Part 66

Unlock the secrets of the Part 66 deck in Magic: The Gathering Arena! Learn its strengths, weaknesses, and how to counter its powerful dragon strategy.

Alright, let's dive into the "Part 66" deck. This one's a R/G/B dragon-focused build that aims to stall out the early game with tokens and then drop some serious threats. It's designed to buy you time to get out heavy hitters like Karrthus or Volcanic Dragon, while using Bone Splinters as a way to outright destroy any creature that gets in your way. Skullmulcher is in there to give you a little bit of card draw, which is always nice.

When you're facing the Planeswalker version of this deck, things get a bit more annoying. They swap out Flameblast Dragon for Caldera Hellion. This guy's a 3/3 that deals 3 damage to all creatures when it hits the battlefield – basically a mini 'Anger of the Gods' but without the exile effect. Broodmate Dragon also shows up, which is a 4/4 that spawns another 4/4 token when it enters play. This is a huge problem if Karrthus is already out, because Karrthus gives all your dragons haste, and Broodmate Dragon's token will get that bonus too.

Honestly, this deck is probably the easiest of the Alara decks you'll face. Its draw power is a bit slow, the non-dragon enemies are pretty weak, and it doesn't have a ton of massive beatsticks. If you can manage to destroy Karrthus and deal with the creatures flooding the board, you'll usually find it pretty straightforward. If you're having trouble dealing with the 7 damage Karrthus can dish out, consider bringing cards like Reprisal or Ground Assault, which are efficient ways to destroy creatures. Other good options include Dead Reckoning, Divine Verdict, Banefire, or Volcanic Geyser.

Heads Up: When you're up against the Planeswalker difficulty, expect field-clearing spells like Jund Charm and Caldera Hellion. It can be a bit easier if you have Sigil Blessing, a cheap instant that gives a target creature +3/+3 and all your other creatures +1/+1. This is super useful for protecting your crucial tokens, like the 3/3s from Soul of Zendikar. Hall of Triumph, which buffs creatures of a chosen type, can also help keep your board strong, especially since the AI can't destroy artifacts, enchantments, or equipment.

Watch Out: Don't forget that Karrthus will steal all dragons you control when it hits the battlefield. This deck isn't the best to bring against Karrthus unless you can reliably destroy the AI's hand (they only have two cards in hand usually). Also, remember that token-generating creatures like Thrinax, Tukatongue, or Skullmuncher don't get their token effects if they're exiled – think 'Anger of the Gods'. No tokens means no Bone Splintering!

ALARA: EXPLORE NAYA

This R/G/W deck is a dangerous mix of beatdown and noncombat damage. Spellbreaker Behemoth is a 4-mana 5/5 that stops creatures with 5 or more toughness from being countered. Blitz Hellion is a massive 7/7, but it returns to the deck the turn after it's summoned, not the graveyard. For cheaper creatures, you've got Wild Nacatl (a 1/1 that can become a 3/3) and Woolly Thoctar (a 5/4).

On Planeswalker difficulty, they swap out the 5/3 Beacon Behemoth for a 5/5 Bull Cerodon, which has haste and vigilance. It's not a huge change, but it's basically a slightly weaker Blitz Hellion that never taps.

Beatstick decks usually rely on grabbing lands to ramp up quickly, but with "Where Ancients Tread" in play, even a slow stream of creatures can quickly overwhelm you. Thankfully, Exploding Borders and the instants aren't as scary as they could be – Exploding Borders caps at 3 damage, and Branching Bolt has to split its 6 damage.

A solid strategy here is to use your own beatstick-heavy deck, maybe even with cards you've found during exploration like Wild Nacatl or Woolly Thoctar. That way, you can capitalize on the absence of "Where Ancients Tread" or attack through it, keeping your life total safe.

• Ground Assault: Deals damage based on lands you control.
• Guard Gomazoa: Doesn't take combat damage.
• Kozilek, Butcher of Truth: Forces your opponent to sacrifice four permanents each attack.
• Obelisk of Alara: Provides 5 free healing each turn.
• Planar Cleansing: Destroys all beatsticks, Obelisks, and 'Where Ancients Tread' cards.
• Safe Passage: Prevents all damage for that turn.
• Tribute to Hunger: Lets you sacrifice creatures to gain life.

Quick Tip: Blitz Hellion might leave the field quickly, but it also means it'll constantly trigger copies of "Where Ancients Tread," stacking up damage fast. It'll also attack to cause more trouble, so consider sacrificing a creature to get rid of it if you don't have deathtouch or milling options available.