Hello awesome folks! Today I want to do something really fun for you! Update the old Stronghold-era Theme Deck called" Call of the Kor" built around the Kor ability to redirect damage.

Call of the Kor | Stronghold Standard

• Creatures (21)
• 1 Cloudchaser Eagle
• 1 Darkling Stalker
• 2 Gravedigger
• 2 Knight of Dawn
• 2 Lancers en-Kor
• 3 Nomads en-Kor
• 1 Screeching Harpy
• 1 Shaman en-Kor
• 1 Skeleton Scavengers
• 1 Soltari Champion
• 4 Spirit en-Kor
• 2 Warrior en-Kor

• Spells (15)
• 3 Endless Scream
• 2 Enfeeblement
• 1 Flickering Ward
• 1 Dark Banishing
• 1 Death Stroke
• 1 Disenchant
• 2 Evincar's Justice
• 2 Lab Rats
• 1 Smite
• 1 Temper

• Lands (24)
• 13 Plains
• 11 Swamp

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24 lands in an aggro deck? What was this thing thinking about? This deck is built around the redirection of the damage from combat or burn onto regenerators like the Harpy and Scavengers or to give it protection from that color with Flickering Ward or the Knight of Dawn. This is fun and aggressive. There was an infinite life combo based in Standard in mono-White in this tribe which I'll toss in too, but I'll just do the White side of things because I don't need black for regeneration, I can just use indestructible. And I know what mono-White legendary I'd like to build around!

Oketra cannot swing for wins or blocks ably, but she is always in play for putting damage onto from your team! Ready for the Kor meeting Oketra! Also, she makes tokens to kill with damage over and over again just like Lab Rats.

Lands, Rocks, and Ramp

Let's start with mana rocks! Since our leader costs four, a two-drop on the second turn like Marble Diamond can get her on the third turn quite ably. And there are a few here that do that here and there. But mostly my mana rocks cost more than two and tap for more than one, like Worn Powerstone or this uncommon above. I have some pricey cards in here and mana sinks like Oketra or others you'll see later in my land zone.

Now let's turn to creature ramp. Since Oketra needs dorks to swing and block, I am running a bunch of creatures here that do things, and fewer mana rocks. The Knight is a two-drop with double White, easy here with first strike, so he's on-curve. Then when he ETBs, if a foe has more lands, you can Tutor for a Plains and ramp it tapped so that's any Plains, not just basics, but you need someone else on turn two, unlikely unless you wait for a few turns if you are playing against traditional ramp like Cultivate or Rampant Growth. The Soldier costs four, is splashable, has a solid size body at 3/4, and then two abilities which trigger EOT on your foe's turns. If they control more lands, you ramp a basic Plains this time tapped from your library. If they have more creatures, then you get a free 1/1 token. Nice combo!

Deep Gnome Terramancer is also with a 2/2 body on curve with flash but no combat abilities. Then it has one triggered ability. When your foe drops a land without it counting for their land drop, you fetch a Plains tapped to your battlefield from your library. Cast this in response to the cracking of a fetch land or a Farseek on the stack to get that Plains, also non-basic here.

Weathered Wayfarer has a 1/1 body with a tap ability. You search your library for any land if a foe has more lands than you and toss it into your hand. I love this getting the best land for the situation since it's not a basic or Plains but any land. I massaged my land base for this guy, who used to heavily played in multiplayer formats and I am giving him another run in the sun here.

Now let's turn to some lands! The legendary one usually ETBs tapped if you don't control Oketra or another legendary. If you attacked with two or more dorks this turn you can tap it with two mana to draw that card! Nasty card flow in my land; ditto War Room. The non-legendary always ETBs tapped but can be cycled for a mana if you need land. It's here to Tutor with the Wayfarer and then cycle and draw and you didn't drop it so you can do it a few times over and over. I have all of the White tapping cyclers here.

Now let's turn to mana sinks. Since Oketra makes tokens with mana I am running other token makers here in my land base. For example, I am running Castle Ardenvale that turns mana into dorks. Mirrex taps for colorless normally but anything when it ETBs and then turns three mana into a 1/1 artifact dork with toxic one that cannot block. Then you can turn those lands into mana sinks or dorks to win. Cave of the Frost Dragon usually ETBs tapped. You can spend five mana to turn it into a 3/4 flying Dragon to win with, and I also have Crawling Barrens to put counters on and grow over time.

