaclaw Reaches
Mana Lands (25):
1 Rugged Prairie
1 Graven Cairns
1 Fetid Heath
1 Godless Shrine
1 Sacred Foundry
1 Blood Crypt
1 Command Tower
1 Reflection Pool
1 Forbidden Orchard
1 Dragonskull Summit
1 Temple of the False God
5 Plains
4 Mountain
5 Swamp
1 Kaalia of the Vast
Creatures (23):
1 Karmic Guide
1 Deathless Angel
1 Angel of Despair
1 Reya Dawnbringer
1 Twilight Shepherd
1 Iona, Shield of Emeria
1 Akroma, Angel of Fury
1 Razia, Boros Archangel
1 Akroma, Angel of Wrath
1 Tariel, Reckoner of Souls
1 Baneslayer Angel
1 Rune-Scarred Demon
1 Rakdos the Defiler
1 Steel Hellkite
1 Dragon Mage
1 Bogardan Hellkite
1 Bladewing the Risen
1 Yosei, the Morning Star
1 Hellkite Charger
1 Hoard-Smelter Dragon
1 Anger
1 Solemn Simulacrum
1 Eternal Dragon
1 Linvala, Keeper of Silence
Artifacts (9):
1 Sol Ring
1 Gilded Lotus
1 Darksteel Ingot
1 Thran Dynamo
1 Crucible of Worlds
1 Sensei's Divining Top
1 Mind's Eye
1 Swiftfoot Boots
1 Lightning Greaves
1 Liliana Vess
Enchantments (7):
1 Animate Dead
1 Phyrexian Arena
1 Necromancy
1 Debtors' Knell
1 Oversold Cemetery
1 Vicious Shadows
1 Land Tax
Sorceries (13):
1 Yawgmoth's Will
1 Beacon of Unrest
1 Wheel of Fortune
1 Demonic Tutor
1 Praetor's Grasp
1 Beseech the Queen
1 Diabolic Tutor
1 Austere Command
1 Day of Judgment
1 Wrath of God
1 Hallowed Burial
1 Armageddon
1 Cruel Tutor
Instants (6):
1 Vampiric Tutor
1 Mortify
1 Terminate
1 Path to Exile
1 Swords to Plowshares
1 Chaos Warp
Lands (40):
1 Arid Mesa
1 Bloodstained Mire
1 Marsh Flats
1 Wasteland
1 Strip Mine
1 Tectonic Edge
1 Eiganjo Castle
1 Shinka, the Bloodsoaked Keep
1 Shizo, Death's Storehouse
1 Windbrisk Heights
1 Spinerock Knoll
1 Sunhome, Fortress of the Legion
1 Hall of the Bandit Lord
1 Volrath's Stronghold
1 Rugged Prairie
1 Graven Cairns
1 Fetid Heath
1 Godless Shrine
1 Sacred Foundry
1 Blood Crypt
1 Command Tower
1 Reflection Pool
1 Forbidden Orchard
1 Dragonskull Summit
1 Lavaclaw Reaches
1 Temple of the False God
5 Plains
4 Mountain
5 Swamp
I don't have the budget for anything over $30 or so, but I am willing to spend up to that much on a card. So no Zodiac Dragon, Scrubland, etc. for now, though optimally I will most definitely want to include those, as well as a Sneak Attack.
6/23 Update: I've refocused the deck a little (in a slightly different direction), removed some of the more lackluster creatures, and added in some reanimation effects for after Kaalia becomes un-castable. I removed a couple of removal and wrath cards, seeing as how for the most part, this deck is going to force Wraths if people don't want to lose in a hurry. Thoughts on the current build? I know there are tons of Kaalia threads popping up, but I'm asking you to please throw in your input. I want to still be a contender in longer games with 4~5 people, instead of just a ridiculously fast aggro on turn 4~7.
7/4 Update: Yet again, I've attempted to refocus the list to be a little more resilient and to have some more answers for whenever Kaalia is out of castable range, and I've restructured the mana-base to be able to more consistently hit land drops and cast more threats that are actual threats. There are a few cards that I want to include, even though they don't fit the tribes of the deck: Solemn Simulacrum (is just awesome), Sun Titan (recurring fetches and wastelands mainly), and Sheoldred (for obvious Sheoldred reasons). Give me some opinions on including them or not. Don't tell me to include them because they are good, I know they are good. Tell me why exactly they deserve a spot in this deck and what they should take the place of and why that card is less desirable. Also what cards are worth considering from M12 besides Rune-Scarred Demon and Buried Ruin?
