Shalai, Voice of Hate

Commander / EDH Control GW (Selesnya) Hatebears Infinite Combo Multiplayer Primer

Icaruskid

Creature (45)

• 1x Allosaurus Shepherd
• 1x Arbor Elf
• 1x Archon of Emeria
• 1x Archon of Valor's Reach
• 1x Augur of Autumn
• 1x Avacyn's Pilgrim
• 1x Aven Mindcensor
• 1x Birds of Paradise
• 1x Bloom Tender
• 1x Collector Ouphe
• 1x Containment Priest
• 1x Dauntless Escort
• 1x Devoted Druid
• 1x Drannith Magistrate
• 1x Eidolon of Rhetoric
• 1x Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite
• 1x Elvish Mystic
• 1x Endurance
• 1x Esper Sentinel
• 1x Ethersworn Canonist
• 1x Fauna Shaman
• 1x Fierce Empath
• 1x Fyndhorn Elves
• 1x Gaddock Teeg
• 1x Giver of Runes
• 1x Grand Abolisher
• 1x Guardian Augmenter
• 1x Hokori, Dust Drinker
• 1x Joraga Treespeaker
• 1x Linvala, Keeper of Silence
• 1x Llanowar Elves
• 1x Moon-Blessed Cleric
• 1x Mother of Runes
• 1x Priest of Titania
• 1x Recruiter of the Guard
• 1x Scavenging Ooze
• 1x Selfless Spirit
• 1x Solitude
• 1x Spirit of the Labyrinth
• 1x Thalia, Guardian of Thraben
• 1x Thalia, Heretic Cathar
• 1x Vizier of Remedies
• 1x Vizier of the Menagerie
• 1x Weathered Wayfarer
• 1x Welcoming Vampire

Land (32)

• 1x Boseiju, Who Endures
• 1x Bountiful Promenade
• 1x Branchloft Pathway  ^Flip
• 1x Brushland
• 1x Canopy Vista
• 1x Command Tower
• 1x Eiganjo, Seat of the Empire
• 1x Flooded Strand
• 5x Forest
• 1x Horizon Canopy
• 1x Mana Confluence
• 1x Marsh Flats
• 1x Maze of Ith
• 1x Misty Rainforest
• 1x Overgrown Farmland
• 6x Plains
• 1x Prismatic Vista
• 1x Scattered Groves
• 1x Sunpetal Grove
• 1x Temple Garden
• 1x Verdant Catacombs
• 1x Wooded Foothills
• 1x Yavimaya, Cradle of Growth

Instant (6)

• 1x Chord of Calling
• 1x Eladamri's Call
• 1x Enlightened Tutor
• 1x Path to Exile
• 1x Swords to Plowshares
• 1x Worldly Tutor

Commander (1)

Enchantment (8)

• 1x Aura Shards
• 1x Defense of the Heart
• 1x Growing Rites of Itlimoc  ^Flip
• 1x Luminarch Ascension
• 1x Nature's Revolt
• 1x Rule of Law
• 1x Sterling Grove
• 1x Sylvan Library

Sorcery (7)

• 1x Citywide Bust
• 1x Finale of Devastation
• 1x Green Sun's Zenith
• 1x Idyllic Tutor
• 1x Slaughter the Strong
• 1x Turntimber Symbiosis  ^Flip
• 1x Winds of Abandon

Artifact (1)

• 1x Uba Mask

Maybeboard

Creature (4)

• 1x Destiny Spinner
• 1x Kozilek, Butcher of Truth
• 1x Luminous Broodmoth
• 1x Yasharn, Implacable Earth

Sorcery (1)

• 1x Dusk / Dawn

Enchantment (1)

• 1x Deafening Silence

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What it feels like slowing opponents down with hatebears:

Intro & Rule Zero

Hatebears are efficiently-costed creatures that have effects which slow down and disrupt opponents. In this deck, hatebears slow our opponents down until hard locks let us run away with the game.

Here is what I say during Rule Zero conversations when I describe the deck:

This deck wants to play hatebears that slow the game down long enough to win through combat damage. There are two hard locks that can prevent opponents from tapping for mana or playing spells. There aren't many tutors for those pieces but you may want to target them as they are win conditions:

1. Uba Mask
2. Nature's Revolt

Why play this deck

• You want to turn creatures sideways but you want some spicy tech to add inevitability.
• You like controlling the board.
• You enjoy solving the puzzle of assembling a combo.

Why not play this deck

• You prefer aggro or high power/toughness creatures.
• You dislike combos no matter how easy they are to disrupt.
• Your group does not appreciate the hatebear strategy. It's not for everyone.

How to Play

1. Play ramp and hatebear creatures.
2. Play Shalai, Voice of Plenty to protect your creatures.
3. Search for lock pieces Uba Mask + Drannith Magistrate or Nature's Revolt + Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite/Linvala, Keeper of Silence.
4. Lock out opponents. They usually submit at this point but if not the plan is beatdown.
5. Find answers to opponent board states so you can attack for lethal.
6. Shalai, Voice of Plenty can protect your creatures and pump up damage through +1/+1 counters.

