Intro:
This deck is focused on getting Kaalia and her kin out fast and hard when an opportunity arises. Speed and destruction are what define this deck, with recursion and protection providing consistency. It pushes the limits on how much damage and destruction can be done in a short amount of time. This deck would be considered voltron if Kaalia's angels, demons, and dragons weren't the ones doing the damage.
The colors in this deck are used for: Red: Dragons, haste, card draw Black: Demons, recursion, tutors, card draw White: Angels, protection, spot and mass removal
The Game Plan:
This deck's main focus is to get Kaalia out with protection, haste, or both, and fast. This could be on turn 3 or turn 12 depending on how you need to play. Nothing new here, but the deck is now consistent enough to bring her out and swing by turn 3 or 4 90% of the time if you choose.
Second is making sure Kaalia can do her job with shroud, haste, and other forms of protection.
Third is crushing opponents resources while Kaalia inherently tips them in your favor. This involves mass removal, spot removal, land wipes, and even discard. This is what these colors excel at.
When you aren't setting her up or swinging with her you can throw out random fatties to test the waters, ramp up, or destroy and discard (many) things. She is more of an alpha strike deck unless you are playing 1v1 or at a 3 person table where the single target removal can hold your enemy/enemies back. In fact this is probably where she is the most fun to play, as she dominates small games.
Finer Points:
Kaalia is a target - Plain and simple. Know this, and take advantage of it. Many times I have cast big cards without worry because people with counterspells are tunnel visioning Kaalia as she sits in the command zone.
It's ok to hard cast - Hard cast a guy to swing around with. It will confuse your opponents and mess their plan of smashing Kaalia immediately as she enters.
The time to strike - This is very important to this deck. You must know the correct time bring the pain, or to sit back and let people hit each other/protect yourself with removal. Knowing what to tutor for is also huge.
Aggressive mulligan - You need land, ramp, haste/protection and an a/d/d in your opening hand to be successful here. Card draw is also nice.
Cards with (*) signify they are being tested or haven't felt worth it.
Choices/Sections Explained:
You may notice a lack of a "creatures" section. Don't be fooled, this deck has a large amount of them, and they are almost always doing double duty. The choices for filling out the sections on the list tries to put an angel/demon/dragon in it's place first and foremost, such as steel hellkite in the mass removal, or bloodgift demon in the card draw category. This assures that any creature will always be doing something to further her plan. After that, good commonly used cards are put in. Some special points include:
Haste - Anything that cannot be cast before turn 3 was not considered, such as In the Web of War. It's too expensive in general, and does not help get Kaalia out faster. Fervor is a great haste enabler, and mass hysteria with talisman of indeulgence on turn one let's Kaalia swing on turn 2. These also help by enabling a hard cast or reanimated creature to attack right away, and allows guys brought in by Kaalia to attack on the second attack phase if there is one.
Protection - Similar to haste, protection is best when it comes out before or with Kaalia. There are not many options for this. Lightning greaves, swiftfoot boots, and mother of runes are the only ones that protect her from single target removal. Grand abolisher is the only thing that protects her from counterspells. This is huge. Devoted caretaker is an option, but there were too much ability removal and board wide destruction for her to be worth it to me.
Ramp - Anything over 3 cmc I believe is not worth it. The main point of the ramp is to get Kaalia out as soon as possible, not slow her down. Gilded lotus is the exception here. The reason 3 cmc and up rocks are included is because of the reality of multiplayer games where you don't win on turn 5.
Card Draw - Kaalia needs cards. She throws cards in for free, so she needs to refuel often. Some games are won because I get a dragon mage out soon enough to disrupt everyone else's plans over and over. This also means I draw into removal and Armageddon faster. I'm emptying my hand while they are left dazed.
Tutors - Missing a key piece in your opening hand such as lightning greaves? Vampiric tutor and enlightened tutor are clutch tutors for Kaalia. They cost 1 mana, which means you still have time to get anything you need from you deck and allow Kaalia to come out on turn 3-4. Bringing in a rune-scarred demon with Kaalia for free? Try spending the tutor and 5 mana on hatred on the same swing.
Beating face - You are saving 6-9 mana and bringing in beaters by swinging in with Kaalia. What better way to take advantage of that than buffing what you just threw in for free? The more I play, the more this part feels out of place. Over time it may be replaced by cards that fill up other roles better, or something brand new. This stuff has proven too weak now that my meta has evolved.
