Shalai and Hallar turns every +1/+1 counter into direct damage to an opponent. The deck fills the board with creatures that grow whenever their controller gains life, then gains life constantly through lifelink grants and incidental lifegain. Once Shalai and Hallar itself has lifelink, its damage gains life, which places more counters, which deals more damage, and the loop runs away into lethal burn. How it wins: Each opponent is burned out by Shalai and Hallar's counter-triggered damage, either incrementally through repeated lifegain-and-counter turns, or all at once by giving it lifelink alongside a creature or enchantment that converts each life gain into counters, creating an unbounded damage loop. Key roles: - Infinite loop engines: These pieces turn any amount of life gained into that many +1/+1 counters. When Shalai and Hallar has lifelink, its damage feeds back into itself endlessly for infinite damage, life and counters. (Light of Promise, Heroic Feast) - Lifelink enablers: Auras, tricks and soulbond effects grant lifelink or damage-based lifegain. Ideally they go on Shalai and Hallar to complete the loop, or on attackers to trigger the counter creatures. (Spirit Link, Rune of Sustenance, Nearheath Pilgrim) - Lifegain-counter creatures: A large suite of creatures put +1/+1 counters on themselves whenever life is gained. Each lifegain event becomes several damage triggers, and some draw cards, double up, or pass counters on when they die. (Ajani's Pridemate, Gideon's Company, Exemplar of Light) - Direct counter sources: Spells and abilities place +1/+1 counters outright, often bundled with protection, fights or explore, giving extra damage triggers without needing lifegain. (Snakeskin Veil, Take Up the Shield, Requisition Raid) - Incidental lifegain: Small, repeatable lifegain sources trigger the whole counter suite at once, including creature entries, Food and life-gaining utility pieces. (Prosperous Innkeeper, Vigorbloom Charm, Qala, Ajani's Pridemate) - Protection for the engine: Cheap hexproof, indestructible and protection effects keep Shalai and Hallar and the key aura targets alive through removal while the loop assembles. (Gods Willing, Loran's Escape, Collective Resistance)

Schadenfreude decklist

• 2× Mountain
• 12× Plains
• 9× Forest
• Arcane Signet
• Command Tower
• Once Upon a Time
• Ajani's Pridemate
• Ash Barrens
• Avacyn's Pilgrim
• Beast Within
• Gods Willing
• Jungle Shrine
• Llanowar Elves
• Mortal's Ardor
• Rampant Growth
• Sol Ring
• Swords to Plowshares
• Light of Promise
• Mazemind Tome
• Mangara, the Diplomat
• Spirit Link
• Moment of Heroism
• Twinblade Paladin
• Exotic Orchard
• Path of Ancestry
• Brushland
• Fyndhorn Elves
• Elvish Mystic
• Swift Justice
• Sentinel's Mark
• Ondu Rising
• Battlefield Forge
• Paladin of Prahv
• Gideon's Company
• Prepare // Fight
• Lifelink
• Splendor Mare
• Nearheath Pilgrim
• Dromoka's Command
• Enter the Unknown
• Sejiri Shelter // Sejiri Glacier
• Bretagard Stronghold
• Snakeskin Veil
• Rune of Sustenance
• Prosperous Innkeeper
• Ornithopter of Paradise
• Trelasarra, Moon Dancer
• Celestial Unicorn
• Eye of Vecna
• Blessed Defiance
• Voice of the Blessed
• Take Up the Shield
• Plaza of Heroes
• Bushwhack
• Loran's Escape
• Stroke of Midnight
• Elenda's Hierophant
• Over the Edge
• Requisition Raid
• Collective Resistance
• Parting Gust
• Tender Wildguide
• Essence Channeler
• Sheltered by Ghosts
• Exemplar of Light
• Qala, Ajani's Pridemate
• Aerith Gainsborough
• MJ, Rising Star
• Enter the Avatar State
• Great Divide Guide
• Leonardo, Cutting Edge
• Hidden Hideout
• Tigra, Feline Fury
• Heroic Feast
• Titanbones, Towering Heart
• Christine Chapel, Combat Medic
• Lyra, Archangel of Dawn
• Vigorbloom Charm
• Unflinching Hortimancer