Kami-Dor: A Tribal Spirits Primer

Commander / EDH* BGW (Abzan, Junk) Multiplayer Primer Soulshift Spirits Theme/Gimmick

MollyMab

Creature (35)

• 1x Celestial Kirin
• 1x Elder Pine of Jukai
• 1x Eternal Dragon
• 1x Eternal Witness
• 1x Forbidding Spirit
• 1x Guardian of Faith
• 1x Hanged Executioner
• 1x Haru-Onna
• 1x He Who Hungers
• 1x Iname, Death Aspect
• 1x Infernal Kirin
• 1x Kagemaro, First to Suffer
• 1x Kami of Ancient Law
• 1x Karmic Guide
• 1x Kodama of the East Tree
• 1x Kokusho, the Evening Star
• 1x Kyoki, Sanity's Eclipse
• 1x Mirror Entity
• 1x Moonlit Strider
• 1x Nethroi, Apex of Death
• 1x Nightsoil Kami
• 1x Oyobi, Who Split the Heavens
• 1x Panglacial Wurm
• 1x Promised Kannushi
• 1x Pus Kami
• 1x Realmwalker
• 1x Remorseful Cleric
• 1x Reveillark
• 1x Sakura-Tribe Elder
• 1x Shinen of Life's Roar
• 1x Skyclave Apparition
• 1x Sustaining Spirit
• 1x Thief of Hope
• 1x Ugin's Conjurant
• 1x Willow Geist

Land (38)

• 1x Bojuka Bog
• 1x Cavern of Souls
• 1x Command Tower
• 1x Dryad Arbor
• 1x Field of the Dead
• 2x Forest
• 1x Godless Shrine
• 1x High Market
• 1x Indatha Triome
• 1x Isolated Chapel
• 1x Marsh Flats
• 1x Miren, the Moaning Well
• 1x Murmuring Bosk
• 1x Overgrown Tomb
• 1x Path of Ancestry
• 1x Phyrexian Tower
• 4x Plains
• 1x Reflecting Pool
• 1x Reliquary Tower
• 1x Sandsteppe Citadel
• 1x Snow-Covered Forest
• 1x Snow-Covered Plains
• 1x Snow-Covered Swamp
• 1x Sunpetal Grove
• 1x Swamp
• 1x Temple Garden
• 1x Undergrowth Stadium
• 1x Vault of Champions
• 1x Verdant Catacombs
• 1x Volrath's Stronghold
• 1x Wasteland
• 1x Windswept Heath
• 1x Witch's Cottage
• 1x Woodland Cemetery

Commander (1)

Instant (9)

• 1x Assassin's Trophy
• 1x Crib Swap
• 1x Krosan Grip
• 1x Mortify
• 1x Mythos of Nethroi
• 1x Nameless Inversion
• 1x Path to Exile
• 1x Swords to Plowshares
• 1x Utter End

Sorcery (8)

• 1x Cultivate
• 1x Damn
• 1x Damnation
• 1x Eerie Ultimatum
• 1x Hour of Promise
• 1x Kodama's Reach
• 1x Skyshroud Claim
• 1x Wrath of God

Artifact (5)

• 1x Arcane Signet
• 1x Heirloom Blade
• 1x Phyrexian Altar
• 1x Skullclamp
• 1x Sol Ring

Enchantment (4)

• 1x Evolutionary Leap
• 1x Phyrexian Arena
• 1x Smothering TitheGC
• 1x Survival of the FittestGC

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The Origins of the Deck

This is a deck that has been in the making for six years. Its an on-going living project that changes to reflect the meta I am playing in, what I want out of a game, and everything else.

The original idea was I wanted a themed Karador deck, as most of the ones that existed in my local meta were powerful good stuff ones which played whatever was generically good and enablers. This playstyle wasn't hugely interesting for me so I looked for something different.

I had a fascination for Kamigawa as a set and a format and from that interest this deck sprung. It aims to use Karador's typing, colours and ability to cast from graveyard to trigger its effects.

The deck has undergone many changes over the years. It has been down as low as 25 creatures at one point, as a response to a low amount of graveyard hate but a high amount of other interaction needed, all the way up to 45, when I ran instant win conditions. As a rule I don't hugely like including tutors despite having access to all of them. Commander loses some of its fun when you rush the same board state every time.

Playstyle

Kami-dor is a slow, grindy deck that can set up some huge plays. Despite the low powerlevel of a full 1/4th of it, being Kamigawa spirits with Soulshift, it does have a lot of ways to grind and generate advantage.

The most important 5 cards in the deck are Elder Pine of Jukai, Iname, Death Aspect, Ugin's Conjurant, He Who Hungers and Mirror Entity. These cards on their own can win you games.

Elder Pine of Jukai is an early search target, as it provides a lot of advantage over the game. At 3, it is easy to recurr, and in turn recurrs Kami of Ancient Law, Ugin's Conjurant Shinen of Life's Roar and Remorseful Cleric. These help me deplete opponents resources as well as drawing me cards in the form of lands.

Iname, Death Aspect should be used tactically. When people seem Karador, they tend to reach for their graveyard hate, and dumping your deck leads to you being blown out by something like a relic or spellbomb. Instead, I tend to cast him to dump spirits into my graveyard that I can easily soulshift back, such as Pine, Conjurant, etc. As well as set up Karador to cast him and something else next door. I rarely want to dump more than 3-5 unless I'm going for the Patriarch's Bidding win.

Ugin's Conjurant has taken the deck from not, to hot. So first of all, can function as Armageddon with Celestial Kirin, let me eat someones hand of good stuff with Infernal Kirin or gain me a bunch of life with Bountious Kirin. Its cheap enough I can always recurr it with soulshift or cast it multiple times to trigger the ability of spirits. Its a beast.

He Who Hungers might not seem like much but it does a lot of work. First of all, it has soulshift 4. This is relevant, as it lets me recurr Crib Swap and Elder Pine of Jukai, as well as all the stuff Elder Pine of Jukai lets me return. Secondly, its a sacrifice outlet that lets me grind peoples hands to dust. It doesn't specify non-lands as well, letting me snipe utility lands out of hand.

Mirror Entity is most often activated for 0. This suddenly empties my board, and triggers all my soulshift, allowing me to dodge exile removal or protect my pieces, while refilling my hand to recast things. I can also use it to go for the win, which is nice.

Other Tricks

Shien of Life's Roar is a great political card, letting you repeatedly lure a creature allowing you or an ally to swing in for lethal damage or forcing unfavorable blocks. You can also use this to blow a player out of the water if they go wide.

Crib Swap is a spirit, and can be Soulshifted back by any of the Soulshift creatures with CMC4 or greater, giving me repeatable removal.

Date added	9 years
Last updated	3 years
Exclude colors	UR
Legality	This deck is Commander / EDH legal.
Rarity (main - side)	4 - 0 Mythic Rares 54 - 0 Rares 16 - 0 Uncommons 16 - 0 Commons
Cards	100
Avg. CMC	3.56
Tokens	Illusion */* U, Shapeshifter 1/1 C, Spirit 1/1 W, Spirit 3/3 W, Treasure, Zombie 2/2 B
Folders	Finished EDH lists