Hello Everyone! I'm Levi from The Thought Vessel, and we are back with another Commander Kryptonite, the series that looks at the powerful commanders at your local game store, how they work, their strengths, weaknesses, and ultimately, how to beat them. This week, we will be looking at Shalai and Hallar by reader request. Before we get into the deck, let's look at the dynamic duo of Shalai and Hallar.

The Commander

Shalai and Hallar debuted in Bright-Palm, Soul Awakener's preconstructed deck based on the Backup mechanic. Shalai and Hallar have the unique trait of amassing large amounts of damage alongside building +1/+1 counters on creatures. While this can be a very synergistic commander, this deck is also a combo commander with multiple outlets. On top of the +1/+1 counter synergies, this commander also comes with flying and vigilance, which is a wonderful combination since they can fly over the top for damage and still be available as a massive blocker to prevent the crackback.

The Deck

Shalai and Hallar | Commander

• Commander (1)
• 1 Shalai and Hallar

• Planeswalker (1)
• 1 Ajani, the Greathearted

• Creatures (38)
• 1 Bright-Palm, Soul Awakener
• 1 Abzan Battle Priest
• 1 Abzan Falconer
• 1 Armorcraft Judge
• 1 Birds of Paradise
• 1 Champion of Lambholt
• 1 Conclave Mentor
• 1 Conclave Sledge-Captain
• 1 Dusk Legion Duelist
• 1 Esper Sentinel
• 1 Evolution Sage
• 1 Forgotten Ancient
• 1 Good-Fortune Unicorn
• 1 Gyre Sage
• 1 Halana and Alena, Partners
• 1 Hamza, Guardian of Arashin
• 1 Heliod, Sun-Crowned
• 1 Incubation Druid
• 1 Kalonian Hydra
• 1 Kami of Whispered Hopes
• 1 Kodama of the West Tree
• 1 Krenko, Tin Street Kingpin
• 1 Kutzil, Malamet Exemplar
• 1 Managorger Hydra
• 1 Mikaeus, the Lunarch
• 1 Rishkar, Peema Renegade
• 1 Shalai, Voice of Plenty
• 1 Sovereign Okinec Ahau
• 1 Sunscorch Regent
• 1 Taurean Mauler
• 1 Birds of Paradise
• 1 Incubation Druid
• 1 Paradise Druid
• 1 Wooded Foothills
• 1 Llanowar Elves
• 1 Fyndhorn Elves
• 1 Noble Hierarch
• 1 Lotus Cobra

• Artifacts (6)
• 1 Arcane Signet
• 1 Commander's Sphere
• 1 Sol Ring
• 1 Swiftfoot Boots
• 1 The Ozolith
• 1 The Great Henge

• Enchantments (10)
• 1 All Will Be One
• 1 Branching Evolution
• 1 Cathars' Crusade
• 1 Felidar Retreat
• 1 Hardened Scales
• 1 Innkeeper's Talent
• 1 Ozolith, the Shattered Spire
• 1 Rhythm of the Wild
• 1 Tribute to the World Tree
• 1 Uncivil Unrest

• Instants (9)
• 1 Beast Within
• 1 Eladamri's Call
• 1 Generous Gift
• 1 Heroic Intervention
• 1 Inspiring Call
• 1 Path to Exile
• 1 Swords to Plowshares
• 1 Unbreakable Formation
• 1 Worldly Tutor

• Sorceries (7)
• 1 Blasphemous Act
• 1 Cultivate
• 1 Damning Verdict
• 1 Kodama's Reach
• 1 Nature's Lore
• 1 Rampant Growth
• 1 Three Visits

• Lands (34)
• 1 Arid Mesa
• 1 Bountiful Promenade
• 1 Canopy Vista
• 1 Cinder Glade
• 1 Command Tower
• 1 Evolving Wilds
• 1 Exotic Orchard
• 7 Forest
• 1 Fortified Village
• 1 Game Trail
• 1 Gavony Township
• 1 Jetmir's Garden
• 1 Jungle Shrine
• 1 Karn's Bastion
• 2 Mountain
• 4 Plains
• 1 Rogue's Passage
• 1 Sacred Foundry
• 1 Spectator Seating
• 1 Spire Garden
• 1 Stomping Ground
• 1 Temple Garden
• 1 Windswept Heath
• 1 Wooded Foothills

Buy This Deck Export text

The deck itself can go in a couple of different directions. There are some ideas of using this commander for a stax deck utilizing the combo as a finisher, but most of the time, this deck will play as a +1/+1 counter deck that will use the combos on the top end as an optional Plan B finisher. This is a +1/+1 counter deck that is more focused on volume of +1/+1 counters rather than frequency, so a card like Kalonian Hydra is going to have more value than Mikaeus, the Lunarch most of the time. Here is an example of a Shalai and Hallar deck you might run into at your local game store.

