<p style="text-align: right;"><em><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kibo, Uktabi Prince" href="#" target="_blank">Kibo, Uktabi Prince</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://boros-szikszai.com/landing_2/boros/">Zoltan Boros</a></em></p>
<p>Enough <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Monkey-" href="#" target="_blank">Monkey-</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>ing around. It's time for some data analysis!</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Monkey-"></div></div>
<p>Welcome once again to <em>Fire and Ice</em>! This is the data-driven series where I go over cards that are becoming more or less popular for different Commander decks, and talk about why they may be gaining or losing popularity. I'm Julia, EDHREC's Duchess of Data, and I'm super excited to jump into today's article! As a reminder, the math that supports this series is detailed in <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/fireicescoremath">this article</a>.</p>
<p>EDHREC, of course, has a ton of data. We'll draw conclusions from that data about how certain commanders' decks have changed over time, give insight about new cards, and hopefully provide some tech for your favorite commander's list.</p>
<p>Today, we're focusing on <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kibo, Uktabi Prince" href="#" target="_blank">Kibo, Uktabi Prince</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. This Gruul (<span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-rg" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span>) commander is the 134th most popular commander on EDHREC, and currently has nearly 15,000 decks to his name. Let's see what gives this ape his shape.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Kibo, Uktabi Prince"></div></div>
<h2><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kibo, Uktabi Prince" href="#" target="_blank">Kibo, Uktabi Prince</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
<div id="attachment_193718" style="width: 999px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><a href="https://cloudflare.edhrec.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/newplot-1-18.png"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-193718" class="size-full wp-image-193718" src="https://cloudflare.edhrec.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/newplot-1-18.png" alt="What's Hot and What's Not for Kibo, Uktabi Prince?" width="989" height="550" srcset="https://cloudflare.edhrec.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/newplot-1-18.png 989w, https://cloudflare.edhrec.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/newplot-1-18-300x167.png 300w, https://cloudflare.edhrec.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/newplot-1-18-768x427.png 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 989px) 100vw, 989px" /></a><p id="caption-attachment-193718" class="wp-caption-text">What's Hot and What's Not for Kibo, Uktabi Prince?</p></div>
<p>For <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-2" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-g" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span>, Kibo is a 2/2 Monkey Noble. We can <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-tap" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span> him to have each player make a Banana (a token that can be tapped and sacrificed for either <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-r" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span> or <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-g" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span> and to gain two life). Additionally, when an opponent's artifact goes to the bin, we get to put a +1/+1 counter on all of our primates. Finally, when Kibo attacks, the defending player sacrifices an artifact.</p>
<p>That's a lot of abilities. Kibo pilots seek to take advantage of a board full of artifacts, using pingers and other synergy pieces to ensure that those 'naners don't go to waste. They also usually fill their 99 with tons of monkeys.</p>
<p>Among this commander's most popular cards are <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Viridian Revel" href="#" target="_blank">Viridian Revel</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (87% inclusion rate), <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Gorilla Shaman" href="#" target="_blank">Gorilla Shaman</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (83% inclusion rate), and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Silverback Elder" href="#" target="_blank">Silverback Elder</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (84% inclusion rate).</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Viridian Revel"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Gorilla Shaman"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Silverback Elder"></div></div>
<h2>What's Fiery for Kibo Decks?</h2>
<h3><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Hit-Monkey" href="#" target="_blank">Hit-Monkey</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> - Fire Score of 11.32</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Hit-Monkey"></div></div>
<p>Talk about keyword soup! This Monkey Assassin has every ability under the sun, and doesn't cost <em>too</em> much mana. Reach, vigilance, deathtouch, hexproof, haste, and "uncounterability" are all extremely useful these days, especially given how many nonsensically powerful creatures are running around in current-day sets.</p>
<p>While Hit-Monkey doesn't work directly with our artifact-centric gameplan, he is likely going to be the most versatile hominid on the field at any given moment.</p>
