card is so amazing in multilayer games. just do everything you can to bring it from your grave and back into as much as possible and you win.
Elysiume
★★★★☆ (4.1/5.0)(4 votes)
It's entirely brutal. Even without his ability, it's 6cc for a 5/5 flyer. Uninteresting, but fair. Throw in the ability and he is amazing.
Chrisrawr
★★★★☆ (4.1/5.0)(4 votes)
Good combo - have 4 of these in your deck, and an Iname, Death aspect. Put them all in your graveyard, and then play a Twilight's Call, or some other such graveyard-to-play. For the full effect, combo it with Relic of Progenitus!
Gilgamesh3000
★★★★☆ (4.5/5.0)(7 votes)
Top five best black cards ever printed.
Keegan__
★★★★☆ (4.7/5.0)(7 votes)
To be honest, I don't even actually use Kokusho as a creature. I can't remember the last time I payed its casting cost. Entomb, Apprentice Necromancer, and Victimize (often using three Kokushos) are some of my favorite cards with it.
EverLast04x
★★★★☆ (4.2/5.0)(3 votes)
works great with xathrid demon, sacrifice kokusho gain 5 life deal 11 damage
inmypants22
★★★★☆ (4.6/5.0)(5 votes)
have one on the table, then slap one down.. they both die and then there is a massive life swing
Mr_Hendry
★★★★☆ (4.9/5.0)(14 votes)
It's a little unsettling that possibly the best dragon to date is not red.
Fire_Master
★★★★☆ (4.4/5.0)(6 votes)
Best black dragon ever!!!!!!! unlocks it's full potential in multiplayer games
mdakw576
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(7 votes)
this is hilarious with dragonstorm, especially if you can pull out four kokushos.
OrzhovGhostCouncil
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
This + kicked Rite of Replication = auto-win against anything but life gain.
Sironos
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
INCREDIBLE! A flying 5/5 for 6 CMC in black is great in itself (extractor demon), but the added heavy life gain and life loss puts this on the top 20 of best black cards ever.
Falgorn
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Any decent Archenemy's number one buddy.
Duskdale_Wurm
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
OMG!
O_O
Sour_Diesel
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
How about Sanguine Bond? It's cost works well with the Evening Star well too.
Cyberium
★★★☆☆ (3.5/5.0)(1 vote)
It's not often for a creature to be a contender for the best creature of its type.
Kokusho, in this case, is a contender for two creature types at the same time.
ClockworkSwordfish
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(12 votes)
Most highly rated dragon in Magic is black? At least the top-rated Homarid is still blue.
TPmanW
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I wonder if the multiplayer implications dawned on them when they came up with this. Pretty sweet 1-on-1 but ungodly in a large game. Life swings of twenty or more are not uncommon.
dberry02
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
*Rises from the grave* OM NOM NOM. *Goes back to sleep*
Nayban
★★★☆☆ (3.2/5.0)(2 votes)
This dragon, along with his 4 siblings, are some of the easiest to abuse. 1 dragon, one Voltaic Key and one Mimic Vat is enough to abuse them repeatedly.
Magnor_Criol
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
@Nayban - no, not quite. These guys trigger when they go to the graveyard, and Mimic Vat's tokens exile, not sacrifice, at end of turn. You'll need a sacrifice outlet to abuse them with Mimic Vat...not that that's hard to come by.
ridiculousricky
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
So he's a 5/5 for 6, already not bad, but when he dies exsanguinate for 5? ridiculous.
Kruggles
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
@Arachibutyrophobia Blood Tyrant Doesnt combo with this at all. He doesnt gain counters from any loss of life, just the loss from Blood Tyrant's own ability.
jsttu
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Rite of Replication to have each opponent lose 30 life. Not many can deal with that.
well...turn three...hm...1 swamp and 2 mountains? perfect. Dark Ritual with the Swamp, then use of those blacks manas with the 2 mountains for a seething song...and a seething song...and a seething song...and a seething song...hello there dragonstorm! 4 Kokushos...that should normally be game :D
bluemaxx
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
i felt bad that this guy was banned in the commander format. i really wanted him for my kaalia angel,dragon,demon deck.