Control/Discard - Besides getting Kaalia and the right a/d/d out, the rest is up to this section. You remove threats, wipe land and bring in fat for free, and/or strip a player of their cards to finish the job. Knowing how and when to use this stuff is just like a good blue player using a counterpspell at the correct time. If not, Kaalia can be incredibly vulnerable and weak. Also, sunforger is in here to enhance this section. Sunforger is not a major focus, but tutors make a deck extremely powerful and there was room for it.
Lands - There is a specific reason karoo bounce lands and lands that come in tapped are not included. They hinder Kaalia's ability to come in as early as possible. Besides that, my land base is strong as a bull and I do not need them for color fixing reasons anymore. Too many colorless lands give problems also. You may also notice a lack of many utility lands. There hasn't been a reason to run more than what I have yet. Time will tell.
Allstars:
Serra Ascendant - 1 white, tons of pressure, especially opening hand.
Sword of Feast and Famine - Kaalia is mana hungry. An extra A/D/D or combat enhancer each turn is brutal. The discard is icing on the cake. Taken out for sunforger since it's combo buddy aggravated assault is gone too.
Armageddon - Kaalia doesn't need mana to bring in fatties. She is also extremely fast, setting you up for the perfect opportunity for a land wipe.
Grand Abolisher - The only card that will assure complete protection when casting while on your turn. This has often been counterspell bait. War's toll is a close second.
Mother of Runes - A one drop that they have to deal with or accept that the only way to get rid of Kaalia is a board wipe. It also allows for a creature to get through during the attack phase. It's also nice to see a cheap cmc card that works so well with Kaalia, since her buddies are so expensive.
Rakdos the Defiler - If brought in with kaalia, his negative affect does not happen. Not much more needs to be said here. It's brutal.
Necropotence - This card can assure a victory depending on your board position. 30 life for 30 cards if you can win next turn isn't a bad idea.
Skithiryx, The Blight Dragon - Being able to assure the death of one person in 1-3 turns is very nice in multiplayer, when it is hard to spread enough damage around.
Hall of the Bandit Lord - This card, along with one 2 cmc ramp rock means kaalia will come out swinging on turn 3. The more options for that scenario, the better. It's also a haste backup for hardcasted fatties. At first I was iffy on the life loss. Come to find it isn't as bad as it seems.
Hatred - Kaalia that can one shot up to two people with multiple combat phases. It can also be used on any creature, especially when double damage modifiers are out. A brutal finisher.
Worldgorger Combo
One easy combo to throw in would be worldgorger dragon + shivan hellkite + animate dead (which is already in the deck) + buried alive. An anger or filth might be considered at that point also. Worldgorger gives infinite mana from looping to the graveyard and back with animate dead appearing and disappearing, and then you target shivan hellkite as the last step with animate dead to shoot people. This combo is nice because it requires dragons, and a solid recursion piece anyways.
Possible Additions:
Sneak Attack - One red for a creature seems great, but I just don't have enough recursion to justify sending them to the graveyard quite yet. I also have hands that lack any a/d/d sometimes (tutors fix this), so I can see this as a dead card. I really want to use it though.
Quicksilver Amulet - When Kaalia costs 8 cmc, this card may be the way to go. It doesn't send them in attacking or with haste, but it still cheats and can be a backup plan. No reason to not use this and Kaalia on a single turn also. It seems low profile so it should stick around.
Mana tithe - The only white counter spell. This can be an "I win" if you stop one of their early answers.
Karmic Guide - A few problems with her. She costs a lot for what she does when I could use animate dead, necromancy, or reanimate for cheap and grab from anyone's gy. Yes she can be cheated in, but this also means whatever she brought it cannot attack that turn, and she is a measly 2/2.
Waves of Aggression - This is a close second to an entwined savage beating, and can even overtake it if you have a lot of land to discard.
Devoted Caretaker - I tried her. Had her out multiple games, and did not get to use her once. Too many abilities and board wide destruction going off for it to matter. It's possible that she was enough of a rattlesnake for people to not spend targetted removal on my permanents in the first place though. Either way, my stuff still ended up dying.
