#kunoros

Kunoros is extremely flexible; his cast/ETB block stops popular decks such as Muldrotha or Kess, and his vigilance allows him to keep your defenses up while you pressure your opponents. We, however, are building off of his lifelink, and more importantly menace. By suiting him up with a few auras and equipments we can turn him into a solid beater that gains us life.

Starting us off, let’s look at how we plan to RAMP. Most of our mana acceleration is tied to artifacts, so Sol Ring,  Orzhov Signet, and Talisman of Hierarchy are a good initial basis. Mind Stone, Thaumatic Compass, and Unstable Obelisk can all perform additional tasks in addition to their primary function. Finally, Solemn Simulacrum and Burnished Hart are creatures that can grab basics from your library.

With the majority of our mana acceleration handled, we need to next look at CARD ADVANTAGE. being in one of the worst color arrangements for drawing cards, it’s difficult to do this on a budget. A good place to start is with Greed and its slightly cheaper counterpart Arguel’s Blood Fast: While the latter’s transform may draw your attention, our deck cares far more about its front side’s ability. Though the more iconic Phyrexian Arena is fairly expensive, Bloodgift Demon gives you a similar effect for a lower financial cost. Hedron Archive and Dreamstone Hedron are mana-intensive if used exclusively for drawing, but until you’re ready to do so they’re good for ramp as well. Tome of the Guildpact is an expensive manalith, but the added flexibility of drawing on cast can greatly strengthen your deck.

Finally, we get into White and Black’s mutual strength: REMOVAL. You have no shortage of multicolor removal spells: Mortify, Anguished Unmaking, Utter End, and Vindicate are all strong, flexible options. Return to Dust and Aura of Silence are both strong options for enchantments and artifacts, while  Ravenous Chupacabra, Swords to Plowshares, and Hero’s Downfall are potent creature removal. Finally, Ethereal Absolution can buff your field, kill your opponent’s small creatures, and remove key cards from your opponents’ graveyards.

For this particular list, we’ll look at WIPES separately from removal. Merciless Eviction is a fairly standard Orzhov board wipe, but Deathbringer Regent and Extinguish all Hope can also do well. If three isn’t enough for your playgroup, Winds of Rath and Winds of Abandon are easy to acquire and ignore your own board. If you need to attack graveyards as well, Soul-Guide Lantern can exile your opponents’ graveyards or draw an additional card.

Next we’re taking a look at some more PERSONAL touches. Kunoros himself does a lot to block graveyard interactions, but you may want a backup: Ashes of the Abhorrent and Grafdigger’s Cage both do an exception job at this. Though pricy, Swiftfoot Boots and Lightning Greaves are paramount to keep your general in play, while Palace Siege does well to either recur key creatures or add an additional source of life. Authority of the Consuls and Blind Obedience can slow down your opponents and gain you life. Finally, Sanguine Bond and Vizkopa Guildmage can turn any life you gain into a weapon of its own.

And now we get into the purpose of our deck: VOLTRON. We’ll, of course, look at the usual voltron inclusions: Hero’s Blade, Argentum Armor, and Trusty Machete do well, while Viridian Claw grants first strike protection and Tenza, Godo’s Maul provides a substantial buff at low equip cost. My favorite enchantments to adding to this strategy are Citadel Siege and Gryff’s Boon.

Finally, let’s take a look at a few key LANDS to help you out. Caves of Koilos is probably the cheapest untapped dual land you’ll be able to get for the deck, while Opal Palace and last year’s Forge of Heroes can allow Kunoros to enter with additional counters. Additionally, Arch of Orazca is expensive to activate, but helps dig a little deeper into your deck, while Rogue’s Passage can guarantee an unblocked attacker.