Kokusho, the Evening Star

Legendary Creature — Dragon Spirit

Flying

When Kokusho, the Evening Star is put into a graveyard from play, each opponent loses 5 life. You gain life equal to the life lost this way.

Discussion (47)

Tzefick on Venenum, Apothemancer

4 days ago

Fun concept.

Not sure if I believe her static ability is all that strong.

Granted in a shell that focuses on mass-producing saprolings, it can outright win the game. Although that same effect can be achieved through a Zulaport Cutthroat and any free sac outlet .

If we're talking Standard/Modern, I believe a 7 MV (feels weird to say instead of CMC) that requires a major setup for the pay off is too clunky to be competitive.

---

What if you changed the static to a triggered ability instead of an active one? That means you can utilize the plants and saprolings as blocking fodder and still get the benefits of them dying.

Also I'm puzzled why the -4 (which is a very substantial amount of loyalty) only grants specific creature types either lifelink (on a zero power token) or wither (on a 1/1 body). That seems disproportionally bad. Especially for a 7 MV planeswalker.

The ultimate is just a double Kokusho, the Evening Star death trigger, which is quite nice.

I must comment on the use of hybrid mana as well, since green does not deal in making players lose life (well outside combat). I feel like you cannot justify the use of hybrid mana here. At the very least it should be in the mana cost to force both colors in there.

---

I don't mean to take over, but I can't help but make a suggestion for a revised version.

One concept Show

Venenum, Apothemancer

Legendary Planeswalker - Venenum

Whenever a Plant dies, you may gain 1 life. Whenever a Saproling dies, you may have target opponent lose 1 life.

+2: Create a 0/1 green Plant creature token or a 1/1 green Saproling creature token. Then do it again.

-3: You may sacrifice X creatures you control. Distribute X +1/+1 counters among creatures you control. If you sacrificed both a Plant and a Saproling, distribute twice that many +1/+1 counters instead.

-9: Each opponent loses 10 life. You gain life equal to the amount of life lost this way.

4

---

Changing the static ability from an active to a triggered ability means you cannot utilize it with death triggers - like Grave Pact . It also enables you to use the tokens as chump blockers and still get the life gain or loss triggered when the creature dies. This means you can more effectively defend the planeswalker itself while still getting some benefit out of it, even if it is slight.

I did not find a fitting use for the second active ability you made in the OP, as Plants don't have power and therefore don't benefit from lifelink (the card cannot be dependable on other cards buffing the Plants for this ability to make sense) and Saprolings gaining Wither until end of turn only means you can attack freely or reduce enemy critters if the opponent is low on life but still can survive getting saprolings flung in their face. If the enemy wants to avoid damage they cannot even block the Saprolings as they can just be sacrificed to secure the life loss. This ability just doesn't seem impactful at all and again it needs to work with itself and cannot be reliant on other cards enabling it.

Instead I put a sacrifice outlet here but as a single use on your own turn. I struggled a little with what exactly the benefit should be - outside triggering the static ability.

I considered making it a drain effect (in addition to the triggered ability on Saprolings), but figured it would make it too much of a finisher you drop when you have a large board of saprolings to sac and drain an opponent down.

I considered making the Plant + Saproling benefit a distribute X -1/-1 counters among any number of target creatures, so it doubles as removal. However that did seem a little too flexible and strong. It could just be a target creature that gets -X/-X until end of turn, so it can nuke a single creature. But it did seem stronger than what I else came up with, so I went with a less strong ability.

I considered making a surveil type effect (or similar to Mulch ), as green/black utilize the graveyard quite often, but figured it would be difficult to scale with Sacrifice X, so there would be no point in sacrificing many creatures for the sake of this ability. It could be considered to make the ability sacrifice a fixed amount of creatures for a fixed benefit, but I opted with the unlimited sacrifice ability, so you could use it as a finisher.

The second ability as it is here, is quite strong but is also slightly a trap. If you gather all your strength on a single creature, it is vulnerable to removal. If you keep multiple big threats, you're not sacrificing as many creatures and thus gets a lesser effect. And you do still need one of each creature type to get the doubling effect, which without makes the ability a lot less strong. This means you most likely will need to +2 her - which gives the opponents time to deal with her or your board.

Picture you slapped down an Avenger of Zendikar and created 10 Plants and you have a random Saproling from somewhere. Then next turn you play this planeswalker and -3 and sacrifice 8 Plants and 1 Saproling to distribute 18 +1/+1 counters. If you make the Avenger and two remaining Plants equal in strength you get two 8/8s and a 9/9. You gain 8 life from the plants and zap an opponent for 1.

Is this strong? It is. But it did require a setup beforehand - a powerful one at that. Is it too powerful? Not really when the alternative could have been a ramp spell to pump all the Plants with the Avenger or used Scapeshift to buff the Plants immensely. For this ability to be truly strong you do need a setup, which makes it fair to have a scaling ability.