Yosei, the Morning Star - Great rattlesnake, especially for wipes, and pure shutdown for 1v1. It may be hard to get off without a sac outlet though, if they aren't able or planning to wipe your creatures.
Blinding Angel - Great shutdown if they rely on the combat phase too.
Identity Crisis - If this doesn't shut your opponent down to be smashed I don't know what will.
Mind Twist - Similar to identity crisis. The additional control these bring is immense.
How do you make Kaalia faster or stronger? You add consistency. Tutors and the best ramp options, while removing cards that simply are not a clear part of a necessary card category should be removed. This means adding mana crypt and other 0 drops for insane turn one ramp. This means adding every single tutor you can fit in. This means removing necromancy, siphon mind, and other fun things for pure power that guarantees a steady plan. You aren't looking back, but moving forward faster than your opponent/s.
Weaknesses:
If not fast enough, or overextended, this deck will crumble to multiple boards wipes, and even one board wipe if it is a large multiplayer game.
This deck is based around the general, so hinder or spell crumble are brutal. I have not tested this deck against blue heavy decks much. That said, I have won after having my general tucked by demonic tutoring for her. I've also had my ass handed to me multiple games in a row by a deck with a lot of red burn. Kaalia was to fragile too go against it, handicapping the deck. Luckily, this isn't too prevalent in EDH.
This deck was made to blow a hole through your opponents defenses and go in for the kill with Kaalia. It has been tested against many high level decks and can hold it's own very well. I hope you enjoy playing it as much as I do.
If everything goes as planned, your table should end up looking something like this:
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
Ok, finally got the spelling correct :facepalm:. This is the official post.
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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
Anyway, this is probably THE way to run Kaalia aggro. I would probably look to include Boom/Bust and a few other sweepers. Jokulhaups for the win could work if you have a Plate on somebody. Impeding Disaster works too.
Emmara is like the worst parts of Legends and Homelands got pregnant, aborted the fetus, tossed it in the trashcan, set it on fire and wrapped the corpse in a Dragon's Maze pack wrapper.
Anyway, this is probably THE way to run Kaalia aggro. I would probably look to include Boom/Bust and a few other sweepers. Jokulhaups for the win could work if you have a Plate on somebody. Impeding Disaster works too.
Crap. Just took another look at the advanced edit options..... you're right
I've avoided Jokulhaups so far due to the fact that I need at least one extra card in play (darksteel plate) for it to work well. Also, I usually have the most artifact ramp out, so having those stick around can help often too.
Impending Disaster I can see working. It either is an Armageddon, or something that draws hate away from my other permanents. Both are to my advantage, and for only 2 cmc.
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
I personnally run the Maralen/Stranglehold lock in my deck and it is pretty efficient. Have you given it a try? What are your conclusions?
Well, the way I view this is that an armageddon is one card, and will have somewhat the same effect as both of those cards (lockdown). That makes it a little hard to justify removing two spots for them, because on their own they don't do much to gain you a win(totally debatable depending on who you are playing against though.) These cards also leave your opponents open to casting whatever they had in their hands already.
This all said, I haven't tried them. How are they working for you?
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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
I should have 38 lands. I count 37 there. I'll double check what it is when I'm by my deck later.
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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
I should have 38 lands. I count 37 there. I'll double check what it is when I'm by my deck later.
Could it be Bojuka Bog? Other than the missing land I like the deck. I'm going to use it as a base to build my list off of. I disagree with a few choices but I like the beatdown theme. Not typically what I build decks for so I welcome it to expand my game. I also like the Aggravated Assault / Sword of Feast and Famine Combo as I hadn't thought of it.
Um taking a look at the deck, and comparing it to my beat down deck. A few cards I have that I would recommend are. Akroma, Angel of Wrath, very good beat down card, i especially like the vigilance on it, so for later turns you can attack and then defend with it. Bogardan Hellkite, 5 damage split however you see fit, pretty good imo, and has flash too for later shenanigans. Maybe the yosei, phyrexian tower, volrath's stronghold lockout, but not as good with more people. If you are looking for a little recursion, reya dawnbringer is okay. But Karmic guide is good, and debtors' knell (creatures from any graveyard, so you can get a good one). I also run the Erratic Portal + Rakdos combo, but erratic portal is good as it allows protection of your creatures, and allows you to recur certain cards, like rune-scarred demon, rakdos, bogardan, etc. Then I run Blood Speaker to help me get the rakdos + erratic portal combo off faster. i.e. normal tutor -> Rune-scarred -> erratic portal. Bounce rune-scarred, then rune scarred -> rakdos, and now you have your combo. This also works with blood speaker -> rune -> erratic. Bloodspeaker -> rakdos to get it off one turn earlier. Then after you find rakdos, you can search for something like bloodgift demon. You also have a chump blocker, since in theory you can keep bouncing rakdos, so you can play a demon every turn.
