The Sovereignty of Kaalia

Commander / EDH Angels Demons Dragons RBW (Mardu)

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Land (37)

• 1x Ancient Tomb
• 1x Arid Mesa
• 1x Battlefield Forge
• 1x Blood Crypt
• 1x Bloodstained Mire
• 1x Cabal Coffers
• 1x Cavern of Souls
• 1x Caves of Koilos
• 1x City of Brass
• 1x Command Tower
• 1x Eiganjo Castle
• 1x Fabled Passage
• 1x Fetid Heath
• 1x Gemstone Caverns
• 1x Godless Shrine
• 1x Hall of the Bandit Lord
• 1x Kor Haven
• 1x Luxury Suite
• 1x Mana Confluence
• 1x Marsh Flats
• 1x Maze of Ith
• 1x Mountain
• 1x Plains
• 1x Plateau
• 1x Prismatic Vista
• 1x Sacred Foundry
• 1x Shizo, Death's Storehouse
• 1x Silent Clearing
• 1x Slayers' Stronghold
• 1x Strip Mine
• 1x Sulfurous Springs
• 1x Sunbaked Canyon
• 1x Swamp
• 1x Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
• 1x Vault of the Archangel
• 1x Volrath's Stronghold
• 1x Wasteland

Creature (29)

• 1x Angel of Despair
• 1x Angel of Serenity
• 1x Angelic Arbiter
• 1x Archfiend of Despair
• 1x Aurelia, the Warleader
• 1x Avacyn, Angel of Hope
• 1x Backdraft Hellkite
• 1x Balefire Dragon
• 1x Bloodgift Demon
• 1x Demonlord Belzenlok
• 1x Gisela, Blade of Goldnight
• 1x Grand Abolisher
• 1x Hellkite Charger
• 1x Hellkite Tyrant
• 1x Iroas, God of Victory
• 1x Kaalia, Zenith Seeker
• 1x Lord of the Void
• 1x Master of Cruelties
• 1x Mother of Runes
• 1x Razaketh, the Foulblooded
• 1x Resolute Archangel
• 1x Reya Dawnbringer
• 1x Rune-Scarred Demon
• 1x Scourge of the Throne
• 1x Sephara, Sky's Blade
• 1x Stoneforge Mystic
• 1x Terror of the Peaks
• 1x Utvara Hellkite
• 1x Vilis, Broker of Blood

Enchantment (6)

• 1x Dragon Tempest
• 1x Necropotence
• 1x Phyrexian Arena
• 1x Reconnaissance
• 1x Sneak Attack
• 1x Warstorm Surge

Commander (1)

Artifact (17)

• 1x Akroma's Memorial
• 1x Arcane Signet
• 1x Chromatic Lantern
• 1x Crucible of Worlds
• 1x Deathrender
• 1x Expedition Map
• 1x Helm of the Host
• 1x Lightning Greaves
• 1x Mana Crypt
• 1x Panharmonicon
• 1x Quicksilver Amulet
• 1x Sol Ring
• 1x Strionic Resonator
• 1x Swiftfoot Boots
• 1x Sword of Feast and Famine
• 1x Sword of Fire and Ice
• 1x Sword of Light and Shadow

Instant (6)

• 1x Anguished Unmaking
• 1x Bedevil
• 1x Enlightened Tutor
• 1x Path to Exile
• 1x Swords to Plowshares
• 1x Teferi's Protection

Sorcery (4)

• 1x Armageddon
• 1x Demonic Tutor
• 1x Grim Tutor
• 1x Vindicate

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This was my first foray into deckbuilding for EDH, as well as my first deck on tappedout. Subsequently, Kaalia is still probably my favorite commander despite the general disdain she receives. Like all decks, it’s always a work in progress, though it's mostly tuned up now, both for my play style and playgroup. We like to play semi-competitively, though we all agree to not put in anything TOO degenerate. We have no interest in cEDH, and prefer to play a little longer game and win through more Timmy means generally, even though our decks can be a bit Spikey looking sometimes. Ultimately we each love to win, but only if the group had fun while it happened (for the most part). I do have some jerk cards and combos in here, but I only use them to their fullest potential if someone else is being a jerk first. I know that may be contradictory or confusing, but that's how we roll.

The list is all cards I actually own, and (of course) there is a few things I’d like to get for it still. I always have fun with this deck even when I’m the archenemy just for unboxing her, or even in losing. I know the deck is considered a bit pubstompey, and I'm ok with that as most the decks in my group are... and it’s definitely not Tier 1, but as I said I don’t play cEDH anyway. By Command Zone standards, I’d guess this is a power level 7 or probably 8.

