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Kambal, Profiteering Mayor

OTJ · rare · Released 2024-04-19

Tiers

tier-1
tier-1
tier-1

Commander Bracket

1Precon2Core3Upgraded4Optimized5cEDH

Archetypes

positive:
tokens-go-widearistocratslifegainstax-prison
negative:

No active conflicts.

Roles

token-producerdrainlifegain-payofftax

Risks

once-per-turn-restrictedopp-board-required

Mechanics

Typal

synergy:

anti:

Structural

triggered-ability

Rationale

Kambal is a 3-mana 2/4 that steals copies of opponents' tokens (once per turn) and drains each opponent for each token you control entering. The combination of token copying and life-drain makes him a premier engine in Orzhov tokens-go-wide and aristocrats shells — he generates board presence for free from opponents' strategies while also functioning as a passive drain. In stax-prison builds, copying and taxing tokens disrupts token-reliant opponents while accruing value. Loses some punch in Brawl vs. 1v1 (drain hits only one opponent) but token copying remains powerful.

Learnings (3)

  • The first triggered ability (copy opponent tokens) triggers only once per turn regardless of how many token-producing events occur, so mass token producers like Doubling Season resolving on an opponent's turn still only yield one copy trigger.

    tagging · claude-sonnet-4-6

  • Kambal's drain trigger fires for YOUR tokens entering, not opponents' — so he rewards both the free copies he generates from opponents AND any tokens you produce yourself, making him a dual-engine even without opponents generating tokens.

    tagging · claude-sonnet-4-6

  • In multiplayer Commander, Kambal copied tokens enter tapped, so they cannot be used for surprise blocks — however they immediately fuel the drain trigger on the same turn they enter.

    tagging · claude-sonnet-4-6

Popularity

  • EDHREC rank: #1,115

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