Um taking a look at the deck, and comparing it to my beat down deck. A few cards I have that I would recommend are. Akroma, Angel of Wrath, very good beat down card, i especially like the vigilance on it, so for later turns you can attack and then defend with it. Bogardan Hellkite, 5 damage split however you see fit, pretty good imo, and has flash too for later shenanigans. Maybe the yosei, phyrexian tower, volrath's stronghold lockout, but not as good with more people. If you are looking for a little recursion, reya dawnbringer is okay. But Karmic guide is good, and debtors' knell (creatures from any graveyard, so you can get a good one). I also run the Erratic Portal + Rakdos combo, but erratic portal is good as it allows protection of your creatures, and allows you to recur certain cards, like rune-scarred demon, rakdos, bogardan, etc. Then I run Blood Speaker to help me get the rakdos + erratic portal combo off faster. i.e. normal tutor -> Rune-scarred -> erratic portal. Bounce rune-scarred, then rune scarred -> rakdos, and now you have your combo. This also works with blood speaker -> rune -> erratic. Bloodspeaker -> rakdos to get it off one turn earlier. Then after you find rakdos, you can search for something like bloodgift demon. You also have a chump blocker, since in theory you can keep bouncing rakdos, so you can play a demon every turn.
I had erratic portal in at one point loooong ago, but I think you just sold me on it with the protection part. I've been looking for something to be able to save Kaalia's ass, and that adds another aspect to erratic portal I didn't think about (along with bouncing rakdos etc). It obviously can also be used offensively which is a nice perk.
As for akroma's, do you feel they are worth it? I had a really hard time finding space for them because they cost so much and don't do much but beat, which all of the other creatures can do too. I really appreciate an Iona, shield of emeria and angelic arbiter for the multiplayer table.
Debtor's knell is in the back of my mind also. If it didn't cost 7 mana it would definitely be in. It's really hard fitting in the higher cmc enchantments, artifacts, etc when all of the main pieces (a/d/d) are already 6+. I see this as definitely a large multiplayer card compared to animate dead and reanimate as more 1-3 people cards.
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
Could it be Bojuka Bog? Other than the missing land I like the deck. I'm going to use it as a base to build my list off of. I disagree with a few choices but I like the beatdown theme. Not typically what I build decks for so I welcome it to expand my game. I also like the Aggravated Assault / Sword of Feast and Famine Combo as I hadn't thought of it.
I took bojuka bog out for testing, because if it's in my opening hand it sets me back a bit. This is only relevant for 1-3 people games though. More people and it becomes much nicer to have. For instance, 1v1 vs a good vish kal, blood arbiter recursion deck, bojuka bog wasn't needed there. 1v1 this deck usually overpowers and is too fast to matter, with the spot removal getting rid of anything that would be abused in the gy.
I'm actually really curious to see what is missing, because there was already a filter land that happened to disappear when I was filling out this deck list before. It's probably nothing crazy though.
So what do you disagree with? Criticism is welcome here. I'd like to hear what you would put in instead incase it's something I haven't seen.
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
Could it be a Wasteland that's missing? I'm still working on my list but one thing I noticed is the exclusion of Hellkite Charger and Yosei.
I'd have to double check, but that's not a bad idea.
I didn't put yosei in because I have almost no way to abuse him, but he may be worth a slot considering it still shuts someone down for a turn. It's hard to justify him in multiplayer. I put in angel of despair without abuse, so I can't really talk though.
I took out hellkite charger due to him being well.... slow. He can't activate his ability when brought in with kaalia, and 7 cmc for the double combat phases were better replaced by savage beating. I really sat on that decision for a long time, but was glad I made it.
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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
I'd have to double check, but that's not a bad idea.