The hideaway land ETBs tapped and then digs four and you exile one card. Then you can cast it for free if you attacked with at least three dorks this turn - pretty likely here. The Desert taps for colorless, and then you can tap it with two to sacrifice a Desert to exile all graveyards. It's my only graveyard abuse here, and I am not using it myself, so feel free to use and abuse it. I also have the Desert cycling land here to grab and sacrifice instead with Weathered Wayfarer to keep this back to use again.

Kor and Indestructible Stuff of Note

Now let's turn to the six en-Kor and the indestructible things to send their damage too. The best on curve is Warrior en-Kor, a 2/2 for two mana. It has the base Kor ability to redirect damage from itself to the other things you control for no extra mana! Spirit en-Kor is 2/2 flying body for evasion and redirects too. Because you fly, you can hold back and block anything and redirect damage to other places. You can also swing into two toughness blockers and trade without dying, so they'll likely let you smash instead.

The White card costs a massive eight mana for a strong 4/8 body with all of the keywords from indestructible and double strike like Oketra to flying for evasion, vigilance to swing and hold back and the trample to really push flying and reaching blockers. This is a strong game winner and synergy and fun thing for tossing damage onto. The artifact costs two less at six mana for a flashable grounded 3/3 with vigilance and indestructible. It's here to flash out and block and survive out of nowhere, kill a three toughness or fewer dork, and then attack with vigilance and stay back to block and send damage to with indestructible. Now let's turn to the combo!

The Life Combo

This combo was the first commonly known infinite life combo, so the deck built around it was called "Life." It's built around these two things and Kor. Here's how it worked back then:

• Turn 1 - Drop a land. Cast the one-drop Nomads en-Kor.
• Turn 2 - Drop a land. Drop the Warrior en-Kor if you didn't have the Nomads last turn.
• Turn 3 - Drop a land swing.
• Turn 4 - Drop a land and then cast Angelic Protector.
• Turn 5 - Swing with the Protector. Then target it a massive number of times with your en-Kor and then grow it to a huge size. Cast Worthy Cause with buyback to gain an infinite amount of life. They will likely concede.

That's how it worked. If you were smart, you'd delay the Protector to turn 5, and then cast it and then the Cause as soon as it resolved to remove any being tapped out or sorcery speed removal on it. That's the "Life" combo then. Today we have a three-drop en-Kor printed back in Time Spiral you could drop as well! We have six en-Kor we've added to this deck to make millions of life and then if your foes win with normal damage, they are likely to concede. But not if they have poison kills, decking, alternate wins with Laboratory Maniac in their deck and so forth.

Stuffy Doll was printed since this deck was made and would likely be there today. This five-drop, on arrival to the battlefield, will choose a player. It has indestructible to stick around. This 0/1 dork will send all damage dealt to it from other sources to that player. With an en-Kor this will kill as damage is dealt to it over time, and it also can play keep away defensively too. You'll really want to combine it with Shaman en-Kor, where you can spend two (which doesn't tap it and is repeatable) to redirect to it any damage deal to another source to another dork. If your foe casts Lightning Bolt to shoot something for three, redirect it to this for two and then to the Doll for nothing. See how that works together? Your foes will not cast damage-based sweepers like Blasphemous Act with this duo out.

Synergies and Winning Conditions

Now let's turn to synergies and other win--cons. We'll start with this mythic mono-White eight drop triple WWW cost creature pair. The former is a 6/6 flying body. When it ETBs, your stuff gets flying for the turn to swing over things and then they get +X/+X equal to your creature count, so it's a wincon out of nowhere on a wide board. With your tokens from lands and Oketra that could be a big powerhouse. The latter is on a much bigger 8/8 body also with flying, vigilance and then indestructible to send damage to. It's here to give your stuff indestructible, so it protects them all from your damage redirection, which you won't even need. It was my first dork to build around before I audibled to Oketra.

Idol of Oblivion can tap for no mana to draw a card if you made a token this turn. At first, I skipped past this card since only Oketra can reliably make tokens. But after I added in the token making lands, and since this is free and you can use it after the token making mana sink, I tossed it in. You can also sacrifice it for eight mana to make a strong game winning 10/10 from a two-drop. Evangel of Heliod is here to make a body of 1/1 Soldiers equal to your devotion to White to go wide. Again, you can really turn this into a win of flying huge size with the Cavalry above or just use these for bodies to activate the artifact for card flow or to get in some swings. I also am running the other devotion token maker Reverent Hoplite.