7/7 Update: Added Signets back in. Trying out Anger, Solemn, and Sun Titan. Removed Promise of Power, Scroll Rack, and Victimize for them. Added in Rune-Scarred Demon and Swiftfoot Boots from M12. There are a couple other minor changes as well.
7/10 Update: Swapped out another few cards. Restructured the decklist that I posted into 2 forms: one sorted by card type and one sorted by detailed purpose. I want to try out Decree of Pain if I can find one. Possibly also Aegis Angel as another form of protecting Kaalia. Liking Demon of Death's Gate less and less, as even though he is a 9/9 flying trampler, that's all he does. I feel like I could get more out of that slot than just damage.
7/12 Update:
- Demon of Death's Gate
+ Armageddon
- Life's Finale
+ Day of Judgment
- Mountain
+ Temple of the False God
- Wild Ricochet
+ Expedition Map
- Cruel Tutor
+ Diabolic Tutor
- Debtor's Knell
+ Nim Deathmantle
7/15 Update:
- Angelic Arbiter
+ Kagemaro, First to Suffer
- Expedition Map
+ Cruel Tutor
- Baneslayer Angel
+ Chaos Warp
7/18 Update:
- Reanimate
+ Necromancy
- Nim Deathmantle
+ Oversold Cemetary
- Planar Cleansing
+ Debtors' Knell
- Warstorm Surge
+ Linvala, Keeper of Silence
- Kagemaro, First to Suffer
+ Eternal Dragon
Need to Acquire:
Damnation
Yawgmoth's Will
Vampiric Tutor
Volrath's Stronghold
Bloodstained Mire
Want to Test:
Erratic Portal
Hide//Seek
Idyllic Tutor
Living Death
Any help is welcomed and appreciated. I've been working on this list since the day Kaalia was spoiled and I'm feeling better and better about it. Note that my list is not optimized by any means. I can't afford a Plateau, Badlands, or Scrublands, Imperial Seal, Zodiac Dragon, etc. I can't find a Damnation, Yawgmoth's Will, Volrath's Stronghold and a few other $15-20 cards that I really want. Until I do find them, you can surely suggest them, just know that I may already intend to do that.
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-1 Lord of the Pit
-1 Enlightened Tutor
-1 Obliterate
+1 Wispersilk Cloak/Darksteel Plate (but which?)
+1 Lightning Greaves
+1 Xathrid Demon
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Darksteel Plate only defends against one form of removal effect, and most forms of mass removal. If your opponent is sitting behind a wall of flying 1/1 tokens, they couldn't care less how large and indestructible your Angel is.
Oh Rider, my heart will go on...
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Also Seizan, Perverter of Truth is an excellent demon to run.
I need to cut 1 card, and I'm thinking possibly Necropotence? I love the idea of drawing a lot of cards, but triple black is kind of hard in this mana base sometimes, even with the fixing I have. Also if I get Mindslavered, I just die. Either Necropotence or Beseech the Queen are the ones to go, I think, as BtQ is either BBB (which I've just established is hard to do at times because of this mana base) or 2BB+, which makes it no better than Diabolic Tutor, which I'm already not running because that's just expensive.
Another include that I'm highly considering is Yawgmoth's Will. Just in case something vital is lost in my graveyard (like a Lightning Greaves or Crucible of Worlds), I could go get it back.
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Though if you do decide to drop Necropotence it'd be good to replace it with another means to reliably draw cards. Possibly Scroll Rack if you can get a hold of one cheaply.
I'd also say drop the Kilnmouth Dragon just because you're a little light on total dragon count in favor of something like Dragon Tyrant (Pricey but doublestrke is brutal on him especially if Kaalia cheats him in) or if you want to play politics, Mana-Charged Dragon. Yes your opponents won't be willing to pay in, unless you're swinging on the guy who's poised to pull a game winning move the next turn if he doesn't die right then. Or the one guy who just completely demolished someone's board position. Then you've got your extra mana sink ready to go.
