Budget casual to competitive Temur spellslinger featuring Kalamax, the Stormsire with infinite copy spell combos and magecraft.


Combos

The most mana efficient as well as for the most value to give Kalamax infinite power is to copy an opponent's instant or sorcery with a Fork because for as low as two mana can also resolve two copies of opponent's spell (first Fork copy and last Fork copy). Other way is on my turn, I can copy my sorcery with a Fork and can also resolve three copies of the sorcery (original, first Fork copy and last Fork copy). Resloving the last Fork copy will end the copy spell loop in all these combos.

Soul's Fire is the best instant here if Kalamax has infinite power since each other effect that can make another copy of it means infinite damage to another opponent. By adding Twining Staff/Errant, Street Artist/Invocation of the Founders  /Ral, Storm Conduit -2 then Soul's Fire can do infinite damage to more opponents.

With infinite mana Comet Storm can do infinite damage to each opponent. Capsize cast with buyback can bounce all my opponent's permanents + lands. Sprout Swarm cast with buyback can create infinite Saps on an opponent's turn to then attack with them for lethal on my next turn. Reiterate cast with buyback can infinite copy another instant that does damage to a player such as Lightning Bolt.



*Desc Updated: May, 2021*


This budget version of Kalamax is casual to competitive, power level 6 and for less than $200 packs a serious punch. Kalamax is a combo power house and an enabler for infinite combos with his copy the first instant I cast on a turn effect. The primary way of winning is with infinite burn at my opponents with Ral, Storm Conduit, Chandra's Ignition or Soul's Fire with Kalamax and a Fork such as Reverberate. Another way is by doing lethal Commander damage by attacking with evasive Kalamax which an extra turn combo with Walk the Aeons helps with. A Fork can put infinite +1/+1 counters on Kalamax making him a lethal attacker with evasion.

The combos are complex, taking advantage of spells on the stack, copying spells on the stack and the order I resolve them therefore this deck is not for beginners. Kalamax is not needed to win, but he speeds up the process of combos by copying the instant that's the enabler of a combo. Backup infinite mana combos can win with a mana sink such as Comet Storm. Infinite copies of a instant Fork, a sorcery or other options can make infinite value with magecraft.

Key Combos:

The spellslinger theme comes from this deck is mostly instants and Kalamax since he's a value engine with instants especially instants that draw. Copying my opponent's instants or sorceries with Forks and Narset's Reversal, repeatable instants with buyback and repeatable sorceries with Narset's Reversal add to the spellsplinger theme. Magecraft also adds to spellslinger because it triggers from instants and Kalamax has a built in copy ability. Having 40 instants while being able to copy one instant on each player's turn with tapped Kalamax can lead to a major advantage especially with magecraft when I cast an instant on each of my opponent's turns.

Kalamax is the center of attention thus it's important that I keep him in my control/he stays on the battlefield and that's the main weakness of this deck. There's several Counterspells as well as other ways to protect Kalamax from my opponents trying to remove him. Another weakness is opponent sacrifice creature effects which tokens help with to avoid having to sac Kalamax. The overall strengths far outweigh these weaknesses.

Reverberate - Reiterate - Expansion / Explosion - Insidious Will - Narset's Reversal

Instant Forks create so much value with tapped Kalamax. For as low as two mana I can end up resolving two copies of the instant/sorcery I copied from an opponent and put infinite +1/+1 counters on Kalamax using an instant Fork to copy itself on the stack an infinite amount of times. As long as a Fork is the first instant I cast during a turn it can be used with tapped Kalamax to copy another card either cast by an opponent or a sorcery cast by me to make an infinite copy spell loop.

How this works is the original Fork doesn't resolve from the stack until the end.

  • The copy of the Fork from Kalamax resolves and copies the original Fork that's still on the stack.
  • This makes the copy spell loop since the original Fork on the stack is constantly copied by the copy of the Fork.
  • The loop ends when I target a different spell with the Fork copy and I resolve the original Fork.

