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Kozilek, Optimizing the Suboptimal

Commander / EDH* Artifact Combo Eldrazi Infinite Combo Primer

Maestrali

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Commander: Kozilek, the Great Distortion

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Hello and welcome to the “being a try hard” guide.

Today we’ll be trying to make something apparently non-viable to work, a colorless cEDH (Competitive Commander) deck, or at least something close to that. Again, this deck is NOT a casual deck. This is a combo deck. First things first, why should you build this deck and what you should, and shouldn’t, expect from our friend Kozi here.

Pros

  1. Our absence of color forces us to use non-traditional combos and interactions, this means that our combos may go under the radar.
  2. Short of Vandalblasts and other wrath effects for artifacts, this deck is not that easy to control, more so when you get a good board presence.
  3. Even in face of a Stony Silence or Null Rod you can still win the game, keep playing your useless artifacts as you wait for a removal or as you wait for someone who also doesn't like artifact hate to remove it, now you have returned to the game, just later than you'd like it to be.

Cons

  1. Although we are aiming for the _cEDH_ field, you’ll may have realized that it may fall short against top tier decks.
  2. We use every resources that our absence of colors allows. And there are very few really good cards. And most of the good cards, including our general, costs a ton of mana
  3. When you start to combo off, sometimes you’ll need some patience and perseverance to find a finisher, so storm on my friend.
  4. This is, kinda obviously, not an consistent deck. It has some god hands turn 1 win or turn 1 Kozi, but most of the time you’ll be mulligan to 4-5 and hoping for more mana rocks.
  5. You lose the game to a well placed Vandalblast or By Force or any artifact wrath.
  6. You'll face the Nine Mana Issue sooner or later. That is when you are producing a lot of mana but not quite enough. In this point of the game anyone will fear you casting Kozi since you have all this mana available so you probably won't be able to do much freely and you won't be able to do much either way because you didn't reach the 10th mana and probably is depending on topdecking something. This is so big that we need have to think of the game pre Kozi even more so than the game post Kozi.
“But man, why are you trying so hard and spending so much on a sub-optimal deck?”

My reasons to play this deck originally was to show that it is better to play a deck that you can extract the most with, even if it is not the best in the meta, than netdeck a top tier that you never had played with. In other words, a sub-optimal deck played optimally can be better than a optimal deck played sub-optimally. THese days my reasons to play it is that I like to try hard some timed, and this is my "try hard"est deck.

After knowing this you’ll should be prepared for the worst, but you should also expect the to have some fun and at least steal some victories!

Now we may start talking about the deck and how to play it.

Of all the colorless generals, Kozi here is the one and only capable on keep filling our hands and countering Vandalblast and your opponents combos in an shortage of draw engines and control cards that is our colorless option.

Colorless Commanders Show

You may advocate that annihilator 4 is better than counters and 4 draws guarantied is better than the possibility of 7. In my experience with both Kozilek's, both draws have pros and cons and evens out, but counters prevent other from comboing off and helps protect our field, annihilator just makes them sac things they wan’t less on the board.

Now let’s talk why these cards, some cards used in past versions and how they all work in the deck.