I still have to cut 1 card. And as I make changes which I consider to be upgrades, this becomes harder and harder.
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EDH: :symg:Omnath:symg: 82% Foil/Pimped!
:symbg:Prossh "Melira Pod" Reanimatior:symrb:
scroll rack is amazing with land tax, but nothing compares to the raw drawing power of necropotence. crystal ball might be a better replacement, since at least it can fix your draws so you can land your fatties consistantly and doesnt rely on cards in hand. the big problem with scroll rack is if your playing a land + cheating a creature, your going -2 cards a turn, and that can really reduce its power to dig through your library
also i hate malfegor. its very rare that you want to turn every card in your hand into a removal, and its hard enough to draw cards.
I wouldn't want to leave it or gustcloak savior at home when i run her
Body Count: GRRRUUUUUUUUUUU
إن سرقت إسرق جمل
Level 1 Judge
My Cube for use with 6th ed. Rules
Since Haste is so effective with her, you also might consider Hall of the Bandit Lord. And with two new tech lands in the deck, Expedition Map can fetch either.
I've quit playing her until late game. I let the rest of the deck do the work getting life totals down and use her as a (usually hasty) finisher. The decklist is in my sig, it's goes a very different direction though.
Banner by Nakamura, Thanks!
EDH Math
EDH Decks:
BB Drana: Down with the Sickness
BWR Kaalia Punisher: Heaven's on Fire
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Kaalia's Army of Annhilation RWB
Obzedat, Ghost Council - Life Gain Matters WB
Jarad, Golgari Lich Lord - Fatty Reanimator Toolbox BG
Nekusar, the Mindrazer - Draw to Die RBU
Marath, Will of the Wild - Token Pump and Tap GWR
Roon of the Hidden Realm - Blink to Bleed WBG
My MP Decks:
BKorlashB
WGSuperfriendsGW
GRBTorrent of SoulsBRG
UWDeath CannonWU
WUBRG5 Color AllyGRBUW
WUBMaster TransmuterBUW
Also i think Spirit of the Night or Stronghold Overseer are better than Xathrid Demon.
Currently playing
WE DEMAND A SACRIFICE
Night Shift
Karrthus, Tyrant of Dragons
Some of you may think that you have made great mistakes in your lives, and perhaps you have. But let me ask you this.... did you ever play strip poker with two fat chicks and win?
Cockatrice name: Ninja Nate
I really don't feel like going the Sunforger route as it means I have to include a Stonehewer Giant (imo) to make it even worthwhile, otherwise I'm looking at using an invaluable tutor to fetch up a narrow tutoring equipment that will cost me 8 mana before I get to use it once, and the equipment can only fetch a handful of cards in this deck that make its instant speed any kind of valuable. Sure, with Mistveil Plains, I can aspire to play the card that Mistveil fetches up endlessly if I control 2 white permanents (which is rare as it maens no one is wrathing; i.e. I am already winning) and if my opponents don't blow up the Mistveil (which I don't know why they wouldn't, considering it'd be essentially Yawgmoth's Will'ing every turn). So let's see, an equipment that I have to work around to make it usable, costs in excess of 9 mana to get the first spell back, and is so fragile that it falters to any of: spot removal (common), board wipe (common), artifact hate (common), or land destruction (common). Pass.
I don't mean to be rude at all, and don't take it as such, but I just think that people severely overvalue the Sunforger combo in a deck that it actually doesn't fit into for any reason other than its color identity.
Worldgorger Dragon should have a place in my deck, the only problem is that I don't really have anything to go infinite about. Just about the only card I have that has any recurring damage is Bogardan Hellkite and the combo itself is vulnerable to spot removal. I could run a Comet Storm and/or an Exsanguinate to up the chances of going infinite with a purpose, I suppose.
Spirit of the Night is a great card, imo, I just can't find one at all. I would definitely include it if I could. Stronghold overseer is kinda meh to me though. I don't really care about 5 unblockable damage and its ability will really only ever be used on opponent's turns, if they're attacking me, and can probably only be activated once due to it being double black in a tri-color deck.
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I've had Malfegor save me quite a few times, most notably taking out an untargetable, unblockable, indestructable Jor Kadeen with metalcraft enabled and a Quietus Spike on him (which is just absolutely absurd, by the way). I wound up discarding a 4 card hand (taking out Jor Kadeen and 4 big dragons from a Scion deck), and swinging in for the win on the next turn.
