Overview:

Kaalia of the Vast leverages aggressive ramp and protection to cheat massive Angels/Demons/Dragons into play, overwhelming opponents through combat damage and triggered abilities. While lacking infinite combos, it employs high-impact creatures and efficient interaction to dominate mid-game board states.

Primer:

Core Strategy: This deck aims to resolve Kaalia by turn 3-4 using 2-mana rocks (Arcane Signet, Talisman of Indulgence) and deploy game-ending threats like Avacyn, Angel of Hope or Terror of the Peaks through her attack trigger. Backup plans include reanimation (Phyrexian Reclamation) and value engines (Smothering Tithe). The three-phase plan unfolds as:

1. Setup (Turns 1-3): Deploy mana rocks, protect Kaalia with Lightning Greaves, and tutor key threats with Demonic Tutor.
2. Explosion (Turns 4-6): Swing with Kaalia to cheat 6+ mana threats, triggering cascading value from Ancient Copper Dragon (Treasures) and Dragon Tempest (direct damage).
3. Domination (Turns 7+): Overwhelm with Archfiend of Despair life drain or Aurelia, the Warleader extra combats.

Mulligan Priorities:

• 3 lands (preferably untapped duals)
• 1-2 ramp pieces (artifact or Dark Ritual)
• At least 1 protection spell (Mother of Runes, Deflecting Swat) Reject hands without early ramp or protection.

Key Tips:

• Prioritize hasted threats (Balefire Dragon via Dragon Tempest) for immediate impact.
• Use Helm of the Host on Kaalia or Aurelia, the Warleader to multiply combat phases.
• Hold free interaction (Deadly Rollick, Farewell) for critical opposing plays.

Avoid Traps:

• Overcommitting to board before establishing protection.
• Casting high-CMC creatures manually without Kaalia discount.

Weaknesses:

Critical:

• Commander Dependency: 3+ removals on Kaalia cripples primary strategy
• No Stax Resistance: Folds to Drannith Magistrate/Hushbringer effects

Moderate:

• Slow Graveyard Recovery: Limited recursion beyond Phyrexian Reclamation
• Board Wipe Vulnerability: Despite Boros Charm, lacks mass recursion

Minor:

• Life Payment Costs: Ancient Brass Dragon/pain lands compound aggro damage

Most Important Cards:

• Ancient Copper Dragon
• Terror of the Peaks
• Avacyn, Angel of Hope
• Demonic Tutor
• Vampiric Tutor
• Boros Charm
• Teferi's Protection
• Deflecting Swat
• Smothering Tithe
• Phyrexian Reclamation

Attribute Ratings:

Speed: 7/10
Can deploy Kaalia T3 and game-ending threats T4-5. Dragon Tempest/Terror enables lethal damage by T6-7.

Resilience: 5/10
Free protection spells mitigate removal, but heavy reliance on commander and lack of redundancy for key threats.

Consistency: 6/10
10 tutors (including Burning-Rune Demon) and card advantage engines (Esper Sentinel) offset high variance.

Interaction: 7/10
14 targeted removal/board wipes + 5 free interaction spells. Lacks counterspell density but answers most threats efficiently.

Rating Justification:

This deck operates at the upper edge of Optimized Casual (5.5) but lacks the redundant combo lines and stax resistance of true cEDH. Its T5-7 win potential through combat damage aligns with 6.0-6.5 (Focused tier), but commander dependency and vulnerability to disruption prevent higher ratings. Outpaces most precons but struggles against fast combo decks.

Power level: 6.0 - 6.5