Staff Kaldheim Picks

Today, local stores started distributing Play At Home kits to lucky customers. The official Kaldheim release day is but a week away. So let’s dig into the set with some Staff Kaldheim Picks from CMO Games.

Elijah’s Top Kaldheim 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 Top Kaldheim 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

Chris’ Top Kaldheim 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. Puppies!

#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.

We’ll have more Kaldheim picks from other members of the crew on release day!

Check CMO Games for Kaldheim preorders and availability