So, TL; DR, this deck is unfair because it just spews out giant creatures with amazing effects like crazy. That being said it is a little angel heavy, but shares its creature types fairly well with a butt ton of control and such. Make sure to protect Kaalia with protective artifacts or cloudshift if you have to and if you get out
Dauthi Embrace
then be sure to keep her shadow, so she doesn't risk dying be being blocked.
Now for the reaaaally looooong version!
To start with, lets look at the commander. Kaalia of the Vast is a little under-powered on her own. Luckily, that is fixed by her second effect, which, if you put out a big enough creature, has to be ignored in the interest of not dying. When faced with a 2/2 flyer and a 6/6 flyer that spawns extra 6/6 flying dragons, people will prefer to sustain their life rather then stop the spawner. It's a little bit of a psychological trick, but it works none the less. However, trying to stop Kaalia is like playing Munchkin, you have one creature fighting you, then suddenly someone Wandering Monsters a level 20 Cthulu in. Who do you block? Cthulu or the level 1 Snark? (If you don't kill the Snark, though, it can just transform into a Boojum, but that is getting very specific)
--Creatures--
Abhorrent Overlord Is a great basic demon who will, initially, spawn a crap ton of harpy tokens. His downside, making you sac a creature, is a little sucky, but, if he is attacking with Kaalia, he becomes a bit of a target and if you attack with him enough, he is sure to die quickly.
Adarkar Valkyrie is one of the many different graveyard return creatures I put in this. While it's all nice to have spells that do that, I rather have the reliable and reusable to pull things back. This has one extra advantage: if Kaalia of the Vast happens to die this turn and Adarkar Valkyrie is untapped, let Kaalia go to the graveyard instead of the command zone and pull her back right away with the angel. This way, her tax doesn't go up and you can save that for another time!
Angelic Skirmisher Is a great combat Angel, but her biggest help is not that you get a choice of first strike, vigilance, or life link. Its that you get a CHOICE of such. You can choose which one will help you more and benefit you best. Also, note that you can choose one as a blocker, as it is each combat, not your combat. First strike is great defensively as much as it is offensively!
Archangel of Thune is useful for the life gain this deck has. Angels, as well as that trusty Whip of Erebos, tend to run a lot of life, so what is better then a big flying creature getting even bigger? This plays very well with Archon of Redemption, as it's ability triggers Archangel and lets you gain life every time a creature enters the battlefield.
Aurelia, the Warleader is another really strong fighter. Her ability is also an activated ability, so you can use Strionic Resonator and Voltaic Key to have three combats! That is three times that Kaalia can trigger! Angel/Demon/Dragon ramp, anyone? (note: I'm not sure that is exactly how it works, but in my mind it does, so I'll need to consult with those who do know on that combo)
Avacyn, Angel of Hope Is just... is just amazing. Bring her in and Kaalia is indestructible, which is amazing. Combine that with
Platinum Angel and you are set for a very long time.
Balefire Dragon is a lot of fun for a little bit of board wipe. It lets you just explode all the little creatures (and a lot of the bigger ones too). This is nice against token spawning decks, such as Krenko, Mob Boss. Also,
Sarkhan the Mad
+Balefire Dragon+
Dauthi Embrace
is a great combo, letting you take down, say, a 20/20 hydra by making it a 5/5 dragon token, then exploding it with balefire!
Bladewing the Risen It a great dragon that helps other dragons, a dragon support dragon, you might say. Not only does he buff other dragons, similar to
Moonveil Dragon
but he also raises toughness too! If you Strionic his 2nd effect, you also return two dragons from the grave, which is a really nice effect to have.
Unfortunately, there is a tendency with this deck to run out of hand pretty quickly. Luckily, Bloodgift Demon allows you to keep your hand full with out taking very much damage. It might be what you need to finish a good mill someone else started, or to push them from 1 life to 0, but usually, it is just a way of taking extra cards. With all the lifegain in this deck, you have plenty of cushion to do so.
Crypt Ghast is one of the non-dragon/angel/demon cards in this deck, but believe me, you will need the ramp. Although this deck is careful to be protective of the commander, sometimes it is difficult afford her after enough times dying. Because she attacks to trigger her effect, and she is generally weak, she tends to die easily. Crypt allows you to afford her and other things easier, as well as gain a little life in a pinch
Flameblast Dragon
is pretty neat, as he is really just a Blaze on a stick. A big, muscular, fire breathing stick.
