Have you ever built a "strict" kindred deck, not including any creature types outside of the one you chose to build around?

I wouldn't blame you if not.

Even when I build a deck around a fairly strong creature type, I can't resist throwing in a few staples that help my brew be a little more competitive. Sometimes, I joke that the one outlier is the deck's "mascot." Other times, it's just an auto-include that doesn't feel that out of place.

An elfball deck will run Craterhoof Behemoth as a finisher and nobody bats an eye. A Mono-White deck will often include Esper Sentinel even if it's a cat or angel deck because it's just so good at what it does.

A few weeks ago, I shared a list with you for a higher-powered combo deck built around Brigid, Clachan's Heart from Lorwyn Eclipsed. While I don't regret that column, I have been thinking a lot about Kithkin as a creature type. Lorwyn Eclipsed has added 19 new Kithkin creatures along with a kindred sorcery and a kindred enchantment with the Kithkin creature type to the game. How much easier is it now to build a decent Kithkin kindred Commander deck?

Rather than trot out another Brigid list for today's column, I decided I'd try building around a notorious legend that dates all the way back to the early days of Commander. I'll be building around Gaddock Teeg.

This Kithkin Advisor is a 2/2 for two mana in Selenya () colors. He's got a serious face and a serious impact on the game. When Gaddock Teeg is in play, noncreature spells with a cost of four or greater can't be cast, and neither can noncreature spells with variable mana costs (like Celestial Reunion with a cost of ).

It might surprise you to hear that a decade ago, this short king was a viable Competitive Commander. cEDH builds would flood the zone with big creatures and then use Gaddock Teeg to prevent opponents from wiping the board.

Lists would run sacrifice outlets and their own boardwipes so they could clear the battlefield on their terms, rather than when a tablemate was ready for wrath. Gaddock Teeg lists would also lean into other "stax" effects (a catch-all term for cards that deny resources and prevent the performing of certain actions in the game) and were not a lot of fun to play against in more casual games.

In today's Commander meta, Gaddock Teeg would be hard pressed to make much of an impact. I decided to build a "strict" kindred list today, and I'm not leaning into a stax theme, but I am hopeful that my commander's ability will impact my game plan in a positive way.

So, what kind of deck can you build in 2026 when you lean entirely into Kithkin for your creatures? Let's find out!

Old and New Faces

In Magic, there are 84 cards with the creature type of Kithkin, and 21 of those are from Lorwyn Eclipsed. That's a lot, and more than enough to let us build a deck. Kithkin's presence in Lorwyn Eclipsed (ECL) falls somewhere between Elves, with 29 cards, and Faerie, with 11 cards. Before we look at old cardboard, let's look at some of the best new Kithkin in this most recent set.

The legendary Kithkin I wrote about a few weeks ago, Brigid, Clachan's Heart, is an absolute auto-include in any Kithkin list. Today's list isn't built around big mana and expensive spells, but Brigid can make 1/1 Green and White Kithkin creature tokens, and she can tap for mana in Green or White equal to the number of creatures I control.

I have a soft spot for creatures like Figure of Fable, which can be cast as early as turn one, and can be leveled up by paying mana into its activated ability. This 1/1 Kithkin becomes a 2/3 Kithkin Scout for one more mana. For another three, it gains a total of 4 power, 5 toughness as a Kithkin Soldier.

Spending another six makes it a 7 power, 8 toughness Kithkin Avatar with protection from each of my opponents. Eleven mana is a lot, but I love the idea that this little guy can go through a whole life's journey during its time on the battlefield.

Bristlebane Battler (BB) can also come down early and grow over time, but in a very different way. This two-mana Green 6/6 Kithkin Soldier enters with five -1/-1 counters on it. Whenever another creature I control enters while BB has a -1/-1 counter on it, I'll remove a -1/-1 counter from it. I'm effectively playing a 1/1 for 2 that can grow into a 6/6 just by playing my deck! What's not to love about that?