When copying an opponent's spell with a Fork then I can resolve two copies of the spell I copied. If I'm copying my own sorcery then I can resolve three copies of that spell. Both of these ways a Fork interacts with Kalamax give me excellent value for the mana cost.


The first way to do this interaction is by copying any opponent's instant or sorcery. This is how I can combo for only two mana and results in making a copy instant loop during an opponent's turn thus having an infinite large Kalamax on my next turn to attack.

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The second way is I cast a sorcery, hold priority and with Kalamax tapped cast a Fork to copy the sorcery. This way can use Chandra's Ignition burn as a win condition with Kalamax.

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The copy of a Fork can infinite copy the original Fork on the stack, but it doesn't have to because I can control how many copies are made and this can be important with magecraft and Twinning Staff especially with Archmage Emeritus. Reiterate has buyback which can make it a repeatable Fork for six mana; taking advantage of repeatable instants with Kalamax.


Because of the "return to owner's hand" effect of Narset's Reversal it can't by itself make an infinite copy spell loop like the other Forks can with just tapped Kalamax. By itself it can't put infinite +1/+1 counters on tapped Kalamax or be used with Ral, Storm Conduit as a win condition. It doesn't work because the original Reversal doesn't stay on the stack to be copied. When the Kalamax copy of Reversal resolves it returns original Reversal back to my hand which means original Reversal leaves the stack. The copy of Reversal doesn't have the original Reversal on the stack to copy which with other Forks is what makes the infinite copy spell loop.


Kalamax + Narset's Reversal + Twinning Staff = infinite copy

Reversal + Kalamax can be make an infinite copy spell loop with another source copying Reversal such as Twinning Staff. This combo can be triggered by an opponent casting an instant or sorcery or I cast a sorcery first.

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Kalamax copy of Narset's Reversal targets the original Reversal on the stack. Because Kalamax copied Reversal then this triggers Twinning Staff to copy it and this copy of Reversal targets Kalamax copy of Reversal on the stack.

  • During the combo resolving Kalamax copy of Reversal returns original Reversal back to my hand, original Reversal leaves the stack and a copy of Reversal is made by Staff.
  • Two Staff copies of Reversal are still on the stack to copy thus there will always be a copy of Reversal on the stack to target since copies of Reversal stay on the stack and can resolve even if the original Reversal is gone from the stack.
  • A copy of Reversal copying another copy of Reversal on the stack is all that's needed to make the infinite copy spell loop.

Ral, Storm Conduit - Archmage Emeritus - Storm-Kiln Artist - Deekah, Fractal Theorist - Dragonsguard Elite

Magecraft is powerful with Kalamax, triggering it twice just by casting the first instant on a turn. These magecraft cards with different effects can take advantage of a Fork just like Kalamax can which adds lots of different avenues to winning. Because magecraft triggers when an instant spell is copied then a Fork with tapped Kalamax can infinite trigger it. This can make infinite value a number of different ways.

  • Ral, Storm Conduit main win condition with infinite damage to my opponents.
  • Storm-Kiln Artist equals infinite mana with treasures.
  • Archmage Emeritus can draw the rest of my library, but I can control how many spell copies a Fork makes thus I won't deck myself and lose the game by drawing from an empty library.
  • Deekah, Fractal Theorist is infinite Fractal tokens which can be created on a opponent's turn with a Fork copying an opponent's instant or sorcery to then potentially attack for lethal with the tokens on my next turn.
  • Dragonsguard Elite is the backup creature who can grow in power/toughness even infinite power for Chandra's Ignition or Soul's Fire burn or can do lethal evasive combat damage.

Ral, Storm Conduit is actually the first magecraft card, way before Strixhaven. His static ability is not called magecraft, but it's the same. Magecraft reinforces the theme of spellslinger because it can generate tons of value if I'm casting an instant on each of my opponent's turns especially draw from Archmage Emeritus.

A big reason to play Kalamax as Commander are combos. Combos where an instant is the enabler are the amazing options with Kalamax. There's lots of combos in this deck that use Kalamax's copy effect as an enabler.

