Kirol, Attentive First-YearKirol, Attentive First-Year | Art by Evyn Fong

Welcome to Too-Specific Top 10, where if there isn’t a category to rank our pet card at the top of, we’ll just make one up! (Did you know that Ocelot PrideOcelot Pride is the only one-mana creature with a triggered ability that can create multiple permanent creature tokens a turn on its own?)

Lorwyn Eclipsed story, for some reason, brought us a cycle of Strixhaven students? Cool, I guess. Any of them good?

In a shocking turn of the stereotype at large, the Boros Lorehold one is! Kirol, Attentive First-YearKirol, Attentive First-Year is the first instance of being able to copy triggered abilities in white, breaking some new ground in the color pie that's exciting. It's fairly new in red, as well, with only one example printed previously.

With that said, this ability has been around on artifacts since Magic 2014, when we were first graced with Strionic ResonatorStrionic Resonator, so it's not exactly new to the color combination, either. There are actually six different colorless cards that can copy triggers currently, although it must be said that all but Resonator and Peter Parker's CameraPeter Parker's Camera come with rather severe restrictions.

In other words? This is pretty new ground, and we should see what we can do with it!

Top 10 Boros Triggered Abilities

Criteria: Nonland cards within the Boros color identity that contain a triggered ability that does something positive when copied. As is tradition, all results are ordered by EDHREC score.

10. Etali, Primal StormEtali, Primal Storm

(Helms 1,937 Decks, Rank #957; 313K Inclusions, 8.34% of 3.76M Decks)

One of the splashiest triggered abilities in the game lies within Etali, Primal StormEtali, Primal Storm. It's scary enough when it only triggers once, but it happening twice? It's hard to imagine how that doesn't pave the way to you winning the game, especially since you're already attacking with an Etali successfully.

In fact, Strionic ResonatorStrionic Resonator is the third-most run card in Etali decks, behind only the two creatures that ramp Etali out harder and also give it haste, Otepec HuntmasterOtepec Huntmaster and Generator ServantGenerator Servant.

Put simply, this is a huge, impactful thing that you can absolutely be doing. The question is: Is it fast enough?

9. Sword of the AnimistSword of the Animist

(330K Inclusions, 4.38% of 7.54M Decks)

If you do want to go a bit lower to the ground, or just get up to Etali mana, then there's always Sword of the AnimistSword of the Animist. In Boros colors, ramp is hard to come by, and with us wanting it attached to triggers, that hill gets even harder to climb.

There is catch-up ramp in the form of Knight of the White OrchidKnight of the White Orchid effects, but if you're copying those abilities, you're more likely to catch up in the middle of resolving the two triggers, and only get one after all. That makes Sword rather uniquely synergistic with Kirol, in a way few other things are.

That is, unless, you were to look at more temporary ramp in the form of Treasures.

8. Storm-Kiln ArtistStorm-Kiln Artist

(331K Inclusions, 8.81% of 3.76M Decks)

Which, thanks to Storm-Kiln ArtistStorm-Kiln Artist, we do! My question here, however, aside from whether a single Treasure trigger on a card designed to give you dozens of Treasure triggers is worth copying, is whether or not Kirol would be any good at spellslinging.

Well, that depends on what kind of spellslinging we're talking about, I suspect. The typical Boros Feather stuff? Not so much. Token storm, however?

Playing down creatures with triggered abilities that make more creatures that you can then copy with creatures so that you can make more creatures? That sounds like exactly the kind of snowball that I want to brew around.

A bit slow to start, this deck is nonetheless head-spinning by about turn five, and rapidly threatening to swing in to kill the whole table a turn later. That is, unless you get distracted by rolling the dice 30 times with Glimpse of TomorrowGlimpse of Tomorrow.

