French Kaalia

Duel Commander

yujipooji

Creature (14)

• 1x Balefire Dragon
• 1x Baneslayer Angel
• 1x Bruna, the Fading Light  ^Meld
• 1x Dark Confidant
• 1x Gisela, Blade of Goldnight
• 1x Gisela, the Broken Blade  ^Meld
• 1x Griselbrand
• 1x Iona, Shield of Emeria
• 1x Master of Cruelties
• 1x Mother of Runes
• 1x Rakdos the Defiler
• 1x Rune-Scarred Demon
• 1x Steel Hellkite
• 1x Stormbreath Dragon

Planeswalker (3)

• 1x Kaya, Ghost Assassin
• 1x Liliana of the Veil
• 1x Nahiri, the Harbinger

Land (40)

• 1x Arid Mesa
• 1x Badlands
• 1x Battlefield Forge
• 1x Blood Crypt
• 1x Bloodstained Mire
• 1x Boseiju, Who Shelters All
• 1x Cavern of Souls
• 1x Caves of Koilos
• 1x City of Brass
• 1x Clifftop Retreat
• 1x Command Beacon
• 1x Command Tower
• 1x Dragonskull Summit
• 1x Eiganjo Castle
• 1x Fetid Heath
• 1x Flooded Strand
• 1x Godless Shrine
• 1x Graven Cairns
• 1x Hall of the Bandit Lord
• 1x Homeward Path
• 1x Isolated Chapel
• 1x Mana Confluence
• 1x Marsh Flats
• 1x Mountain
• 1x Plains
• 1x Plateau
• 1x Polluted Delta
• 1x Sacred Foundry
• 1x Scalding Tarn
• 1x Scrubland
• 1x Snow-Covered Plains
• 1x Snow-Covered Swamp
• 1x Sulfurous Springs
• 1x Swamp
• 1x Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
• 1x Verdant Catacombs
• 1x Volrath's Stronghold
• 1x Wasteland
• 1x Windswept Heath
• 1x Wooded Foothills

Enchantment (4)

• 1x Bitterblossom
• 1x Blood Moon
• 1x Dragon Tempest
• 1x Earnest Fellowship

Artifact (4)

• 1x Chrome Mox
• 1x Defense Grid
• 1x Expedition Map
• 1x Lightning Greaves

Instant (15)

• 1x Anguished Unmaking
• 1x Demonic Consultation
• 1x Diabolic Edict
• 1x Dismember
• 1x Enlightened Tutor
• 1x Fire Covenant
• 1x Hero's Downfall
• 1x Hide / Seek
• 1x Lightning Bolt
• 1x Mana Tithe
• 1x Skeletal Scrying
• 1x Swords to Plowshares
• 1x Tainted Pact
• 1x Wear / Tear
• 1x Withering Boon

Sorcery (19)

• 1x Castigate
• 1x Collective Brutality
• 1x Council's Judgment
• 1x Damnation
• 1x Demonic Tutor
• 1x Distress
• 1x Dreadbore
• 1x Duress
• 1x Gamble
• 1x Grim Tutor
• 1x Hymn to Tourach
• 1x Inquisition of Kozilek
• 1x Night's Whisper
• 1x Painful Truths
• 1x Ravages of War
• 1x Sudden Demise
• 1x Thoughtseize
• 1x Toxic Deluge
• 1x Vindicate

Commander (1)

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Competitive French Kaalia of The Vast that I've been testing and retesting for around 3 years now. Currently able to hold its own against format staples like geist (50-50), keranos (60-40), narset (50-50), anafenza (60-40), titania (50-50) and vendilion clique (50-50). That's not bad considering Kaalia's not exactly a tier 1 general.

I have yet to properly test against high tide, animar and maelstrom.

There are a few changes in mentality over the years that caused me to make changes that turned out to be big improvements to the deck:

1.)It's not about bringing kaalia out quick. No point in a turn 3 kaalia that just gets countered or removed. Because of that, the only mana rock in the deck is chrome mox. This gave me so much more room to work with, and my matchups have improved drastically since.

2.) I stopped viewing Kaalia as a combo piece, but rather as an accelerator. The deck eventually reached equilibrium as a midrange deck of sorts, bringing out big creatures a few turns early via kaalia, but able to come out on their own late game. This, combined with the fact that I had only 1 rock left, means that I needed to make land drops. I'm currently at 40, and it's been great.

3.) The worst matchup is really control, so you'll see some anti-control cards like boseiju and defense grid here, which is worth the occasional dead draws.

4.) Blood moon looks like an iffy card to add, but it has been a very effective disruption tool that has swung many matchups in my favor. Just fetch for basics or tutor for a mox, and surprise them with this. Been playing this for a year, and not once have I considered removing it.

I've been playing with Kaalia in duel commander nonstop for 3 years, and I'm sure I'll be able to answer other questions regarding card choices, matchups and strategies involved with this list.

Date added	8 years
Last updated	8 years
Exclude colors	UG
Legality	This deck is not Duel Commander legal.
Rarity (main - side)	21 - 0 Mythic Rares 52 - 0 Rares 14 - 0 Uncommons 8 - 0 Commons
Cards	100
Avg. CMC	3.02
Tokens	Faerie Rogue 1/1 B