You can opt to +2 her when played, to get the sacrifice fodder and then sac them both the next turn to distribute 4 counters. This is not really that strong, but it means you have to think about your sweet spots a lot more, balancing how much you sacrifice versus the effect you get from it.

---

I did give her the +2 instead of just +1, as she is a 7 MV Planeswalker (and most 7+ MV planeswalkers have a +2 or higher ability) so it seems fair compared to cost.

Anyway, that's just my suggestion. The card is yours, so I would rather see what you come up with based on this feedback.

ThousandOaks on Elenda - Life After Death

3 weeks ago

iplayBANJO provides a lot of good feedback. In many instances, I agree with the feedback provided.

I see two main items that need to be improved. First, your deck is very unfocused. Second, you don't have much interaction.

*Adding Focus*

You have too many themes. It's unclear if you want to go Vampire Tribal, Aristocrats, Graveyard, Tokens, or Recursion. As a starting place for your first build, it's not a bad starting place, but we can definitely tighten up your direction. The best next step for you is to pick one theme and building around that. You can "splash" some other themes by adding utility cards like Priest of Forgotten Gods that contribute to your main theme, but dips into other themes consequentially.

ARISTOCRATS

I'm going to assume you're building aristocrats. For any build, it's very important to figure out your mana base. Some may disagree with me, but the utility of the mana base is one of the most important starting places when building any new deck. So for each build you make, identify at least your utility lands that support your build. Then use basic lands as place holders.

If you are running aristocrats, consider the following feedback.

Utility Lands: High Market and Phyrexian Tower . These are great sac outlets that can provide you added value. Command Beacon and Memorial to Folly are cheap utility lands that will help you avoid commander tax later in the game.

Value Engines: Take advantage of death triggers. (Death triggers are triggered abilities when a creature dies; e.g., hits the graveyard.) As the previous post discuss, you need to demand value from things dying. Ask your self the question "what value am I getting" when something dies. A few items I don't see above:

Grave Pact is great for you. With your aristocrats package out, you're generating value and removing your opponents board. It also gets around indestructible and hexproof.

Razaketh, the Foulblooded . This is an "I-Win" card in an aristocrats deck. It allows you to tutor and find answers as soon as it resolves.

Skullclamp will allow you to draw a metric butt-load of cards.

Teysa Karlov doubles the value of your death triggers.

Kokusho, the Evening Star is a great nuclear deterrent. It gives you a flyer, solid 5/5 body, and in a pinch, you can sacrifice it to get 15 life and deal out 15 damage.

*Interaction*

Interaction refers to your ability to respond to threats at instant speed. Currently, this is very crucial weak point in your build. This partially goes back to Focusing the deck. I would recommend first picking a single theme and rebuilding around that theme. Then, as you're rebuilding, as yourself the following questions for EVERY card you add:

Does this card do something when it resolves?

Identify what value the card gives you as it resolves. There's no right or wrong answer here, but we want to know what we're getting out of the mana we spend. Is it a 1/1 body I get? Or is it a 1/1 body with a trigger of some sort?

Keep in mind. Every time a card resolves (for example a combo piece), if it doesn't give you immediate value when it resolves, it's an opportunity for your opponents to remove it. How will you protect those combo pieces from removal? Teferi's Protection , Flawless Maneuver , Cosmic Intervention .

Does this card, by itself, have synergy with my theme or commander?

With Elenda at the helm, sometimes you're just putting fodder on the field for her. And that's perfectly okay, so long as you're playing at the broader synergy. Remember, with Aristocrats, you're probably not going to win by swinging a big beefy 50/50 Elenda, the Dusk Rose at someone's face. (She doesn't even have trample.) You're most likely going to win by all the triggers from Blood Artist , Cruel Celebrant , Falkenrath Noble , Zulaport Cutthroat , Bastion of Remembrance , Syr Konrad, the Grim , and Vindictive Vampire .

What value do I want out of this card, and how many other pieces do I need to get that value?

Again. No right or wrong answer here. Sometimes, it's just fun to play a card for the hell of it. Looking at you Choice of Damnations .

What is the range of the card? (Early/Opener, Mid-Range, Late Game/Close)

Have an idea of when you plan for a card to be most impactful. Is it a card that is strong early game, mid-game, or late game? How will it impact your state or the overall board when it resolves?

FINAL THOUGHTS

My immediate recommendation is to pick a single theme. I would move away from "perfect world" value situations. This refers to those situations where you're convincing yourself of value. For example, if you want to play Card X because you'll win if you also have Card Y on the field, and Card Z in your graveyard, then I wouldn't play Card X.

Next, I wouldn't run a single combo besides the following: Mikaeus, the Unhallowed + Triskelion or Mikaeus, the Unhallowed + Walking Ballista . Mikeaus by himself brings so much value to an aristocrats build. It essentially allows you to sacrifice each of your non-token creatures twice, including Elenda. With Triskelion or Walking Ballista, Mikaeus creates an infinite damage combo and wins you the game... also infinitely triggering your aristocrat triggers.

