Kazuul, Tyrant of the Cliffs is one of those cards players keep asking about. Here is, in plain words, what its official text says, the rulings published by Wizards of the Coast, and the combos players actually run.
Official card text
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.
Complete guide
Kazuul, Tyrant of the Cliffs is a formidable legendary Ogre that makes your opponents think twice before sending their forces your way. By demanding a tax for every single attacker, he either drains your opponent's mana or builds you an instant army of 3/3 Ogre tokens. This card is a staple for defensive red strategies, turning your opponent's aggression into your own board presence.
A Taxing Defense
Kazuul's ability triggers whenever a creature an opponent controls attacks you, a planeswalker you control, or a battle you protect. The ability triggers once for each individual creature assigned to attack you. For every trigger, the attacking player must choose: pay {3} mana or allow you to create a 3/3 red Ogre creature token. In multiplayer games, this only triggers for creatures coming at you; creatures attacking your other opponents will not trigger Kazuul's ability.
Timing and Resolution
These triggers occur during the declare attackers step, immediately after attackers are chosen but before blockers are declared. This is crucial because any Ogre tokens created by this ability enter the battlefield in time to be declared as blockers during the next step of combat. The attacking player decides whether to pay for each trigger individually as they resolve, meaning they could pay for some attackers and give you tokens for others depending on their available mana.
Important Interactions
If an attacking creature has its own 'whenever this creature attacks' trigger, that ability and Kazuul's trigger are put on the stack at the same time. Since the active player's triggers go on the stack first, Kazuul's ability will always resolve first. However, targets for the opponent's abilities must be chosen when they are put on the stack, so they cannot target the new Ogre tokens which don't exist yet.
Strategic Tips
Always remember that you cannot skip the payment option; you must give your opponent the chance to pay {3} for every trigger. If they are tapped out, the tokens are guaranteed. Because the tokens are 3/3s, they can effectively trade with or bounce many common attackers, often discouraging an opponent from attacking at all unless they have a massive mana advantage.
Interaction examples
Ogre
Solemn SimulacrumYour opponent attacks you with a Solemn Simulacrum. Kazuul's ability triggers. If your opponent cannot or chooses not to pay {3}, you create a 3/3 Ogre token. Since we are still in the declare attackers step, you can then move to the declare blockers step and use your new Ogre token to block the Solemn Simulacrum, potentially destroying it.
Roaming ThroneYou control Kazuul, Tyrant of the Cliffs and a Roaming Throne with 'Ogre' chosen as the creature type. When an opponent attacks you with one creature, Kazuul's ability triggers twice thanks to the Roaming Throne. The opponent must pay {3} for the first trigger AND {3} for the second trigger. If they cannot pay for either, you will end up with two 3/3 Ogre tokens from a single attacking creature.
Guide written with AI from the official text and rulings. Official English text prevails.
How it works : Kazuul, Tyrant of the Cliffs
Original English text — Wizards of the Coast / Scryfall
- #1· Wizards of the Coast
You're the defending player if a creature is attacking you, a planeswalker you control, or a battle you protect.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #2· Wizards of the Coast
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.Card named in this ruling
- #3· Wizards of the Coast
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.Card named in this ruling
- #4· Wizards of the Coast
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.
Card named in this ruling
- #5· Wizards of the Coast
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.
Card named in this ruling
- #6· Wizards of the Coast
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.
No other card is named in this ruling.
Related cards and tokens
Legal formats
Commentaires
- Sois le premier à commenter cette carte.
Read next
Meta decks with Kazuul, Tyrant of the Cliffs
No archived Top 8 deck with this card yet.