Kick em while they're down (Hallar kicker tribal)

Commander / EDH* Burn Casual Counters Kicker RG (Gruul)

hoffie4

Gives Counters (18)

• 1x Agitator Ant
• 1x Evolutionary Escalation
• 1x Forgotten Ancient
• 1x Halana and Alena, Partners
• 1x Hunger of the Howlpack
• 1x Hydra's Growth
• 1x Immaculate Magistrate
• 1x Increasing Savagery
• 1x Invigorating Surge
• 1x Llanowar Reborn
• 1x Minsc & Boo, Timeless Heroes
• 1x Ozolith, the Shattered Spire
• 1x Primeval Bounty
• 1x Snakeskin Veil
• 1x Strength of the Tajuru
• 1x Thundering Mightmare
• 1x Vastwood Fortification  ^Flip
• 1x Visions of Dominance

Ramp (16)

• 1x Arcane Signet
• 1x Birds of Paradise
• 1x Cultivate
• 1x Delighted Halfling
• 1x Elvish Mystic
• 1x Everflowing Chalice
• 1x Fyndhorn Elves
• 1x Grow from the Ashes
• 1x Kodama's Reach
• 1x Llanowar Elves
• 1x Nature's Lore
• 1x Primal Growth
• 1x Sol Ring
• 1x Three Visits
• 1x Traverse the Outlands
• 1x Urza's Saga

Accelerant (1)

• 1x Descent into Avernus

Gives counters (1)

• 1x Court of Garenbrig

Synergy (1)

• 1x Roaming Throne

Other (28)

• 1x Cinder Glade
• 1x Command Tower
• 1x Copperline Gorge
• 1x Cragcrown Pathway  ^Flip
• 1x Fire-Lit Thicket
• 8x Forest
• 4x Mountain
• 1x Prismatic Vista
• 1x Reflecting Pool
• 1x Rockfall Vale
• 1x Rootbound Crag
• 1x Spire Garden
• 1x Stomping Ground
• 1x Taiga
• 1x Temple of Abandon
• 1x Witch's Clinic
• 1x Wooded Foothills
• 1x Worldly Tutor

Protection (8)

• 1x Deflecting Swat
• 1x Lightning Greaves
• 1x Mithril Coat
• 1x Snakeskin Veil
• 1x Tamiyo's Safekeeping
• 1x Tyrite Sanctum
• 1x Vines of Vastwood
• 1x Yavimaya Hollow

Draw (7)

• 1x Harmonize
• 1x Hunter's Insight
• 1x Minsc & Boo, Timeless Heroes
• 1x Rishkar's Expertise
• 1x Sylvan Library
• 1x The One Ring
• 1x Valakut Awakening  ^Flip

Removal (2)

• 1x Boseiju, Who Endures
• 1x Chaos Warp

Winner (1)

• 1x Chandra's Ignition

Commander (1)

Kicker (18)

• 1x Breath of Darigaaz
• 1x Canopy Surge
• 1x Cinderclasm
• 1x Colossal Growth
• 1x Comet Storm
• 1x Emblazoned Golem
• 1x Everflowing Chalice
• 1x Gift of Growth
• 1x Goblin Bushwhacker
• 1x Grow from the Ashes
• 1x Inscription of Abundance
• 1x Joraga Warcaller
• 1x Overload
• 1x Primal Growth
• 1x Scorching Lava
• 1x Sprouting Goblin
• 1x Strength of the Tajuru
• 1x Vines of Vastwood

Uses Counters (5)

• 1x Branching Evolution
• 1x Hardened Scales
• 1x Joraga Warcaller
• 1x Solidarity of Heroes
• 1x The Ozolith

Recursion (1)

• 1x Bala Ged Recovery  ^Flip

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Sideboard

Other (8)

• 1x Ancient Bronze Dragon
• 1x Archdruid's Charm
• 1x Bristly Bill, Spine Sower
• 1x Cathedral Acolyte
• 1x Ornery Tumblewagg
• 1x Power Fist
• 1x Selvala, Heart of the Wilds
• 1x Wicker Picker

Control (2)

• 1x Possibility Storm
• 1x Tibalt's Trickery

Card Draw (1)

• 1x Viridian Revel

Draw (5)

• 1x Heartwood Storyteller
• 1x Magus of the Wheel
• 1x Snake Umbra
• 1x War Room
• 1x Wheel of Fortune

Card advantage (2)

• 1x Jeska's Will
• 1x Virtue of Courage

Protection (2)

• 1x Royal Treatment
• 1x Snake Umbra

Synergy (1)

• 1x Strionic Resonator

Ramp (4)

• 1x Burgeoning
• 1x Exploration
• 1x Jeska's Will
• 1x Priest of Titania

Removal (4)

• 1x Beast Within
• 1x Kenrith's Transformation
• 1x Ram Through
• 1x Wild Magic Surge

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Maybeboard

Gives Counters (18)

• 1x Elven Rite
• 1x Evolution Sage
• 1x Forced Adaptation
• 1x Forge of Heroes
• 1x Guildmages' Forum
• 1x Kalonian Hydra
• 1x Loyal Guardian
• 1x Predatory Hunger
• 1x Quest for the Gemblades
• 1x Ring of Kalonia
• 1x Ring of Valkas
• 1x Rite of Passage
• 1x Ruinous Intrusion
• 1x Scrounging Bandar
• 1x Soul's Might
• 1x Sword of Truth and Justice
• 1x Vastwood Hydra
• 1x Verdurous Gearhulk

Protection (7)

• 1x Bolt Bend
• 1x Darksteel Plate
• 1x Heroic Intervention
• 1x Mortal's Resolve
• 1x Ranger's Guile
• 1x Silkguard
• 1x Wyll's Reversal