I've tried to be thorough as to why I selected each card, and also why I didn't choose a lot of cards as well. I'm getting my sea legs a bit in EDH now, but really I don't get to play often so I still may make some mistakes, either in evaluation or in practice. As such, suggestions and discussion are always appreciated. On to the deck!

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Protection for Kaalia

One of the best feelings you can have while piloting the deck is turning Kaalia sideways, and dropping a fattie to a devastating effect. That can’t happen if she gets removed immediately, which she likely will if our opponents know what’s up, so we need to protect our girl. This may be one of, if not the most important category.

Cards in the Deck

• Lightning Greaves - Haste and Shroud, auto-include EDH staple.
• Swiftfoot Boots - Haste and Hexproof, actually better than the Shroud but the equip cost gives Greaves the edge.
• Sword of Feast and Famine - Protection from relevant colors and works with Hellkite Charger (maybe a little bit) too good.
• Sword of Light and Shadow - Protection from even more relevant colors (removal) and pulls back big boys from the yard to fuel her swing trigger.
• Sword of Fire and Ice - Protection from Burn and Bounce, and draws a card.
• Reconnaissance - Being able to get an attack trigger swinging into blockers that will kill her, then being able to pull back, is pretty huge.
• Teferi's Protection - Pretty much straight to the EDH power 9, this card is great for getting out of jams and is essentially a must-run in any EDH deck running white.
• Mother of Runes - Just tap her to give Kaalia protection, and she can protect herself. Pretty staple for the deck.
• Grand Abolisher - Gives you some breathing room on the turns you want to get rad with Kaalia.
• Iroas, God of Victory - Gives the team Menace, and erases the worry that Kaalia might be blocked to death.
• Sephara, Sky's Blade - Gives everyone but herself Indestructible, and lifelinking 7 doesn't hurt either.
• Avacyn, Angel of Hope - Making every permanent we control Indestructible makes her my usual first round pick on a tutor that can target her.
• Maze of Ith - Does a great job of pulling Kaalia out of harm's way, while still getting a trigger. Pretty much Reconnaissance on a land.
• Shizo, Death's Storehouse - Giving Kaalia Fear increases the chances she'll live through a swing, allowing us to drop a big boy with her trigger.
• Eiganjo Castle - Good utility land used to save our lady if she's taking 2 or 3 damage from a blocker, spell, fight, etc.
• Cavern of Souls - This card is completely essential to the deck, when you play it name Human so she can't be countered. Works with Mother of Runes, Grand Abolisher, and Kaalia, Zenith Seeker as well, as a bonus.

Protection Maybeboard

• Gift of Immortality - Definitely on the borderline of being in the deck, not sure what to remove for it though.
• Earnest Fellowship - This is another one that's on the borderline of being in the deck. Gives Kaalia protection from the most relevant removal colors, but at the cost of making our own removal less effective. If I added it in, I'd likely replace our dual colored removal with less efficient single color removal.
• Boros Charm - Definitely borderline. Especially in conjunction with Armageddon or the not-in-the-deck-right-now Isochron Scepter.
• Darksteel Plate - Making Kaalia indestructible is huge, especially in the early game, but I took this out to make room for Deathrender to give the deck more flexibility.
• Trailblazer's Boots - Completing the trilogy of EDH boots could be nice, as these almost always make the Kaalia unblockable. I just wish they also granted haste.
• Dolmen Gate - This is another one that has been in and out, but (even though it's more expensive) I've switched it out for Iroas, God of Victory for the same effect plus menace.
• Dust Corona - Flyers can’t block her now, but neither can crawlers, so I guess she’s just unblockable. Seems good.
• Giver of Runes - Pretty similar to Mother of Runes, but she can't protect herself if need be, which makes her B team.
• Whispersilk Cloak - As good as it is, 5 total mana to use it loses this card a slot in the deck.
• Mask of Avacyn - Makes her booty bigger and grants Hexproof. The only thing holding this card back is the 5 total mana to get it in play.
• Spectra Ward - All the protection. Too hard to cast early though.
• Emerge Unscathed - Rebound makes this better but I'm not quite sold.
• Ghostway - Worse than Teferi's Protection but getting ETB triggers on return is intriguing.
• Cloudshift - See above. But worse. I like Kaalia's protection to stay on board.
• Nahiri's Machinations - This one, like some others, is a borderline include. I just wish it wasn't only at combat on my turn, even though for Kaalia that's a great time. Just wish it was a bit more defensive.
• Defense Grid - Originally part of the protection package along with Grand Abolisher, It fell from the list because it limits our own removal spells too much.