The main win condition combos are with a Fork for infinite burn to opponents:

Tapped Kalamax and a Fork are the easiest combos to assemble, only needing an opponent to cast an instant or sorcery or I cast a sorcery. These combos use the three easiest win conditions here: Ral, Storm Conduit, Chandra's Ignition and Soul's Fire.

Forks: Reverberate, Reiterate, Expansion / Explosion, Insidious Will


A Fork can put infinite counters on Kalamax giving him infinite power which Soul's Fire can be a win condition when resolving three Fires to infinite burn three different opponents.

Kalamax + Fork + Ral, Storm Conduit = infinite burn to each opponent

If I control Ral, Storm Conduit before I make the infinite copy spell loop with tapped Kalamax + a Fork he does 1 damage to an opponent when a spell is copied which results in burning all my opponents, one at a time. There's other ways here without a Fork to make an infinite copy spell loop and Ral can also be a win condition with those combos.

Ral's -2 loyalty ability can be is a backup Kalamax copy spell effect for the purposes of comboing on my turn especially with combos that don't use a Fork such as with Turnabout. This is helpful because I will not always control Kalamax.

Kalamax + Chandra's Ignition + Fork = infinite burn to all opponents.

Since Chandra's Ignition is a sorcery then it can start the Fork combo with Kalamax where Kalamax gets infinite counters giving him infinite power. On my turn, at a main phase, Ignition can be a win condition with Kalamax without a Fork if he already has infinite counters.

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In the combo, copies of Chandra's Ignition after resolving at the end of the combo see Kalamax with infinite power.

  • When I first cast Chandra's Ignition targeting Kalamax it doesn't matter what his power is because this just puts the spell on the stack.
  • It's when I want to resolve Ignition that's when it matters how much power Kalamax has, but in this combo that doesn't happen right away.
  • The three Ignitions stay on the stack all the way until Kalamax has infinite counters from copying the Fork giving him infinite power and then they resolve last.

I first choose a target creature to put Chandra's Ignition on the stack and then when it resolves it looks at that creature's power. If that creature is still on the battlefield then Ignition does damage, but if there's no creature then no damage is done. When using spells that are relying on Kalamax's power to do damage then I need a way to protect Kalamax before I combo because if he leaves the battlefield in response then these spells don't do damage.

Soul's Fire is a backup Ignition and Dragonsguard Elite is a backup creature who can have infinite power.

Kalamax + Fork + Twinning Staff = infinite counters on Kalamax and infinite copies of another spell on the stack.

This combo at instant speed can make infinite copies of a spell on the stack even an opponent's instant or sorcery. It's versatile since I can copy any instant or sorcery an opponent casts and use the copies against all my opponents. The amazing thing about this combo is if an opponent casts a damage to a player spell I can infinite burn all my opponents by copying that spell since I can change the target player with the copies.

I control how many copies of the spell are made since I choose when to break the loop of the Fork copying original Fork. The copies can be infinite, but doesn't have to be which is helpful when opponent casts a draw spell or permanent removal spell. When this happens I want to make just enough copies to draw some cards or remove all my opponent's permanents that the spell can target, but not draw the rest of my library or have to target my own permanents with more copies.

First way to do this combo is by copying an opponent's spell by waiting for him/her/they to cast it and then Fork which starts the combo with tapped Kalamax.

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The other option is for me to cast a sorcery first and then cast a Fork targeting the sorcery which tapped Kalamax makes a copy of the Fork.

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When Kalamax copies an instant or I copy a spell on the stack this triggers Twinning Staff to make a copy of the copy. The copying of original Reverberate by copy Reverberate is what fuels this combo because this also triggers Staff to copy Reverberate and I can change what spell on the stack is copied with the Staff copies of Reverberate. The original Reverberate on the stack is copied constantly by a copy of Reverberate which makes the infinite copy spell loop. Adding Staff makes each time original Reverberate is copied it's copied again and this additional Reverberate copy doesn't have to target original Reverberate it can target another spell on the stack.


Kalamax + Narset's Reversal + Twinning Staff makes an infinite copy spell loop. This combo can be triggered by an opponent casting an instant or sorcery or I cast a sorcery first.