Mondrak, Glory Dominus has an on-curve 4/4 body. When a token ETBs under your control, you can double it. This is my only token doubling thing in the set. Then you can spend up to three mana to sacrifice two dorks or artifacts to put an indestructible counter on this to send your damage here. You can send two tokens you made to do that and then keep it around as your token doubler though sweepers and targeted removal. Phyrexian Vindicator is hard to cast but powerful; when damage would be dealt to it, it's prevented and then you can send it with any target from players creatures or planeswalkers. It's a better Stuffy Doll, costs cheaper, can swing with flying, but doesn't have basic indestructible to keep it around. Love this pair loads!

Let's finish this section with this modal land! It costs seven mana naturally. Then you make two 4/4 flyer Angels to block or swing over stuff for wins. And your other stuff gets indestructible for the turn so you can swing without worrying about trades safely and keep those two Angels back for attack backs, although many key things have vigilance so you would also have them. Or if you need a land early game, drop this with three life lost to use it that turn, or without if you can wait until next turn.

Answers

Now let's turn to answers, and we'll start with answers to answers, enter this pair. The creature costs three, and then has a flash vigilance and a 3/2 body for killing or blocking a one powered attacker. Then you can phase out all other target dorks you control to save your team from mass removal like exiling stuff such as Farewell or Damnation. And phasing is better than indestructible here since you can answer exiling removal or to keep your stuff out for a round of stuff so that in multiplayer if Player A casts Wrath of God and you spend your Heroic Intervention effect and then Player B untaps and casts Day of Judgment and now your bullet in your gun was spent and you have no response. That's why I am also running Teferi's Protection here, but this is usually better in creature-based brews here since it on the battlefield to swing or block with Oketra, trigger your lands or to add to devotion!

However, just because the phasing is a better answer doesn't mean that instant indestructible things aren't good here either, enter this three-cost instant. You can give all of your dorks indestructible for the turn, in order to survive. And if you control Oketra, you can cast this for free, so lean into tapping out since you can still cast this answer to answers.

Brave the Elements costs one, and then you choose a color. Your White stuff gets protection from that color this turn. This is good for a few reasons. First, you can save your team from mass removal of foes like the aforementioned Blasphemous Act for just one mana. Second, if damage in combat with your en-Kor redirecting is one color, move it around add then give it that color. Third this can be used as hexproof for your team for one mana like against targeted things like Cyclonic Rift. Fourthly, this is a great way to save your team from combat damage on defense. Finally, this is awesome to get in an alpha strike to kill in the red zone with combat damage by naming that color of defense.

Akroma's Will costs four, and you have two choices unless you control Oketra, then you get both. It's here to be a better version of the uncommon to give your team protection from all colors. Then you can also give them indestructible, lifelink for a big life swing in a go wide deck in that second option, and then if you control your leader or you need a combat trick, you can give your stuff flying, vigilance and double strike for the turn. Double strike and protection to swing past anything will win the game.

Now let's turn to targeted removal with this Standard-legal duo. Loran costs three and has a 2/1 body with vigilance a bit small. Then she ETBs and destroys any artifact or enchantment. You can tap her to have you and have a foe draw a card, so she's card flow and a Disenchant. Then I also tossed in Disenchant on a stick Space Marine Devastator with the ability to net a few copies. The instant costs three, is uncommon, destroys any non-land and then they make a 1/1 dork as compensation. It's good to have some instant speed removal of anything, enter Generous Gift as well.

Now let's finish my answers section with mass removal. Every deck should have some mass removal, including a really wide one like Austere Command and its many options. The first is to destroy small dorks, or big dorks or artifacts or enchantments. Most of our stuff is tokens and cost 3 or fewer, so you'll usually choose the bigger dorks and then either enchantments or artifacts, whichever need the sweep more. White Sun's Twilight will gain X life and make X 1/1 Mites with unblocking and toxic one like Mirrex and if X was five you sweep everything else. This is a late game win con and sweeper too and another space to spend that mana rock mana. Ditto Martial Coup which is also an X spell that makes dorks and then sweeps everything else for the same mana at five. You'll love running this trio with Avacyn out to save your team!

Card Flow

Now let's finish with card draw and flow! These are also on permanents and usually creatures like much of my removal and ramp. We'll start with this rare pair. The flyer costs four, has a strong 4/3 size, and then when you attack with two or more dorks, you'll draw that card - likely here. Then when a foe attacks someone else with two or more they'll draw too, so you are likely to keep this around since everyone can draw from it. The ground pounder costs three for a 2/2 and it's a Commander Classic. Whenever another dork ETBs under your control with a power or 2 or less, you can spend a mana to draw a card That's nasty card flow since it works with the tokens Oketra makes. I am also running similar Welcoming Vampire that's one once per turn but no mana needed.