Haste Enablers

Another important part of the strategy is giving Kaalia haste, so she can swing and get a trigger the turn she is cast. Since she is a magnet for hate, you want to get as many swings with her as possible before she's inevitably killed. Looking at the cards here, I may need to consider adding more.

Cards in the Deck

• Lightning Greaves - As stated above, they grant Haste and also Shroud, and are an auto-include.
• Swiftfoot Boots - Granting Haste and Hexproof, the fireshoes are also an auto-include.
• Dragon Tempest - Almost all of our creatures have flying, including our girl Kaalia.
• Akroma's Memorial - It's expensive to cast, but when this thing is out, it's an all star. Haste, Protection, First Strike, Vigilance, Trample, flavor... it's all there.
• Hall of the Bandit Lord - Paying 3 life to give Kaalia haste is a negligible cost and even negates the downside of this land coming in tapped.
• Slayers' Stronghold - Two mana for Haste isn't terrible, it's on a land, and the Vigilance is a nice bonus.

Hasty Maybeboard

• Fervor - I used to run this, but Dragon Tempest is strictly better in this deck.
• Mass Hysteria - Nice and cheap, but I don't like the symmetrical effect.
• Ring of Valkas - Equipment that makes Kaalia bigger, kind of. She usually isn't around long enough to build up a bunch of +1+1 counters. Greaves and Boots are way better.
• In the Web of War - I ran this one for a while, but in the end at 5CMC it's just too expensive.
• Hammer of Purphoros - Pretty close to making the cut, but Fervor is better because it's harder to interact with.
• Hanweir Battlements   - If this tapped for red in addition to its haste-giving ability, it'd be a no brainer. It still may deserve a spot.

Tutors

I could make this a bit more casual by taking these out, as I have stated the experience level in my playgroup varies. But to keep up with the top decks (Atraxa Doubling Season Superfriends, for example), they're in. I don't think I went overboard with them. And I can always NOT get the most punishing card at the time if I want to keep it more casual.

Cards in the Deck

• Demonic Tutor - The best tutor, in my opinion. If I can cast it early, I'm usually gonna bring up Lightning Greaves or Avacyn, Angel of Hope.
• Grim Tutor - Not quite as good as Demonic Tutor but still pretty good.
• Enlightened Tutor - The best white tutor. Early, I'm usually going for equipment or a haste enabler, late I'm looking for Necropotence / Phyrexian Arena. Pulling up Iroas, God of Victory is pretty sneaky.
• Rune-Scarred Demon - Demonic Tutor on ETB? Why yes, yes please.
• Razaketh, the Foulblooded - Sacrificing another creature isn't as good in this deck as some, but sometimes you just need an answer or a puzzle piece. Also, he's a flying, trampling 8/8.
• Stoneforge Mystic - Great early play. Her first ability gets you Greaves and Boots early, the Swords or Helm of the Host later. Her second ability isn't as useful, but you can get the Swords a bit cheaper, or the Helm for half price.
• Expedition Map - Can be used to fix, but it's mostly included to get whatever half of the Cabal Coffers + Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth combo we need.

Tutor Maybeboard

• Vampiric Tutor - A really, really great spell that's only not in the deck because I don't own one. Yet.
• Cruel Tutor - It's Vampiric Tutor, for one more black. Which means it's still pretty good. I also do not own one of these.
• Imperial Seal - It's Vampiric Tutor, but more expensive. In dollars. A lot more dollars.
• Idyllic Tutor - Took this out when Grim Tutor got reprinted.
• Steelshaper's Gift - This one would be great for the deck, and I need to buy one. What to remove though?
• Diabolic Tutor - Its a more expensive Demonic Tutor. It's good, just not good enough.
• Diabolic Revelation - An even MORE expensive Demonic Tutor, that can get a lot of cards. If I was into combo, this would look a lot better.
• Increasing Ambition - Another expensive Demonic Tutor, but at least this one has flashback. In total, gets 3 cards for 13 mana. Ouch.
• Beseech the Queen - This card gets better late game, but we'd generally want to cast it on turn 3. Even if we could cast it for BBB, our options would be too limited. I usually want to get Avacyn, Angel of Hope.
• Gamble - Too much variance for my taste.
• Academy Rector / Arena Rector - Too many hoops to jump through for the targets in the deck (like zero planeswalkers for example).
• Liliana Vess - Her -2 is Vampiric Tutor without the life loss. That's almost worth a spot in the deck alone.
• Sunforger - Getting kill spells or Teferi's Protection at will seems like it may be worth exploring it in the deck, though the 8 mana it takes to get to the first activation seems too high.
• card: -

Mana Rocks, Ramp, and Fixing

Generally a staple of any EDH deck, I've got it slimmed down considerably for this one. With all the other tech in the deck creating more than a few different ways of cheating out fatties, I opted for a stable manabase over artifact fixing.