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Soul's Fire is flexible since it can be an instant creature or Planeswalker kill spell with high power Kalamax or best of all a win condition with infinite power Kalamax. It can potentially infinite burn one or two or all three of my opponents in response to anything an opponent does depending on how many times I can copy Fire. Dragonsguard Elite is a backup creature who can have infinite power.

A good scenario with Soul's Fire is I cast it first on a turn when Kalamax already has infinite counters.

  • On an opponent's turn Fork an instant or sorcery him/her casts which puts infinite counters on tapped Kalamax giving him infinite power.
  • Then the next opponent's turn cast Fire, tapped Kalamax copies it which does infinite burn to two different opponents leaving one opponent left in the game.
  • On my turn last opponent has to deal with an infinite power, potentially evasive, attacking Kalamax or I win the game.

Since Soul's Fire is an instant then it can't be part of an infinite copy spell loop with Kalamax and an instant Fork because it wouldn't be the first instant I cast during the turn, the Fork is. It has the be the first instant I cast for Kalamax to copy it. Fire can be a win condition doing infinite burn to all three of my opponents when it can be copied an additional time. Tapped Kalamax copies it and then another card can copy it an additional time making three Fires, each targeting a different opponent.

Kalamax + Walk the Aeons + Narset's Reversal = extra turns with attacking Kalamax doing lethal Commander damage to each opponent.

Walk the Aeons is the enabler for extra turn combos with Kalamax and this combo requires with Kalamax tapped to copy Reversal. It's best to do this combo on my second main phase after Kalamax has attacked.

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Narset's Reversal's interaction with Kalamax lets me bounce both Reversal and Walk back to my hand to then cast again on the extra turn and repeat.

These combos don't use a Fork to make an infinite copy spell loop with tapped Kalamax instead they use Nivix Guildmage's copy spell effect. Both of Guildmage's abilities can be used with infinite mana to find and copy a win condition and that's what makes him powerful for a two drop. He's a backup copy enabler if Kalamax is disrupted because combos with him can use Ral, Storm Conduit or a mana sink with infinite mana as win conditions.

What separates these combos from Fork combos is I can attack with Kalamax and then cast Turnabout that's the enabler for the combo in combat to give Kalamax infinite +1/+1 counters. If the combo doesn't win the game then Kalamax can potentially do lethal Commander damage to that opponent.

Kalamax + Nivix Guildmage + Turnabout + at least five lands = infinite mana by tapping and untapping all my lands and loot the rest of my library for a win condition.

Turnabout is the enabler for infinite mana with Nivix Guildmage constantly copying Turnabout. I want to make infinite and mana because then Guildmage can loot into a win condition and infinite copy that instant with infinite mana. This combo makes an infinite copy spell loop which puts infinite counters on Kalamax. It can be done in combat after Kalamax attacks and if the combo doesn't win the game then Kalamax can potentially do lethal Commander damage to an opponent.


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Win conditions with this combo:

  • Ral, Storm Conduit in my control with infinite copy from Guildmage.
  • Comet Storm with infinite mana.
  • Prismari Command with infinite mana and infinite copy from Guildmage.
  • Lightning Bolt with infinite mana and infinite copy from Guildmage.
  • Soul's Fire with infinite mana and infinite copy from Guildmage.
  • Capsize + Beast Within with infinite mana and infinite copy from Guildmage by destroying all my opponent's permanents then bouncing all 3/3s with infinite buyback Capsize.

This combo doesn't need Kalamax to go infinite and if not using Kalamax then the combo costs (4 for Turnabout and 4 to copy it with Guildmage). Kalamax speeds up the process because I only need to cast Turnabout. Capsize + Beast Within is a backup win condition if an opponent has protection from being targeted with burn. Capsize by itself with infinite mana and buyback is not a true win condition, but it can bounce all my opponent's permanents including all their lands which could win the game.

Kalamax + Nivix Guildmage + Frantic Search + Bounce land + 2 other lands = loot the rest of my library for Turnabout or assemble another infinite combo.