Gives (1)

• 1x Earthen Arms

Uses Counters (1)

• 1x Fractal Harness

Gives counters (1)

• 1x Picnic Ruiner

Lifelink (1)

• 1x Shadowspear

Tutor (1)

• 1x Gamble

Other (16)

• 1x Farseek
• 1x Grafted Exoskeleton
• 1x Jeweled Lotus
• 1x Kazuul's Fury  ^Flip
• 1x Lignify
• 1x Mage Slayer
• 1x Mizzix's Mastery
• 1x Oran-Rief, the Vastwood
• 1x Ordeal of Nylea
• 1x Quest for Pure Flame
• 1x Rampant Growth
• 1x Reroute
• 1x Sunbird's Invocation
• 1x Taunting Arbormage
• 1x Two-Handed Axe
• 1x Yavimaya, Cradle of Growth

Draw (8)

• 1x Colossal Majesty
• 1x Commune with Lava
• 1x Keen Sense
• 1x March of Reckless Joy
• 1x Reckless Impulse
• 1x Runic Armasaur
• 1x The Great Henge
• 1x Wrenn's Resolve

Damage doubler (2)

• 1x Desperate Gambit
• 1x Solphim, Mayhem Dominus

Control (1)

• 1x Bolt Bend

Removal (1)

• 1x Ruinous Intrusion

Kicker (13)

• 1x Falling Timber
• 1x Flametongue Yearling
• 1x Goblin Ruinblaster
• 1x Molten Disaster
• 1x Reclaim the Wastes
• 1x Shivan Fire
• 1x Skitter of Lizards
• 1x Skyclave Relic
• 1x Unstable Footing
• 1x Verix Bladewing
• 1x Viashino Branchrider
• 1x Wolfbriar Elemental
• 1x Yavimaya Iconoclast

Ramp (9)

• 1x Dockside Extortionist
• 1x Mana Crypt
• 1x Mana Vault
• 1x Mox Amber
• 1x Reclaim the Wastes
• 1x Skyclave Relic
• 1x The Great Henge
• 1x Utopia Sprawl
• 1x Wild Growth

Recursion (4)

• 1x Backdraft Hellkite
• 1x Eternal Witness
• 1x Finale of Promise
• 1x Regrowth

Damage (1)

• 1x All Will Be One

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Let's make Hallar a bomb.

When I initially built this deck, I just wanted to build a budget deck with an uncommon commander that isn't commonly played. After seeing a lot of play, I upgraded Hallar as best I could because it's just so much fun. Without Hallar, this deck is pretty weak. But that's a common theme with my decks. I play to the strengths of the commander, sometimes at the expense of standard utility cards.

The purpose of this deck is two-fold:

• Play some kicker spells to trigger Hallar and deal damage
• +1/+1 counter manipulation

The way this deck is built, I really focused on getting a massive number of counters on Hallar fast, and then use one or two kickers to trigger a bomb. Obviously this led to the inclusion of staples like Vigor (since cut), Forgotten Ancient, Branching Evolution, and Invigorating Surge among others. But I also wanted to use some cards for recurring counter generation, such as Evolutionary Escalation and Agitator Ant. Nice cheap cards that can pump up Hallar or any other creature.

With the counter manipulation, hopefully you can build up Hallar before you trigger them and, if your opponents underestimate them, you can fly under the radar for a little while before the threat gets real. And you will need protection, because Hallar will make you a quick target once people see what they do.

Every time I pull out Hallar, it's always the exact same progression from people who haven't faced it.

Step 1: They all read the card. There's usually a general acknowledgement that it's an interesting ability. Kickers spells aren't that common. Usually people understand that they're going to take some damage, but burn rarely kills people in EDH.

Step 2: Hallar hits the field. I'll put a couple of counters on it to prepare for later turns, and maybe cast a kicker to ping people for 3-5. Responses here tend to be "that hurt, but I have a lot of life and it's not commander damage"

Step 3: The BOMB. Usually around turn 7-9. I've ramped pretty well, and I have saved enough kicker spells or counter doublers to really blow Hallar up. With 6-7 counters on Hallar, I'll suddenly cast Invigorating Surge or Solidarity of Heroes. Suddenly shit gets real as Hallar has 15+ counters. Queue the threat assessment and the realization that Hallar is now extremely dangerous. They are a big beefy Commander with trample. I'll have at least 1-2 instant speed kickers that are low CMC, like Overload, Scorching Lava, or Vines of Vastwood. At this point, someone usually goes for removal. They'll attempt to kill Hallar, and I'll respond with an instant speed kicker or two. Then comes the counterspell to stop the kicker. And that's usually when I remind everyone that Hallar triggers on the cast and the ability is already on the stack. Removal and counterspells won't work. They're going to take 20-30 damage and there's nothing they can do to stop it. If I'm lucky, I'll have Witch's Clinic out and I'll have given Hallar lifelink, so I'm also gaining a buttload of life off this.

It's always a fun game to play, and as long as I can blow up Hallar then I'm happy even if I lose.

Notes to self: Add Court of Garenbrig and Royal Treatment to the sideboard when they are released.

Top Ranked	Achieved #11 position overall 5 years ago Achieved #2 position in Commander / EDH RG (Gruul) 5 years ago
Date added	5 years
Last updated	3 weeks
Legality	This deck is Commander / EDH legal.
Rarity (main - side)	5 - 4 Mythic Rares 45 - 13 Rares 20 - 7 Uncommons 18 - 3 Commons
Cards	100
Avg. CMC	2.84
Tokens	Beast 3/3 G, Boo, Construct 0/0 C, Royal, The Monarch, Treasure
Folders	kicker green, Bookmarked CMDR, EDH, Untested, save for later