Cards in the Deck

• Sol Ring - Duh.
• Arcane Signet - Double Duh.
• Chromatic Lantern - Wait for it... Triple Duh.
• Mana Crypt - Do I even need to keep saying it?
• Ancient Tomb - The loss of life is negligible in EDH compared to the ramp it provides..
• Cabal Coffers + Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth - This classic EDH combo nets us a TON of black mana. With our manabase available to cover for red and white, the mana generated from this combo generally pays for all of the generic we would need to hard cast anything in the deck easily.

Rocks/Ramp/Fixing Maybeboard

• Rakdos Signet / Boros Signet / Orzhov Signet - The Classics. I'm not running them because I feel the slots are better used for protection.
• Talisman of Indulgence / Talisman of Conviction / Talisman of Hierarchy - See above.
• Mox Amber - I'm considering this one, it's borderline for sure (It's slow though), seems like it checks all the boxes (except speed). What to take out?
• Mana Vault / Grim Monolith / Lion's Eye Diamond / Mox Diamond / Mox Opal - I currently don't own any of these.
• Mox Tantalite - Free, but too slow.
• Thran Dynamo / Hedron Archive - 4 mana is too much to get Kaalia out fast.
• Prismatic Lens - Pretty good, but didn't quite make the cut.
• Manalith / Gilded Lotus / Commander's Sphere / Worn Powerstone / Mind Stone / Coalition Relic - Can't make the space for them, or any other of the cheaper rocks.
• Star Compass - Enters tapped and relies on basics, which we're not running much of. Nah.
• Vessel of Endless Rest - The ability to throw a card from the yard back into the deck available for tutoring makes this worth consideration.
• Land Tax - This one was in, but there isn't enough targets for it, especially running Fetchlands. I don't know, maybe it belongs back in?
• Mana Flare - I don't like the symmetrical effect.
• Mana Echoes - If I was running Kaalia as a tribal deck, maybe. But as it stands, it won't net us enough mana reliably to take a slot in the deck.
• Black Market - This card has been in and out of the deck, I'm on the fence but it's really good in the right game.
• Smothering Tithe - Super strong card that on second thought, I ought to be running. What should I take out?

Removal

Of course any Magic deck needs some way to interact. I have a tendency to world-build a bit when constructing a deck, but I wanted to make sure I had some ways to remove threats in this one. I opted for single target removal in lieu of mass removal, mainly to save Kaalia's hide and be a bit more surgical in nature. Also, we have a lot of different skill levels in our group, and I want to be able to just remove the big threats to my plan while leaving everyone else alone.

Cards in the Deck

• Swords to Plowshares - Pretty much the best removal spell in EDH. Exile is crucial.
• Path to Exile - Another great 1 white mana exile spell. Giving the opponent a land is worse for us than them gaining life but it's still great.
• Anguished Unmaking - I'll quite happily pay 3 mana and 3 life to exile target PERMANENT.
• Vindicate - Destroying permanents is good too. Not as good as exiling, but still good.
• Bedevil - Artifacts, Creatures and Planeswalkers are the main things I want to destroy. Wish it hit enchantments, but you can't have it all at 3CMC.
• Angel of Despair - Heck yeah, we're back to destroying permanents again!
• Angel of Serenity - Exiling three blockers on ETB has won me the game twice before.