How to Win

1. Combat damage.
   Win with classical combat damage by buffing up your creatures with Allosaurus Shepherd, Shalai, Voice of Plenty, and Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite. Luminarch Ascension and Finale of Devastation can also add attacking power.

2. Infinite Mana. There is one infinite mana combo that can sink all that mana into Shalai, Voice of Plenty producing infinite +1/+1 counters on creatures to accelerate damage.

3. Hard Lock. There are two hard locks that will shut down opponent play until combat damage does the work.

Silence Lock

Requires: Drannith Magistrate and Uba Mask on the battlefield.

Result: Opponents cannot cast spells.

Steps:

1. Play Uba Mask which limits players to playing only spells from exile.
2. Play Drannith Magistrate so opponents cannot play spells from anywhere but their hands.
3. This combination creates a hard lock where opponents cannot cast spells.
4. If opponents don't resign, use your status as the only player who can cast spells to find answers to their board states and pump up your creatures with Shalai, Voice of Plenty so you can attack for lethal. This isn't a one turn finisher but there are decent beaters and pump in the deck so it shouldn't be long.

Land Lock

Result: Destroy all opponents lands or prevent them from producing mana.

Requires: Nature's Revolt and Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite or Linvala, Keeper of Silence on the battlefield.

Steps:

1. Play Nature's Revolt which makes all lands 2/2 creatures.
2. Play Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite which gives opponents creatures -2/-2 or Linvala, Keeper of Silence which prevents opponent creatures from activating to produce mana.
3. This combination creates a hard lock where opponents cannot tap for mana to cast spells.
4. If opponents don't resign, use your status as the only player who can cast spells to find answers to their board states and pump up your creatures with Shalai, Voice of Plenty so you can attack for lethal. This isn't a one turn finisher but there are decent beaters and pump in the deck so it shouldn't be long.

Infinite +1/+1 Counters

Result: Pump up creatures you own infinitely.

Requires: Shalai, Voice of Plenty, Devoted Druid, and Vizier of Remedies on the battlefield.

Steps:
1. {T} Devoted Druid to produce {G}.
2. {UNTAP} Devoted Druid using its second ability which will attempt to put a -1/-1 counter on it.
3. Vizier of Remedies stops the -1/-1 counter from being placed on Devoted Druid.
4. Repeat steps 1-3 for infinite mana.
5. Activate Shalai, Voice of Plenty's ability to add +1/+1 counters to all creatures you control infinitely.
6. Attack for lethal damage.

Hatebear Lineup

There are many hatebears to choose from to fit within the bounds of what your group will tolerate and that also disrupt their threats. I've leaned into flyers for the combat damage value and away from non-creatures as much as possible.

• Archon of Emeria - Flyer, slows spell casting and non-basic lands for opponents.
• Archon of Valor's Reach - Flying beater that can stop board wipes.
• Aven Mindcensor - Slow down those searches.
• Collector Ouphe - Turn off artifacts especially ramp.
• Containment Priest - No cheating creatures into play. Sorry Kaalia of the Vast.
• Drannith Magistrate - Opponents can't play commanders! And it hard locks them out of the game in combination with Uba Mask.
• Eidolon of Rhetoric - One spell per turn.
• Ethersworn Canonist - One spell per turn.
• Gaddock Teeg - Turn off X spells and most board wipes.
• Grand Abolisher - Protect our turn for combo plays.
• Hokori, Dust Drinker - The big slow down. It hurts us too but makes our mana dorks shine.
• Linvala, Keeper of Silence - Combines with Nature's Revolt to lock players out of the game.
• Rule of Law - One spell per turn.
• Spirit of the Labyrinth - One draw per turn.
• Thalia, Guardian of Thraben - Punish non-creature plays.
• Thalia, Heretic Cathar - Blind Obedience on a beater.
• Vryn Wingmare - Flying non-creature spell slow down.

If you play against many sacrifice decks you may want to add Hushbringer or Yasharn, Implacable Earth as an example.

Top Ranked	Achieved #13 position overall 1 month ago Achieved #10 position in Commander / EDH 1 month ago Achieved #1 position in Commander / EDH Hatebears 1 month ago Achieved #1 position in Commander / EDH Infinite Combo 1 month ago
Date added	1 month
Last updated	3 weeks
Exclude colors	BR
Legality	This deck is Commander / EDH legal.
Rarity (main - side)	9 - 0 Mythic Rares 63 - 0 Rares 10 - 0 Uncommons 7 - 0 Commons
Cards	100
Avg. CMC	2.50
Tokens	Angel 4/4 W
Folders	Uncategorized, Research, proxy deck options, Commander, May Use