This deck is loaded with Kithkin, so Thoughtweft Imbuer should fit in nicely. This four-mana White Kithkin Advisor has an ability that will give a creature I control +X/+X until end of turn when it attacks where X is the number of Kithkin I control. The catch is that the attacking creature has to attack alone. I don't mind keeping a few blockers back, and this creature is a 0/5, so it isn't likely to get sent into battle.

There are more Kithkin from Lorwyn Eclipsed that I could discuss here. I'm a fan of the cycle of hybrid creatures from ECL, and the Kithkin in that cycle is Eclipsed Kithkin, which will have me look at the top four cards of my library when it enters and put a Kithkin, Forest, or Plains from among them into my hand.

Kithkin saw their first prints twenty years ago with the release of Lorwyn and were clearly inspired by Hobbits. While lots of old Kithkin carry signs that they are from an older time, like randomly having protection from specific colors in their abilities, there are plenty of Kithkin that are worth running in a deck like this.

Brigid, Hero of Kinsbaile is a four-mana White Kithkin with first strike and a pretty sweet tap ability. She can tap to deal 2 damage to each attacking or blocking creature target player controls. A dedicated Brigid list would want cards like Basilisk Collar to give her deathtouch, but I'll be happy just to have an answer to an incoming army of Scute Swarm.

Any army of creatures with one or 2 toughness will need to stay back as long as Brigid, Hero of Kinsbaile is standing guard.

I couldn't find a ton of card draw in my search for meaningful Kithkin, though the 5 mana Mistmeadow Council does draw a card when it enters and costs one less if I control a Kithkin.

I fully expect to see some of my creatures die horrible deaths, so Kithkin Mourncaller might draw me a few cards. This 2/2 Kithkin Scout will have me draw a card whenever an attacking Kithkin or Elf is put into my graveyard from play. That won't help me bounce back from a boardwipe, but it does play well in a deck that is going to have to win through combat.

A word you've probably seen in Magic before is "Harbinger." Eight of the twenty-one cards with Harbinger in the card name are creature-specific tutors, and that includes Kithkin Harbinger. It takes a little time to get to know a deck like this well enough to know what to tutor for in each situation, of course.

But, this Kithkin Wizard will let me search my library for a Kithkin card and put it on top of my library. That includes any of the four noncreature Kithkin cards - Brigid's Command, Clachan Festival, Surge of Thoughtweft, and Militia's Pride.

I'm also running a handful of Kithkin from the sets between Lorwyn and Lorwyn Eclipsed. They don't show up all that often, but in that 20-year gap we've seen a few. Eventide had a bunch of Kithkin, including Ballynock Trapper, Kithkin Spellduster, Kithkin Zealot, Patrol Signaler, and Springjack Shepherd. Shadowmoor is represented in this set by Apothecary Initiate, Kithkin Rabble, and Resplendent Mentor.

There are a few others, and I'm honestly excited to see if any of these old cards can have much of an impact on a game in 2026.

Playing Around Teeg

One of the biggest challenges with any Gaddock Teeg deck will be playing around the commander's ability. Nobody in the game can cast noncreature spells that cost four or more mana, and nobody can cast spells with X in the casting cost. That includes me.

One solution is simply to not run any spells that Gaddock Teeg would keep me from being able to cast. The format has sped up a lot over the past two decades, and there are plenty of great noncreature cards that cost less than four mana, but I'd also miss out on a lot of cards that are well worth running.

Another solution is to be very careful when I cast him. Gaddock isn't going to prevent anyone from casting their commander, and I'm probably not going to stop many early game spells. Even those of us who still play Cultivate and Kodama's Reach in casual play haven't run four-mana ramp spells like Explosive Vegetation in years (if ever).

What that means is that there's no need to play Gaddock Teeg on turn two if I can just wait another turn or two when big spells are more likely to get cast.