Removal Maybeboard

• Utter End - Super borderline, it has been in and out of the deck but 4CMC is a bit too much.
• Unmake - Also pretty close to making the cut, borderline but just missed.
• Hero's Downfall - Really great spell. If I ever ramp the removal package up in this deck, it's going in along with the above two.
• Wear / Tear - Another card that's been in and out. It's really good.
• Condemn - Cheap tuck, but a bit too conditional and a bit too narrow.
• Chaos Warp - The other and probably more premier tuck spell, really good usually but can break your back out of nowhere, this spell always makes me nervous.
• Crackling Doom - Really, really good for 3CMC. The damage doesn't matter a ton but the edict is great, just wish it was targeted. It's also been in and out of the deck.
• Cast Down / Doom Blade / Go for the Throat / Malicious Affliction / Slaughter Pact - Good, but a bit too restrictive.
• Abrade - Good for killing artifacts, the damage doesn't matter as much as I would want.
• Generous Gift - if this was one mana cheaper, it'd be in. I'm almost in, as is.
• Terminate - Another spell really on the borderline of staying in the deck. Only targeting creatures is its only drawback.
• Dreadbore - Sorcery speed makes this a B team player.
• Mortify - This one has seen its day in the deck, but doesn't do quite enough.
• Final Payment - Ancillary cost is a bit much in this deck.
• Darksteel Mutation - Enchantment style removal. Good, but we want stuff gone forever.
• Journey to Nowhere - Another Enchantment removal spell.
• Victim of Night - This one is actually deceivingly good, it hits more than you'd think. Don't bring it to tribal night.
• Tragic Slip - 1 mana for -13-13 seems good. The condition isn't too hard to meet but it's not quite where I want to be.
• Wrath of God / Damnation, etc - I'm not running board wipes. I know that's not a popular choice. Feel free to tell me why this is a terrible idea.

Card Draw

Any magic player will tell you; topdecking sucks. I don't have a ton of card draw, but I regularly go get what I do have via tutor. Maybe (probably) due to the high CMC of most the cards in the deck, I haven't seemed to notice a time where I wasn't flush with options.

Cards in the Deck

• Necropotence - The best card draw spell in the deck and one of my pet cards. Gotta be careful of course, but what is life if not a resource?
• Phyrexian Arena - The 2nd best card for draw in the deck. Safe and reliable.
• Kaalia, Zenith Seeker - Kaalia's 2nd form does EXACTLY what her 1st wants her to be doing: fueling her ability. I usually hit 2 cards and that is great. 3 is perfect. Plus if I'm up against lower power level decks, I can switch her out and make her the general to chill the deck out a ton.
• Bloodgift Demon - This generous gentleman is Phyrexian Arena on a relevant creature.
• Demonlord Belzenlok - He for sure draws one, if we're lucky he'll get a few. 1 card actually feels pretty bad. 3 feels amazing.
• Vilis, Broker of Blood - This guy can net a ton of cards, especially if we're the archenemy. Which definitely happens in my playgroup. AND he's an 8/8 in the air.
• Sword of Fire and Ice - Drawing a card on player damage isn't insane or anything but it helps. This card is mostly in for protection.
• Silent Clearing - Provides a little late game gas.

Card Draw Maybeboard

• Read the Bones / Night's Whisper / Wild Guess - Decent spells, but in this deck, one card for two cards isn't quite good enough.
• Promise of Power - This card also had a home here at one point, but unless you've got Cabal/Urborg online, it's a bit too pricey (especially if you Entwine).
• Wheel of Fortune - This card is pretty much a red staple, but unfortunately I don't own one.
• Wheel of Fate - Worth Consideration, but slow.
• Vampiric Rites - Sacrificing a creature isn't worth it usually in this build.
• Wretched Confluence - Nice and versatile, maybe worth a second look.
• Faithless Looting - 4 cards for 4 mana. Fair.
• Greed - Pretty steep. Not insane, but not efficient enough either.
• Ambition's Cost / Ancient Craving - Yawn. Damnable Pact is better but I still can't find room for it.
• Geier Reach Sanitarium - Not a fan of the symmetry here.
• Mind's Eye - Not bad at all. 5 is a lot to get started though. Easy to destroy as well.

the Cheating of Mana Costs, and Recursion

There's a lot of cards in the deck that, under normal circumstances, are prohibitively expensive to cast. Kaalia's swing trigger gets around that, but what if she gets killed every time she lands? We need other ways for the deck to try and function. I'm not running very much recursion at all, I think that could be a whole other build. Maybe someday I'll try that out but for now this is what I'm running.

Cards in the Deck

• Quicksilver Amulet - Our main way to get fatboys out for cheap.
• Deathrender - Another way to get those fatboys out there on the cheap, and a great deterrent from killing our stuff. You can kill that one, but I'm just gonna play a worse one for free and use the etb against you.
• Sneak Attack - Sneakily good (do you see what I did there?) This card has won me the game before when I couldn't draw a white mana source to save my life and couldn't cast Kaalia. I just kept Sneak Attacking in a creature or two every turn, and by the time I drew a white source on like turn 10, I was firmly in control. Great card.
• Reya Dawnbringer - Her upkeep trigger is backbreaking when most creatures we own have a huge ETB. With a haste enabler on the battlefield and some boots equipped, she can even become our honorary lategame general for a while.
• Backdraft Hellkite - A sort of repeatable recursion for instants and sorceries? Uhm, yup. I think I WILL cast Demonic Tutor every turn.
• Volrath's Stronghold - Great for grinding out value for Kaalia's swing trigger.
• Sword of Light and Shadow - Helps Kaalia fuel her own trigger lategame, while protecting her from most removal. Practically an auto-include.

