With all the creature-based aggro decks relying on the graveyard in the currant meta (DredgeVine in particular, but many others as well) I would think this card would be seeing a ton of play in Jund, B/G, Mardu, and any other midrange and control decks that are running black. However, a quick search revealed that it's only really appearing as a 1-of in the sideboards of some versions of these decks. Am I missing something - overlooking some obvious reason this isn't seeing more play?
It's too slow in general. DredgeVine can put a ton of power into play on turn 2 sometimes and pretty reliably on turn 3. Playing Kalitas on turn 4 after your opponent is already set up just feels bad. On top of that it only stops death triggers. So your opponent can still discard Vengevine/Bloodghast and bring them back they just can't do it multiple times. Plus another big deck (KCI) uses the GY very heavily, but is not creature based so all the current GY hate has become rest in peace/ leyline of the void in order to consolidate sideboard slots.
Oh I agree with you in that if you're relying on this as your anti-graveyard card that you're going to bring out of the side and just win against the GY decks then you're sadly mistaken. You'd still need to play Leyline of the Void, Nihil Spellbomb, or whatever out of the SB to really beat GY decks - especially those that you mentioned like KCI or Storm that use the yard but don't use creatures.
I'd see this as more of like a 2-of MD. Just as a card that is just generally good against all kinds of creature-based aggro - Humans or RDW for instance might find this annoying - but in the right MUs randomly causing Bloodghasts, Vengevines, Flamewake Phoenixs not to come back and Bridges not to trigger seems like it would be worth it.
Still using two Kalitas in my BG deck. Although I would agree that he isn't as good as he used to be. He still shines against creature based aggro.. espescially tribal decks. Ah, and I don't rely on him as the only anti-grave card... also have 3 scavenging ooze to help things out.
Casting Damnation with Kalitas out and plenty of elves or humans on the other side = an army of zombies to finish off my opponent.
With all the creature-based aggro decks relying on the graveyard in the currant meta (DredgeVine in particular, but many others as well) I would think this card would be seeing a ton of play in Jund, B/G, Mardu, and any other midrange and control decks that are running black. However, a quick search revealed that it's only really appearing as a 1-of in the sideboards of some versions of these decks. Am I missing something - overlooking some obvious reason this isn't seeing more play?
I'd see this as more of like a 2-of MD. Just as a card that is just generally good against all kinds of creature-based aggro - Humans or RDW for instance might find this annoying - but in the right MUs randomly causing Bloodghasts, Vengevines, Flamewake Phoenixs not to come back and Bridges not to trigger seems like it would be worth it.
Still using two Kalitas in my BG deck. Although I would agree that he isn't as good as he used to be. He still shines against creature based aggro.. espescially tribal decks. Ah, and I don't rely on him as the only anti-grave card... also have 3 scavenging ooze to help things out.
Casting Damnation with Kalitas out and plenty of elves or humans on the other side = an army of zombies to finish off my opponent.
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