@benjameenbear,
I keep my fingers crossed that you will stay strong through whatever issues the life will throw at you…
Regarding Kaalia:
The multiplayer environment definitely had a strong impact on the list of my deck.
Disclaimer
The deck was not built for competitive purposes.
The same (more/less):
Kaalia-targets staples
Mana rocks
Most of the lands
Most of stax
The number of each type of cards (removal, card draw, mana rocks, targets, etc)
The different: Life gain
I noticed that multiplayer Kaalia should pay a muuuch closer look at her life total. In 1:1 the game just doesn’t live up to the moment when life-draining spells and abilities will have an impact. In multiplayer, oh boy it does (especially, for some unknown reason, me becoming the first target of early aggression. I wonder why? sarcasm) Resolute Archangel Sunscorch Regent Shattered Angel Debt to the Deathless - enormous life gain. Sometimes, a really fun finisher that nobody expects.
Mass-removal
In multiplayer, when games tend to be a bit longer, dealing 2-3 damage doesn’t help anymore.
There is a need for board wipes, to get a come-back chance since Kaalia is quite bad at defending. Day of Judgment Earthquake is a hell of a fantastic card for Kaalia in this format!
Splashing graveyard interaction
Not a quick game, creatures will get into greaveyard, and some of those are the ones you WILL want to get back to the battlefield. Victimize Unburial Rites
“Why these inefficient card draws, lands, removals, tutors??“
It depends, but most times the answer is “budget”. What I had was good enough, and overpaying $5-40 on each card just to get a sliiiiight advantange wasn’t my priority.
Kaalia protection
A friend told me “the less you try to protect her, the more dangerous she becomes”. It took me many games to understand what he meant. The more cards are actually agro oriented, the more havoc the deck will bring. But, just for the fun purposes, I added some. Especially when there is not one, but many opponents, each having some removals in their deck, it's harder to keep Kaalia afloat just on pure aggression. Darksteel Plate Whispersilk Cloak Boros Charm - I find this card to be terrific. Protection? Yes, please, everybody lives. Unexpected combat trick/finisher? Sure, here you go. Need an urgent removal? No problem.
Other cards explanation Dragon Mage - thinking of removing from the deck. When you have several opponents, the fact that you draw 7 cards (usually after discarding 0-2) doesn’t sound as good as when 2-4 opponents say in one voice: “oh! cool, thanks!!” Syphon Mind - usually a 3 for 4 mana, but it’s next go out from the deck. Disciple of Bolas should be a much better replacement. Liliana's Contract - well, for some reason I definitely favor demons. They seem so much more powerful… Therefore half of my targets are demons. I wait for the moment when this card will win me a game, then I’ll get satisfied, and substitute it.
P.S.
I still play to see how can I make my Kaalia better considering the meta and multiplayer environment. I don't feel it's a finished deck.
Feedback welcome from anyone on any of the points.
Hi!
I registered just to say huge thank you!
Your primer is a wonderful piece of work.
I played for two years a Kruphix non-competitive-long-game-focused-deck (you know, early defense going into drawing 15 cards and using those big fat wurms, hydras, and IMBA navigator-muse-witness combos).
Several months ago, I decided to totally switch my play style. I literally picked the three non-green-non-blue colors that left And they led be to Kaalia, which on top of the colors, had a dramatic different playstyle: kill the opponents quickly and forget about sitting back.
Your primer became a top-guide for me. I read it dozens of times, thinking if I want to play it or not, and after I got a precon deck, started carefully to pick the cards I wanted to buy and which cards to replace. My deck is not a copy of yours, and will never be, but it's definitely a relative And I'm having a blast with it!
I love your work, it helped a ton, it brought inspiration, determination, and confidence.
Thank you.
EDIT:
All I said is about non 1:1 games. We always play FFA 3-5 people.
I keep my fingers crossed that you will stay strong through whatever issues the life will throw at you…
Regarding Kaalia:
The multiplayer environment definitely had a strong impact on the list of my deck.
Disclaimer
The deck was not built for competitive purposes.
The same (more/less):
The different:
Life gain
I noticed that multiplayer Kaalia should pay a muuuch closer look at her life total. In 1:1 the game just doesn’t live up to the moment when life-draining spells and abilities will have an impact. In multiplayer, oh boy it does (especially, for some unknown reason, me becoming the first target of early aggression. I wonder why? sarcasm)
Resolute Archangel
Sunscorch Regent
Shattered Angel
Debt to the Deathless - enormous life gain. Sometimes, a really fun finisher that nobody expects.
Mass-removal
In multiplayer, when games tend to be a bit longer, dealing 2-3 damage doesn’t help anymore.
There is a need for board wipes, to get a come-back chance since Kaalia is quite bad at defending.
Day of Judgment
Earthquake is a hell of a fantastic card for Kaalia in this format!
Splashing graveyard interaction
Not a quick game, creatures will get into greaveyard, and some of those are the ones you WILL want to get back to the battlefield.