Mana Cheaters / Recursion Maybeboard

• Bolas's Citadel - Paying life to cast a card that functions as an extension of your hand is super good, but there's a few other cards I'd need to run with it. In this deck, I'd rather pay that life activating Necropotence.
• Emeria Shepherd - Bringing a gnarboi back to get dropped by Kaalia again is good, that same gnarboi returning to the battlefield because the land was a Plateau is great. Took this out to make room for Terror of the Peaks.
• Spinerock Knoll - This one actually seems pretty doable in this deck. Maybe it needs a slot.
• Windbrisk Heights / Howltooth Hollow - The other 2 Hideaway lands in Mardu are way too hard to pull off reliably.
• Surprise Deployment - Kinda like Sneak Attack, but on an instant that's 4 mana. Not quite good enough.
• Through the Breach - Same as above, but 5 mana. The splice onto Arcane is way better, but you'd have to build around it. Not gonna work in here.
• Underworld Breach - Too expensive to hard cast our dudes from the graveyard.
• Guild Feud - A little too much variance, we wouldn't usually come out on the wrong end of this but it is possible.
• Karmic Guide - This may be worthy of a slot, as she's an Angel. I wouldn't pay the echo, so really it is one Kaalia trigger that turns into a recursion trigger that drops said creature on the battlefield. Is that good enough?
• Reanimate / Goryo's Vengeance / Victimize / Living Death / Rise of the Dark Realms - Other spells of this type - If I ever rebuild with a heavy reanimate theme, they're in.
• Primevals' Glorious Rebirth - A bit cheaper that Rise of the Dark Realms, and we're running a lot of legendaries. But not quite good enough, I tried to run it before and there was never more than 2 or 3 targets.
• Animate Dead / Dance of the Dead Necromancy - Same as above for this group of killer enchantments.
• Entomb / Buried Alive - You guessed it. Same as above. Great cards though.
• Wild Evocation - Maybe the higher CMC of our creatures gives us a little more value than our opponent, but at the end of the day, the symmetrical nature of this card definitely doesn't work for me.
• Aether Vial - Probably worth running, but it would take a while to get value out of it.
• Belbe's Portal / Cryptic Gateway - If we were running a tribal Kaalia build, these would be auto-includes.
• Dragon Arch - This doesn't quite have enough targets in the 99.
• Liliana Vess - I was already on the fence about her before, because her -2 is Vampiric Tutor without losing 2 life. Her -8 is Rise of the Dark Realms. I think I'm talking myself into putting her back in the deck.
• Temporal Aperture - This is too expensive to potentially whiff.
• Aetherworks Marvel - Could be good, maybe a bit too high profile though.

Getting Triggered

Because the only thing sweeter than putting an Angel, Demon, or Dragon from your hand onto the battlefield tapped and attacking is... doing it a bunch of times on the same turn. Oh, and then said Angels, Demons, and Dragons getting their plethora of triggers copied a bunch times as well.

Cards in the Deck

• Panharmonicon - If it's out, it's a straight up all-star with all these triggers happening every which way. Panoharmonica is a great tutor target.
• Strionic Resonator - Paying 2 mana to get a 2nd Kaalia trigger for likely a huge creature feels soooooo good. And there's sooooooo many other triggers for this to target. Also a great tutor target.
• Helm of the Host - It's pretty pricey to get Kaalia equipped with this, but if left unchecked, this can get pretty out of control.

More Triggers Maybeboard

• Flameshadow Conjuring - This could be really, really good. Not just trigger copying, but creature copying, and triggers in tow.
• Conjurer's Closet - This more works with Panoharmonica than providing trigger copies itself, but could be gnarly in this build.
• Blade of Selves - Doesn't work on legendary creatures, which I'm running a lot of. But in the right claws, it could be wild. Balefire Dragon? Scourge of the Throne? Hellkite Tyrant? Utvara Hellkite? Am I talking myself into this?

Extra Combat Phases

Because the only thing sweeter than copying a bunch of triggers a bunch of times in one turn, is doing it again.