7. Professional Face-BreakerProfessional Face-Breaker

(334K Inclusions, 8.88% of 3.76M Decks)

If you've been playing Professional Face-BreakerProfessional Face-Breaker fairly all this time, let me be the first to inform you that its trigger cares about each instance of damage to a player, meaning that it can trigger three times in a single combat, rather than just one. With that said, why not go for a full four with Kirol?

With every version of this deck wanting a full bevy of creatures, Face-Breaker is going to be one of those cards that you'll see a lot with Kirol, and rightfully so. The only downside? Face-Breaker's trigger will only ever trigger on your turn, so you can't abuse it during other players'.

6. Impact TremorsImpact Tremors

(372K Inclusions, 9.90% of 3.76M Decks)

If you can make some creatures at instant speed, however, then you would be able to abuse Impact TremorsImpact Tremors! I don't know that I would actually suggest it, though, when there are much better options out there.

First off, if you're ever in Boros and you're playing Impact TremorsImpact Tremors, you'd better also be playing Warleader's CallWarleader's Call. For a mana more, you also get a Glorious AnthemGlorious Anthem, and any deck going wide is sure to appreciate it.

With that said, I think outside of the token storm build, Kirol in general actually wants to be going tall rather than wide. Sure, you need two creatures to activate their ability, but they're one of them, so really, all you need is two creatures.

With that in mind, the likes of Terror of the PeaksTerror of the Peaks and Warstorm SurgeWarstorm Surge actually scare me a lot more than going wide with Impact Tremors does. Copying one damage? Meh. Getting to triple up on damage with Phlage, Titan of Fire's FuryPhlage, Titan of Fire's Fury? Now that's scary.

5. Herald's HornHerald's Horn

(449K Inclusions, 5.95% of 7.54M Decks)

There is probably a kindred build of Kirol out there somewhere, and it absolutely plays this. With that said, I'm not gonna be the one to build it when there are so many directions to take this commander already.

4. Esper SentinelEsper Sentinel

(672K Inclusions, 19.2% of 3.51M Decks)

I'm sensing a disturbance in the force. If Esper SentinelEsper Sentinel is the number four card with 672K inclusions, in a list that already includes Professional Face-BreakerProfessional Face-Breaker, it means that we have some truly dumb cards ahead of us.

With all that said, in any Kirol deck, Esper Sentinel is obviously going to be one of the best opening plays you can make... Just like it is in any deck playing white. Still, drawing two every time someone doesn't pay? Seems nuts to me!

3. Smothering TitheSmothering Tithe

(766K Inclusions, 21.8% of 3.51M Decks)

Oh. A Game Changer. That makes sense. Smothering TitheSmothering Tithe might reach Storm-Kiln ArtistStorm-Kiln Artist territory, where I'm not sure actually copying its trigger is worth much, given the amount of Treasures it's making already - except, those triggers by definition happen on each player's turn. In other words, if you're drowning in creatures, you can double up on three triggers each turn cycle, making six Treasures.

That... seems worth doing, if you're willing to bump up your brew a Bracket. And if we've still got two better cards to go, then we might even be bumping up this brew a couple Brackets!

2. SkullclampSkullclamp

(843K Inclusions, 11.2% of 7.54M Decks)

What's better than sacrificing some random token for two cards? Sacrificing some random token for four cards! SkullclampSkullclamp is obviously going to be one of the dumbest things that any Kirol deck can possibly be doing, and if we're going to be making this into a beast of a Bracket 4 deck, then we'll want to be finding it at all costs.

Luckily, in Boros, it isn't hard to find Equipment. Aside from the obvious Steelshaper's GiftSteelshaper's Gift and Open the ArmoryOpen the Armory, however, there are versions that are even more broken with Kirol that are worth considering.

All of these Equipment tutors (and there are more) look for Skullclamp with a triggered ability that you can copy with Kirol, meaning you can go get a token maker right alongside it in the vein of anything from Andúril, Flame of the WestAndúril, Flame of the West to Cori-Steel CutterCori-Steel Cutter to Captain's ClawsCaptain's Claws.