Gisela, Blade of Goldnight Is great in a pinch. Another combat angel that really can save you and your creatures (especially Kaalia) in a pinch
Guardian of the Gateless
Is one of the few really defensive creatures in here. Because she can block a lot of creatures, token decks like Krenko, Mob Boss and Brimaz,king of oreskos can be stopped each time they attack, especially if you can pull her back with Adakar Valkyrie
Hoard-Smelter Dragon
is just like
Flameblast Dragon
but for artifacts, which is really, really nice for getting rid of Whispersilk Cloak or
Witchbane Orb
Iona, Shield of Emeria is a liiiiiittle unfair. I mean really. Monored deck can't cast burns? Monoblue cant mill? a green red deck can't cast it's commander? Either way, you take out most of their ability to play spells!
Kilnmouth Dragon
is a Dragon's dragon. His Amplify ability is really only good if you have a bunch of Dragon's in your hand. But what is that, you say? Conspiracy makes all creature spells in your hand dragons? oh my!
Linvala, Keeper of Silence is like Iona.. just mean. This way, you maintain a modicum of control over the board! It does tend to draw a lot of aggro in multiplayer...
Lord of the Void is a great mill and steal demon. He exiles, not graveyards, a hand of cards and thiefs a creature.
Master of Cruelties Is pretty sweet, especially as his "can only attack alone" is nullified when pulled out with Kaalia. He still attacks together with her. When both are shadowed, they can't be blocked, opponent becomes 1 life, then takes 2 damage!
Moonveil Dragon
is just a nice buffy dragon!
Rakdos the Defiler
is nice for if you can do some damage and don't have much mana. This also help if Kaalia has a high tax on her. You just reduce the cost of her tax with this to cast her for far less.
Rakdos, Lord of Riots is a tricky one. There are only three situations you can attack with him and not lose a lot of powerful creatures. 1. When he attacks with Kaalia, he isn't part of the declared blockers and his 2nd doesn't trigger. 2. You control only demons and Kaalia isn't on the field. 3. you use Conspiracy and make everything on the field a demon on your side. Otherwise, he is a nice ol' blocker.
Reaper from the Abyss is like hoard smelter or flameblast, but with a little better effect, he is a murder on a stick. If a creature died (say a goblin token got eaten by
Vampiric Dragon
) then you can kill any non demon. The only downside is that it is not optional. If a creature died, another must die, even if your opponent is out of creatures, one of yours must die instead.
Reya Dawnbringer is a sweet creature return card, especially if you wish to keep your commander tax low!
Rune-Scarred Demon is a cheap, strionic-able, easy way to Diabolic Tutor some cards in. Plus, he is big and likes to fight.
Scourge of Valkas
is a little difficult and a little specialized. Because it is only dragon creatures, and this deck is a little low dragon, it is difficult to make sure you get that damage, but with the help of Utvara Hellkite already on the field, utvara and kaalia attacks, pull in scourge, do 4 damage for scourge, do six damage for utvara's token coming in, then another 6 for another token because scourge is also attacking. This does 16 direct before blockers are assigned!
Seraph of the Sword
is another blocker who can stop a 100/100 flying dragon commander as if it were nothing! (Real life, play tested example)
Skithiryx, the Blight Dragon, or Skittles, as I call her, is an amazing infecty dragon that does quite a lot of punch. Because infect is still only 10, it makes it nice extra win condition. The regenerate is nice, too.
Slumbering Dragon is a cheap, turn one dragon to put out that not only gets bigger and bigger, it gets bigger and bigger after it's "woken up" too!
Steel Hellkite is just stupid. Not only does it get to buff itself, it can just wipe out anything it chooses of a chosen cmc for crazy cheap. 100/100 hydra? if it costs 5 to cast, bam, gone.
Tariel, Reckoner of Souls can be a little random at times and give you a crappy creature, but it can also give you something really juicy. Just let luck guide you as you steal your opponent's stuff
Utvara Hellkite is a sweet dragon that lets you make more dragons! Its the Krenko of dragons, in my opinion.
Vampiric Dragon
doesn't need much explination. Just feed it small creatures and attack and win.
Victory's Herald is our last creature and a pretty good combat creature. This is a lot of fun, as, if you add in Angelic Skirmisher to the mix and choose first strike, you get all three of the the skirmisher's effects at once!
