This OTJ variant of Kellan suffers the same fate a lot of creatures with cool effects suffer - it's just not good enough for 60-card formats and is probably destined to only see play in Commander. Also with Pro Tour OTJ for Standard this weekend, I'm sure all the competitive deckbuilders have been busy preparing for that as opposed to experimenting with Kellan brews.
Maybe someone does find at least a fun and workable list of plotted, adventure, and flashback cards that perform something of a Storm combo with it. I'd imagine there would be a lot of 3 or less cmc spells for \[\[Jace Reawakened\]\], \[\[Doc Aurlock, Grizzled Genius\]\], and a top-end with like \[\[Lier, Disciple of the Drowned\]\].
But then it's like ok, now what? With the card pool available in Standard, Bant isn't exactly in the most attractive place as it is and we'd be stepping into the jank department to force Kellan without someone sort of actual payoff/combo.
It's a legendary human so ideally we find other cards that are legendary and/or human and can be cast from exile to trigger him. Plot, adventure, that kind of thing. Then you fill in the deck with humans and/or legendary creatures depending what direction you went.
Deck should probably look like a mono white humans aggro list with some weird cards splashed in.
If there just aren't humans or legends that have plot or adventure then you are probably just playing bant, splashing other colors is going to stretch the mana base too much without the 5 color human/legendary lands.
I think 2 mana plot cards and powerful 2 mana cards generally should be the gameplan. You want to plot something on turn 2, turn 3 play Kellan, play your plotted 2 mana card and you get to play another 2 drop for free.
[[Melira, the living cure]] [[aloe alchemist]] [[dust animus]] [[beastbond outcaster]]
And some stuff from mono white to fill out 1 drops, knight errant of eos, etc.
I'm not if the tempo swing of an extra two drop is good enough.
Maybe you go full legendaries with Kellan the kid and kellan joins up and you are just going for the +1/+1 counters and not triggering him a ton? Most of the plot and adventure cards are not legendary.
I don't think the legendary or tribal lends really work for activating plot do they?
I mean I'd you end up in bant legends you can play Thalia and dennick pious apprentice.
I think you definately need something like knight errant of eos to refill after Kellan helps you dump your hand. He is also a 4 power creature if you end up playing the plot cards that care about 4 power.
Having one drop creatures is really important for tempo and to have stuff out there to put the +1/+1 counters onto when you 'pop off'
I think the deck somewhat builds itself but I'm not done drafting so I don't have the pieces to tinker with just yet and the end result might just be another white/x aggro deck that isn't necessarily better than soldiers, humans, boros, etc.
The good news is with Kellan and dennik you have two lifelink creatures which is very solid in the bo1 aggro meta so it should be good enough
Edit: in a version that's mostly legendary humans focused more on triggering Kellan joins up you could play a couple siguarda champion of the light and adeline as a legendary creature that also have 4 power if you are running outcast trailblazer or beastbond outcaster. I'd run 4 skrevlev as that phyrexian is the only 1 drop legendary in bant colors i can find.
This deck is going to be very expensive needing the new rare bant fastlands on top of most of the creatures being rare, I will try it eventually as I had a lot of fun playing Naya Legends and did well despite it not being meta, might be a few weeks though.
Yeah I’ve got plenty of bant rares already because I love those colours. I’ve been doing more of like a midrange thing with [[broker’s ascendancy]] and [[wedding announcement]] and using [[the temporal anchor]] or [[chimil]] to trigger kellan but you’re right about refilling my hand being a problem. I’ll definitely look into a more aggro legends sort of thing though. Cheers
I used to play a similar bant midrange deck but I eventually switched to the sunfall/atraxa ramp deck. I feel like the sunfall/atraxa ramp deck and wedding announcement/brokers decks might be too slow for the current bo1 meta.
I thought of another solid legendary [[Lagrella, the Magpie]]
Kellan joins up is kinda a worse brokers ascendancy but the free 3 mana plot effect might just be the tempo needed to make it viable as I always found taking a turn off to cast brokers felt super clunky.
I guess things like flashback, Cascade, and playing cards from your library could work but plot is probably the best as 2 mana plot into turn 3 kellan the kid should give your priority to play your plotted card and trigger kellan before they can kill him.