Since Frantic Search is the instant enabler in this combo it's not an infinite combo, it doesn't make make an infinite copy spell loop with tapped Kalamax. This combo is for repeatable copy and repeatable loot; to loot for Turnabout or another card that I want at that certain point of a game. I loot for Turnabout which I cast on another turn and be used with Guildmage for an infinite mana, infinite copy, infinite loot combo to draw a win condition.

Bounce lands: Izzet Boilerworks, Simic Growth Chamber, Gruul Turf

A Bounce land is why this combo can work since Frantic Search needs to untap three lands that can make at least four mana to copy Frantic with Guildmage. With two Bounce lands then this combo can make extra mana which can be potentially be used to assemble an infinite combo to use with a win condition. This combo doesn't need Kalamax, but if he's part of it then it costs less mana because he copies Frantic. Without Kalamax the combo costs . With Kalamax it costs only .

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Repeatable instants and sorceries give so much value with Kalamax, magecraft and add to the theme of spellslinger.

Narset's Reversal can be a lot of repeatable value since the copy of it from Kalamax can bounce the original back to my hand. It's a repeatable way for two mana to copy any opponent's instant or sorcery or my own sorcery.

To copy an opponent's instant or sorcery I wait for him/her to cast their spell then in response cast Reversal.

  • With tapped Kalamax this copies Reversal and the Kalamax copy targets original Reversal on the stack.
  • Then I resolve the Kalamax copy which returns original Reversal back to my hand and original Reversal then leaves the stack.
  • Reversal stops my opponent from resolving their spell since if a spell on the stack is returned to it's owners hand it's removed from the stack and can't resolve, but all copies of that spell remain and can still resolve.

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At the end of the combo I get to resolve a copy of opponent's spell while having Reversal back into my hand and my opponent doesn't get to resolve their spell. This interaction can disrupt opponents from resolving instants or sorceries. Depending on how much mana I have available I can keep casting Reversal once on each of my opponent's turns as long as an opponent casts an instant or sorcery.

Storm-Kiln Artist is nice with Narset's Reversal and Kalamax because of the magecraft interaction. It's repeatable ramp to repeatably cast Reversal on each of my opponent's turns, if an opponent casts an instant or sorcery. With tapped Kalamax, Artist will create two treasures when I cast Reversal as the first instant each turn. These two treasures can be saced to pay to cast Reversal again on another turn and repeat.


Another powerful interaction with Narset's Reversal is with my own sorceries. This interaction lets me resolve a copy of the sorcery while returning both Reversal and the sorcery back to my hand to cast again. Kalamax + Reversal + my own sorcery is a big reason to play sorceries for different repeatable effects.

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Reiterate - Capsize - Sprout Swarm

Instants with buyback can return to my hand after casting them if the buyback cost is paid. Combine buyback with tapped Kalamax who can copy the buyback instant for lots of value. These three buyback instants especially Capsize are excellent with Wilderness Reclamation since they give me an instant to cast on my turn with tapped Kalamax, it returns to my hand to then cast again on an opponent's turn after I untap all my lands with Reclamation.

Reiterate is a Fork that can make an infinite copy spell loop with tapped Kalamax. Having a Fork effect with buyback is nice with Kalamax and magecraft. Capsize with buyback can be devastating to my opponents with tapped Kalamax since for six mana can bounce any two permanents on the battlefield and then return to my hand to do it again.

Sprout Swarm with buyback for five mana with tapped Kalamax can create two Saps. Convoke with buyback is a nice combination because Kalamax and the Sap tokens can help to pay to convoke Swarm. Because of the Sap tokens Swarm is essentially a free instant to cast with convoke on each of my opponent's turns. Convoke is another way to tap Kalamax at instant speed and I can use Kalamax to convoke to trigger it's copy ability with Swarm. Because of convoke Swarm is great with magecraft.

Kessig Wolf Run - Zephyr Boots - Shadow Rift - Leap

Putting infinite counters on Kalamax and not winning the game that turn puts a target on Kalamax and I most likely will become the archenemy. I need to be prepared if attacking with an infinite power Kalamax. I don't have to win on the spot when I put infinite counters on Kalamax. I can instead use Kalamax as an attacker each turn which can and most likely will do lethal Commander damge to my opponents one at a time.