I didn't put yosei in because I have almost no way to abuse him, but he may be worth a slot considering it still shuts someone down for a turn. It's hard to justify him in multiplayer. I put in angel of despair without abuse, so I can't really talk though.
I took out hellkite charger due to him being well.... slow. He can't activate his ability when brought in with kaalia, and 7 cmc for the double combat phases were better replaced by savage beating. I really sat on that decision for a long time, but was glad I made it.
I see Hellkite Charger more of a beater and a bit of redundancy for infinite combat steps. He can likely replace one of your under performing cards. No clue what those might be as I haven't got there yet.
I see Hellkite Charger more of a beater and a bit of redundancy for infinite combat steps. He can likely replace one of your under performing cards. No clue what those might be as I haven't got there yet.
That was exactly my reasoning. For some reason he just never worked out after about 20 games. If he could use his ability on the same turn he is brought in, I don't think I would of questioned it. Land doesn't stick around too long in my meta either, making 7 hard to hit sometimes. 7 mana can also hard to stomach when the sword combo isn't available, and even 5 feels like a lot with aggravated assault sometimes, especially when another a/d/d or game winner could be cast for the same or less.
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
imo Akroma Angel of Wrath is almost a must include. From my experience, having a strong vigilance creature to keep for defense is good. If I had to pick a creature to swap it with, I'd say aegis angel, but that's just my opinion. Sure indestructibly is nice, but in the games I play kaalia is more exiled than destroyed, but that's just my meta.
imo Akroma Angel of Wrath is almost a must include. From my experience, having a strong vigilance creature to keep for defense is good. If I had to pick a creature to swap it with, I'd say aegis angel, but that's just my opinion. Sure indestructibly is nice, but in the games I play kaalia is more exiled than destroyed, but that's just my meta.
True, Kaalia can be tucked, countered or exiled still, so I've been testing aegis angels worth.
Ah, it's just so hard to throw down 8 mana on a creature that doesn't do much to affect the board, and who still only hits for 6. I may give akroma another shot sometime soon.
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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
Also what do you think about Sorin Markov? Dropping someone to 10 and finishing them off seems good to me. Perhaps a problem player or someone with lot of combos.
while 8 is a little expensive, she has haste so you could hard cast her. But I run quicksilver amulet too, just in case something happens to kaalia, I can still drop some big fatties.
True, Kaalia can be tucked, countered or exiled still, so I've been testing aegis angels worth.
Ah, it's just so hard to throw down 8 mana on a creature that doesn't do much to affect the board, and who still only hits for 6. I may give akroma another shot sometime soon.
I haven't been running either Akromas and I've never really felt as if I've ever needed them. You could try Blinding Angel in it's spot for 1v1, it's castable at the five drop, and can keep an aggresive player off his combat step, or in multiplayer, you would probably be served better with Angelic Arbiter.
Indomitable Archangel is another option, depending on your artifact count, and how reliably you can get metalcraft. Consideration for me anyway, as I run a decent amount of mana rocks and swords. But IDK it doesn't effect the board much, though it is a 4 drop 4/4(Linvala is lonely at the four drop slot). Just food for thought.
Also what do you think about Sorin Markov? Dropping someone to 10 and finishing them off seems good to me. Perhaps a problem player or someone with lot of combos.
That works, and so would a hatred. The more sweet cards that get put in, the more the deck lacks focus and doesn't draw into the correct cards though. It's definitely worth a test. I'd also imagine sorin is slightly better for 1v1 also.
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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
*Added some suggestions and a new 1v1 section to the list.
Private Mod Note
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Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
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
This reminds me of my Mayael deck in terms of using advantageous fatties for various purposes and eventually beating face. I like it!
I have to reiterate what so many people have said, at least the original Akroma, Angel of Wrath, is a must. She has won me games in Mayael all the time... her protection's make her difficult to remove and she does a lot of damage very quickly. I would play her over Baneslayer Angel... Bane is a quick 5/5.. i know, but her protection is severely limited. Akroma's casting cost shouldn't really be a reason not to play her over Baneslayer because the point of this deck is to cheat her in anyway...
On the subject of cheating with Kaalia i think you may want to consider ways to get her into the game faster... Winding Canyons, Hall of the Bandit Lord will bring Kaalia out swinging hard. Also protecting her through removal will be key. Just like Mayael, she is the crux of the deck. Swiftfoot Boots, Lightning Greaves, Shield of Kaldra, are all good choices..