For this list I decided to run a few bigger spells and to run a few ways to remove my commander. I'm sure my tablemates will help with that, but I want to be able to deal with him myself every now and then.

For four mana, Thoughtweft Trio is a 5/5 that can block any number of creatures. It also has first strike, vigilance, and the "champion" ability. This last ability has been seen a few times in this history of Magic and is always associated with a creature type. In this case, "Champion a Kithkin" will have me exile a Kithkin until it leaves play.

There will be times that I want my commander out of the way so I can cast one of my few big noncreature spells, such as Camaraderie, Shamanic Revelation, or just a boardwipe like Fumigate or Fell the Mighty.

Ashnod's Altar is a great card in this list as it can let me pivot from having my commander in play to lock the table out of playing big spells and give me extra mana to play my own. I don't have a lot of those in this list, but I expect it should work nicely with Gaddock Teeg even if I'm just trying to draw some cards.

High Market is also on the list, and while it may not give me extra mana when I use it to sacrifice a creature, I'll gain a life.

A more generic iteration of the deck would probably run more sacrifice outlets, and I did consider running Phyrexian Altar as a way to get Teeg out of the way and give me 1 mana.

If I were physically building this deck, I expect I'd eventually put it in, but these artifacts can spook a more experienced player. They'll have seen games just end when one of them hits the table. Of course, if an Altar draws artifact removal out of a tablemate's hand, that's one less spell they'll have to remove the Blackblade Reforged or Strata Scythe I'm going to use to try to push out a bunch of damage.

It's also worth remembering that cheap interaction like Swords to Plowshares and Path to Exile can always be used on my own creature. Getting a land or a little life and then being able to play a bigger spell doesn't feel that bad when I'm only spending an extra White mana. Teeg's casting cost is also so low that it's not a big deal to re-cast him on my next turn.

Kithkin Kindred

The elephant in the room is that most of you would never build a strict kindred build (not running any non-Kithkin).

Why would you?

There are so many creatures you could toss in that would bring a ton of value. Esper Sentinel, Beast Whisperer, Craterhoof Behemoth and Moonshaker Cavalry would all be great in this list, and there are plenty of other creatures you could include that aren't Kithkin.

The bottom line for me is that while I enjoy powerful cards, I also enjoy the challenge of trying to win games without just leaning on staples and game changers. I've been doing that since the advent of the bracket system, and I've been able to keep winning games at a decent clip.

Just because I'm leaning away from sweaty cards doesn't mean that makes sense for your decks and your playgroup. I've been playing this format for a long time, and for many of you the idea of playing a deck with only Kithkin might be a bridge too far. That's okay, too.

Gaddock Teeg Kithkin Kindred | Commander | Stephen Johnson

• Commander (1)
• 1 Gaddock Teeg

• Creatures (29)
• 1 Apothecary Initiate
• 1 Ballynock Trapper
• 1 Ballyrush Banneret
• 1 Brigid's Command
• 1 Brigid, Clachan's Heart
• 1 Brigid, Hero of Kinsbaile
• 1 Bristlebane Battler
• 1 Cenn's Heir
• 1 Crossroads Watcher
• 1 Dundoolin Weaver
• 1 Eclipsed Kithkin
• 1 Figure of Fable
• 1 Goldmeadow Harrier
• 1 Kinsbaile Borderguard
• 1 Kithkin Harbinger
• 1 Kithkin Mourncaller
• 1 Kithkin Rabble
• 1 Kithkin Spellduster
• 1 Kithkin Zealot
• 1 Knight of Meadowgrain
• 1 Mistmeadow Council
• 1 Mistmeadow Skulk
• 1 Order of Whiteclay
• 1 Patrol Signaler
• 1 Resplendent Mentor
• 1 Springjack Shepherd
• 1 Thoughtweft Imbuer
• 1 Thoughtweft Trio
• 1 Wizened Cenn

