Overview:

This Kaalia of the Vast deck focuses on cheating out high-impact Angels, Demons, and Dragons through combat triggers while leveraging multiple combat phases and ETB damage effects. While explosive when unimpeded, it struggles with resilience to disruption and lacks infinite combos.

Primer:

Core Strategy: Deploy Kaalia by turn 4 using basic ramp (Signets/Talismans), then use her attack trigger to cheat game-changing threats like Gisela, Blade of Goldnight or Terror of Mount Velus. The deck wins through overwhelming combat damage enhanced by extra combat enablers (Aurelia, the Warleader, Relentless Assault) and ETB burn via Warstorm Surge.

Key Lines:

1. Turn 3: Ramp (e.g., Sol Ring + Boros Signet)
2. Turn 4: Cast Kaalia with protection (Swiftfoot Boots in hand)
3. Turn 5+: Attack with Kaalia to deploy 6-10 mana threats for free
4. Convert board presence into kills using Gisela damage doubling or Breath of Fury combat loops

Mulligan Priorities:

• 3 lands with 1-2 ramp sources
• At least 1 protection spell (Boros Charm, Unbreakable Formation)
• High-impact creature to cheat early (Terror of Mount Velus, Sunblast Angel)

Critical Sequencing:

• Prioritize hexproof equipment before deploying Kaalia
• Time board wipes like Sunblast Angel after establishing Kaalia protection
• Use Karmic Guide/Emeria Shepherd to recover key creatures

Weaknesses:

Critical:

• Heavy commander reliance (3+ removals cripples the deck)
• Minimal graveyard recursion for key pieces
• No infinite combos to close games quickly

Moderate:

• Weak to stax pieces (Aethersworn Canonist, Linvala, Keeper of Silence)
• Limited card draw beyond Phyrexian Arena
• Slow recovery from board wipes

Minor:

• Basic-heavy mana base vulnerable to Blood Moon
• Some high-CMC dead draws without Kaalia

Most Important Cards:

• Aurelia, the Warleader
• Warstorm Surge
• Swiftfoot Boots
• Gisela, Blade of Goldnight
• Lightning Greaves
• Sunblast Angel
• Terror of Mount Velus
• Boros Charm
• Karmic Guide
• Phyrexian Arena

Attribute Ratings:

Speed: 6/10

• Theoretical T5 win with Kaalia + Terror of Mount Velus + extra combat spell
• Average goldfish win by T7-8 due to reliance on combat steps

Resilience: 3/10

• Folds to 2+ removal spells targeting Kaalia
• Limited protection beyond equipment/hexproof
• No counterspells to protect key plays

Consistency: 5/10

• 5 tutors (Burning-Rune Demon, landcyclers)
• Redundant combat enablers but few creature tutors
• Relies on natural draws for threats

Interaction: 4/10

• 8 targeted removal spells (Path to Exile, Deflecting Palm)
• 3 board wipes
• No free interaction or stax pieces

Rating Justification:

This deck sits between "Optimized Casual" (5.0) and "Focused" (6.0) on the rubric. While capable of explosive T5-T6 wins with ideal draws, its heavy commander dependence and lack of infinite combos make it vulnerable to interaction common at higher power levels. The mana base and protection suite resemble upgraded precon quality, but the threat density and combat tricks exceed typical casual builds.

Power level: 5.0 - 5.5