Victimize
Unburial Rites
“Why these inefficient card draws, lands, removals, tutors??“
It depends, but most times the answer is “budget”. What I had was good enough, and overpaying $5-40 on each card just to get a sliiiiight advantange wasn’t my priority.
Kaalia protection
A friend told me “the less you try to protect her, the more dangerous she becomes”. It took me many games to understand what he meant. The more cards are actually agro oriented, the more havoc the deck will bring. But, just for the fun purposes, I added some. Especially when there is not one, but many opponents, each having some removals in their deck, it's harder to keep Kaalia afloat just on pure aggression.
Darksteel Plate
Whispersilk Cloak
Boros Charm - I find this card to be terrific. Protection? Yes, please, everybody lives. Unexpected combat trick/finisher? Sure, here you go. Need an urgent removal? No problem.
Other cards explanation
Dragon Mage - thinking of removing from the deck. When you have several opponents, the fact that you draw 7 cards (usually after discarding 0-2) doesn’t sound as good as when 2-4 opponents say in one voice: “oh! cool, thanks!!”
Syphon Mind - usually a 3 for 4 mana, but it’s next go out from the deck. Disciple of Bolas should be a much better replacement.
Liliana's Contract - well, for some reason I definitely favor demons. They seem so much more powerful… Therefore half of my targets are demons. I wait for the moment when this card will win me a game, then I’ll get satisfied, and substitute it.
1 Kaalia of the Vast
//Targets
1 Angel of Despair
1 Angel of Serenity
1 Angelic Arbiter
1 Archfiend of Depravity
1 Archfiend of Despair
1 Aurelia, the Warleader
1 Balefire Dragon
1 Bloodgift Demon
1 Chancellor of the Annex
1 Demonlord Belzenlok
1 Dragon Mage
1 Gisela, Blade of Goldnight
1 Harvester of Souls
1 Hellkite Tyrant
1 Kothophed, Soul Hoarder
1 Lord of the Void
1 Ob Nixilis, Unshackled
1 Overseer of the Damned
1 Resolute Archangel
1 Rune-Scarred Demon
1 Shattered Angel
1 Sunscorch Regent
1 Tariel, Reckoner of Souls
1 Utvara Hellkite
//Rocks
1 Boros Signet
1 Charcoal Diamond
1 Coldsteel Heart
1 Darksteel Ingot
1 Fellwar Stone
1 Fire Diamond
1 Marble Diamond
1 Orzhov Signet
1 Rakdos Signet
1 Sol Ring
1 Cursed Totem
1 Eidolon of Rhetoric
1 Rule of Law
1 Stranglehold
1 Thalia, Guardian of Thraben
1 Aven Mindcensor
//Utilities
1 Boros Charm
1 Darksteel Plate
1 Day of Judgment
1 Debt to the Deathless
1 Diabolic Tutor
1 Dragon Tempest
1 Earthquake
1 Fervor
1 Grand Abolisher
1 Lightning Greaves
1 Liliana's Contract
1 Mizzium Mortars
1 Morbid Curiosity
1 Mortify
1 Necropotence
1 Painful Truths
1 Path to Exile
1 Return to Dust
1 Syphon Mind
1 Terminate
1 Unburial Rites
1 Victimize
1 Whispersilk Cloak
1 Wrecking Ball
1 Akoum Refuge
1 Barren Moor
1 Blood Crypt
1 Bojuka Bog
1 Boros Garrison
1 Canyon Slough
1 Clifftop Retreat
1 Command Tower
1 Evolving Wilds
1 Forgotten Cave
1 Godless Shrine
1 Graven Cairns
1 Hanweir Battlements
1 Isolated Chapel
4 Mountain
1 Nomad Outpost
1 Orzhov Basilica
4 Plains
1 Rakdos Carnarium
1 Rugged Prairie
1 Sacred Foundry
1 Secluded Steppe
1 Smoldering Marsh
4 Swamp
1 Vivid Meadow
P.S.
I still play to see how can I make my Kaalia better considering the meta and multiplayer environment. I don't feel it's a finished deck.
Feedback welcome from anyone on any of the points.
I registered just to say huge thank you!
Your primer is a wonderful piece of work.
I played for two years a Kruphix non-competitive-long-game-focused-deck (you know, early defense going into drawing 15 cards and using those big fat wurms, hydras, and IMBA navigator-muse-witness combos).
Several months ago, I decided to totally switch my play style. I literally picked the three non-green-non-blue colors that left And they led be to Kaalia, which on top of the colors, had a dramatic different playstyle: kill the opponents quickly and forget about sitting back.
Your primer became a top-guide for me. I read it dozens of times, thinking if I want to play it or not, and after I got a precon deck, started carefully to pick the cards I wanted to buy and which cards to replace. My deck is not a copy of yours, and will never be, but it's definitely a relative And I'm having a blast with it!
I love your work, it helped a ton, it brought inspiration, determination, and confidence.
Thank you.
EDIT:
All I said is about non 1:1 games. We always play FFA 3-5 people.