Kaalia, Zenith Seeker – Core Set 2020 MTG Review

David
Fanany
Player
since
1995

Don’t make the same mistake I did and misread Kaalia’s triggered ability – that’s an “and/or”, not just an “or” – up to three cards. In a properly constructed deck, that’s a level of card selection almost on par with Brainstorm, and given what kinds of cards Kaalia’s other incarnation works with in Commander, it’s a level of card selection that is almost guaranteed to win you the game. That kind of setting is where she will really shine, although I couldn’t rule out her doing something in 60-card formats too. Remember, creatures like Glorybringer and Lyra Dawnbringer do come around every so often.

Constructed: 3/5
Casual: 5/5
Limited: 3/5
Multiplayer: 4/5
EDH/Commander: 5/5

She might not be as horrifying as her first iteration (Commander‘s Kaalia of the Vast), but she’s still pretty good! Kaalia, Zenith Seeker amusingly pairs well with the other one, because of being able to tutor Angels, Demons, and Dragons from the top of your library. Unlike other tutor effects, this can get you multiple creatures: one Angel, one Demon, and one Dragon. If you have fewer than that, you can still get them, but being able to get three creatures in addition to a 3/3 body with flying and vigilance is a great deal, particularly for only three mana. The triple-color mana requirement is a bit awkward, albeit not as unworkable in this Standard (because of the ubiquity of shock lands and the fairly decent mana on hand), though you’d likely be playing her for her stats and seeing any tutoring as an upside.

Constructed: 3.25
Casual: 4.25
Limited: 3.5
Multiplayer: 3.5
Commander: 4