<h3><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Guerrilla Gorilla" href="#" target="_blank">Guerrilla Gorilla</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> - Fire Score of 8.72</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Guerrilla Gorilla"></div></div>
<p>Two-mana creatures that can sacrifice themselves to destroy artifacts are pretty commonplace in <em>Magic</em>, from <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cankerbloom" href="#" target="_blank">Cankerbloom</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> to <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cathar Commando" href="#" target="_blank">Cathar Commando</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. This variant just so happens to be an Ape, which easily earns him a spot in Kibo's kingdom.</p>
<p>I want to note the subtle power creep here, though. Usually, we need to pay <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-1" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span> to access this sort of effect on a two-drop creature. Here, the effect is free, but we can only destroy noncreature artifacts and enchantments. It's a small change, but it may be a harbinger of even stronger abilities down the road.</p>
<h3><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mugato" href="#" target="_blank">Mugato</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Gumato" href="#" target="_blank">Gumato</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> - Fire Scores of 6.45 and 5.15</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Mugato"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Gumato"></div></div>
<p>These are some big, scary Apes. Mugato and Gumato are both relatively generic five-drops, but they're more powerful than some Apes/Monkeys from throughout this game's history. That's enough to earn them a slot in our 99.</p>
<p>It's great to suit these vigilant creatures up with +1/+1 counters using our commander, as they can prove their potency on offense and defense.</p>
<h3><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Heroic Feast" href="#" target="_blank">Heroic Feast</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> - Fire Score of 1.98</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Heroic Feast"></div></div>
<p>With all the Bananas we'll be creating, Heroic Feast will be handing out +1/+1 counters all the time. It'll usually dole them out to two creatures at a time, but we can spread the love a bit more if we've got <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Fangren Marauder" href="#" target="_blank">Fangren Marauder</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> on the field.</p>
<p>This enchantment can help us push through for a bit more combat damage. It may not be the quickest way to win, but a three-mana counter production engine like this is certainly powerful.</p>
<h3><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Killmonger, Ruthless Usurper" href="#" target="_blank">Killmonger, Ruthless Usurper</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> - Fire Score of 1.95</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Killmonger, Ruthless Usurper"></div></div>
<p>Our first <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-r" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span> card of the day! Killmonger works beautifully with our commander. Kibo will pass out artifact tokens to our opponents turn after turn, and Killmonger will punish our opponents for hoarding all of them like the greedy players they are.</p>
<p>Once Killmonger is on the board, our opponents are in a lose-lose situation. Either they hold onto their Banana tokens and risk a big attack from this Human Villain, or they sacrifice their Bananas and we get to load our Apes and Monkeys up with counters. This card may deserve a spot in even more Kibo lists. The more I talk about it, the better it seems...</p>
<h3><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Party Dude" href="#" target="_blank">Party Dude</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> - Fire Score of 1.62</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Party Dude"></div></div>
<p>This card is very similar to <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Viridian Revel" href="#" target="_blank">Viridian Revel</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Both are enchantments that let us draw cards as our opponents "eat" the tokens we give them. We even need to pay <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-1" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-g" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-g" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span> into these enchantments to access more cards with them.</p>
<p>Party Dude does a bit more than Viridian Revel, though, as it forces each player to make another artifact token and can even buff up one of our attackers if we invest enough mana. Each of these enchantments is great in this list, though, and they can both find room in Kibo 99s.</p>
<h2>What's Icy for Kibo Decks?</h2>
<h3><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Summit Apes" href="#" target="_blank">Summit Apes</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Gorilla Berserkers" href="#" target="_blank">Gorilla Berserkers</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> - Ice Score of -1.37 and -1.27</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Summit Apes"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Gorilla Berserkers"></div></div>
<p>These are both bad Apes. They were likely in most Kibo lists to bump up the count of relevantly-typed creatures, even though they're not quite up to par with even modern-day commons.</p>
