Halana and Alena, Partners 
Legendary Creature — Human Ranger · Foundations
Reach (This creature can block creatures with flying.)
First strike (This creature deals combat damage before creatures without first strike.)
At the beginning of combat on your turn, put X +1/+1 counters on another target creature you control, where X is Halana and Alena's power. That creature gains haste until end of turn.
Plays well with: +1/+1 Counters, Combat
Buy this card: TCGplayer · Cardmarket
📖 How to build Halana and Alena, Partners
Halana and Alena is a Gruul creature with reach and first strike, so it can block fliers and win combat early. Its main engine is the beginning of combat trigger: on your turn, it puts X +1/+1 counters on another creature you control, where X is its power, and that creature gains haste until end of turn. The plan is to grow a second creature every turn and attack with it right away.
Build around ramp to reach its four-mana cost quickly and to get more bodies on the board. Cultivate, Farseek, Rampant Growth, Nature's Lore, Kodama's Reach, and Three Visits help with mana, while Birds of Paradise and Llanowar Elves add early creatures. Removal such as Blasphemous Act, Beast Within, and Chaos Warp can clear blockers so the hasty attacker gets through, and Heroic Intervention can protect your growing creature.
The trigger does nothing without another creature you control, so keep a few bodies on the battlefield. Its counters scale with its own power, so losing power to removal or combat slows the whole engine. The commander is a single creature that can be answered, and haste lasts only until end of turn.
Deck guide written with AI assistance based on the card's rules text.
🔗 +1/+1 Counters synergy
$2.64
$3.23
$4.74
$62.59
$0.39
$0.64
$7.27
$0.37🔗 Combat synergy
$0.58
—
$7.25
$28.14
$41.29
$10.18
$134.75
$0.76🧩 Top staples for this deck
✔️ Auto-includes (you probably already run these): Sol Ring, Command Tower, Arcane Signet, Exotic Orchard, Reliquary Tower, Swiftfoot Boots, Lightning Greaves, Path of Ancestry.
—
$1.85
$9.91
—
—
—
$10.74
$0.87
$9.05
$1.89
$5.27
$0.29⚙️ Colorless all-stars
—
$5.89
$11.44
$105.01
$49.67
$33.79🪙 Budget picks (under $2€2)
$1.85$0.87$1.89$0.29
$0.34$0.58
$0.48
$0.39👑 Other Gruul commanders
Gruul · $27.68
Gruul · $0.34
Gruul · $9.09
Gruul · $0.38
Gruul · $1.03
Gruul · $0.28Staples are based on how often cards are played in Commander overall (popularity data via Scryfall/EDHREC) and filtered to this commander's colors. Synergy picks match the commander's rules text.