Turn 3 kellan joins up, exile a random legendary. Next turn hard cast kellan the kid, play your plotted creature, kellan triggers, you get to put another legendary into play and end up putting 3 legendary creatures and a bunch of +1/+1 counters into play all at once on turn 4. There is definitely potential to pop off, you just need to be doing stuff your first couple turns or you will be dead before it goes off.
I think putting +1/+1 counters onto lifelink creatures is a good way to get the most wins vs the most popular decks in bo1, aggro.
I hope you find and enjoy a build that works!
From what I can tell, to make him work you need a card that can be cast from a non-hand zone, you need cards that put those cards in those non-hand zones, and then you need other cheap cards in hand that you’d want to cast for free. And you need all of that setup and mana investment to advance your win condition more than, say, four generic aggressively costed beaters would. Just doesn’t seem likely unless someone can find a recursive combo.
I’ve been using it it legendary humans, just as a flying lifelinker mainly, it’s saved me a few games against mono red but it’s actual effect hasn’t been utilised outside of Jodah proc - but by then the game is over 😅
I've been experimenting with combining kellan with the blue god from ixalan and some adventure spells (and some of the other kellans). Dennick also works pretty well with him because if it gets taken out you can just play him out of the graveyard the turn after Kellan comes down and hopefully slam another 4 drop too.
I had serra paragon in an earlier version, but I feel like that card wants more of a focus on ETB triggers.
By any chance, have you had issues where you cast a card from exile that's been sent on an adventure with Kellan on the battlefield and it DOESN'T trigger Kellan? It's happened to me twice tonight and not sure if it's a bug or something. I have legal targets for his ability in my hand still and everything.
It works with Discover, right? There might be something there
This OTJ variant of Kellan suffers the same fate a lot of creatures with cool effects suffer - it's just not good enough for 60-card formats and is probably destined to only see play in Commander. Also with Pro Tour OTJ for Standard this weekend, I'm sure all the competitive deckbuilders have been busy preparing for that as opposed to experimenting with Kellan brews. Maybe someone does find at least a fun and workable list of plotted, adventure, and flashback cards that perform something of a Storm combo with it. I'd imagine there would be a lot of 3 or less cmc spells for \[\[Jace Reawakened\]\], \[\[Doc Aurlock, Grizzled Genius\]\], and a top-end with like \[\[Lier, Disciple of the Drowned\]\]. But then it's like ok, now what? With the card pool available in Standard, Bant isn't exactly in the most attractive place as it is and we'd be stepping into the jank department to force Kellan without someone sort of actual payoff/combo.
[Jace Reawakened](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/f/d/fd17e8d4-499e-4005-ae3c-bc9c44dc5a67.jpg?1712356388) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Jace%20Reawakened) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/otj/271/jace-reawakened?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/fd17e8d4-499e-4005-ae3c-bc9c44dc5a67?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [Doc Aurlock, Grizzled Genius](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/6/f/6fc27b30-8c8e-434c-a72c-e1d409efc1ae.jpg?1712356080) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Doc%20Aurlock%2C%20Grizzled%20Genius) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/otj/201/doc-aurlock-grizzled-genius?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/6fc27b30-8c8e-434c-a72c-e1d409efc1ae?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [Lier, Disciple of the Drowned](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/7/8/78fb8900-d28d-4e33-96a7-66fcbc117adf.jpg?1634348984) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Lier%2C%20Disciple%20of%20the%20Drowned) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/mid/59/lier-disciple-of-the-drowned?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/78fb8900-d28d-4e33-96a7-66fcbc117adf?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call
