Red Kamahl isn't nothing, though. As has been mentioned, he's at least a very expensive Bolt. (No one said this situation was a good situation, but you do get card advantage out of it.) Often he can be great at the kitchen table as a way for your aggro deck to take out pesky chump blockers.
By the way, I love that Kamahl's Desire grants first strike. If I were 6/1, my greatest desire would be first strike. Or I guess, double strike. Or indestructible.
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Card advantage is not the same thing as card draw. Something for 2B cannot be strictly worse than something for BBB or 3BB. If you're taking out Swords to Plowshares for Plummet, you're a fool. Stop doing these things!
There's nothing quite like the sense of karma when you throw a board wipe on the stack and a Fist of Krosa starts turning your lands into 1/1s, but Red Kamahl is really fun too. His greatest contribution to the game is his quote on Manabarbs. It's a doozy.
There's nothing quite like the sense of karma when you throw a board wipe on the stack and a Fist of Krosa starts turning your lands into 1/1s, but Red Kamahl is really fun too. His greatest contribution to the game is his quote on Manabarbs. It's a doozy.
Such truth.
Fair enough. re: Kamahl versus Inferno Titan. I've been meaning to cut some of my cards from Rakdos that can't enable him on a clogged board/just "win more" (like Ink-eyes and random Eldrazi) so I'm going to give Kamahl a shot next time I tune the deck up.
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Sufferer of EDHD
Commander - Currently Playing: RCRDaretti: Superfriends Forever RCR WGBDoran: Ent-mootWBG GGGMultani: Group Bear HugGGG GB(B/G)The Gitrog Monster: Dredgefall DurdleGB(B/G) RGWGahiji, the Honored Group Hug MonsterRGW UB(U/B)Yuriko, Ninja Trinket AggroUB(U/B) WUBRGAtogatog: Assembling a OHKOWUBRG
It's also one of the best targets for Gamble in the game.
I run Entomb in my Child of Alara deck specifically to tutor Loam
My favorite thing about Loam is the cycling loop. That can be quite powerful in a graveyard-focused deck, or just give you lots of zombies with Sidisi.
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Card advantage is not the same thing as card draw. Something for 2B cannot be strictly worse than something for BBB or 3BB. If you're taking out Swords to Plowshares for Plummet, you're a fool. Stop doing these things!
Kamahl, Pit Fighter is decent with a strong untapping and/or activated-abilities theme. He performs acceptably in my Xira deck alongside Quest for Renewal, Seedborn Muse, Awakening, and so on. I'm planning on building a Samut, Voice of Dissent deck that includes Kamahl as well. I'll probably cut him from Xira at that point, for variety.
Man, I wish it pumped warriors instead. Pulls its own, though. I got back into MTG during Shards of Alara, when this card was relatively new. Shortly after Elvish Archdruid came into existence. The elves guy in our group...was happy.
It is a solid choice in Elves decks. Might be better things to do in the 99, but tossing a token that it pumps to 2/2 every turn helps fuel other elf nonsense.
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Decks:
Modern: Jund
Legacy: Pox
EDH: Chainer Reanimation and The Dragon Show, with Zirilan of the Claw
She's decent even outside of elves. A 2/2 every turn.
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The Meaning of Life: "M-hmm. Well, it's nothing very special. Uh, try and be nice to people, avoid eating fat, read a good book every now and then, get some walking in, and try and live together in peace and harmony with people of all creeds and nations"
Onering's 4 simple steps that let you solve any problem with Magic's gameplay
Whether its blue players countering your spells, red players burning you out, or combo, if you have a problem with an aspect of Magic's gameplay, you can fix it!
Step 1: Identify the problem. What aspect of Magic don't you like? Step 2: Find out how others deal with the problem. How do players deal with this aspect of the game when they run into it? Step 3: Do what those players do. Step 4: No more problem. Bonus: You are now better at Magic. Enjoy those extra wins!
Solid card - a must-run in 75% Elf decks that want to win "fair" (instead of putting together a turn 3 Legacy elves kill), but also fine in G/R/x warriors (cranks out 2/2s that are possibly bigger if you run Bramblewood Paragon and Obsidian Battleaxe and other support) and any G/x Tokens deck (especially Rhys but I'd be open to it anywhere). I think it's underrated in STAX-y Green decks too. Overall just really good and should probably be played even more than its 4000-ish appearances on EDHrecs indicate it is.
