{"ops":[{"insert":"This "},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"Shadow, Mysterious Assassin"},{"insert":" deck combines evasive combat, sacrifice, recursion, and lifedrain. Whenever Shadow connects with a player, his Throw ability lets you sacrifice another nonland permanent, draw two cards, and drain "},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"every opponent"},{"insert":" for that permanent’s mana value. Reusable creatures and powerful death triggers turn each successful attack into cards, damage, and battlefield control.\n"},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"Best win conditions"},{"insert":"\n"},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"Exquisite Blood + Sanguine Bond or Marauding Blight-Priest:"},{"insert":" Your strongest combo finish. Once an opponent loses life or you gain life, these cards create a repeating lifegain-and-lifeloss loop that can eliminate the table unless interrupted."},{"attributes":{"list":"bullet"},"insert":"\n"},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"Shadow + Kokusho, the Evening Star:"},{"insert":" Sacrifice Kokusho to Throw for six life lost per opponent, then its death trigger drains another five. That is "},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"11 life per opponent"},{"insert":", two cards drawn, and substantial lifegain. Recursion lets you repeat the sequence."},{"attributes":{"list":"bullet"},"insert":"\n"},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"Archfiend of Despair + lifedrain:"},{"insert":" Keep Archfiend in play while Shadow, Kokusho, or Gray Merchant drains opponents. At the end step, Archfiend makes each opponent lose life equal to everything they already lost that turn."},{"attributes":{"list":"bullet"},"insert":"\n"},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"Big mana + Exsanguinate:"},{"insert":" Cabal Coffers, Nirkana Revenant, Caged Sun, and Black Market support a large Exsanguinate that drains the entire table."},{"attributes":{"list":"bullet"},"insert":"\n"},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"Repeated Gray Merchant entries:"},{"insert":" Build black devotion, then sacrifice and recover Gray Merchant of Asphodel to repeatedly drain opponents and replenish your life."},{"attributes":{"list":"bullet"},"insert":"\n"},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"Rise of the Dark Realms:"},{"insert":" Reanimate every creature from every graveyard after your removal and sacrifice engines have filled them. This can deliver decisive entry triggers and an overwhelming army."},{"attributes":{"list":"bullet"},"insert":"\n"},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"Top synergies"},{"insert":"\n"},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"Shadow + evasion:"},{"insert":" Whispersilk Cloak, Prowler’s Helm, Dauthi Embrace, and your unblockable ability lands help Shadow connect reliably. Interceptor supplies menace and can return from your graveyard when you attack with a legendary creature."},{"attributes":{"list":"bullet"},"insert":"\n"},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"Shadow + Avacyn, Angel of Horror:"},{"insert":" Sacrifice a nontoken creature to Throw, then return it at the next end step. Kokusho, Gray Merchant, Meteor Golem, and Sepulchral Primordial are particularly rewarding to reuse."},{"attributes":{"list":"bullet"},"insert":"\n"},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"Shadow + Spine of Ish Sah:"},{"insert":" Spine destroys a permanent when it enters, drains each opponent for seven when thrown, then returns to your hand so you can cast it again."},{"attributes":{"list":"bullet"},"insert":"\n"},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"Grave Pact, Dictate of Erebos, or Butcher of Malakir + sacrifices:"},{"insert":" Your creature deaths force each opponent to sacrifice a creature. Sothera offers a parallel engine that makes opponents exile creatures instead."},{"attributes":{"list":"bullet"},"insert":"\n"},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"It That Betrays + forced sacrifices:"},{"insert":" Steal opposing nontoken permanents sacrificed to your removal engines or annihilator attacks, turning their losses into your resources."},{"attributes":{"list":"bullet"},"insert":"\n"},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"Syr Konrad + creature recycling:"},{"insert":" Creature deaths and creature cards leaving your graveyard produce additional damage to every opponent. Returning a fallen creature can therefore generate value both when it dies and when it comes back."},{"attributes":{"list":"bullet"},"insert":"\n"},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"Pitiless Plunderer + creature deaths:"},{"insert":" Convert your sacrifices into Treasures, helping fund recursion, recasting, and Nim Deathmantle’s four-mana return ability."},{"attributes":{"list":"bullet"},"insert":"\n"},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"Midnight Recovery + Shadow:"},{"insert":" Encode Recovery on Shadow so successful attacks also recover creatures. You can order the combat-damage triggers so Throw resolves first, letting the copied Recovery retrieve the creature you just sacrificed."},{"attributes":{"list":"bullet"},"insert":"\n"},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"Junji + Tinybones:"},{"insert":" Junji’s discard mode supplies cards for Tinybones to exile and lets you play those cards during your turn."},{"attributes":{"list":"bullet"},"insert":"\n"},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"Ophiomancer + sacrifice outlets:"},{"insert":" Produce replacement Snakes across successive upkeeps to fuel removal and death triggers. Ordinary Snake tokens have mana value zero, so throwing one draws cards but causes no life loss from Throw itself."},{"attributes":{"list":"bullet"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"The deck steadily converts expendable permanents into advantages, then finishes through repeated table-wide drain or its Exquisite Blood combo. Protecting Shadow and keeping recursion available makes the sacrifice engine sustainable.\n\n"}]}