In other words? We found the centerpiece "thing" that we want to be doing in our Bracket 4 deck.

Building this, I honestly think that there might actually be a full-on cEDH deck here that could be cultivated. Turbo is not my specialty, but I've played enough hands here that won on turn two and three that I know things are possible. With that said, the norm for the deck is more like turn four or five, and it usually can't defend it, meaning that setbacks are going to be encountered.

1. Solemn SimulacrumSolemn Simulacrum

(976K Inclusions, 12.9% of 7.54M Decks)

Oh. Well, so much for the top of the list all being ridiculously powerful cards. It's been a few months since I crafted a list that ended in Solemn SimulacrumSolemn Simulacrum, so let me state once more that I am surprised that this is still here. Why? Because I don't remember the last time I saw a Sad Robot in play, but it was certainly a few years after I stopped putting them in my decks.

Even in decks that are looking to abuse both triggers, like Kirol wants to, four mana is just too much mana for what the card does.

Honorable Mentions

We've talked about token storm, crazy multiple Equipment tutors, and general nonsense with Kirol, but there's one thing that we haven't talked about: Combos. And largely, that's because Wizards did its job correctly. The "activate only once each turn" rider stops most of the crazy repeating loops that are required for most combos.

There is one exception, however, and that's extra turns. If you can take an extra turn and copy it with Kirol's ability, you can then proceed to your extra turn and start over again with a fresh activation.

The only issue? It looks like Wizards looked that up, too.

Top 10 Extra Turn Triggers

1. Gonti's Aether HeartGonti's Aether Heart
2. Medomai the AgelessMedomai the Ageless
3. Regenerations RestoredRegenerations Restored
4. Wanderwine ProphetsWanderwine Prophets
5. Lighthouse ChronologistLighthouse Chronologist
6. Ultimecia, Time SorceressUltimecia, Time Sorceress
7. TimesifterTimesifter
8. Second ChanceSecond Chance
9. Wormfang MantaWormfang Manta
10. Search the CitySearch the City

None of these result in a clean "take infinite extra turns" loop. Gonti's Aether HeartGonti's Aether Heart exiles itself. Medomai the AgelessMedomai the Ageless has a rider to prevent it. Regenerations RestoredRegenerations Restored exiles itself. Wanderwine ProphetsWanderwine Prophets is probably the closest, only requiring that you acquire another Merfolk during your extra turn, but isn't in colors so you're probably better off doing the established things with Strionic ResonatorStrionic Resonator and the like. Ditto for Lighthouse ChronologistLighthouse Chronologist, who only gives you an extra turn every other turn anyhow, along with the rest of the list that is also blue.

The only remaining card not on the list, by the way? The banned Emrakul, the Aeons TornEmrakul, the Aeons Torn.

There is still one card on the list that is playable in Boros, doesn't exile itself, doesn't have a rider, and takes extra turns with a trigger, however: TimesifterTimesifter. And doesn't that seem like a fun card to build around?

What can I say? I'm a sucker for group slug, and Kirol is good at it. Combine that with a healthy smattering of top-deck manipulation and "expensive" Room enchantments, and what you get is a Boros deck doing silly extra turn things while punishing others for interrupting your fun.

The deck starts off a little slow, courtesy of everything in it being "expensive," but once it gets going the silliness abounds, to say nothing of when you actually land TimesifterTimesifter.

Nuts and Bolts

There always seems to be a bit of interest in how these lists are made (this seems like a good time to stress once again that they are based on EDHREC score, NOT my personal opinion…), and people are often surprised that I’m not using any special data or .json from EDHREC, but rather just muddling my way through with some Scryfall knowledge! For your enjoyment/research, here is this week’s Scryfall search.

What Do You Think?

And finally, what is your favorite triggered ability to copy? Can you do so in any sort of ridiculous fashion with Kirol? Is it in colors?

Let us know in the comments, and we'll see you at the three-legged table that appears to be sprouting a fourth leg.