Cosi. Talib. Kozilek.

Despite being repeatedly told that Ulamog is the only titan known to remain on Zendikar, few fans are convinced that’s the case. And rightly so, as we were recently bombarded with tall tales of Kozilek’s deceit, proxied through the merfolk god Cosi, in the Uncharted Realms stories “Home Waters” and “Shaping an Army.” Even Kiora joins the camp of nonbelievers, perfectly echoing fans with the response, "I'll believe it when I see it.” Why so skeptical?

Art by Michael Komarck

Kor Understanding

After the titans were locked away on Akoum, stories of their godhood spiraled out of control among the Zendikari. Each titan was revered among the merfolk and kor tribes with domains and stories explaining what little was observed. The deities represented the abominations, not at all helped by Nahiri’s choice of wording when warning the kor.

Original chart found here

The titans were released, they fed to regain their full power, and then things went quiet. Kozilek and Emrakul hadn’t been seen for a long while, but Ulamog soon reminded Zendikar of his presence with the attack on Sea Gate. Was he the only titan to remain—or the only to be seen?

Strangely, the Kozilek influences in Battle for Zendikar are plentiful. Among the earliest debuted art, we saw Nissa and Gideon combatting both Kozilek and Ulamog brood. Throughout the cards, Kozilek's Channeler sets up speculation for his subterranean refuge, Herald of Kozilek has a reason for its name, and Ob Nixilis himself slays the brood in Altar's Reap. So that Shadow Glider might not be in the best position, but why does Kozilek’s inevitable inclusion matter?

Original image found here

Meddleworker

We know that Cosi was the trickster god—interfering with Ula’s plans, stealing Emeria’s robes, and being a generally disruptive force among the Three. His domain was land in the kor pantheon and fortune for the merfolk. What will Kozilek do in Oath of the Gatewatch to wreak havoc on both Ulamog and the Zendikari’s hard work?

Not ingest. In fact, none of the Kozilek cards in Battle for Zendikar had ingest. The mechanic represents Ulamog’s endless hunger and helps fuel his special brand of processors. If Kozilek stays true to the legends of Cosi and wanted to feed off Ulamog’s efforts, shuffling exiled cards back into an opponent's deck for some benefit would be the ideal route. As Noyan explained to Gideon with the conclusion of “Ula and the Ocean’s Sneeze,” Cosi always benefits from Ula’s hard work.

Not rally. The “inverting loyalties” part of his powers, coming very soon after a strong Ally theme, will punish people for trying to ally against the Eldrazi threats. Turn Against may be the tip of the iceberg when it comes to Kozilek’s deceitful influence, and one powerful unifying force could be his big target: The Gatewatch.

No chalky husks. Kozilek’s brood turns the land to bismuth, as seen on Skitterskin and Kozilek's Channeler. If you believe the legends of Cosi and Ula to be based in truth, this method of wasting the land would probably be in competition with Ulamog’s efforts.

What we know of the Battle for Zendikar story pauses at a moment of confusion and danger. Ob Nixilis interrupted the efforts at Sea Gate, absorbing the aligned hedron network’s power to regain his spark. Gideon panics, urging the Zendikari forces to fight Ulamog directly while the titan remains within the hedron ring. This tumultuous scene is a prime setting for Kozilek’s treachery, sealing fate or granting fortune to either side of the conflict.

Skitterskin by Michael Komarck

Not If, But When

Kozilek’s return will be plenty devastating to the Zendikari forces, but we get a new card! Mechanically, Ulamog’s newest version aligns with his hungry flavor and gives us the contextual feeling of ceaseless hunger. Kozilek’s old version gives us . . . four cards. How will the new Kozilek capture distortion and bending of wills? Whisper it in Cosi’s ear, and leave knotted rope at the shrine, or just include it in a comment. Until next time, happy planeswalking!