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Sufferer of EDHD
Commander - Currently Playing: RCRDaretti: Superfriends Forever RCR WGBDoran: Ent-mootWBG GGGMultani: Group Bear HugGGG GB(B/G)The Gitrog Monster: Dredgefall DurdleGB(B/G) RGWGahiji, the Honored Group Hug MonsterRGW UB(U/B)Yuriko, Ninja Trinket AggroUB(U/B) WUBRGAtogatog: Assembling a OHKOWUBRG
The Meaning of Life: "M-hmm. Well, it's nothing very special. Uh, try and be nice to people, avoid eating fat, read a good book every now and then, get some walking in, and try and live together in peace and harmony with people of all creeds and nations"
Onering's 4 simple steps that let you solve any problem with Magic's gameplay
Whether its blue players countering your spells, red players burning you out, or combo, if you have a problem with an aspect of Magic's gameplay, you can fix it!
Step 1: Identify the problem. What aspect of Magic don't you like? Step 2: Find out how others deal with the problem. How do players deal with this aspect of the game when they run into it? Step 3: Do what those players do. Step 4: No more problem. Bonus: You are now better at Magic. Enjoy those extra wins!
The first time I saw the word "prefect", I read it as "perfect". The first time I saw this card, I read it as "prefect". The circle is now complete.
Anyway, I like these tribal lords that are also token generators: Deranged Hermit, Captain of the Watch, the splicers, and this. And now we have Tendershoot Dryad. They have a downside, since they're antagonistic with Skullclamp, but they can still be a surprising "Who knew combat was a way to win?" moment.
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Card advantage is not the same thing as card draw. Something for 2B cannot be strictly worse than something for BBB or 3BB. If you're taking out Swords to Plowshares for Plummet, you're a fool. Stop doing these things!
This thing was a beast in limited. In EDH obvious elf deck comment is obvious and not sure it would make the cut elsewhere, perhaps in a budget token deck?
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EDH BRGKresh the BloodbraidedBRG, A box of lands and ideas.
Modern: RG Titanshift. A deck made of cards too stupid for EDH.
Retired: Lots. More than I feel you should suffer through or I should type out.
This thing was a beast in limited. In EDH obvious elf deck comment is obvious and not sure it would make the cut elsewhere, perhaps in a budget token deck?
I have a fair, as in wins through combat rather than combo, token deck with Ravos and Tana (the partner commanders) at the helm. She works well there as a reliable token generator, and her pumping up elves makes Tana a bit bigger, making her more likely to survive combat and more likely to make more tokens. The deck is based on anthems making tokens bigger as well as Tana bigger, which in turn makes more tokens, so she's got synergy there.
As others have said, she's good alongside sacrifice effects, so any staxxy deck that uses green and any sacrifice deck that uses green.
And always keep in mind, her baseline is as a 3 mana creature that poops out what are essentially 2/2s. That's her worst case scenario, and while not something you would go out of your way to run buta perfectly fine last resort mode for if you don't draw into any synergy, so her value with the synergy doesn't need to be as high as you are taking less of a risk running her.
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The Meaning of Life: "M-hmm. Well, it's nothing very special. Uh, try and be nice to people, avoid eating fat, read a good book every now and then, get some walking in, and try and live together in peace and harmony with people of all creeds and nations"
Onering's 4 simple steps that let you solve any problem with Magic's gameplay
Whether its blue players countering your spells, red players burning you out, or combo, if you have a problem with an aspect of Magic's gameplay, you can fix it!
Step 1: Identify the problem. What aspect of Magic don't you like? Step 2: Find out how others deal with the problem. How do players deal with this aspect of the game when they run into it? Step 3: Do what those players do. Step 4: No more problem. Bonus: You are now better at Magic. Enjoy those extra wins!
I like Threaten effects (I'm a red player at heart), especially cards like this. That is to say, instant speed. The phyrexian mana isn't as relevant in this color locked format as it is for the rest of magic, but I do think this is the only instant speed version of Threaten that can be cast for 3 mana.
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Zedruu: "This deck is not only able to go crazy - it also needs to do so."
Slamming two of your opponent's creatures together mid-combat is what red is all about, though Grab the Reins might be a better overall card. Doesn't untap though.
Grab the reins not untapping is a huge downside imo. Though it's easier to get the sweet double-kill (albeit at a steep mana cost).
Overall I think this is maybe the best of the single-target single-turn theft non-permanents. That split second one is great but pretty expensive, and the other instant-speed ones all cost 4+ and usually have some downside.
I run this baby in my Zirilan deck, since it's already running loads of sac outlets. Plus it gets even nastier with Scourge of the Throne and other similar dragons.
If/when I build the Sac and Steal deck of my dreams, this will probably get played - as noted, there are only a few red cards that can steal a card at instant speed and this is the most flexible since it can be cast for three if need be and has no restrictions unlike Blind with Anger (which can't hit Legends), Temporary Insanity (which requires a huge 'yard), Disharmony (which can only be used defensively), Grab the Reins (which has to hit untapped creatures for full #value), and Word of Seizing (which is extremely powerful and has never disappointed me but is a whopping five mana always). This is one of the few red stealing effects that might make the cut even if I do my sTeal and Sac dec as Yasova, as I think it holds up too/outstrips Ray of Command and Dominate.