Cards in the Deck

• Aurelia, the Warleader - The classic extra combat Angel. Not that I would usually employ this, but she goes infinite with Helm of the Host for the win.
• Scourge of the Throne - The classic extra combat Dragon? Yo dawg, I heard you like to limit break Tamiyo with Doubling Season? Well here's this dragon with a helmet. I win.
• Hellkite Charger - Goes infinite with Sword of Feast and Famine. I would really only play any of these combos if someone in the game was trying to be degenerate themselves.

More Swings Maybeboard

• Relentless Assault / Fury of the Horde - Could work, but I'm not feeling the Sorcery aspect. I prefer permanents for the most part in this deck.
• Waves of Aggression / Seize the Day - Same as above. Retrace and Flashback make them interesting though.
• Savage Beating - Powerful in the right situation, just not what the deck is going for.
• World at War - Probably the best of the bunch. But still not good enough to make the grade in the deck I think.

Land Destruction

The part of the deck that, aside from the infinite combat steps combos, isn't exactly casual. I also don't use it often, but it's in here as a safety precaution.

Cards in the Deck

• Armageddon - The play is to get Kaalia out and then blow up all the lands, that way no one can interact with her, cast creatures to block, etc. It's pretty gnarly, especially late. And even doubly especially if Avacyn, Angel of Hope is out. At one point I ran Boros Charm for this reason. Not nice.
• Strip Mine - There are so many troublesome lands in EDH that we may face. Gaea's Cradle, Serra's Sanctum, Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx, Dark Depths... the list goes on. Well, the list goes to the graveyard, now.
• Wasteland - Same as above, except it can't hit basics. You wouldn't be a big enough jerk to blow up a basic, would you?
• Crucible of Worlds - This is mainly in to cycle the above two lands back and forth if need be. It's not gonna make me any friends.

Land Destruction Maybeboard

• Ravages of War - It's Armageddon. If I need another Armageddon, I'll get one.
• Ruination - Another mass land destruction spell that is especially gnarly in EDH, but may leave the door open for some decks.
• Decree of Annihilation - We would just cycle it and kill all the lands. But if I wanted a second Armageddon, I'd pick one of the two above.
• Cataclysm and all the cards like it - Tempting, even just this one. But, I generally don't want to be blowing up my own creatures, as if they're out, I'm probably doing pretty well. Wiping myself, even leaving Kaalia and Sol Ring and a Land... ugh.
• Tectonic Edge / Ghost Quarter / Dust Bowl - I think Strip Mine and Wasteland are quite enough for my meta.

Playing with Damage

A small selection of cards in the deck that manipulate damage either during or outside of combat.

Cards in the Deck

• Warstorm Surge - Most of the creatures entering the battlefield are big dawgs with big power. If we have Panharmonicon or Strionic Resonator out, Warstorm can be a wincon all on its own. Heck, late game, even without the trigger doublers.
• Gisela, Blade of Goldnight - Doubling damage from any source to our opponents (even them damaging each other) and half damage to the team and I? Yes please. She doesn't usually stick around that long.
• Archfiend of Despair - Effectively another damage doubler, and opponents can't gain life either. Slam dunk.
• Balefire Dragon - For all intents and purposes, this ends up being a board wipe when he connects.

Damage Maybeboard

• Sower of Discord - Creates some interesting political options, and makes the game a bit more fun. Competitively though, there are better demons out there.
• Bitter Feud - Essentially Sower of Discord. I don't need two.
• Curse of Bloodletting / Gratuitous Violence - Same same. Basically.
• Wound Reflection - Actually really strong. Maybe worth further thought.
• Berserkers' Onslaught / True Conviction, etc. - I don't see a need to use a card slot on Double Strike.

Other Effects

Here's some more cards that didn't fit in other categories per se, and a short list of Angels, Demons, and Dragons that didn't make the cut.

Cards in the Deck

• Angelic Arbiter - Backbreaking card that demands removal for our opponents to move forward.
• Resolute Archangel - Feels good to invite this lategame lady to the dance and jump back to 40.
• Lord of the Void - Our dude Voidlord is about the last thing most opponents want to see... taking their bomb creature or combo piece is rad, but the look on their face when the land or spell they desperately needed vaporizes is sadly priceless. If you're a jerk I mean.
• Master of Cruelties - Speaking of being a jerk... I've only had the heart to do this once, and it was for the win after clearing the way with Angel of Serenity on a double swing trigger with Panharmonicon. Still, if someone is being a turd, and leaves themselves open to being removed from the game, tutor this dude up and swing him in.
• Hellkite Tyrant - The jerk moves keep coming with this alternate wincon. Gimme gimme gimme, I need some more. Don't ask what for.
• Utvara Hellkite - Another alternate wincon really, once it gets going. Add Dragon Tempest, a dash of indestructible, and season with some extra combat phases and you're really cooking.
• Homeward Path - Pretty much a must-have. No you can NOT have my team.
• Kor Haven - Psychologically Defensive land that detours opposition from swinging in at all more than it actually blanks a big attacker. As Han said, "Hey, point that thing somewhere else."
• Vault of the Archangel - This card can really get you out of a jam lategame.