With all the mentions of Lightning Greaves/Whispersilk Cloak, I also run Champion's Helm and General's Kabuto to give myself more chance of protection. Dolmen Gate (which a friend introduced to me) is also awesome with Kaalia.
WUBR Breya, Thopter Sculptor
WBR Kaalia, Harbinger of the Apocalypse
WBR Edgar Markov, Bloodline Progenitor
BGW Karador, Reanimator King
GWU Jenara, Asuran Enchantress
URG Riku, Omniscient Wizard
UBG Tasigur, Mind Grinder
UB Grimgrin, Combo-Stitched
GW Rhys, Gilt-Leaf Warrior
B Drana, Defiant Bloodchief
U Baral, Lord of Counterspells
G Azusa, Seeking the Horizon
W Kemba, Kha of the White Sun
C Ulamog, the Mana Glutton
So use a tutor instead of stonehewer to get it if it isn't already in your hand, and use your instants that you don't have in your hand whenever you want. You don't need stonehewer to fetch it, and you don't need to reuse any instants with mistveil plains. Do you normally recur instants out of your gy in most games anyways?
For one card, the advantages it brings is heavy. Count how many instants are left over in your library at the end of a game, or how many times an exile or wild ricochet would of changed the game when it wasn't in your hand.
Kaalia's Army of Annhilation RWB
Obzedat, Ghost Council - Life Gain Matters WB
Jarad, Golgari Lich Lord - Fatty Reanimator Toolbox BG
Nekusar, the Mindrazer - Draw to Die RBU
Marath, Will of the Wild - Token Pump and Tap GWR
Roon of the Hidden Realm - Blink to Bleed WBG
Sunforger: The entire reasoning for including Stonehewer is to streamline the process of not paying 3 mana to play the Sunforger, and then 3 to equip it. Plus I run what, 6 instants? I'd almost certainly have to run more to make any use of the thing, which means less of something else, which means more of my deck is built around a single card that, without Stonehewer reads "6RW: Search your library for ~instant and play it." And yes, if ever I can, I absolutely will Yawgmoth's Will my Wild Ricochet or Path anytime I ever get the chance. If I just took out one card and plopped in Sunforger, I wouldn't be very happy with the lack of optimizing synergy. I won't deny that it works, it does have an effect, but without proper assistance, I don't feel the effect is strong enough to warrant including it alone.
Thoughts on Sun Titan, Sheoldred, and Solemn Simulacrum please?
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Hmm I can see your point. This is something I really want to test before throwing away. Even just coming across sunforger from drawing midway through the game and on could be a game changer for access to the rest of my instants. I could get reiterate, along with one of my 2 buyback cards that destroy an artifact or enchantment, or save myself with wild ricochet, return to dust, etc.
The potential is huge, and that's what's drawing me in right now. I already have an equipment setup for kaalia with stonehewer anyways. It fits my deck better.
As for solemn, I'm wondering why he is so popular. If his "draw a card" was "search for a card in your library" then I could easily understand it. What are your thoughts on him? I find that card draw would already take care of his draw aspect and then some, and searching for a basic land isn't appealing to me, especially since he is a one time use without recursion. Weathered Wayfarer would make much more sense to me, since it can get ANY land, and more than once.
Sun titan - are you running enough converted mana cost of 3 or less creatures for it to matter. And are they worth it to bring back out? If it was 4 instead of 3, you would have a little combo with solemn, but it isn't.
Sheoldred, Whispering one - could be fun for a mini recursion/sac strategy. I'm using grave pact, martyr's bond, and proper burial with sac outlets (along with recursion). If that proves to be unsuccessful or overkill, sheoldred might make a good substitute. Remember that Reya Dawnbringer can be cheated in with kaalia.
Kaalia's Army of Annhilation RWB
Obzedat, Ghost Council - Life Gain Matters WB
Jarad, Golgari Lich Lord - Fatty Reanimator Toolbox BG
Nekusar, the Mindrazer - Draw to Die RBU
Marath, Will of the Wild - Token Pump and Tap GWR
Roon of the Hidden Realm - Blink to Bleed WBG
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