Everyone has their opinions as to which cards make the best Kaldheim set picks. I took the time to talk to the staff of my favorite local gaming store. They gladly shared which cards in Kaldheim made their list of top picks and what was just plain broken. Let’s take a casual and commander dive into
Elijah’s Kaldheim Set Picks
#1 – The World Tree
The World Tree is going to be a staple card for Domain decks going forward. Once you hit six lands, The World Tree can be number six, any land may be tapped for one mana of any color. This benefits your deck just as Chromatic Lantern does. However, you don’t have to spend mana for The World Tree and artifact hate is much more prevalent than land hate. Besides, with Domain decks, your opponents have many targets for what little land destruction they have. The World Tree just gives them more hard choices.
Your sacrifice ability is fun and flavorful ending move, but don’t expect the game to go on long enough to use it more than occasionally. When you can use it, make sure you have a few counters in hand for the incoming board wipes. If the gods survive, then it’s game over.
#2 – Vorinclex, Monstrous Raider
Vorinclex is simply super powerful. Doubling your counters alone would make him a must include in any deck using green with Planeswalkers, Infect, or any other mechanic with counters. But halving your opponent’s counters really kills it. Not only do you slow down Planeswalkers, you also outright prevent any loyalty gain from +1 abilities. Yes, please!
With green decks the 6 CMC isn’t a downside. You’ll ramp into it fast.
Oh, and he’s a 6/6 with Trample and Haste. He’s so good that those are the least memorable part of the card.
#3 – Tergrid, God of Fright
I love Tergrid. She’s the sort of commander that has everybody go “Ugh!” when she hits the table. Black is already going to make you discard and sacrifice cards. When those permanents hit the graveyard, I’m getting them right in front of me. Death Cloud and Tergrid outright wins you the game in a Commander pod.
Yeah, there’s whole other side to Tergrid, but you’ll never play it. I suppose if you’re playing a different format it would combo well. But why play them when you’ve got Commander?
Happy’s Kaldheim Set Picks
#1 Vorinclex, Monstrous Raider
Why? Because I LIKE Phyrexians!
Seriously, you’ve got a permanent Doubling Season on the board. Isn’t that enough? No, then he halves the opponent’s counter placing. Then Wizards says, let’s also have it halve counters my opponent places. Because why not!
Then add Trample and Haste on a 6/6 for 6. You’re already OP. Might as well see how broken you can get.
#2 – Draugr Necromancer
Solid card. He works well with Black’s creature hate strengths. Only now you prevent your opponent from pulling them back out of their graveyard and you get to decide when they come into play for you. Using snow sources lets you get around color restrictions. A 4/4 for 4 is nice too. Tough enough to survive blocking and strong enough to kill.
#3 – Valki, God of Lies
Valki is so sweet. You get super cheap hand hate for the early game which scales with the number of players. He then can transform, even on a later turn, into one of the creatures he hated on.
On the other side, he’s a freakin’ planeswalker.
He’s going to grind away at the top of every player’s deck. If he sees an opponent with a really good artifact or creature, then he’ll exile that instead. Once something good is in exile, his emblem, let’s the player bring them back into play on their side.
The pair are great cards for any Black-Red deck
Nick’s Kaldheim Set Picks
#1 – Valki, God of Lies
Valki, God of Lies proves Magic needs to fix their goddamned comprehensive rules. As it works now, Valki has a CMC of 2. Cascade cards only care about his front. When he gets triggered, potentially on turn 2, it just casts the spell. You pick the side. Looking at a CMC 7 Planeswalker on turn 2. Please fix.
#2 – Orvar, the All-Form
Orvar opens up all sorts of weird edge case Commander decks through token manipulation. Just keep casting multi-target spells or straight buff your own and the tokens roll in.
In standard, with strong B/U mill decks, Orvar, the All-Form still copies a permanent when discarded. This is so much better design than getting nothing.
#3 – Tergrid, God of Fright
So, Tergrid, God of Fright makes my list because I accidently killed everyone in a Commander game with her this weekend. During a long running game, I cast Control Magic on Tergrid and followed up with All Is Dust. I hadn’t realized I got every sacrificed permanent!
Mitchell’s Kaldheim Set Picks
#1 – Mystic Reflection
A versatile power generator for you or a denial piece for them. Mystic Reflection has just ridiculous utility.
#2 – Tyrite Sanctum
Usable in any Commander deck, Tyrite Sanctum performs multiple functions. In addition to colorless mana, Tyrite Sanctum buffs cards with a +1/+1 counter and makes them a God. But the real power is keeping your commander around longer with the last ability.
Tyrite Sanctum does much the same in standard, draft, or any other format. It buffs key pieces and keeps the best alive longer. Especially when there’s a lack on Land destruction.
#3 – Koma, Cosmos Serpent
Unbelievably powerful creature. You can make it into a decently competative good stuff, control deck or a for fun Sea Serpent deck. Koma is in the running for the strongest Legend in the set.
Chris’ Kaldheim Set Picks
And now for something completely different. I’m an irresponsible fluff bunny with a book full of my favorite creature, the Drake! Since Kaldheim doesn’t have drakes, boo/hiss, I had to find something else to latch on to. Puppers!
#1 – Fearless Pup
Let’s start with Fearless Pup in early play. You get a 1/1 first striker for one mana. Great? No?
It gets Boast to be become a 3/1 first striker when blocked. Hope your opponent brought something 4 or tougher. Greater? Still no?
Well then, make it a really cute puppy and with a cute boast quote. The greatest… yeah, me too.
#2 – Sarulf’s Packmate
Card draw, checks note, in green? Madness! What? No, I’m told that was another mechanic, sorry.
Anyway, card draw in green coupled with a 3/3 creature isn’t bad. The mana cost of three is a bit of a drawback, but green ramps up fast.
Foretell though works really well with this wolf’s alpha…
#3 – Sarulf, Realm Eater
Sarulf doesn’t start out as much, a 3/3 for three, but once permanents start hitting the graveyard he gets big quick. Speed him along with a good Ice Storm. Each permanent your opponent’s lose gives him a +1/+1 counter. Get enough counters and Sarulf eats most other creatures on the board. Sarulf though sticks around to start prepping for another meal.
Now, once Sarulf rampages all over Kaldheim, Sarulf’s Packmates arrive as Foretold for 2 mana each. Then time for a pack attack!
If you’d really like to you can add Vorinclex to speed Sarulf up, but I hear he’s not that good.
Greg’s Kaldheim Set Picks
“I haven’t thought much about it. So, there’s only what I’m buying today.”
#1 – Koma, Cosmos Serpent
I want to play Sea Serpents. Koma’s very good for that.
#2 – The World Tree
God Deck. Does it do anything else? Don’t care.
Ash’s Kaldheim Set Pick
Niko Aris
About time I got some non-binary representation in Magic.
Can we talk about the new Pokemon set next?
-ed, why not? You got any ideas for an article?
That’s the picks. Tergrid, Valki, Vorinclex, Koma, and The World Tree all earned multiple mentions. Others are fairly hit and miss depending on what you’d like to play.
Kaldheim previews from this blog
1 – Kaldheim Spoiler Season Launches
2 – Kaldheim Spoilers Continuing to Emerge
3 – Kaldheim Debut Day Reveals and Details