  • His draw effect:
    • Kozi can fill up our hand so we have card volume to counter spells.
    • He can be recasted with enough mana and a way to make him leave play (Spine of Ish Sah Trading Post Meteor Golem among others) to dig in your deck to find a combo or a finisher. To do this properly you need to cast most cards from your hand, preferably all of them, before casting him again or you won’t dig as much as you can. The problem with this is that eventually you stack up lands in your hand. To solve this you can use any discard outlet like:
    • If you have a Flash (either Shimmer Myr or Vedalken Orrery)(currently none in the deck) and enough mana you can copy his draw with Strionic Resonator to fill your hand twice and, with the original trigger on stack, cast most of the cards then fill your hand again. If you also have Paradox Engine (note that if you do you already have infinite mana), for every card you cast you can also copy the draw trigger again, meaning that for each card you cast you also draw a card
    • Note that his draw isn’t an ETB (Enters The Battlefield) so if he is countered or there is a Torpor Orb (currently not in the deck) you still draw the cards.
  • His counter ability:
    • It’s an ability, so it can’t be countered by most counters. For that reason it is more reliable than a regular counterspell. But beware of Disallow and some others ability counters.
    • You can always tutor something or return something to your hand just to discard it to counter a spell with cards like Eye of Ugin Buried Ruin Trading Post or Erratic Portal
    • The number of cards in your deck with each CMC (Converted Mana Cost) should have more slots in critical values, like in 1 for Vandalblast (CMC is 1 even overloaded), 2 for most counters, 3 for Food Chain or Necropotence and 5 for Ad Nauseam (Although you probably won't have him on the field in the firsts critical turns, we still play to at least have the chance to counter these spells). This should be adapted to your meta.
    • A land can counter a Pact or a Mox, always remember that.
  • His body:
    • Even if not the focus of the deck, he can still 2 hit K.O. someone and even has some evasion (Menace).
    • Always remember that an effective way to remove an annoying permanent or emblem is to remove the entire player!
    • Also not the objective, but he scare of attackers, so your friend with Tymna the Weaver draws less cards.
  • So, someone got the chickens and is trying to exile him? Not a big deal, you can cast him again and refill your hand since you have all these mana rocks laying around. That's probably better than having him on the field, unless, of course, if that someone is trying to combo right now, so think hard any time someone tries to remove him from the field.
So, here comes all mana rocks for Kozi, and boy you’ll need plenty of them. Your general costs forking 10 mana, that's nothing to sneeze at. You’ll see why I call this deck a Sol Ring tribal. My personal rule for mana rocks is:
  • Are you afraid of counters? Do you have a combo in hand and only one opponent who can answer you? Hope of Ghirapur is here for you! A poor man Silence on a stick.
  • That player won't be able to cast stuff UNTIL YOUR NEXT TURN, remember that you are not the only one trying to combo
  • Don't forget that it has evasion (Flying).
  • You storm, not your opponents
  • Don’t forget that Lodestone Golem hits for 5
  • A nonland permanent removal with legs fully tutorable with Kuldotha Forgemaster if needed (even in instant speed) for anything annoying, or even for Kozi!.
  • Remember that Meteor Golem doen't like Torpor Orb (although currently not in the deck remember to look to your opponents board)
  • Ulamog, the Ceaseless Hunger can deal with anything without hexproof/shroud, even with Kozi
  • His trigger is on cast, so regular counters doesn’t stop it.
  • Remember that exiling 20 cards of a library includes anything that's on the top of the deck, so if an opponent scry'ed top or casted an Imperial Seal, just hit’em
  • Most all win decks will lose to just 1 hit from him. Although they are probably losing already if the game got long enough for you to cast him and also attack with him.
  • It costs FREAKING 10 MANA, most of the time, if you can cast it, you wanna cast Kozi first.
  • Usually makes you mulligan if in your opening hand
  • So, you know Lion's Eye Diamond drawback, that you don’t have a hand of cards to use the free mana? You now can use it to cast Kozi and draw a new one!
  • Also, a discard outlet

