Kazuul, Tyrant of the Cliffs

Legendary Creature — Ogre Warrior

Whenever a creature an opponent controls attacks, if you're the defending player, create a 3/3 red Ogre creature token unless that creature's controller pays {3} .

Warning to those who scale the cliffs without paying tribute: It's a long way down.

5 / 4

Set: Commander 2016 (C16 #130)
Rarity: Rare
Mana value: 5
Released: 2016-11-11
Artist: Paul Bonner
EDHREC rank: #1,866
Colour identity
Finishes: Nonfoil
Served from: Local database

Commander bracket

1 +

Fits any bracket

No Game Changer, land denial, extra turns or two-card combos.

Derived from card traits, not a ruling — bracket rules turn on how a deck intends to use a card. Bracket rules

EDHREC

Salt Score 0.29

How much players resent seeing this card. The scale tops out around 3.1.

Can be your commander

Combos

Not part of any combo on Commander Spellbook.

Commander recommendations

Top synergy 50

Played far more in this commander's decks than elsewhere.

Fumiko the Lowblood 66 %+64.9 %
Goblin Spymaster 58 %+57.1 %
Trove of Temptation 57 %+56.8 %
Goblin Diplomats 56 %+55.0 %
Archetype of Aggression 51 %+45.8 %
Emberwilde Captain 46 %+45.1 %
War's Toll 47 %+45.1 %
Warstorm Surge 52 %+44.1 %
Court of Ire 44 %+42.4 %
Warmonger Hellkite 40 %+39.9 %
Bloodmark Mentor 43 %+38.8 %
Brash Taunter 52 %+38.6 %
Court of Embereth 39 %+37.7 %
Disrupt Decorum 45 %+36.6 %
Curse of the Nightly Hunt 36 %+36.2 %
Avatar of Slaughter 37 %+35.3 %
Skyline Despot 36 %+34.0 %
Aether Membrane 34 %+33.6 %
Rose Room Treasurer 37 %+32.9 %
Ogre Battledriver 35 %+32.1 %
Curse of Opulence 42 %+32.0 %
Slumbering Dragon 32 %+31.6 %
Grand Melee 30 %+29.9 %
Koth, Fire of Resistance 38 %+29.2 %
Angel's Trumpet 30 %+29.1 %
Rite of the Raging Storm 29 %+27.7 %
Vengeful Ancestor 30 %+27.3 %
Agitator Ant 31 %+27.2 %
Heraldic Banner 36 %+27.1 %
Chaosphere 26 %+25.5 %
Coveted Jewel 27 %+23.2 %
Geode Rager 25 %+23.0 %
Maze of Ith 26 %+22.6 %
Chain Reaction 34 %+21.7 %
Kazuul's Fury 25 %+20.7 %
Kazuul's Fury 25 %+20.7 %
Incite War 21 %+20.5 %
Crimson Fleet Commodore 20 %+20.2 %
Endless Atlas 25 %+19.6 %
Shiny Impetus 25 %+18.8 %
The Akroan War 19 %+18.0 %
Stuffy Doll 21 %+17.9 %
Rage Nimbus 18 %+17.8 %
Humble Defector 23 %+17.8 %
Hamletback Goliath 18 %+17.5 %
Charging Cinderhorn 17 %+17.2 %
Solemn Simulacrum 37 %+16.8 %
Bloodthirsty Blade 18 %+16.7 %
Insurrection 20 %+16.4 %
Seeker of Slaanesh 16 %+16.3 %

Most included 50

Highest share of decks running them, distinctive or not.

Mountain 87 %-7.6 %
Sol Ring 81 %-2.8 %
Chaos Warp 67 %+5.9 %
Fumiko the Lowblood 66 %+64.9 %
Blasphemous Act 64 %+10.1 %
Arcane Signet 63 %+2.2 %
Goblin Spymaster 58 %+57.1 %
Trove of Temptation 57 %+56.8 %
Ruby Medallion 57 %-0.1 %
Goblin Diplomats 56 %+55.0 %
Vandalblast 52 %+11.3 %
Warstorm Surge 52 %+44.1 %
Brash Taunter 52 %+38.6 %
Archetype of Aggression 51 %+45.8 %
War's Toll 47 %+45.1 %
Swiftfoot Boots 47 %+6.8 %
Emberwilde Captain 46 %+45.1 %
Abrade 46 %+3.5 %
Disrupt Decorum 45 %+36.6 %
Mind Stone 45 %+14.0 %
Court of Ire 44 %+42.4 %
Bloodmark Mentor 43 %+38.8 %
Curse of Opulence 42 %+32.0 %
Lightning Greaves 42 %+7.9 %
Warmonger Hellkite 40 %+39.9 %
Myriad Landscape 39 %+15.7 %
Court of Embereth 39 %+37.7 %
War Room 38 %+8.4 %
Koth, Fire of Resistance 38 %+29.2 %
Solemn Simulacrum 37 %+16.8 %
Avatar of Slaughter 37 %+35.3 %
Faithless Looting 37 %-3.2 %
Rose Room Treasurer 37 %+32.9 %
Curse of the Nightly Hunt 36 %+36.2 %
Heraldic Banner 36 %+27.1 %
Skyline Despot 36 %+34.0 %
Impact Tremors 35 %+11.5 %
Ogre Battledriver 35 %+32.1 %
Fire Diamond 35 %+11.8 %
Thrill of Possibility 34 %+1.1 %
Aether Membrane 34 %+33.6 %
Chain Reaction 34 %+21.7 %
Valakut, the Molten Pinnacle 33 %+9.1 %
Big Score 33 %+1.3 %
Bolt Bend 33 %+13.7 %
Mana Geyser 33 %+1.5 %
Slumbering Dragon 32 %+31.6 %
Torbran, Thane of Red Fell 31 %+8.5 %
Agitator Ant 31 %+27.2 %
Grand Melee 30 %+29.9 %

Format legality

Standard Not legal

Pioneer Not legal

Modern Legal

Legacy Legal

Vintage Legal

Pauper Not legal

Commander Legal

Oathbreaker Legal

Duel Commander Legal

Brawl Not legal

Standard Brawl Not legal

Historic Not legal

Timeless Not legal

Alchemy Not legal

Penny Legal

Premodern Not legal

PreDH Legal

Pauper EDH Not legal

Old School Not legal

Future Not legal

Gladiator Not legal

All printings Scryfall ↗Gatherer ↗Edhrec ↗

Rulings

2010-03-01
As the ability resolves, you can't put the Ogre token onto the battlefield without explicitly giving the attacking player the option to pay , even if the attacking player has forgotten about this ability.
2010-03-01
If an attacking creature has a "Whenever this creature attacks" ability, that ability is put on the stack first, then Kazuul's ability is put on the stack. Although Kazuul's ability will resolve first, and potentially create an Ogre token, any target of the other ability will already have been chosen at this point, and thus could not have been the new Ogre token.
2010-03-01
If you're the defending player, Kazuul's ability triggers once for each creature that attacks, not just once per combat. The attacking player chooses whether to pay or let you have an Ogre token each time one of those abilities resolves.
2010-03-01
In a multiplayer game, the ability checks whether you're the defending player for each individual attacking creature. For example, if one creature attacks you and two creatures attack another player, Kazuul's ability triggers just once.
2010-03-01
The ability triggers and resolves during the declare attackers step. If you put an Ogre token onto the battlefield as a result, you may block with it during that combat phase.
2023-07-28
You're the defending player if a creature is attacking you, a planeswalker you control, or a battle you protect.