Arachibutyrophobia
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
of course they banned this in edh X(
Kitty_the_Kat
★★★☆☆ (3.9/5.0)(4 votes)
The reason this guy is banned in EDH is because of combos like Rite of Replication. If this guy is down and you kick the Rite, everyone will lose 30 life and you will gain a metric *** ton. Its pretty much gg..
I love Kokusho - he's just pretty bad ass. He just rocks onto the battlefield and is like "lol, legend rule". Then the second one comes out and everyone playing gets a Sorin's Vengeance to the face.
Paleopaladin
★★☆☆☆ (2.8/5.0)(2 votes)
This monstrosity is going to wreck face in Modern.
001010011100101110
★★★☆☆ (3.5/5.0)(3 votes)
I love how when you win with this card, it doesn't matter if you're against one person or a hundred:
Turn 1: Swamp, Ritual, Contract From Below discarding 4 Kokushos, Ritual, Ritual, Living Death, GG
SweatyMess
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(5 votes)
Pulled this off twice with multiplayer shunning implications:
Kokusho, the Evening Star
Mikaeus, the Unhallowed
Hex Parasite
Grimgrin, Corpse-Born
Mikey gives them all Undying, sac Kokusho to Grimgrin, everyone looses life and you gain it, he comes back and gets nibbled on by Hex Parasite, sac him again. As long as you have 8 Mana (4 swamps) or 4 Mana and 8 life to spare for Hex's ability, and assuming your opponents have 20 or less life...I'd say that's game.
So basically, Hex is a pimp that eats out Kokusho but is apperently a swinger as GrimGrin eats Big-K too. Mikey, being the Unhallowed now, marries the three of them and we're left with a future full of the ugliest little babies in MTG history. It's the perfect wuv story!
LostFool
★★★☆☆ (3.2/5.0)(2 votes)
Step 1: Get Kokusho Step 2: Play Kokusho in multiplayer Step 3: Find new friends Step 4: Repeat steps 2 through 4
Arachnos
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.5/5.0)(1 vote)
I don't think GracefulInferno's Iname, Death Aspect combo works. He needs to be put into the graveyard from play, not from the library.
KokoshoForPresident
★★★★☆ (4.5/5.0)(4 votes)
The fall of the evening star never heralds a gentle dawn. You got that right. In fact, it generally heralds a dawn in which you go find a new playgroup. EDIT: Shattering Glass!!!! I spelled my screen name wrong! . . . well, I do know how to spell Kokusho. That was just a typo.
Fireballmage
★★★★☆ (4.0/5.0)(2 votes)
He's banned in EDH because the rules list was made back when there was much less graveyard removal/exile removal in all colors, and he was banned at the same time as Recurring Nightmare, the real problem card. Since then, answers and bigger threats (Like Primeval Titan) have been printed. The reason he hasn't left is inertia.
As an effect, he's not overpowered in EDH; no, not even with Rite of Replication (A 2 card combo where one is 9 mana is not bannable in EDH). Yes, the life gain is huge, but that doesn't stop Exsanguinate from being unbanned.
GraveBorn0229
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Can you combo Kokusho, the Evening Star with Worldgorger Dragon? Thanks!!
Dragasm
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Fun for a red black deck. Attack and cast either double cleave or assualt strobe beforehand, hit for ten, then fling the dragon, then laugh.
brunsbr103
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
they are thinking about unbanning him in commander from what I've heard and no, Graveborn, Koshuko has to hit the graveyard for his ability to trigger
Penguin_Master
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.5/5.0)(2 votes)
This card can achieve the fastest possible kill (outside of concession) in the game of magic. Here's how it works 1. Choose to go second. 2. put gemstone caverns into play 3. on the first player's upkeep, cast Flash, the blue from your gemstone caverns and remove a Simian Spirit guide, or an Elvish spirit guide from you hand to generate another mana. 4. choose to put protean hulk into play and then promptly sac it. 5. use the hulk's enters the graveyard ability to go and fetch out your 4 Kukusho's and win the game.