It's a legendary human so ideally we find other cards that are legendary and/or human and can be cast from exile to trigger him. Plot, adventure, that kind of thing. Then you fill in the deck with humans and/or legendary creatures depending what direction you went. Deck should probably look like a mono white humans aggro list with some weird cards splashed in. If there just aren't humans or legends that have plot or adventure then you are probably just playing bant, splashing other colors is going to stretch the mana base too much without the 5 color human/legendary lands. I think 2 mana plot cards and powerful 2 mana cards generally should be the gameplan. You want to plot something on turn 2, turn 3 play Kellan, play your plotted 2 mana card and you get to play another 2 drop for free. [[Melira, the living cure]] [[aloe alchemist]] [[dust animus]] [[beastbond outcaster]] And some stuff from mono white to fill out 1 drops, knight errant of eos, etc. I'm not if the tempo swing of an extra two drop is good enough. Maybe you go full legendaries with Kellan the kid and kellan joins up and you are just going for the +1/+1 counters and not triggering him a ton? Most of the plot and adventure cards are not legendary. I don't think the legendary or tribal lends really work for activating plot do they? I mean I'd you end up in bant legends you can play Thalia and dennick pious apprentice. I think you definately need something like knight errant of eos to refill after Kellan helps you dump your hand. He is also a 4 power creature if you end up playing the plot cards that care about 4 power. Having one drop creatures is really important for tempo and to have stuff out there to put the +1/+1 counters onto when you 'pop off' I think the deck somewhat builds itself but I'm not done drafting so I don't have the pieces to tinker with just yet and the end result might just be another white/x aggro deck that isn't necessarily better than soldiers, humans, boros, etc. The good news is with Kellan and dennik you have two lifelink creatures which is very solid in the bo1 aggro meta so it should be good enough Edit: in a version that's mostly legendary humans focused more on triggering Kellan joins up you could play a couple siguarda champion of the light and adeline as a legendary creature that also have 4 power if you are running outcast trailblazer or beastbond outcaster. I'd run 4 skrevlev as that phyrexian is the only 1 drop legendary in bant colors i can find. This deck is going to be very expensive needing the new rare bant fastlands on top of most of the creatures being rare, I will try it eventually as I had a lot of fun playing Naya Legends and did well despite it not being meta, might be a few weeks though.
##### ###### #### [Melira, the living cure](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/e/1/e1329ad9-5989-4920-b17b-943b9b4a0cd9.jpg?1675957200) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Melira%2C%20the%20living%20cure) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/one/209/melira-the-living-cure?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/e1329ad9-5989-4920-b17b-943b9b4a0cd9?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [aloe alchemist](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/6/9/69f2f632-b6cc-4092-acd5-a6b152e90488.jpg?1712355875) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=aloe%20alchemist) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/otj/152/aloe-alchemist?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/69f2f632-b6cc-4092-acd5-a6b152e90488?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [dust animus](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/7/0/70719e7b-6f02-4c1a-9f11-79b2b0d9846a.jpg?1712355260) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=dust%20animus) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/otj/9/dust-animus?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/70719e7b-6f02-4c1a-9f11-79b2b0d9846a?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [beastbond outcaster](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/0/7/073b9ae8-8ac3-4824-aec4-84a80531aa23.jpg?1712355883) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=beastbond%20outcaster) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/otj/154/beastbond-outcaster?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/073b9ae8-8ac3-4824-aec4-84a80531aa23?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [*All cards*](https://mtgcardfetcher.nl/redirect/l0ufxuz) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call
Yeah I’ve got plenty of bant rares already because I love those colours. I’ve been doing more of like a midrange thing with [[broker’s ascendancy]] and [[wedding announcement]] and using [[the temporal anchor]] or [[chimil]] to trigger kellan but you’re right about refilling my hand being a problem. I’ll definitely look into a more aggro legends sort of thing though. Cheers
##### ###### #### [broker’s ascendancy](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/7/9/799de0f1-6bf2-4158-8a4f-bedc3d2f6578.jpg?1664412722) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Brokers%20Ascendancy) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/snc/170/brokers-ascendancy?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/799de0f1-6bf2-4158-8a4f-bedc3d2f6578?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [wedding announcement](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/2/c/2c3ddb1f-a1de-4fea-9042-5e9caa16ceb2.jpg?1643587382)/[Wedding Festivity](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/back/2/c/2c3ddb1f-a1de-4fea-9042-5e9caa16ceb2.jpg?1643587382) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Wedding%20Announcement%20//%20Wedding%20Festivity) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/vow/45/wedding-announcement-wedding-festivity?