<p>As new, exciting primates like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Guerrilla Gorilla" href="#" target="_blank">Guerrilla Gorilla</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Hit-Monkey" href="#" target="_blank">Hit-Monkey</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> come onto the scene, it becomes harder to justify keeping Summit Apes and Gorilla Berserkers around. These two creatures have most probably been cut to make room for some of the Fiery cards in this article.</p>
<h3><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cultivate" href="#" target="_blank">Cultivate</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> - Ice Score of -1.13</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Cultivate"></div></div>
<p>Cultivate is a good ramp spell, sure, but we've got better things to do on turn three. Kibo also costs <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-2" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-g" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span>, and he's pretty central to our game plan.</p>
<p>Even if we've got three lands on the field and none in hand on turn three, it's difficult to resist the temptation of just casting Kibo instead of Cultivate. After all, our commander provides us with extra mana too! Decks with three-mana commanders like this one usually want to ramp on turn two or four, so Cultivate's drop in popularity checks out.</p>
<h3><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kird Chieftain" href="#" target="_blank">Kird Chieftain</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> - Ice Score of -1.10</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Kird Chieftain"></div></div>
<p>Much like Summit Apes and Gorilla Berserkers, Kird Chieftain is not a fantastic card. But, I wanted to talk about it separately because it does have some marginal utility.</p>
<p>We're loading our hairy guys up with tons of +1/+1 counters thanks to our commander, but those Apes and Monkeys may not always have a way to punch through for combat damage. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kogla, the Titan Ape" href="#" target="_blank">Kogla, the Titan Ape</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, for example, has a huge stat line but lacks trample.</p>
<p>But <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-4" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-g" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span> is a lot to pay for a simple keyword. This activated ability evidently isn't enough to save this Chieftain from being cut out of many Kibo lists.</p>
<h2>What's in a Kibo, Uktabi Prince Deck?</h2>
<p>Here's a Kibo list with all of his hot cards and none of his cold cards...</p>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Fire and Ice - Kibo, Uktabi Prince" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*1 Kibo, Uktabi Prince
[/Commander]
[Artifacts]
*1 Arcane Signet
*1 Lightning Greaves
*1 Liquimetal Coating
*1 Liquimetal Torque
*1 Ozolith, the Shattered Spire
*1 Sol Ring
*1 Sting, the Glinting Dagger
*1 Swiftfoot Boots
*1 Tarrian&#039;s Soulcleaver
[/Artifacts]
[Creatures]
*1 Elephant-Mandrill
*1 Fangren Marauder
*1 Ferocious Tigorilla
*1 Flopsie, Bumi&#039;s Buddy
*1 Gearbane Orangutan
*1 Gorilla Shaman
*1 Grunn, the Lonely King
*1 Guerrilla Gorilla
*1 Gumato
*1 Hit-Monkey
*1 Killmonger, Ruthless Usurper
*1 Kird Ape
*1 Kodama of the West Tree
*1 Kogla and Yidaro
*1 Kogla, the Titan Ape
*1 Mugato
*1 Ragavan, Nimble Pilferer
*1 Realmwalker
*1 Scrounging Bandar
*1 Silverback Elder
*1 Silverback Shaman
*1 Simian Simulacrum
*1 Simian Spirit Guide
*1 Taurean Mauler
*1 Towering Gibbon
*1 Tree Monkey
*1 Uktabi Orangutan
*1 Wily Bandar
*1 Yavimaya Steelcrusher
*1 Zodiac Monkey
[/Creatures]
[Enchantments]
*1 Curse of Opulence
*1 Descent into Avernus
*1 Doubling Season
*1 Garruk&#039;s Uprising
*1 Hardened Scales
*1 Heroic Feast
*1 Party Dude
*1 Primal Vigor
*1 Rhythm of the Wild
*1 Viridian Revel
[/Enchantments]
[Instants]
*1 Abrade
*1 Ancient Grudge
*1 Beast Within
*1 Chaos Warp
*1 Heroic Intervention
*1 Inspiring Call
*1 Return of the Wildspeaker
*1 Signature Slam
[/Instants]
[Sorceries]
*1 Anzrag&#039;s Rampage
*1 Blasphemous Act
*1 Kodama&#039;s Reach
*1 Meltdown
*1 Nature&#039;s Lore
*1 Rampant Growth
*1 Three Visits
*1 Vandalblast
[/Sorceries]
[Lands]
*1 Cinder Glade
*1 Command Tower
*12 Forest
*1 Game Trail
*1 Gruul Turf
*1 Karplusan Forest
*1 Kessig Wolf Run
*1 Mossfire Valley
*8 Mountain
*1 Path of Ancestry
*1 Rockfall Vale
*1 Rogue&#039;s Passage
*1 Rootbound Crag
*1 Spire Garden
*1 Stomping Ground
*1 Treetop Village
[/Lands]"></span></div>
<h2>Conclusion</h2>
<p>It's neat to see a <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-g" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span>-heavy artifact deck. There's so much cool green artifact synergy that's rarely played in Commander because this color just doesn't make great use of the card type! I'm partial to <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sarinth Steelseeker" href="#" target="_blank">Sarinth Steelseeker</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Teething Wurmlet" href="#" target="_blank">Teething Wurmlet</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ace, Fearless Rebel" href="#" target="_blank">Ace, Fearless Rebel</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, all of which are neat inclusions in a Kibo list.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Sarinth Steelseeker"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Teething Wurmlet"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ace, Fearless Rebel"></div></div>
<p>What's your favorite <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-g" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span> card that cares about artifacts? Let me know in the comments below, and I'll be back next week with a particularly salty <em>Fire and Ice</em>!</p>


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