Take a look at my Mayael Primer for some ideas in red & white. I think you might find them similar..
EDH:
Currently Piloting:
Dama, Sage of Stone | Karador, Ghost Chieftan | Sigarda, Host of Herons | Elbrus, the Binding Blade / Withengar Unbound | Grand Arbiter Augustin IV | Genju of the Realm | Ruric Thar, the Unbowed
This reminds me of my Mayael deck in terms of using advantageous fatties for various purposes and eventually beating face. I like it!
I have to reiterate what so many people have said, at least the original Akroma, Angel of Wrath, is a must. She has won me games in Mayael all the time... her protection's make her difficult to remove and she does a lot of damage very quickly. I would play her over Baneslayer Angel... Bane is a quick 5/5.. i know, but her protection is severely limited. Akroma's casting cost shouldn't really be a reason not to play her over Baneslayer because the point of this deck is to cheat her in anyway...
On the subject of cheating with Kaalia i think you may want to consider ways to get her into the game faster... Winding Canyons, Hall of the Bandit Lord will bring Kaalia out swinging hard. Also protecting her through removal will be key. Just like Mayael, she is the crux of the deck. Swiftfoot Boots, Lightning Greaves, Shield of Kaldra, are all good choices..
Take a look at my Mayael Primer for some ideas in red & white. I think you might find them similar..
Instead of Shield of Kaldra, I would run Darksteel Plate in it's place. As this isn't running the Kaldra-Tron, Plate is better for being easier to cast, and way easier to equip.
Intro: This deck is focused on getting Kaalia and her kin out fast and hard when an opportunity arises. Speed and destruction are what define this deck, with recursion and protection providing consistency. It pushes the limits on how much damage and destruction can be done in a short amount of time. This deck would be considered voltron if Kaalia's angels, demons, and dragons weren't the ones doing the damage.
Red: Dragons, haste, card draw
Black: Demons, recursion, tutors, card draw
White: Angels, protection, spot and mass removal
The Game Plan:
Finer Points:
The Deck Sorted by Role:
1 Kaalia of the Vast
Ramp:
1 Sol Ring
1 Coldsteel Heart
1 Talisman of Indulgence
1 Orzhov Signet
1 Rakdos Signet
1 Boros Signet
1 Wayfarer's Bauble
1 Coalition Relic
1 Darkstel Ingot
1 Gilded Lotus
Haste:
1 Mass Hysteria
1 Fervor
1 Swiftfoot Boots (doubles as protection)
1 Lightning Greaves (doubles as protection)
Protection:
1 Adarkar Valkyrie
1 Grand Abolisher
1 Mother of Runes
1 War's Toll
1 Erratic Portal
Mass removal:
1 Steel Hellkite
1 Balefire Dragon
1 Rakdos the Defiler
1 Armageddon
1 Impending Disaster
1 Akroma's Vengeance
1 Austere Command
Spot removal:
1 Angel of Despair
1 Hoard-Smelter Dragon
1 Admonition Angel
1 Path to Exile
1 Swords to Plowshares
1 Chaos Warp
1 Oblation
1 Vindicate
1 Iona, Shield of Emeria
1 Linvala, Keeper of Silence
1 Avacyn, Angel of Hope (one sided wipes)
Discard:
1 Castigate
1 Mind Twist
1 Identity Crisis
Recursion:
1 Reanimate
1 Necromancy
1 Animate Dead
Card Draw:
1 Dragon Mage
1 Bloodgift Demon
1 Syphon Mind
1 Necropotence
1 Phyrexian Arena
1 Wheel of Fortune
Tutors:
1 Rune Scarred Demon
1 Vampiric Tutor
1 Demonic Tutor
1 Stoneforge Mystic
1 Skithiryx, The Blight Dragon
1 Baneslayer Angel
1 Gisela, Blade of Goldnight
1 Serra Ascendant
1 Sensei's Diving Top
1 Hatred
1 Sunforger
1 Wild Ricochet
Basics:
6 Plains
3 Swamp
3 Mountain
1 Scalding Tarn
1 Flooded Strand
1 Bloodstained Mire
1 Marsh Flats
1 Arid Mesa
Duals:
1 Scrubland
1 Badlands
1 Plateau
1 Godless Shrine
1 Scalded Foundry
1 Blood Crypt
1 Isolated Chapel
1 Dragonskull Summit
1 Clifftop Retreat
Filters:
1 Gravern Cairns
1 Fetid Heath
1 Rugged Prairie
Other:
1 Strip Mine
1 Shizo, Death's Storehouse
1 Eiganjo Castle
1 Volrath's Stronghold
1 Urborg, Tom of Yawgmoth
1 Phyrexian Tower
1 Command Tower
1 Reflecting Pool
1 Hall of the Bandit Lord
Cards with (*) signify they are being tested or haven't felt worth it.
