"Karona + Gahiji EDH: Biting Hard"

"Karona + Gahiji EDH: Biting Hard"

by:

Virgilio F. De leon Jr.

One of the earliest cards that I got in Scourge was the card Karona False God.Costing 6 mana and in all different mana colors. Back then it was a nightmare for me because the only color that I knew playing with was Red. Divergent Growth was a solution for casting this colored monstrosity but I never gave it a try. Like most of my earlier cards that was not Red this one was also shelved and languished there until I finally got into EDH.

Now that I see it Karona is actually perfect for the chaos that I have always wanted in an EDH game. With her as a General you could cast all the colors of mana but what was the advantage in a General that was bouncing from one player to another? Politics aside Karona has the tendency to be your end rather than your aid. Once she ends up in the hands of one particular opponent who wants to get rid of you the damage is almost assured. Now a new card from Commander 2013 is set to make Karona a force for good on your side. 

Gahiji , Honored One. A 4/4 Beast that takes Naya colors to cast is something that can make opponents attack others rather than you when they get Karona. The beast gives any creature attacking any other opponent or a planeswalker they control have a +2/0 stat pump. With Karona being in that players control he or she chooses a creature type and attacks with a +3/+3 on all of those creatures. The best thing is that if they don't attack you it becomes a +5/+3 stat pump. Why with just ten 1/1 creatures on the board unopposed  means 50 points of damage! 

I would also like to say that the +5/+3 stat pump affects your creatures as well. You just have to wait for your turn and unleash them!

Politics will play a significant part here because with a small standing army players could decide who to take out first. Chances are since they love what Karona and Gahiji are doing for them they would leave you for last. So act all beneficial and non-threatening. Smile a lot. Bare your teeth only when you are ready to bite. And when it is your turn to have this Power Duo. Bite Hard.