The.Laughing.Man
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Protean Hulk gets any number of creatures who TOTAL 6 power not any number of 6 power creatures.
I just checked the MTG forums, and apparently Kokusho isn't banned anymore (still banned as a general). http://community.wizards.com/go/thread/view/75842/29387427/EDH_Ban_List_Chnages:_September_2012
I dunno if it was a rumor or if it was the truth, but apparently Worldfire and Primeval Titan are also becoming banned.
CammyWhite
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
DarthParralax is correct, we now have Rakdos, Lord of Riots, Angel of Serenity and Utvara Hellkite.
Don't forget Iona and Balefire Dragon ;)
Regarding Kokusho, so happy he's unbanned. He's gonna be broken in my Sek'kuar, Deathkeeper and Iname, Death Aspect decks
DarthParallax
★★☆☆☆ (2.8/5.0)(4 votes)
Now legal in EDH. Kaalia decks are going to become rather monolithic, lol.
I love the concept of Kaalia, a lot, but really:
Akroma, Angel of Wrath, Avacyn, Angel of Hope, Kokusho, the Evening Star, Gisela, Blade of Goldnight, Malfegor, and Bladewing the Risen all seem REQUIRED for her deck. I predict about 3 more blocks, tops, counting Return to Ravnica (and yes I know there's a great Angel in there already, which suggests the blocks aren't running out of ways to do outdo each other YET), before the unchallengeable 'Best Angels/Demons/Dragons EVER' is fixed for the next 15 years. I don't see how Kaalia doesn't become a PreBuilt Deck unless some stupid kind of powercreep happens.
Baneslayer Angel might actually be real metagame tech for White EDH Decks in general in a few years. That would be funny.
EDIT:
Wow. Utvara Hellkite, Wizards? Seriously? I am continuing to love Kaalia more, and more, and more. I am just warning you to let you know that you seem bent on maximizing the things about her that the people that don't like her, don't like A LOT about her. It might be quite curious to see how polarizing Kaalia becomes in the future. I think she'll be like the Twilight of MAGIC:
Fans: "Don't Judge ME! You don't know her! You've never even played with her!"
Not-Fans: "My God, this is what is wrong with the world. Stupidest thing ever."
Edit: @Penguin_Master: That would not work at all. Protean Hulks ability states you can grab any number of creatures with a TOTAL CMC of 6. As Kokusho has a CMC of 6, you can grab...1 of him.
TheWrathofShane
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Very powerful, combo's with himself and resistant to removal.
Reishyn
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(1 vote)
The undisputed king of the beefy Kamigawa cards and best of an already amazing cycle. Jugan was an awesome and Kokusho > Yosei > Keiga > Ryusei > Jugan, which really says it all.
Lifegainwithbite
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.5/5.0)(1 vote)
This was banned in EDH for good reason. You can play it then sac it then reanimate it then do that over and over until your opponents die and it's very difficult to stop as long as you have enough reanimator effects and your sac outlet isn't destroyed. Recurring Nightmare works well for that.
It's now unbanned so this is possible again.
DaJoshMaster
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(1 vote)
@Lifegainwithbite - Recurring Nightmare is VERY banned in EDH, and most EDH decks run graveyard hate these days (which is the main reason that Koko was unbanned).
...besides, there are much better 'Oops I won' combos out there.
Xineombine
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
This is the most evil thing I've ever seen!!!! If the let you keep it, they have a 5/5 flier to deal with. If they kill it, you cast a mini-sorin's vengeance on EVERYONE. Like choice of damnations, you win or you win, pick your poison opponents
Comments (62)
Entomb, Apprentice Necromancer, and Victimize (often using three Kokushos) are some of my favorite cards with it.
unlocks it's full potential in multiplayer games
O_O
Kokusho, in this case, is a contender for two creature types at the same time.
OM NOM NOM.
*Goes back to sleep*
Mask of the Mimic?
Legend rule sends both tokens to the graveyard at end of turn.