Choices/Sections Explained:
Allstars:
Combos/Interactions:
Possible Additions:
Switching to 1v1
Sorin Markov - Bring your opponent to 10 health
Akroma, Angel of Wrath - You can get away with a focused beater in 1v1. The abilities like vigilance and protection from removal help a lot here.
Akroma, Angel of Fury - Similar to angel of wrath
Yosei, the Morning Star - Great rattlesnake, especially for wipes, and pure shutdown for 1v1. It may be hard to get off without a sac outlet though, if they aren't able or planning to wipe your creatures.
Blinding Angel - Great shutdown if they rely on the combat phase too.
Identity Crisis - If this doesn't shut your opponent down to be smashed I don't know what will.
Mind Twist - Similar to identity crisis. The additional control these bring is immense.
Promise of Power - Use this instead of Syphon Mind.
Bringing her power level up:
Weaknesses:
This deck was made to blow a hole through your opponents defenses and go in for the kill with Kaalia. It has been tested against many high level decks and can hold it's own very well. I hope you enjoy playing it as much as I do.
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
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
Anyway, this is probably THE way to run Kaalia aggro. I would probably look to include Boom/Bust and a few other sweepers. Jokulhaups for the win could work if you have a Plate on somebody. Impeding Disaster works too.
Crap. Just took another look at the advanced edit options..... you're right
I've avoided Jokulhaups so far due to the fact that I need at least one extra card in play (darksteel plate) for it to work well. Also, I usually have the most artifact ramp out, so having those stick around can help often too.
Impending Disaster I can see working. It either is an Armageddon, or something that draws hate away from my other permanents. Both are to my advantage, and for only 2 cmc.
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
Well, the way I view this is that an armageddon is one card, and will have somewhat the same effect as both of those cards (lockdown). That makes it a little hard to justify removing two spots for them, because on their own they don't do much to gain you a win(totally debatable depending on who you are playing against though.) These cards also leave your opponents open to casting whatever they had in their hands already.
This all said, I haven't tried them. How are they working for you?
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 Trade List: http://forums.mtgsalvation.com/showthread.php?t=449871
I should have 38 lands. I count 37 there. I'll double check what it is when I'm by my deck later.
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
Could it be Bojuka Bog? Other than the missing land I like the deck. I'm going to use it as a base to build my list off of. I disagree with a few choices but I like the beatdown theme. Not typically what I build decks for so I welcome it to expand my game. I also like the Aggravated Assault / Sword of Feast and Famine Combo as I hadn't thought of it.
My Trade List: http://forums.mtgsalvation.com/showthread.php?t=449871
I had erratic portal in at one point loooong ago, but I think you just sold me on it with the protection part. I've been looking for something to be able to save Kaalia's ass, and that adds another aspect to erratic portal I didn't think about (along with bouncing rakdos etc). It obviously can also be used offensively which is a nice perk.
As for akroma's, do you feel they are worth it? I had a really hard time finding space for them because they cost so much and don't do much but beat, which all of the other creatures can do too. I really appreciate an Iona, shield of emeria and angelic arbiter for the multiplayer table.
Debtor's knell is in the back of my mind also. If it didn't cost 7 mana it would definitely be in. It's really hard fitting in the higher cmc enchantments, artifacts, etc when all of the main pieces (a/d/d) are already 6+. I see this as definitely a large multiplayer card compared to animate dead and reanimate as more 1-3 people cards.
