I run an extremely similar deck to yours. I highly recommend Morbid Curiosity (from Kaladesh) in place of Arena or Reclamation.

Also, can you explain why you keep Bloodgift demon and Angel of Serenity? I feel they lack in immediate value, in comparison to say Scourge of Kher Ridges, or maybe even Skithiryx, The Blight Dragon.

Hey! Thanks for the reply!

The Bloodgift Demon's there because he's a pretty a balanced package, though I admit he's on the lower end of the creatures I run. He's card advantage (even bribery, at times) on a pretty easy-to-cast stick. I realize casting creatures is one of the last things that Kaalia wants to do, but when you're forced to, he isn't a bad choice.

Angel of Serenity is a left over from my earlier days. While I consider her lower on the pole that Bloodgift Demon, she has pulled more weight than some of the previous creatures I've tested. Admittedly, she had more value I was running sac outlets/tuck protection (sacrifice her to Butcher of the Horde or Phyrexian Tower in response to ETB for permanent exile), but I still find that works well enough with a Swords to Plowshares or Path to Exile (Pathing your own creature to exile three of theirs? It isn't bad).

There's a few ways to use her outside of that. You can ruin someone's tempo by holding 1-2 of their cards hostage and targeting something in your graveyard. If they remove the angel, then they have to recast their creature(s) while you get a card or two back. Other times it's just graveyard hate or a matter of "I need these things gone for this swing", and getting three targets out of the way is pretty decent for that. Right now, though, I'm interested in testing her ETB out when I get my Strionic Resonator.

As for the Scourge, I have no problems with finding him a slot. It's just a matter of finding a foil of him in a trade or at a comfortable enough price. Skittles is powerful on his own, and while I recognize that, I would love running him if I could consistently make him a two-turn clock. If I had a consistent means to just give me a measly +1/+0 to up that clock, I think I'd feel better about him. Still, I may undervaluing him even without that.

Is the reasoning for Bloodgift Demon the same reasoning for Karmic Guide and especially Baneslayer Angel?

Hard casting Karmic guide when behind can be a godsend. And potentially good values when ahead.

But do you value the lifelink on Baneslayer that much when behind?

Thanks for your in-depth responses. Nice to hear reasoning from a seasoned, foiled Kaalia veteran.

Yeah, comparing them to Bloodgift Demon is pretty apt.

Karmic Guide is a Kaalia-cheatable reanimator. While she's a bit expensive for the effect, being able to cheat her out mitigates that for the most part. She plays well with Dragon Mage/Wheel of Fortune when you draw into her, and if Kaalia gets killed, you can let her go to the yard and play Karmic Guide for a "cheaper tax".

Baneslayer Angel was primarily a meta call (Prossh and Skittles), but I found the cheap CMC and the lifegain to be more relevant that I thought. Between the painlands, Necropotence, Reanimate, Anguished Unmaking, Vampiric Tutor, and usually always tapping out/swinging all in, your life can and will fast.

Again, like Bloodgift Demon, I consider them on the shallow-end of the creature pool, but their unique attributes all keep them right above being cut. Really, I think the current creatures on the ropes are Rakdos, Lord of Riots, then Ob Nixilis, Unshackled, then Baneslayer Angel and/or Karmic Guide (despite my arguments for them). I've tested a fair number of the creatures that Kaalia has available and have grown comfortable with this list, but it really could be improved if Wizards prints 2-4 more "shock and awe", big-splash creatures like I outlined in the primer.

Havoc Demon / Demonic Hordes / Tyrant's Familiar ?

Also why do you not include any Planeswalkers? Such as Sorin, Grim Nemesis for example? Btw i love your deck. +1 from me, definitely. It's so fucking ''clean''! Love it.

Thanks for the upvote and reply! As for your question, it's mostly a matter of value.

Planeswalkers are at their best when they can survive for multiple turns. I quickly discovered Kaalia's want and tendency to swing all-out left you without a way to protect them. This often turned Planeswalkers into one-hit wonders, making me consider them less of a multi-turn value-house and more of a one-time, multi-modal spell.

For example, Liliana Vess was in the first draft of this deck for her tutor ability. I quickly discovered that she mostly survived for one turn. Yeah, sometimes I'd get two used out of her, but those sometimes were rare. Leaving a fatty untapped to block for a planeswalker is often worse value than just going for the damage, not to mention fruitless if there's more than on creature to block.

