Arcane Foundry › Commanders › Kiora, Sovereign of the Deep
Kiora, Sovereign of the Deep
Legendary Creature — Merfolk Noble · {3}{G}{U} · Green/Blue commander
Vigilance, ward {3}
Whenever you cast a Kraken, Leviathan, Octopus, or Serpent spell from your hand, look at the top X cards of your library, where X is that spell's mana value. You may cast a spell with mana value less than X from among them without paying its mana cost. Put the rest on the bottom of your library in a random order.
Build a Kiora, Sovereign of the Deep deck →
What Kiora, Sovereign of the Deep actually does
Read off the card by the same engine the Forge and Analyzer use — this is the mechanical classification, not a summary.
- Triggered ability · otherWhenever you cast a Kraken, Leviathan, Octopus, or Serpent spell from your hand, look at the top X cards of your library, where X is that spell's mana value. You may cast a spell with mana
- Keyword · vigilancevigilance
- Keyword · wardward
What a Kiora, Sovereign of the Deep deck wants
The plan the Forge derives for this commander: the roles it fills and how many of each.
- 32× Mana value at or above the floor — for a cascade commander a cheap card is a DEFECT, not a bargain
- 26× A body of the exact type the commander's trigger requires — the wrong type is worthless here regardless of quality
- 6× A card that is CAST to trigger the commander — reanimating or blinking it does not count
- 5× Actually remove one problem permanent — preventing its damage is not removing it
- 1× Answer a whole board at once
- 2× Answer a spell or ability before it resolves
- 9× Find the exact card the plan needs
- 7× Refill your hand
- 2× Keep a permanent you control alive through removal
Best cards for Kiora, Sovereign of the Deep
Ranked by an engine that reads what each card does — its real cost, its delay and how reliably it works — rather than counting how often other people play it.
Mana value at or above the floor — for a cascade commander a cheap card is a DEFECT, not a bargain
- Excalibur, Sword of Eden12 mana
- Ghalta, Primal Hunger12 mana
- Ancient Stone Idol10 mana
- Apex Devastator10 mana
- Blightsteel Colossus12 mana
- Darksteel Colossus11 mana
- Emrakul, the Promised End13 mana
- Emrakul, the World Anew12 mana
A body of the exact type the commander's trigger requires — the wrong type is worthless here regardless of quality
- Aesi, Tyrant of Gyre Strait // Aesi, Tyrant of Gyre Strait0 mana
- Omen Hawker1 mana
- Nadir Kraken3 mana
- Thing in the Ice // Awoken Horror2 mana
- Kraken Hatchling1 mana
- Arixmethes, Slumbering Isle4 mana
- Caelorna, Coral Tyrant2 mana
- Nimbus Swimmer2 mana
A card that is CAST to trigger the commander — reanimating or blinking it does not count
- Aesi, Tyrant of Gyre Strait // Aesi, Tyrant of Gyre Strait0 mana
- Omen Hawker1 mana
- Thing in the Ice // Awoken Horror2 mana
- Nadir Kraken3 mana
- Kraken Hatchling1 mana
- Caelorna, Coral Tyrant2 mana
- Nimbus Swimmer2 mana
- Ultros, Obnoxious Octopus2 mana
Actually remove one problem permanent — preventing its damage is not removing it
- Reality Shift2 mana
- Pongify1 mana
- Rapid Hybridization1 mana
- Resculpt2 mana
- Suspend1 mana
- Snap2 mana
- Into the Flood Maw1 mana
- Planar Incision2 mana
Answer a whole board at once
- Displacement Wave2 mana
- Simplify1 mana
- Filter Out3 mana
- Aligned Hedron Network4 mana
- Coercive Portal4 mana
- Needle Storm3 mana
- Whirlwind4 mana
- Whelming Wave4 mana
Answer a spell or ability before it resolves
- Pact of Negation0 mana
- Counterspell2 mana
- Three Steps Ahead1 mana
- Long River's Pull2 mana
- Force of Will5 mana
- Abjure1 mana
- Archmage's Charm3 mana
- Cancel3 mana
Find the exact card the plan needs
- Green Sun's Zenith1 mana
- Nature's Rhythm2 mana
- Neoform2 mana
- Celestial Reunion1 mana
- Worldly Tutor1 mana
- Reshape2 mana
- March of Burgeoning Life1 mana
- Mask of the Mimic1 mana
Refill your hand
- Mystic Remora1 mana
- Skullclamp1 mana
- Curiosity1 mana
- Wizard Class1 mana
- Garruk's Uprising3 mana
- Rhystic Study3 mana
- Faerie Mastermind2 mana
- Beast Whisperer4 mana
Keep a permanent you control alive through removal
- Innkeeper's Talent2 mana
- Guardian Augmenter3 mana
- Cryptothrall4 mana
- Saryth, the Viper's Fang4 mana
- Tekuthal, Inquiry Dominus4 mana
- Lost in the Maze2 mana
- Lightning Greaves2 mana
- Swiftfoot Boots2 mana