Finally, I would remove all the "lord" effects. Lord effects refer to effects that buff a certain creature type. Again, if you're running Aristocrats, you're not going to win because you have big creatures, you're going to win because you're forcing the most value from the death of your creatures.

All food for thought. Feel free to take or decline any suggestions. Happy brewing!

TheOutcastWarlock on Demon-Dragon Deck

2 months ago

Leather Wings is a deck I made years ago based around my two favorite creature types. Getting back into MTG, I want to make this an at least decent deck. General improvement tips are appreciated, but I have a few specific points I want to ask about:

• Replacing Kokusho, the Evening Star

• Replacing Pharika's Chosen with Banehound

• Reliable ways to get the big creatures out or improve the manapool.

Thanks for reading!

cfost827 on Karador EDH Deck (Hulk/Boonweaver Combo's …

3 months ago

TriusMalarky - haha thanks!! Yeah, I'm basically just retooling the whole Karador deck to make it more fun for everyone. I removed all the hate bears (besides Teeg) and all the tutors so far, along with Hulk and Boonweaver + Pattern Rebirth/Academy Rector.

I took whatqwerty advice and added Spore Frog and Caustic Caterpillar. I'm also basically going more of an Toolbox/Reanimator route adding in some creatures to win through combat and that are powerful. Kokusho, the Evening Star, Avacyn, Angel of Hope, Craterhoof Behemoth, Massacre Wurm, Mikaeus, the Unhallowed, Luminous Broodmoth, Razaketh, the Foulblooded, etc.

Also, I'm adding more utility cards and things that basically just always blow up my opponents stuff. Aura Shards, Plaguecrafter, Abrupt Decay, Ravenous Chupacabra, Krosan Grip, Despark, etc.

Just going to try making some of those updates for now - still trying to construct the deck a different way.

But I appreciate all the feedback! I'm open to anymore suggestions all :)

KibaAlpha on Teysa Karlov’s Double D's

3 months ago

Housegheist

Thank you for your suggestion.

I can see Teysa, Orzhov Scion maybe finding a spot in the deck (not sure what to swap out with at this time) but Teysa, Envoy of Ghosts no chance. Her CMC alone is to high and her ability doesn't really fit with the deck.

If I could guarantee having Teysa Karlov on the field each time I sacrifice Kokusho, the Evening Star then he'd be in the deck.

X-Factor11105 on I Am Fire, I Am Death

3 months ago

Fuzzlewuzzle I'm glad you keep working on this deck! I'm still working to tighten mine up as well!

Some questions and thoughts:

• Molten Echoes: I think we differ on this because of playstyle. Of your 18 dragons (including Bladewing), 4 are Legendary, and three of them are nonbos with Molten Echoes (Bladewing goes infinite). In my deck, , I have 7. At least Ryusei, the Falling Star and Kokusho, the Evening Star would be funny triggers with Echoes. I think I'd rather be selective about what to copy and focus on building up board presence or draw in the mid-game than play a payoff.

• Avaricious Dragon: How has this played for you? I feel like that drawback is pretty massive. If I feel like I need to get some draw I may rather include Dragon Mage.

• Command Beacon: You have this included for a 2nd or 3rd cast of Bladewing? My normal play is to let Bladewing hit the graveyard, knowing there's so much recursion packed in to bring him back.

• Altar of Dementia: You went with this as the sac outlet to end the game versus, say Ashnod's Altar, which requires an additional play? I think there's a pros/cons discussion to be had about Altar vs. High Market, but if going infinite is the purpose of that slot, I can get it.

• Nightscape Familiar: Does this card dramatically accelerate your deck? I see why it could be valuable with cost reduction, I'm just not totally convinced its a strong enough 2-drop. The regeneration is nice though, so I 100% see how it could be so worthwhile, especially if it can stick on the board for a turn or two.

Housegheist on Teysa Karlov’s Double D's

3 months ago

What about the other Teysas... Teysa, Orzhov Scion or Teysa, Envoy of Ghosts.

Kokusho, the Evening Star would fit the theme also

Housegheist on The Court of Locthwain

3 months ago

I would cut Meteor Golem for Kokusho, the Evening Star as it triggers Ayara, First of Locthwain's ability and can be an aerial threat by itself... if it dies it goes with a devastating effect...

If not Kokusho, i would rank both Ophiomancer and Ogre Slumlord higher than Meteor Golem because of the same reasons... fit the theme, trigger with you commanders ability (as well as the produced tokens) and supply your board with chump blockers - well, in case of Ophiomancer the token can be your kind of boardcontrol because they come with deathtouch... Noone wants to lose their big timmey creatures to a 1/1 deathtouch token :D