• Instants (11)
• 1 Beast Within
• 1 Constant Mists
• 1 Heroic Intervention
• 1 Moment's Peace
• 1 Obscuring Haze
• 1 Path to Exile
• 1 Return to Nature
• 1 Selesnya Charm
• 1 Strength in Numbers
• 1 Surge of Thoughtweft
• 1 Swords to Plowshares

• Sorceries (9)
• 1 Camaraderie
• 1 Cultivate
• 1 Fell the Mighty
• 1 Fumigate
• 1 Kodama's Reach
• 1 Nature's Lore
• 1 Rampant Growth
• 1 Shamanic Revelation
• 1 Three Visits

• Enchantments (6)
• 1 Beastmaster Ascension
• 1 Clachan Festival
• 1 Ghostly Prison
• 1 Guardian Project
• 1 Kinbinding
• 1 Militia's Pride

• Artifacts (7)
• 1 Ashnod's Altar
• 1 Blackblade Reforged
• 1 Lightning Greaves
• 1 Strata Scythe
• 1 Swiftfoot Boots
• 1 The Wind Crystal
• 1 Trailblazer's Boots

• Lands (37)
• 13 Forest
• 13 Plains
• 1 Bountiful Promenade
• 1 Canopy Vista
• 1 Castle Garenbrig
• 1 Command Tower
• 1 Exotic Orchard
• 1 High Market
• 1 Krosan Verge
• 1 Overgrown Farmland
• 1 Rogue's Passage
• 1 Sunpetal Grove
• 1 Windbrisk Heights

Buy This Deck Export text

This list is looking to play in lower powered pods. It's got a few ways to increase its damage output, but in general it plays fair games and will often be facing an uphill battle. I'm not sure you'd want to tune it down, but if you did you might drop out Beastmaster Ascension and some of the equipment that helps you push out a lot of damage.

To tune this list up, I think you'd probably want to either lean into playing big creatures or lean into the stax theme. Both are natural strategies to play with Gaddock Teeg, but the former doesn't really mesh with the Kithkin kindred theme of my list.

If you wanted to lean into stax, you could probably keep a Kithkin subtheme, and it might be amusing to lock everyone down and then kill them with such an unlikely and underappreciated type of creature.

I don't think there's a ton of play for Gaddock Teeg in high power and Competitive Commander, but I also might not have enough experience in cEDH to know what I'm talking about. I know Yasharn, Implacable Earth can lead a stax deck pretty well, and it's possible Gaddock Teeg would be a cheaper and better option.

Shutting off players from playing Ad Nauseam isn't nothing, but I also think there's so much interaction in Commander that it might be a trivial speedbump to remove him before an opponent tries to win.

Final Thoughts

It's worth asking if it's bad form to be playing Gaddock Teeg at the helm of a low powered deck. Kithkin is definitely a weaker creature type, even if there are a few cards that can have a big impact. Nobody is going to talk about Kithkin in the same breath as Elves, Slivers, Dragons, Goblins, or a good many other creature types.

It's true that sometimes you'll end up locking a player out of much of their deck's strategy.

It's also true that everyone should be running interaction, and pretty much every deck should have removal spells that are under four mana. It's 2026, for goodness' sake. I get that it's frustrating to not be able to "do your thing," but every game of Commander should present some challenges. Otherwise, what's the point of playing the game?

I would encourage anyone considering building around a commander like Gaddock Teeg to also have other decks in their arsenal. You don't want to be that player who always plays the same miserable, un-fun deck.

If nothing else, you will run out of people to play with. I don't think today's list is going to be miserable to play against, but I do acknowledge that Gaddock Teeg can be a headache. It's up to you whether you make it even more of a headache in the way you build your deck.

Unfortunately, I wasn't able to get this list into a game, so I can't report back on how my tablemates reacted to playing against a Kithkin Kindred deck led by one of the more notorious old stax commanders.

Thanks for reading and I'll see you next week.