How to Mulligan Kaalia of the Vast
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Start here: Mulligan Simulator (fast) → then Cost to Finish (money) → Budget Swaps (savings)
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Opening hand priorities
Cheat massive angels, demons, and dragons into play while protecting Kaalia. The goal is not a pretty seven-card hand. It is a hand that develops mana, lines up colors, and actually points toward the deck first meaningful turns.
Ideal Early Script
- Turn 1: develop mana or the cheapest enabler for protected Mardu cheat-into-play attacks.
- Turn 2: add protection, card flow, or the support piece that makes Kaalia matter.
- Turn 3+: commit the commander or bridge toward the first engine turn only when the board can use it.
Your opener should support
Hands to be suspicious of
- - low-impact creatures
- - sorcery-speed filler without ETB value
Mulligan decisions with Kaalia of the Vast start with role clarity: does your opener actually support a real Kaalia of the Vast game plan around angels and demons? Cheat massive angels, demons, and dragons into play while protecting Kaalia. Emphasise protective equipment/auras and game-ending bombs.
What a keepable hand looks like
Keep hands with ramp, Kaalia protection, and at least one premium hit. , , two-mana rocks, and a payoff creature that matters on contact are exactly what a good Kaalia hand looks like.
When to ship a hand
Ship hands that are all top end or all removal with no acceleration. If the opener cannot threaten a protected or hasty on schedule, it is probably too cute.
Your first three turns
Your first turns should either deploy mana rocks or protection. The best Kaalia games are the ones where opponents know what is coming and still cannot stop the first attack step.
Ready to test real opener quality for Kaalia of the Vast? Run your own list through the ManaTap mulligan simulator, compare play versus draw, and check how often your opener actually lines up with the plan above.
Related commander guides
FAQ
- What is the London mulligan?
- You put any number of cards from your hand on the bottom of your library, then draw back up to seven. In Commander, your first mulligan is free.
- How many lands should I keep?
- Most Commander decks want two to four lands in the opener. Low-curve decks can keep two; higher curves want three or four.
- Should I mulligan a hand with no ramp?
- It depends on your curve. If your deck needs early ramp to function, ship hands without it. If you have enough lands and cheap plays, you might keep.
- Does play vs draw affect mulligan strategy?
- Yes. On the draw you get an extra card, so you can sometimes keep slightly weaker hands.
- How can I test my mulligan strategy?
- Use the ManaTap mulligan simulator. Paste your decklist, set parameters, and run thousands of simulations to see keep rates.