The Commander
Flying
Whenever a creature an opponent controls is dealt damage, put a +1/+1 counter on Kazarov.
: Kazarov deals 2 damage to target creature.
Guide
Gameplan
Cast Kazarov, then make him huge by dealing repeated damage to opponents' creatures—via his own ability, pingers, and group sweepers—snowballing into a flying beater while you grind the board to ash. He doubles as removal and a wincon, so you control creature-based boards and beat down through the air.
Strengths
- Built-in repeatable removal plus an evasive growing threat in one card
- Every point of damage to opponent creatures stacks counters, including from sweepers and pingers
- Flying lets him connect for commander damage that escalates fast
- Punishes go-wide and creature-heavy tables with board-clearing synergy
Weaknesses
- Seven mana and color-intensive; slow to deploy and a removal magnet
- His growth depends on opponents having creatures—dead against control/lands decks
- No trample or evasion beyond flying, so chump blockers stall the beats
- Counters reset if he's killed, costing real tempo and mana
Key Cards
- Pestilence — Repeatable board-wide damage triggers Kazarov for every opposing creature hit, pumping him each activation.
- Polukranos, World Eater — Its fight/monstrosity damage to multiple creatures loads counters onto Kazarov en masse.
- Blasphemous Act — A near-free wrath that deals 13 to every creature, dumping a pile of counters on Kazarov while clearing blockers.
- Pyrohemia — An enchantment ping engine that triggers Kazarov repeatedly while controlling small creatures.
- Toxic Deluge — Damage-based sweeper that hits all opposing creatures, fueling Kazarov while keeping the board clear.
- Sword of Fire and Ice — The 2 damage on hit triggers Kazarov and the evasion/protection pushes commander-damage kills.
Upgrade Path
Add more repeatable, board-wide damage (Pestilence, Pyrohemia, Massacre Girl) and efficient sweepers (Toxic Deluge, Blasphemous Act) to maximize counter generation each turn. Improve evasion and protection with Sword of Fire and Ice, Whispersilk Cloak, and trample enablers so Kazarov actually lands lethal hits, and add fast mana (Sol Ring, Signets) plus reanimation to cheat his seven-mana cost and recover after removal.
Core Cards
The most-played cards for this commander, built from aggregated deck data (the Mythic Graph). Build public decks to seed it.
Win Conditions
- ▸Connect repeatedly with an oversized flying Kazarov for commander damage
- ▸Convert board-wide ping/sweeper damage into a lethal swing
- ▸Equip Voltron gear to push evasive, protected hits
- ▸Grind opponents out with Pestilence/Pyrohemia loops while Kazarov closes
Archetypes
- Pingers/Damage Control — Repeatable damage sources turn every opposing creature into a +1/+1 counter for Kazarov.
- Group Slug/Stax — Punishing damage effects like Pestilence and Pyrohemia keep boards small while growing the commander.
- Voltron — Flying plus rapid counter growth makes him a fast commander-damage clock with light equipment support.
- Control — Damage-based wraths double as board control and Kazarov fuel, letting you grind to a lone threat.
Combos
No combos found for this commander on Commander Spellbook.
Related Commanders
Same color identity (BR), by popularity.