Strengths

The strength of this deck comes with its synergy. There are two strategies to advance towards victory simultaneously with the "go tall" with creatures and non-combat damage through Shalai and Hallar. Luckily for Shalai and Hallar, both strategies work hand in hand, actively whittling players' life totals down to zero. The deck also has access to cards like The Ozolith to help move counters around for additional damage. Since this deck touts an evasive commander that will grow over time, commander damage is very much on the table as well. It may not look like it all the time, but this deck packs quite the punch.

Weaknesses

The main weakness to this deck, like most decks under the +1/+1 counter theme, is the investment of time. The +1/+1 counters take time to accumulate, so a board wipe or spot removal could take out multiple cards and turns of work in one go. Removal like this over a couple of turns can really set Shalai and Hallar back. There's also the lose/lose situation where, in order to maximize Shalai and Hallar's damage, they are enticed to load up one creature, but by doing so, one spot removal spell can offset everything, so Shalai and Hallar almost have to play suboptimally in order to protect themselves. That delay can be the difference between winning and losing.

Cards to Look Out For

1. War Elemental / The Red Terror / Heliod, Sun-Crowned -- These are the primary combo pieces that lead to infinite damage. Each of these cards can help generate value on their own, but being that any of these cards in play can lead to a combo kill, these are completely remove-on-sight cards. It should also be noted that All Will Be One can be used in place of Shalai and Hallar for combos in the event that the commander can't be cast.
2. Forgotten Ancient -- This card is brutal on both ends. Every single spell cast is going to be costly, dealing one damage. On the next turn, Forgotten Ancient can move those +1/+1 counters to another creature and cash in on that damage again. Beyond that, these +1/+1 counters are also building up massive creatures like Shalai and Hallar, leading to potential commander damage KOs. This is one that you can keep around; you just want to make sure it is pointed in another direction.
3. Kutzil, Malamet Exemplar -- In a commander deck that can win with a combo out of nowhere, this is a very scary card to see because it shuts off any interaction. If Kutzil is on the board and it's Shalai and Hallar's turn, they can combo off without a lot of concern about what the other players can do to stop it. Unlike Grand Arbiter, on top of the silencing effect, Kutzil will also be a great source of card advantage for the deck to draw into combo pieces or finishers easier.
4. The Ozolith -- As one of the major concerns of the deck is losing progress when creatures get removed, The Ozolith can help mitigate that risk by "saving your progress" and storing the counters off of removed creatures. When the counters are moved over again, this will trigger Shalai and Hallar and deal that much damage again. This is something that needs to be removed before attempting a board wipe. Fortunately, most colors have a decent answer for artifacts outside of Black.
5. Power Fist -- Finally, we see Power Fist from the Fallout set. This grants Shalai and Hallar trample so you won't be able to chump block effectively. Additionally, every point of damage that gets through will be more +1/+1 counters on that creature and more damage from Shalai and Hallar, so you can basically get hit twice. This can get even worse with double strike. Ultimately, if you can remove this equipment, this should be a top priority.

How to Beat Shalai and Hallar

Now at the start of the game, it needs to be determined whether the Shalai and Hallar deck is running the two-card combo pieces or not. If they are, we need to dedicate mana and a card at all times for removal to make sure that the combo pieces are not allowed on the field together. It would also be wise to warn the table that a combo out of nowhere is a possibility. Since this is a large amount of damage that Shalai and Hallar deal, this can actually help. Fortunately, Shalai and Hallar's ability is not an "each opponent" trigger, meaning that targets must be selected, so making political deals to keep the damage pointed away from you can make the Shalai and Hallar player quite an ally. When it looks like Shalai and Hallar are able to turn the corner and steal the win, use the removal or board wipe to set them back to square one. If there is any kind of asymmetry in the removal, this will likely set Shalai and Hallar too far back in pacing, and there will be a solid window of time to steal the win.

Commander Kryptonite

If you are still having issues against Shalai and Hallar, consider these cards for your deck.

1. Aegis of the Gods -- Being that the damage ability is for a target opponent, Aegis of the Gods would prevent any of the non-combat damage effects from hitting you, turning the deck into a very basic +1/+1 counter deck. From there, removal and redirection should be sufficient.
2. Solemnity -- This is a more direct Achilles' heel card to run up against for Shalai and Hallar. This card completely stops the +1/+1 counters from being added to creatures in the first place. Just be careful! You will make an enemy out of Shalai and Hallar and possibly another commander at the table at the same time depending on the archetypes of the other decks.
3. Act of Treason -- Finally, if you can't beat them, let them beat themselves. Since these decks are usually a "go tall" type of strategy, simply borrow their creature for the turn and return the favor. Depending on how big their creature gets, one attack might be enough to knock them out with one attack.

And that is how to defeat Shalai and Hallar. If you have a commander you would like to see featured on Commander Kryptonite, send me an email at thoughtvesselshow@gmail.com. Until next time, happy gaming!