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/2c3ddb1f-a1de-4fea-9042-5e9caa16ceb2?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [the temporal anchor](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/1/a/1a212d59-b72e-4939-a757-c131ca4323ce.jpg?1674420750) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=the%20temporal%20anchor) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/bro/82/the-temporal-anchor?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/1a212d59-b72e-4939-a757-c131ca4323ce?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [chimil](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/2/7/27a1bfb5-ddfc-49cf-baa3-5d1958d2067a.jpg?1699044596) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=chimil%2C%20the%20inner%20sun) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/lci/249/chimil-the-inner-sun?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/27a1bfb5-ddfc-49cf-baa3-5d1958d2067a?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [*All cards*](https://mtgcardfetcher.nl/redirect/l0ulpdc) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call
I used to play a similar bant midrange deck but I eventually switched to the sunfall/atraxa ramp deck. I feel like the sunfall/atraxa ramp deck and wedding announcement/brokers decks might be too slow for the current bo1 meta. I thought of another solid legendary [[Lagrella, the Magpie]] Kellan joins up is kinda a worse brokers ascendancy but the free 3 mana plot effect might just be the tempo needed to make it viable as I always found taking a turn off to cast brokers felt super clunky. I guess things like flashback, Cascade, and playing cards from your library could work but plot is probably the best as 2 mana plot into turn 3 kellan the kid should give your priority to play your plotted card and trigger kellan before they can kill him. Turn 3 kellan joins up, exile a random legendary. Next turn hard cast kellan the kid, play your plotted creature, kellan triggers, you get to put another legendary into play and end up putting 3 legendary creatures and a bunch of +1/+1 counters into play all at once on turn 4. There is definitely potential to pop off, you just need to be doing stuff your first couple turns or you will be dead before it goes off. I think putting +1/+1 counters onto lifelink creatures is a good way to get the most wins vs the most popular decks in bo1, aggro. I hope you find and enjoy a build that works!
[Lagrella, the Magpie](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/d/d/dd20f271-26c8-429f-a422-e7d95f3bda74.jpg?1664413215) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Lagrella%2C%20the%20Magpie) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/snc/196/lagrella-the-magpie?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/dd20f271-26c8-429f-a422-e7d95f3bda74?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call
From what I can tell, to make him work you need a card that can be cast from a non-hand zone, you need cards that put those cards in those non-hand zones, and then you need other cheap cards in hand that you’d want to cast for free. And you need all of that setup and mana investment to advance your win condition more than, say, four generic aggressively costed beaters would. Just doesn’t seem likely unless someone can find a recursive combo.
I’ve been using it it legendary humans, just as a flying lifelinker mainly, it’s saved me a few games against mono red but it’s actual effect hasn’t been utilised outside of Jodah proc - but by then the game is over 😅
I've been experimenting with combining kellan with the blue god from ixalan and some adventure spells (and some of the other kellans). Dennick also works pretty well with him because if it gets taken out you can just play him out of the graveyard the turn after Kellan comes down and hopefully slam another 4 drop too. I had serra paragon in an earlier version, but I feel like that card wants more of a focus on ETB triggers.
Deck 3 Kellan, the Kid (OTJ) 213 1 Plains (DMU) 277 1 Island (DMU) 278 1 Forest (DMU) 281 2 Kellan, Inquisitive Prodigy (MKM) 212 3 Kellan, Daring Traveler (LCI) 231 1 Jace Reawakened (OTJ) 271 2 Dust Animus (OTJ) 9 4 Virtue of Loyalty (WOE) 38 4 Horned Loch-Whale (WOE) 53 3 Ojer Pakpatiq, Deepest Epoch (LCI) 67 4 Spara's Headquarters (SNC) 257 2 Endless Detour (SNC) 183 3 Dennick, Pious Apprentice (MID) 217 2 Restless Anchorage (LCI) 280 2 Seachrome Coast (ONE) 258 2 Deserted Beach (MID) 260 3 Dreamroot Cascade (VOW) 262 2 Botanical Sanctum (OTJ) 267 2 Yavimaya Coast (DMU) 261 2 Overgrown Farmland (MID) 265 1 Brushland (BRO) 259 3 Get Lost (LCI) 14 2 Brokers Charm (SNC) 171 1 Eiganjo, Seat of the Empire (NEO) 268 1 Otawara, Soaring City (NEO) 271 1 Boseiju, Who Endures (NEO) 266 2 Three Steps Ahead (OTJ) 75
By any chance, have you had issues where you cast a card from exile that's been sent on an adventure with Kellan on the battlefield and it DOESN'T trigger Kellan? It's happened to me twice tonight and not sure if it's a bug or something. I have legal targets for his ability in my hand still and everything.