Expedition Map can tutor for: Show

  • Explosive Apparatus can kill small annoying creatures, some planeswalkers and even a player with low enough life.
  • Can be used as a finisher in the KCI combo line.
  • Don't forget to use Relic of Progenitus first ability each turn
  • You can use untap effects (Voltaic Key, Clock of Omens and Paradox Engine) to exile multiple cards per turn
  • Remember that you also combo with graveyard, so use its second ability in moderation
  • Don’t forget you can draw a card with its second ability
  • So, your opponents have a hard time countering you and you don't have a hard time countering them? Sound like a good trade.
  • You are not the only one who can combo neither the only one who can control others (I'd even say you are not by far the best control and neither the best combo in the table) so be careful if someone can combo before you and you can't control him/her that well. Use Defense Grid wiselly.
  • Juntu Stakes is the new meta-hate addiction to the deck. Your opponents dorks don't untap.
  • Remember your that your dork doesn't also.
  • Remember that you need many cards in hand to use Scroll Rack effectively
  • With a shuffle effect it becomes a pseudo-loot
  • Wanna protect some cards from a Windfall? Say no more!
  • Dig deeper than ever before
  • Man this card. Mirage Mirror literally can find profit with any non-planeswalker permanent with an activated or static ability, not to mention it can get legs on command
  • Can act as a pseudo mana rock if there's any non-planeswalker permanent on the battlefield that adds 3 or more mana. (It doesn't come with the counters, so it's a no with Everflowing Chalice)
  • Can avoid Vandalblasts and wraths effects by becoming a land or somthing.
  • It loses its ability when become a copy, so if you want to copy something else also...
  • You can stack its ability so it can copy more than a permanent per turn
  • Here your priority when imprinting something: Artifact Creature > Artifact > For Ula's sake, don't imprint any non-artifact
  • Semblance Anvil helps a lot your storm, but be aware of Lavinia, Azorius Renegade it can make your Anvil to work against you.
  • Staff of Domination means infinite mana equals infinite life, infinite taps/untaps of creatures and infinite draws, usually that's game.
  • Combo with Metalworker.
  • Don't forget it can be used to annoy your opponents with a surprise block or tapping an opponents creature before it gets haste.
  • If you have nothing to do with your mana, remember to draw cards or at least gain some life in the end step before your turn
  • Tangle Wire is best used in the beginning of the game, when you have some artifacts that doesn't care if they are tapped, like Pithing Needles and Juntu Stakes, and your opponents board are still small
  • Works wonders with Winter Orb and Juntu Stakes
  • Don't tap your Winter Orb to Tangle Wire unless you know what you're doing. Your lands won't untap, your opponents will.
  • Be careful, if the one person holding an opponent from comboing off is doing so by keeping his lands untapped while holding counters (or at least pretending) you may be digging your on grave by casting Tangle Wire
  • Erratic Portal makes recasting Kozi so much easier
  • It can also annoy your opponents who want to have creatures on the board
  • Also, combo with Paradox Engine, a creature and rocks.
  • Krark-Clan Ironworks can add a shit ton of mana, but it can also lose you the game if not used properly, use it wisely.
  • Combo with 2 Myr Retrievers and either a 0 mana artifact and Scrap Trawler or Semblance Anvil
  • Remember that you can use your man lands as sac'able artifacts
  • Now you don't need Kozi to counter.
  • Null Brooch can be used as a discard outlet, just need an noncreature spell to counter.
  • Trading Post first ability can be used as a discard outlet or if you really need that extra life
  • Its second ability is just a token producer, it can chump or die to its next ability
  • The third one can be used as a sac outlet for your Kozi and as a recursion tool. It also combo with Paradox Engine Rings of Brighthearth rocks and an reusable untapper, normally Voltaic Key. But what doesn't combo with all that?
  • Lastly, it can draw some cards or sac some artifacts with its last ability.
  • Spine of Ish Sah can destroy anything, you guessed it, even Kozi
  • Remember that it returns to your hand when it dies, so it make a good artifact to sac and a good target to your Mirage Mirror if it's going to die.
  • Infinite mana and a sac menas destroy your opponents boards. And infinite Kozi also...
  • Global removal that don't affect you, sounds good
  • The only bad thing is that All Is Dust don't take your opponents rocks with it...
  • New small creature removal/combat trick. Still testing.
  • Don't forget that Spatial Contortion can pump your opponents creatures to kill it with the damage during combat. Can even get a 2 for one.
  • Removal of a small annoying creature, forever!
  • Warping Wail can counter without Kozi on the field. And YES, it counters Vandalblast
  • So, you're missing a mana to cast Kozi? Just cast in the end step before your turn to gain a token and TA-DA! guaranteed extra mana for you.