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
I took bojuka bog out for testing, because if it's in my opening hand it sets me back a bit. This is only relevant for 1-3 people games though. More people and it becomes much nicer to have. For instance, 1v1 vs a good vish kal, blood arbiter recursion deck, bojuka bog wasn't needed there. 1v1 this deck usually overpowers and is too fast to matter, with the spot removal getting rid of anything that would be abused in the gy.
I'm actually really curious to see what is missing, because there was already a filter land that happened to disappear when I was filling out this deck list before. It's probably nothing crazy though.
So what do you disagree with? Criticism is welcome here. I'd like to hear what you would put in instead incase it's something I haven't seen.
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 Trade List: http://forums.mtgsalvation.com/showthread.php?t=449871
I'd have to double check, but that's not a bad idea.
I didn't put yosei in because I have almost no way to abuse him, but he may be worth a slot considering it still shuts someone down for a turn. It's hard to justify him in multiplayer. I put in angel of despair without abuse, so I can't really talk though.
I took out hellkite charger due to him being well.... slow. He can't activate his ability when brought in with kaalia, and 7 cmc for the double combat phases were better replaced by savage beating. I really sat on that decision for a long time, but was glad I made it.
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
I see Hellkite Charger more of a beater and a bit of redundancy for infinite combat steps. He can likely replace one of your under performing cards. No clue what those might be as I haven't got there yet.
My Trade List: http://forums.mtgsalvation.com/showthread.php?t=449871
That was exactly my reasoning. For some reason he just never worked out after about 20 games. If he could use his ability on the same turn he is brought in, I don't think I would of questioned it. Land doesn't stick around too long in my meta either, making 7 hard to hit sometimes. 7 mana can also hard to stomach when the sword combo isn't available, and even 5 feels like a lot with aggravated assault sometimes, especially when another a/d/d or game winner could be cast for the same or less.
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
True, Kaalia can be tucked, countered or exiled still, so I've been testing aegis angels worth.
Ah, it's just so hard to throw down 8 mana on a creature that doesn't do much to affect the board, and who still only hits for 6. I may give akroma another shot sometime soon.
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 Trade List: http://forums.mtgsalvation.com/showthread.php?t=449871
I haven't been running either Akromas and I've never really felt as if I've ever needed them. You could try Blinding Angel in it's spot for 1v1, it's castable at the five drop, and can keep an aggresive player off his combat step, or in multiplayer, you would probably be served better with Angelic Arbiter.
Indomitable Archangel is another option, depending on your artifact count, and how reliably you can get metalcraft. Consideration for me anyway, as I run a decent amount of mana rocks and swords. But IDK it doesn't effect the board much, though it is a 4 drop 4/4(Linvala is lonely at the four drop slot). Just food for thought.
Steel Sabotage'ng Orbs of Mellowness since 2011.
That works, and so would a hatred. The more sweet cards that get put in, the more the deck lacks focus and doesn't draw into the correct cards though. It's definitely worth a test. I'd also imagine sorin is slightly better for 1v1 also.
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
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
I have to reiterate what so many people have said, at least the original Akroma, Angel of Wrath, is a must. She has won me games in Mayael all the time... her protection's make her difficult to remove and she does a lot of damage very quickly. I would play her over Baneslayer Angel... Bane is a quick 5/5.. i know, but her protection is severely limited. Akroma's casting cost shouldn't really be a reason not to play her over Baneslayer because the point of this deck is to cheat her in anyway...
On the subject of cheating with Kaalia i think you may want to consider ways to get her into the game faster... Winding Canyons, Hall of the Bandit Lord will bring Kaalia out swinging hard. Also protecting her through removal will be key. Just like Mayael, she is the crux of the deck. Swiftfoot Boots, Lightning Greaves, Shield of Kaldra, are all good choices..
Take a look at my Mayael Primer for some ideas in red & white. I think you might find them similar..
EDH:
Currently Piloting:
Dama, Sage of Stone | Karador, Ghost Chieftan | Sigarda, Host of Herons | Elbrus, the Binding Blade / Withengar Unbound | Grand Arbiter Augustin IV | Genju of the Realm | Ruric Thar, the Unbowed
Instead of Shield of Kaldra, I would run Darksteel Plate in it's place. As this isn't running the Kaldra-Tron, Plate is better for being easier to cast, and way easier to equip.
Steel Sabotage'ng Orbs of Mellowness since 2011.