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Sufferer of EDHD
Commander - Currently Playing: RCRDaretti: Superfriends Forever RCR WGBDoran: Ent-mootWBG GGGMultani: Group Bear HugGGG GB(B/G)The Gitrog Monster: Dredgefall DurdleGB(B/G) RGWGahiji, the Honored Group Hug MonsterRGW UB(U/B)Yuriko, Ninja Trinket AggroUB(U/B) WUBRGAtogatog: Assembling a OHKOWUBRG
If you want to run one shot Threaten effects, this is one of the best thanks to the instant speed and flexible cost. Overall though, I'm not madly keen on such effects unless they have other interactions (e.g. Zealous Conscripts with Kiki-Jiki, Mirror Breaker) or I'm already in a position where I can reliably kill them off (e.g. I've got plenty of sac outlets in the deck).
You can also permanently gain control of creatures your opponents control and you own with Gruul Charm or Brand, and you can permanently gain control of a creature that's about to be destroyed with Debt of Loyalty.
I guess it depends. The best thing about Green Kamahl is that he animates any land. So, with a little bit of work, you have the cheapest land destruction in the game. (Night of Souls' Betrayal or Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite will do it, or just Pestilence/Pyrohemia.)
Red Kamahl isn't nothing, though. As has been mentioned, he's at least a very expensive Bolt. (No one said this situation was a good situation, but you do get card advantage out of it.) Often he can be great at the kitchen table as a way for your aggro deck to take out pesky chump blockers.
By the way, I love that Kamahl's Desire grants first strike. If I were 6/1, my greatest desire would be first strike. Or I guess, double strike. Or indestructible.
On phasing:
Such truth.
Fair enough. re: Kamahl versus Inferno Titan. I've been meaning to cut some of my cards from Rakdos that can't enable him on a clogged board/just "win more" (like Ink-eyes and random Eldrazi) so I'm going to give Kamahl a shot next time I tune the deck up.
RCRDaretti: Superfriends Forever RCR
WGBDoran: Ent-mootWBG
GGGMultani: Group Bear HugGGG
GB(B/G)The Gitrog Monster: Dredgefall DurdleGB(B/G)
RGWGahiji, the Honored Group Hug MonsterRGW
UB(U/B)Yuriko, Ninja Trinket AggroUB(U/B)
WUBRGAtogatog: Assembling a OHKOWUBRG
The Unidentified Fantastic Flying Girl.
EDH
Xenagos, the God of Stompy
The Gitrog Monster: Oppressive Value.
Marchesa, Marionette Master - Undying Robots
Yuriko, the Hydra Omnivore
I make dolls as a hobby.
Two Score, Minus Two or: A Stargate Tail
(Image by totallynotabrony)
My favorite thing about Loam is the cycling loop. That can be quite powerful in a graveyard-focused deck, or just give you lots of zombies with Sidisi.
On phasing:
I suppose it's a competent elf card. I wouldn't know, I only play tribes from Kamigawa.
Man, I wish it pumped warriors instead. Pulls its own, though. I got back into MTG during Shards of Alara, when this card was relatively new. Shortly after Elvish Archdruid came into existence. The elves guy in our group...was happy.
(U/B)(U/B)(U/B) JUMP IN THE LINE, ROCK YOUR BODY IN TIME
(R/W)(R/W)(R/W) RISING FROM THE NEON GLOOM, SHINING LIKE A CRAZY MOON
(U/R)(R/G)(G/U) STEALIN' WHEN I SHOULD HAVE BEEN BUYIN'
Most often spirits, but I've built all 5 patrons. Offering is a sweet mechanic.
Modern: Jund
Legacy: Pox
EDH: Chainer Reanimation and The Dragon Show, with Zirilan of the Claw
Onering's 4 simple steps that let you solve any problem with Magic's gameplay
Step 1: Identify the problem. What aspect of Magic don't you like? Step 2: Find out how others deal with the problem. How do players deal with this aspect of the game when they run into it? Step 3: Do what those players do. Step 4: No more problem. Bonus: You are now better at Magic. Enjoy those extra wins!
Would arguably be better if it didn't give the tokens +1/+1 because it would work with Skullclamp.
RCRDaretti: Superfriends Forever RCR
WGBDoran: Ent-mootWBG
GGGMultani: Group Bear HugGGG
GB(B/G)The Gitrog Monster: Dredgefall DurdleGB(B/G)
RGWGahiji, the Honored Group Hug MonsterRGW
UB(U/B)Yuriko, Ninja Trinket AggroUB(U/B)
WUBRGAtogatog: Assembling a OHKOWUBRG
Onering's 4 simple steps that let you solve any problem with Magic's gameplay
Step 1: Identify the problem. What aspect of Magic don't you like? Step 2: Find out how others deal with the problem. How do players deal with this aspect of the game when they run into it? Step 3: Do what those players do. Step 4: No more problem. Bonus: You are now better at Magic. Enjoy those extra wins!
