Overview:

This Kaalia of the Vast deck focuses on cheating out high-impact Angels, Demons, and Dragons via the commander's attack trigger, supported by reanimation and combat-enabling tools. Kaalia serves as the critical engine, enabling explosive plays like T4 Gisela, Blade of Goldnight or Razaketh, the Foulblooded. Secondary strategies include reanimation (Animate Dead, Whip of Erebos), forced combat (Kardur, Doomscourge, Disrupt Decorum), and value engines like Phyrexian Arena. The deck lacks infinite combos but leverages powerful combat synergies like Dragon Tempest and Blade of Selves on key creatures.

Primer:

Core Strategy Execution:

1. Early Setup (T1-3):
   • Prioritize ramp (Signets, Land Tax, Arcane Signet) and protection (Mother of Runes, Lightning Greaves).
   • Use Weathered Wayfarer or War of the Last Alliance to fix mana.
2. Kaalia Deployment (T4+):
   • Cast Kaalia with protection (Greaves/Swiftfoot Boots) or haste enablers (Crashing Drawbridge). Attack immediately to cheat out game-warping threats like Rune-Scarred Demon or Angel of Serenity.
3. Midgame Dominance:
   • Use reanimation (Victimize, Hoarding Broodlord) to recur key creatures.
   • Force opponents into combat with Taunt from the Rampart while deploying evasive threats.
4. Closing the Game:
   • Overwhelm with combat damage amplifiers (Gisela, Blade of Goldnight, Sigarda's Vanguard).
   • Leverage Blade of Selves on Rune-Scarred Demon or Angel of Despair for repeated value.

Mulligan Priorities:

• Keep hands with 3+ lands (including color-fixing), at least 1 ramp piece, and either Kaalia protection or a reanimation spell.
• Prioritize Land Tax, Mother of Runes, or Swiftfoot Boots in opening hands.
• Avoid hands with only high-CMC creatures and no ramp.

Key Tips:

• Use Ephemerate/Cloudshift to reset Kaalia’s attack trigger or protect key creatures.
• Whip of Erebos grants lifelink to your board and reanimates threats like Kokusho, the Evening Star for burst lifedrain.
• Dihada, Binder of Wills’s -3 ability fuels graveyard recursion while digging for legends.

Weaknesses:

Critical

• Commander Reliance: Kaalia removal cripples the deck’s primary engine. No free protection (e.g., Deflecting Swat) makes recasting prohibitive.
• Board Wipe Vulnerability: Minimal recovery after wipes like Farewell; relies on slow reanimation.

Moderate

• Artifact/Enchantment Weakness: Key pieces like Phyrexian Arena and Blade of Selves are vulnerable to common removal.
• Graveyard Hate: Rest in Peace nullifies reanimation lines and Hoarding Broodlord.

Minor

• Slow Mana Base: 12 enters-tapped lands delay early plays.
• Limited Stack Interaction: Only 3 instant-speed answers (Damn, Path to Exile, Comeuppance).

Most Important Cards:

• Kaalia of the Vast (Primary engine)
• Razaketh, the Foulblooded (Tutor-on-a-stick)
• Gisela, Blade of Goldnight (Damage multiplier)
• Lightning Greaves (Critical protection)
• Dragon Tempest (Haste/damage enabler)
• Whip of Erebos (Lifelink/reanimation)
• Blade of Selves (Token duplication)
• Phyrexian Arena (Card advantage)
• Hoarding Broodlord (Graveyard tutor)
• Land Tax (Mana fixing)

Attribute Ratings:

Speed: 5/10

• Can deploy game-ending threats as early as T4 with Kaalia, but inconsistent without protection/ramp.

Resilience: 4/10

• Fragile to commander removal; limited recursion beyond Whip of Erebos and Malakir Rebirth.

Consistency: 6/10

• Multiple tutors (Profane Tutor, Rune-Scarred Demon) and card draw mitigate variance.

Interaction: 3/10

• Minimal removal; relies on reactive combat tricks (Comeuppance) and delayed board wipes.

Rating Justification:

This deck operates at a Casual/Precon level (T10-12 wins) with occasional explosive T4-5 plays if Kaalia survives. Its heavy reliance on the commander and slow recovery from disruption caps its resilience, aligning it with upgraded precons.

Power level: 4.0 - 4.5