If using Kalamax as an attacker than repeatable evasion helps to do combat damage to an opponent. Kessig Wolf Run can give Kalamax trample and it can be tutored for/put onto the battlefield with Crop Rotation. Zephyr Boots gives Kalamax flying and it can also be a source of repeatable loot. Shadow Rift and Leap are instants that Kalamax can copy, Solve the Equation can tutor for, etc. For one mana it makes Kalamax unblockable or flying and draws two cards.

Springleaf Drum - Holdout Settlement - Survivors' Encampment - Cultivator's Caravan

The power of Kalamax's ability comes from when he's tapped. Attacking is the best way to tap Kalamax, but sometimes I'm disrupted, can't attack or Kalamax can't safely attack. In these situations having other ways to tap Kalamax at instant speed are needed because Kalamax has to be tapped to copy the first instant each turn. Holdout Settlement and Survivors' Encampment are the best options for tappers because either one or even both can be tutored for with Crop Rotation.

Kalamax has to be tapped to combo. Without a tapper I can only do these combos if Kalamax can attack and at my second main phase. With a tapper I don't need Kalamax to attack and can combo at my first or second main phase or really any phase, mine or opponents.


There's other uses that tappers have to tap Kalamax. The turn I play Kalamax and he doesn't have haste then he can't tap without a tapper. A tapper lets me tap Kalamax to copy an instant the turn I play him. A reason that Settlement/Encampment/Springleaf Drum are the better options for tappers is because they can make mana by tapping Kalamax. I can make mana with Kalamax the turn I play him and use that mana to cast an instant on an opponent's turn or to protect Kalamax with an instant such as Stubborn Denial.

With a tapper Kalamax can be a big body blocker and also be able to utilize his ability when he's tapped. Kiora's Follower is helpful when using Kalamax as a blocker. After Kalamax attacks, Follower can untap Kalamax to block on an opponent's turn and then use a tapper to tap Kalamax before I cast an instant. If Kalamax can attack then with a tapper I can combo with a Fork at my first main phase to give Kalamax infinite counters. After that untap him with Follower and attack that same turn for potential lethal Commander damage.

Sprout Swarm - Saheeli, Sublime Artificer - Deekah, Fractal Theorist - Young Pyromancer

It's helpful and honestly important to have repeatable creature token sources with Kalamax. Without token sources then opponent sacrifice creature effects wreck Kalamax because then he's consistently the only creature. I want to keep Kalamax on the battlefield and I can stop most targeted removal towards him as well as board wipes, but I can't stop most sacrifice effects without tokens.

The convoke of Sprout Swarm is very good because Kalamax can be tapped to help to pay for convoke which then copies Swarm. Convoke is the reason I can potentially cast Swarm at least once on each players turn because Sap tokens can help to pay for the next Swarm. Kalamax + Storm-Kiln Artist + Twinning Staff lets me cast Swarm with buyback without using lands since I create three treasures when Swarm is cast and then create three Saps. The three Saps with convoke along with two treasures and tapped Kalamax is enough to cast Swarm on the next player's turn.

Saheeli, Sublime Artificer, Deekah, Fractal Theorist and Young Pyromancer give me repeatable token value by doing what I want to be doing with Kalamax which is casting instants or sorceries. Deekah with magecraft can create tokens when I copy an instant or sorcery which can create infinite Fractals with an infinite copy spell combo.


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Top Ranked
Date added 3 years
Last updated 4 months
Key combos
Legality

This deck is Commander / EDH legal.

Rarity (main - side)

2 - 0 Mythic Rares

36 - 0 Rares

19 - 0 Uncommons

30 - 0 Commons

Cards 100
Avg. CMC 2.55
Tokens Beast 3/3 G, Saproling 1/1 G, Servo 1/1 C, Treasure
Folders Kalamax, Hell Yeah, fun-times, Playtest Decks, Favorite Builds, EDH, Edh decks, Cool decks, Neat stuff, saved decks
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