Anyway, I like these tribal lords that are also token generators: Deranged Hermit, Captain of the Watch, the splicers, and this. And now we have Tendershoot Dryad. They have a downside, since they're antagonistic with Skullclamp, but they can still be a surprising "Who knew combat was a way to win?" moment.
On phasing:
BRGKresh the BloodbraidedBRG, A box of lands and ideas.
Modern:
RG Titanshift. A deck made of cards too stupid for EDH.
Retired: Lots. More than I feel you should suffer through or I should type out.
I have a fair, as in wins through combat rather than combo, token deck with Ravos and Tana (the partner commanders) at the helm. She works well there as a reliable token generator, and her pumping up elves makes Tana a bit bigger, making her more likely to survive combat and more likely to make more tokens. The deck is based on anthems making tokens bigger as well as Tana bigger, which in turn makes more tokens, so she's got synergy there.
As others have said, she's good alongside sacrifice effects, so any staxxy deck that uses green and any sacrifice deck that uses green.
And always keep in mind, her baseline is as a 3 mana creature that poops out what are essentially 2/2s. That's her worst case scenario, and while not something you would go out of your way to run buta perfectly fine last resort mode for if you don't draw into any synergy, so her value with the synergy doesn't need to be as high as you are taking less of a risk running her.
Onering's 4 simple steps that let you solve any problem with Magic's gameplay
Step 1: Identify the problem. What aspect of Magic don't you like? Step 2: Find out how others deal with the problem. How do players deal with this aspect of the game when they run into it? Step 3: Do what those players do. Step 4: No more problem. Bonus: You are now better at Magic. Enjoy those extra wins!
I like Threaten effects (I'm a red player at heart), especially cards like this. That is to say, instant speed. The phyrexian mana isn't as relevant in this color locked format as it is for the rest of magic, but I do think this is the only instant speed version of Threaten that can be cast for 3 mana.
Overall I think this is maybe the best of the single-target single-turn theft non-permanents. That split second one is great but pretty expensive, and the other instant-speed ones all cost 4+ and usually have some downside.
I run this baby in my Zirilan deck, since it's already running loads of sac outlets. Plus it gets even nastier with Scourge of the Throne and other similar dragons.
EDH Primers
Phelddagrif - Zirilan
EDH
Thrasios+Bruse - Pang - Sasaya - Wydwen - Feather - Rona - Toshiro - Sylvia+Khorvath - Geth - QMarchesa - Firesong - Athreos - Arixmethes - Isperia - Etali - Silas+Sidar - Saskia - Virtus+Gorm - Kynaios - Naban - Aryel - Mizzix - Kazuul - Tymna+Kraum - Sidar+Tymna - Ayli - Gwendlyn - Phelddagrif 4 - Liliana - Kaervek - Phelddagrif 3 - Mairsil - Scarab - Child - Phenax - Shirei - Thada - Depala - Circu - Kytheon - GrenzoHR - Phelddagrif - Reyhan+Kraum - Toshiro - Varolz - Nin - Ojutai - Tasigur - Zedruu - Uril - Edric - Wort - Zurgo - Nahiri - Grenzo - Kozilek - Yisan - Ink-Treader - Yisan - Brago - Sidisi - Toshiro - Alexi - Sygg - Brimaz - Sek'Kuar - Marchesa - Vish Kal - Iroas - Phelddagrif - Ephara - Derevi - Glissa - Wanderer - Saffi - Melek - Xiahou Dun - Lazav - Lin Sivvi - Zirilan - Glissa
PDH - Drake - Graverobber - Izzet GM - Tallowisp - Symbiote Brawl - Feather - Ugin - Jace - Scarab - Angrath - Vraska - Kumena Oathbreaker - Wrenn&6
RCRDaretti: Superfriends Forever RCR
WGBDoran: Ent-mootWBG
GGGMultani: Group Bear HugGGG
GB(B/G)The Gitrog Monster: Dredgefall DurdleGB(B/G)
RGWGahiji, the Honored Group Hug MonsterRGW
UB(U/B)Yuriko, Ninja Trinket AggroUB(U/B)
WUBRGAtogatog: Assembling a OHKOWUBRG
You can also permanently gain control of creatures your opponents control and you own with Gruul Charm or Brand, and you can permanently gain control of a creature that's about to be destroyed with Debt of Loyalty.
Two Score, Minus Two or: A Stargate Tail
(Image by totallynotabrony)