Other Cards I've Considered

• Elbrus, the Binding Blade   - This little letter opener is on-theme and really powerful, but it's a bit win-more and I think the swords are more worthy of the slot since they grant protection.
• Tormod's Crypt - I'm the only guy in my group that has any real graveyard decks, so for now this stays on the sidelines.
• Ghostly Prison - I used to run this Stax card to buy me time to really get cooking. Ultimately the slot is better used for something offensively.
• Winter Orb / Static Orb - More Stax stuff that works and is oppressive, but less fun. I put them in my WAY less fun to play against Stax deck.
• Moat - Someone start me a gofundme.
• Isochron Scepter - I ran this for a while with Sunforger and an instant package tailored for them. Just didn't feel splashy enough for what the deck was trying to do, but imprinting Boros Charm on it felt pretty busted.
• Austere Command - Nice and versatile card that ought to be worthy of a second look I'm sure.
• card:Nihiri, the Harbinger - Card filtering, removal, and tutoring. Lots of relevant things on one card, seems like it could be pretty good.

B Team Angels

• Tariel, Reckoner of Souls - A really powerful card from the Heavenly Inferno, yet sadly she doesn't have an ETB to abuse.
• Akroma, Angel of Wrath / Akroma, Angel of Wrath / Baneslayer Angel - Same as above, I was really looking for powerful cards with ETBs.
• Aegis Angel - I've been on the fence about her, but we do have a lot of protection for Kaalia already.
• Platinum Angel - I've had this in and out, and whenever I cast it or land it with Kaalia, the table rolls its eyes. It's good for drawing out a removal spell.
• Linvala, Keeper of Silence / Archangel of Tithes - Not really B Team. Stax staples that had a place alongside Angelic Arbiter, but ultimately I removed the copies I own for another deck.

B Team Demons

• Rakdos, Lord of Riots - The demonlord himself is good at helping us to hardcast stuff, but with not ETB, he fell out of favor.
• Rakdos the Defiler - Really, really nasty skipping the attack trigger with Kaalia. After that, he's kind of just a blocker. Good in 1v1 though.
• Sire Of Insanity - Totally punishing, but along with everyone else, it puts us in topdeck mode.
• Archfiend of Depravity - Hot damn this card is good. But it's sooooo, sooooo mean. If I were to make this more competitive than it is, I'd put this in.
• Reiver Demon - BBBB Makes this pretty difficult to hardcast without Cabal / Urborg online, and cheating him in with Kaalia misses his wipe.
• Ob Nixilis, Unshackled - No ETB, but punishing opponents for tutoring and fetching is super good.

B Team Dragons

• Steel Hellkite - This has been in and out, and is still on the borderline. His X Ability is very, very good.
• Bladewing the Risen / Lathliss, Dragon Queen - Great cards, but they would be a little more relevant in a dragon tribal build.
• Flameblast Dragon - Cool art, but without an ETB and having to wait till the following turn to use his swing trigger, he's kind of vanilla.
• Kokusho, the Evening Star / card:Yosei,The Morning Star - Both of these cards have seen time in the deck at one point or another for being part of combos, but in streamlining the deck, I took them out.
• Dragon Mage - Wheeling is always worth consideration but I'm still on the fence with this guy.

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So that's the deck! Like most EDH decks it's still very much in flux, but I'm feeling that it's closer to where I want it to be now. Obviously I'm still on the fence about a few things, a few things are meta calls, and I have a few things still to acquire, but I'm close.

Comments and +1’s are very much appreciated! Thanks for looking!

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Date added	9 years
Last updated	3 years
Exclude colors	UG
Legality	This deck is Commander / EDH legal.
Rarity (main - side)	31 - 0 Mythic Rares 57 - 0 Rares 6 - 0 Uncommons 3 - 0 Commons
Cards	100
Avg. CMC	4.27
Tokens	Copy Clone, Dragon 6/6 R
Folders	Kaalia of the Vast, Casual Multiplayer, Decks