  • You can also use the token to chump block or something.
  • Removal of anything, you know it, even of Kozi.
  • Karn Liberated a thing and dies to creatures or a removal. People really fear this guy
  • Please don't restart the game, it only gives your opponents a chance to win in a competitive meta, remember that you need your board to control, and no, its not a good idea to leave Kozi, or anything you own, in exile to have it in the next game.
  • It is usually "only" used as a global.
  • There's also a way to win with Ugin, a grave shuffler(currently not in the deck), a way to sac it and a way to draw your whole deck by bolting everyone to the death, but its a bit overkill.
  • To know how many Wastes you want in your deck you need to know how many basic searchers(currently none in the deck) you want to use and how often you see Back to Basics and Tsabo's Web. My meta is currently almost Back to Basics free (Blood Moon and Magus of the Moon is used more often as a nonbasic hate), I only know two people who thought about using Tsabo's Web in the deck (and one of them is me) and I don't feel the need to add more shufflers in the deck, so I'm only using 3 for now. Feel free to add more.
Ancient Tomb works well with Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth(currently not in the deck). Also can kill you.
Blasted Landscape can be cycled. That's it. You can cycle it again, if you reeeeally need it with Petrified Field. Works OK with Crucible of Worlds(currently not in the deck)
Blinkmoth Nexus and Mishra's Factory are added to the deck for its capacity to become an artifact on command. In addiction, it can be used as a surprise blocker, and it can pump itself when blocking.
Recursion on a land. Can return a card to serve as a counter, remember that. Buried Ruin works wonders with Crucible of Worlds(currently not in the deck)
When playing Cavern of Souls, normally you'd think to name Eldrazi for your Ulamog, the Ceaseless Hunger and Kozilek, the Great Distortion but remember that your Constructs, Walking Ballista Metalworker Scrap Trawler Myr Retriever #3 and Kuldotha Forgemaster, are very important also!
Crystal Vein can add 2 mana one time. Don't sac it in vain, you need a lot of mana.
Darksteel Citadel is an artifact, so it interacts with a lot with the deck. And since it's indestructible, also avoids Armageddon and even can be the target of your Ghost Quarter if in need of a shuffler or against a Back to Basics.
Dust Bowl Ghost Quarter Strip Mine and Wasteland are here for your opponents best lands (card:Geae's Cradle Bazaar of Baghdad...) or to mana punish some greedy one/two land hand.
Eldrazi Temple adds extra mana for Kozi, Ulamog and All Is Dust.
Endless Sands second ability is never used. You don't want to save a creature of yours from removal with it. You want to be able to sac Kozi and to have an extra Desert to Scavenger Grounds
Eye of Ugin makes your Kozi Ulamog, the Ceaseless Hunger and All Is Dust cheaper and can tutor for any colorless creature (which means any creature in our deck) so you can combo or counter.
Removal on a land is hard to find, and Grasping Dunes does it OK. WARNING!! SORCERY SPEED!!
Haven of the Spirit Dragon is currently a second board wipe!
High Market is a sac for your card:Myr Retrievers|Retrievers Kozi and any creature you need to die. Also gains you 1 life when 1 life matters.
Homeward Path is doing OK in a meta full of Gilded Drake. Meta call.
Inventors' Fair is the best land in the deck by far. It tutors ANY ARTIFACT! You just need metalcraft to do so. It also gains you some life so you don't feel bad to leave your Mana Vault tapped. I love it!
Mage-Ring Network is a new addiction to the deck. A storage land for longer games. It is working fine so far.
Petrified Field means recursion for one of your lands, 99 times of 100 is recursion for your Inventors' Fair
Phyrexia's Core is a sac for your artifacts. Mainly Retrievers Spine of Ish Sah for reuse and for Defense Grid so your opponent can counter/interact with your other opponent. Also gain you 1 life when 1 life matters.
Cast your Kozi/Ulamog/Ugin/Karn/All Is Dust/Golem/Spine and tutor a creature for a land? Sounds nice. Also, you can draw first with Kozi so you get an extra card.
card:Scavenger's Grounds sacs a Desert (not necessarily itself since you have Endless Sands and Grasping Dunes) to exile graves. It's a nice grave hate.
Zhalfirin Void is a untapped scryland. Whats not to like about it?

Staff of Domination and Metalworker Show

Rings and Basalt Show

2 Rings and Grim Show

Clock and Self Untappers Show

Rings and Key Show

Engine and Resonator Show

Trading Post line Show

Spine KCI line Show

Explanation of other combos soon
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  • From WAR we have Karn's Bastidon, Karn, the Great Creator and Emergence Zone

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Casual

91% Competitive

Top Ranked
Date added 5 years
Last updated 3 years
Exclude colors WUBRG
Legality

This deck is not Commander / EDH legal.
Rarity (main - side)

12 - 0 Mythic Rares

41 - 1 Rares

37 - 0 Uncommons

7 - 0 Commons
Cards 100
Avg. CMC 3.00
Tokens Eldrazi Scion 1/1 C, Goat 0/1 W
Folders Commander, EDH
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