Kataki, War's Wage

In Commander, Kataki, War's Wage is a role-player in stax and hatebear decks rather than a staple — its symmetry means it only belongs in builds that run nearly zero artifacts themselves, and most Commander decks lean on Sol Ring and friends too hard to run it fairly. In Legacy, Kataki is a genuine sideboard threat against Affinity and Painter strategies, cheap enough to land before combo assembles. Modern sees it similarly: a Death and Taxes sideboard piece against Urza-style artifact decks, though Stony Silence often does the job better from the same slot. Vintage is where the tax is most punishing, since the format is saturated with Moxen and artifact mana that players are reluctant to sacrifice — Kataki forces a brutal triage every upkeep.