Rumor Gatherer costs three for a 2/1 smaller dork with alliance. Did another dork ETB? Get a free scry one! This also works for tokens. The second time this resolves in a turn you draw instead! You can see why it's here. Mangara, the Diplomat costs one more for a +0/+3 increase in size and rocks lifelink and don't sleep on four toughness to send three damage to from your en-Kor per turn. Then you have two card draw triggers. The first is if a foe attacks you with two or more, draw, so they'll often just attack you with one and then the rest the others. Then when a foe casts their second spell on any turn, you'll draw, so they'll split up multiple casts over multiple opposing turns to slow that down.

Let's finish with this pair! The creature costs two and then has flash and a 2/2 Bear body and cost. When an opponent searches their library you gain a life and draw that card! Do this when a fetch land, Expedition Map sacrifice or Idyllic Tutor is on the stack to draw a card. And don't forget to gain that life too. The enchantment costs one more and then when a dork ETBs under your control with a cost of three or fewer, draw but just once per turn. Most of our stuff qualifies. Do this on other turns with flash or with tokens to draw more than once per round of turns in multiplayer.

Ready for my decklist?

Oketra and the Kor | Commander | Abe Sargent

• Commander (1)
• 1 Oketra the True

• Creatures (36)
• 1 Angelic Protector
• 1 Archivist of Oghma
• 1 Avacyn, Angel of Hope
• 1 Burnished Hart
• 1 Darksteel Seninel
• 1 Daxos, Blessed by the Sun
• 1 Deep Gnome Terramancer
• 1 Evangel of Heliod
• 1 Firemane Commando
• 1 Guardian of Faith
• 1 Keeper of the Accord
• 1 Knight of the White Orchid
• 1 Konda, Lord of Eiganjo
• 1 Kytheon, Hero of Akros
• 1 Lancers en-Kor
• 1 Loran of the Third Path
• 1 Loyal Warhound
• 1 Mangara, the Diplomat
• 1 Mentor of the Meek
• 1 Mondrak, Glory Dominus
• 1 Moonshaker Cavalry
• 1 Mother of Runes
• 1 Nomads en-Kor
• 1 Outrider en-Kor
• 1 Phyrexian Vindicator
• 1 Reverent Hoplite
• 1 Rumor Gatherer
• 1 Shaman en-Kor
• 1 Solemn Simulacrum
• 1 Space Marine Devastator
• 1 Spirit en-Kor
• 1 Stuffy Doll
• 1 Warrior en-Kor
• 1 Weathered Wayfarer
• 1 Welcoming Vampire
• 1 Zetalpa, Primal Dawn

• Instants (8)
• 1 Akroma's Will
• 1 Brave the Elements
• 1 Flawless Maneuver
• 1 Generous Gift
• 1 Sejjiri Shelter // Sejiri Glacier
• 1 Stroke of Midnight
• 1 Teferi's Protection
• 1 Worthy Cause

• Sorceries (4)
• 1 Austere Command
• 1 Emeria's Call // Emeria, Shattered Skyclave
• 1 Martial Coup
• 1 White Sun's Twilight

• Enchantments (3)
• 1 Chivalric Alliance
• 1 Land Tax
• 1 Tocasia's Welcome

• Artifacts (10)
• 1 Everflowing Chalice
• 1 Idol of Oblivion
• 1 Lightning Greaves
• 1 Marble Diamond
• 1 Mind Stone
• 1 Skullclamp
• 1 Sol Ring
• 1 Swiftfoot Boots
• 1 Thran Dynamo
• 1 Worn Powerstone

• Lands (38)
• 18 Plains
• 1 Access Tunnel
• 1 Arch of Orazca
• 1 Castle Ardenvale
• 1 Cave of the Frost Dragon
• 1 Crawling Barrens
• 1 Desert of the True
• 1 Drifting Meadow
• 1 Eiganjo, Seat of the Empire
• 1 Kjeldoran Outpost
• 1 Minas Tirith
• 1 Mirrex
• 1 Mistveil Plains
• 1 Myriad Landscape
• 1 New Benalia
• 1 Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx
• 1 Rogue's Passage
• 1 Scavenger Grounds
• 1 Secluded Steppe
• 1 War Room
• 1 Windbrisk Heights

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Oh....and I have a real surprise for your this week...on Friday I'll be giving you my Top Ten Kor of all Time! This is a pretty dense tribe with all of the Mirrodin love, so get ready for a fun deep dive. I hope that you enjoyed my deep dive into this tribe and deck and combo all from the old days!