--Enchantments--
Braid of Fire
is one of the oddest cumulative upkeep cards: you add one more red mana then the last turn. Every turn you get more mana then the last! It's awesome!
Conspiracy is good for a few combos described above, as well as, if you want to make your archon or ghast cheap to cast, you can do that with conspiracy too!
Dauthi Embrace
is just sweet. The shadow effect allows your creatures to be basically unblockable!
Debtors' Knell has the best return return effect /EVER/. Seriously, it is not "your graveyard" it is "a graveyard". That includes someone else's graveyard! Steal all of the creatures!
Dega Sanctuary
is a basic life gain, but it's easy to trigger it's 4 life effect every turn. If you use
Angelic Accord
from the side board, its an assured angel every turn
Gift of Immortality is just a protective enchantment mostly for Kaalia
Stranglehold is a really nice way of controlling the hell out of everything. No extra turns, mr Lighthouse Chronologist and no deck searching
Liliana of the Dark Realms
!
I personally classify Whip of Erebos as an artifact, but whatever. Life gain and, in a pinch, creature return! Woohoo! Also, if you have to, let Kaalia die, then pull her back with whip, then, in response to exiling, Cloudshift her so she is not a legal target and doesn't have to stay exiled!
--artifacts--
Champion's Helm is a nice defensive buff and protection for Kaalia
Chromatic Lantern allows you freed up mana colour issues
Doubling Cube
is AMAZING because it allows all this extra mana (can be completely paid for by the lotus) and as long as you can make 7 mana without the cube, you are getting a profit on mana
Everflowing Chalice is a little eh, but if you feed it with the cube, then use the cube on it, it works
Gilded Lotus might be a little expensive to pull out, but totally worth it in the end!
Lightning Greaves is a fast, cheap way to protect things. If Kaalia enters and it's already on, you equip it for freeeeeee
Mask of Avacyn
is also a protective equipment
Planar Portal is an expensive, but sometimes really nice, Diabolic Tutor
In a pinch, when you can't cast anything,
Quicksilver Amulet
can be your best friend! it makes casting these big creatures very cheap and affordable!
Sol Ring is a staple in any commander deck. Don't question the ring.
With so many triggered abilities on the field, I dare you to have a turn when Strionic Resonator isn't useful and on the field, besides turn 2 and 3
Swiftfoot Boots is a Lightning Greaves but costs 1 to equip
Voltaic Key is primarily for strionic's help, but can get you 3 mana out of sol ring if you need
Whispersilk Cloak is the absolute best for Kaalia!
--planeswalkers--
Liliana of the Dark Realms
: while combined with urbog, she is nigh unstoppable! Her ultimate is amazing for casting things
Sarkhan the Mad
is great for dragons, but dragons alone. Just be careful with him, and, if you are in a pinch, draw some cards, but most of all, just wait until you have a bunch of 6/6 dragon tokens
--instant--
Cloudshift. the lonely singular instant, is pretty easy to use and a great way to protect anything in a pinch
--Lands--
Cabal Coffers offers a nice combo with urbog
Command Tower is a staple in any commander deck
9x Mountains establish a good stable base of red
Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx is a little difficult to use, as the colour in the deck is nearly perfectly even, but oh well.
Opal Palace is another basic multicolour staple
9x Plains is a broad, common base of white
Reliquary Tower keeps your hand size reasonable (infinite) when you have some draw effects
Rupture Spire is another transguild
Seraph Sanctuary
a small lifegain with all the angels in this deck!
9x Swamp is a low, basic way for base of black
Terrain Generator and Thawing Glaciers are pretty much the same, but I personally am not very good at using them. With Urbog, they are useful besides their generating ability
Transguild Promenade is what it is
Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth MAKE EVERYTHING A SWAAAAAMP
--Sideboard--
Angelic Accord
with all the life gain it gets pretty easy to have a flow of angels coming in every turn. Can be strioniced
Blinding Angel after using aurelia, its kind of unfair (but a lot of fun) to prevent someone from doing any retaliation!
Darksteel Plate is another defensive measure
Diabolic Tutor in case the demon wasn't enough
Fervor and Hammer of Purphoros amount to the same thing, reallyand finally: the 6 swords! I'm not explaining them, figure it out yerself
Sword of Body and Mind
Sword of Feast and Famine
Sword of Fire and Ice
Sword of Light and Shadow
Sword of War and Peace
Umezawa's Jitte