Realizing I'd only get one use out of her, I started thinking of her as a 5 CMC "spell", comparing her abilities to other similar "spells". What I got was either a 5 CMC "stricktly-wrose-than-Duress-variant" or a 5 CMC sorcery speed Vampiric Tutor, both pretty bad values. I ended up cutting her for either Diabolic Intent or Increasing Ambition, since they provided a "faster" effect for similar mana.

That ended up a bit longer than I intended, but there you go. I tend to break most planeswalkers down like that if I can't protect them or they can't protect themselves. You could do the same and figure out why I don't run Sorin, Grim Nemesis when compared to the other available forms of card draw and removal in the format.

Oh! I didn't see that you posted twice.

• Havoc Demon - I passed him over for the same reasons I passed over Archangel Avacyn  ^Flip and Demon of Dark Schemes- the chances for his effect to backfire on you outweigh the potential benefits. He's arguable more dangerous to your own boardstate than the other two to boot.

• Demonic Hordes - Actually didn't know this one existed. Seems interesting but slow and mana intensive. I may try this out one day.

• Tyrant's Familiar - This is actually a pretty good card, not to mention the best of the three creatures in the the "Kaalia-cares" portion of this cycle. He used to be in this deck and Balefire Dragon took his place. Given how unhappy I am with Rakdos, Lord of Riots, I may give give this a shot at least until I get a foil Scourge of Kher Ridges.

Could you explain why you took out Overseer of the Damned? I'd take this guy over Tyrant's familiar if you're looking for removal since it happens instantly instead of waiting a turn to attack. Having those zombies to block when you tap all your creatures mitigates those life problems you have too in your meta.

Also what about Savage Beating? Other than obvious Kaalia triggers and massive damage, I believe it is a good card late game. Having just a utility flier out and 7 mana turns into 20+ damage and can win the game.

Skyline Despot? Immediate value in the card draw, puts a target on you, but it shouldn't be too troublesome getting monarch back? When ahead, makes dragons without the lack of immediate value in Utvara hellkite. When behind, pray that card draw gets you something good.

congratz on the foil demonic tutor too :P

Overseer of the Damned, if I recall, came out around the time I added Angelic Arbiter, Master of Cruelties, Sire Of Insanity, Steel Hellkite, or Rakdos the Defiler. I forgot the specifics, but there was a decent run where it either felt underwhelming or lesser priority than other fatties. I do still think highly of the Overseer, and in retrospect, "should" have kept him in over Rakdos, Lord of Riots.

As for Overseer of the Damned vs Tyrant's Familiar -

• Overseer's ETB is typically a one-shot effect that doesn't require you to connect. Either casting it or cheating it out, you'll get what you want the turn it comes down. The static zombie effect can make chump blockers but never provided a satisfactory level of value (Barring the one time the player to my left reanimated a Sheolred- Good times.)

• The Tyrant can also "kill the thing" the turn it comes down, but relies on Kaalia being there (can't imagine hard-casting it, unlike the Overseer). Still, if Kaalia can swing then it should connect netting you removal "on-par" with the Overseer. What the Tyrant has over the Overseer is a prospect of long-term value. Where the Overseer can provides a one-turn answer, the Tyrant can bring multi-turn removal and serve as a long-term threat.

Savage Beating is interesting, and oddly enough, something I've never come across. I'm adding it to the maybelist and test it sometime soon.

Swear I covered Skyline Despot in a previous update. Does Tappedout delete them after a certain point? Either way, the Despot is "alright" but the monarch mechanic seems more a detriment than a boon. The crown allows Despot to replace himself, but for much the same reason I don't run planeswalkers, Kaalia can't do much to protect it. Anyone with a mana dork or half-assed creature could "Take the Crown" from you, inviting damage and netting them a card, possibly drawing into answers or combos, while also rending the Despot's second effect useless.

Thanks for the congrats! Hopefully the Fellwarstone gets reprint or I can actually find someone with one on Deckbox/MTGS.

Thought you might like to know about this. This guy also has great ideas for Kaalia. You'd enjoy the read.(http://http://www.mtgsalvation.com/forums/the-game/commander-edh/forum-1-vs-1-traditional/206319-traditional-commander-kaalia-of-the-vast)