FFFFFFFFFFFFFF.
Turn 1: Swamp, Ritual, Contract From Below discarding 4 Kokushos, Ritual, Ritual, Living Death, GG
T1: Dark Ritual into Buried Alive burying Sheoldred, Whispering One, Xathrid Demon and this puppy.
T2: Exhume Sheoldred
T3: dig up Ol' Xathrid
T4: ... You get the jist.
Kokusho, the Evening Star
Mikaeus, the Unhallowed
Hex Parasite
Grimgrin, Corpse-Born
Mikey gives them all Undying, sac Kokusho to Grimgrin, everyone looses life and you gain it, he comes back and gets nibbled on by Hex Parasite, sac him again. As long as you have 8 Mana (4 swamps) or 4 Mana and 8 life to spare for Hex's ability, and assuming your opponents have 20 or less life...I'd say that's game.
So basically, Hex is a pimp that eats out Kokusho but is apperently a swinger as GrimGrin eats Big-K too. Mikey, being the Unhallowed now, marries the three of them and we're left with a future full of the ugliest little babies in MTG history. It's the perfect wuv story!
Step 2: Play Kokusho in multiplayer
Step 3: Find new friends
Step 4: Repeat steps 2 through 4
You got that right. In fact, it generally heralds a dawn in which you go find a new playgroup.
EDIT: Shattering Glass!!!! I spelled my screen name wrong! . . . well, I do know how to spell Kokusho. That was just a typo.
As an effect, he's not overpowered in EDH; no, not even with Rite of Replication (A 2 card combo where one is 9 mana is not bannable in EDH). Yes, the life gain is huge, but that doesn't stop Exsanguinate from being unbanned.
and no, Graveborn, Koshuko has to hit the graveyard for his ability to trigger
Here's how it works
1. Choose to go second.
2. put gemstone caverns into play
3. on the first player's upkeep, cast Flash, the blue from your gemstone caverns and remove a Simian Spirit guide, or an Elvish spirit guide from you hand to generate another mana.
4. choose to put protean hulk into play and then promptly sac it.
5. use the hulk's enters the graveyard ability to go and fetch out your 4 Kukusho's and win the game.
I dunno if it was a rumor or if it was the truth, but apparently Worldfire and Primeval Titan are also becoming banned.
Don't forget Iona and Balefire Dragon ;)
Regarding Kokusho, so happy he's unbanned. He's gonna be broken in my Sek'kuar, Deathkeeper and Iname, Death Aspect decks
I love the concept of Kaalia, a lot, but really:
Akroma, Angel of Wrath, Avacyn, Angel of Hope, Kokusho, the Evening Star, Gisela, Blade of Goldnight, Malfegor, and Bladewing the Risen all seem REQUIRED for her deck. I predict about 3 more blocks, tops, counting Return to Ravnica (and yes I know there's a great Angel in there already, which suggests the blocks aren't running out of ways to do outdo each other YET), before the unchallengeable 'Best Angels/Demons/Dragons EVER' is fixed for the next 15 years. I don't see how Kaalia doesn't become a PreBuilt Deck unless some stupid kind of powercreep happens.
Baneslayer Angel might actually be real metagame tech for White EDH Decks in general in a few years. That would be funny.
EDIT:
Wow. Utvara Hellkite, Wizards? Seriously? I am continuing to love Kaalia more, and more, and more. I am just warning you to let you know that you seem bent on maximizing the things about her that the people that don't like her, don't like A LOT about her. It might be quite curious to see how polarizing Kaalia becomes in the future. I think she'll be like the Twilight of MAGIC:
Fans: "Don't Judge ME! You don't know her! You've never even played with her!"
Not-Fans: "My God, this is what is wrong with the world. Stupidest thing ever."
Edit:
@Penguin_Master: That would not work at all. Protean Hulks ability states you can grab any number of creatures with a TOTAL CMC of 6. As Kokusho has a CMC of 6, you can grab...1 of him.
It's now unbanned so this is possible again.
...besides, there are much better 'Oops I won' combos out there.