Part 60

Explore the intricacies of Part 60 in Magic: The Gathering Arena. This guide details deck strategies, creature interactions, and combat tactics to help you dominate the game.

This section of the guide covers specific mechanics and deck strategies within Magic: The Gathering Arena, focusing on interactions with creatures, counters, and combat damage.

Key Mechanics:

• Creatures returned to hand lose all counters.
• Tokens created by effects like Slime Molding or Miming Slime disappear as they are not actual cards. Removing them can prevent opponents from powering up subsequent uses of these effects.
• Noncombat damage can be used effectively as opponents cannot deal it. This allows for strategies like using Roil Elemental to take control of opponent's creatures.

SHANDALAR: ASSASSIN'S BLADE

Difficulty: 3 of 5

A black life loss deck focused on noncombat damage and instant death effects.

Decklist:

• Creatures [20]: 4x Acolyte of Xathrid, 4x Cruel Sadist, 4x Highway Robber, 4x Onyx Mage, 4x Xathrid Slyblade
• Instant [4]: 4x Ulcerate, 4x Vendetta
• Sorceries [8]: 4x Assassinate, 4x Sign in Blood
• Lands [24]: 24x Swamp

Card Synergies and Notes:

• Acolyte of Xathrid, Highway Robber, and Cruel Sadist inflict noncombat damage or life loss.
• Assassinate, Vendetta, Xathrid Slyblade (with deathtouch), and Onyx Mage provide instant death or deathtouch capabilities.
• Sign in Blood offers drawpower and damage.
• Planeswalker difficulty swaps Assassinate for Murder, a more versatile removal spell.
• Life gain decks are a strong counter.
• Xathrid Slyblade can be baited into attacking/blocking to expose the opponent to noncombat damage.
• Vendetta's drawback (owner takes damage equal to toughness) makes it unusable against opponents with very low life if the caster has a large creature.

SHANDALAR: BEAST AMBUSH

Difficulty: 3 of 5

A green beast/beatdown deck focused on creature buffs and overwhelming the opponent.

Decklist:

• Creatures [29]: 4x Advocate of the Beast, 4x Bond Beetle, 4x Brindle Boar, 4x Living Totem, 2x Spiked Baloth, 3x Primal Huntbeast, 4x Rumbling Baloth, 4x Timberpack Wolf
• Sorceries [6]: 4x Hunt the Weak, 2x Overrun
• Lands [25]: 25x Forest

Card Synergies and Notes:

• Bond Beetle, Advocate of the Beast, and Living Totem grant +1/+1 counters.
• Timberpack Wolf grows stronger with more copies on the field.
• Overrun grants +3/+3 and trample to all creatures.
• Planeswalker difficulty replaces Timberpack Wolf with Kalonian Tusker (3/3 for 2 CMC) and Spiked Baloth with Thragtusk (5/3 that leaves a 3/3 token).
• Noncombat damage is effective due to low creature toughness, but a strong beatstick can deter attacks.
• Hunt the Weak can neutralize creatures with abilities.
• Primal Huntbeast is untargetable by spells and abilities.
• Advocate of the Beast (2/3) is a priority target for removal.

SHANDALAR: BLAZING WINGS

Difficulty: 2 of 5

A red deck focused on dragons and direct damage.

Decklist:

• Creature [24]: 4x Ancient Hellkite, 4x Brood Keeper, 4x Dragon Egg, 4x Dragon Hatchling, 4x Furnace Whelp, 4x Volcanic Dragon
• Enchantments [8]: 4x Firebreathing, 4x Lightning Talons
• Instants [4]: 4x Punishing Fire
• Lands [24]: 24x Mountain

Card Synergies and Notes:

• Focuses on creatures with flying or direct damage abilities.
• Firebreathing and Lightning Talons provide power boosts.
• Punishing Fire offers removal and direct damage.