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60 Equipment Builds That Actually Work in Brawl

A deck of 60 equipment cards and one Dwarf lord, Thorin, built for Brawl games, each item aiding his arsenal.

By mitch·4 min read
A dwarf lord encased in a multitude of gleaming weapons stands ready for battle.

A deck made of 60 equipment cards and one Dwarf sounds like a trick question. It is not. It is a Magic: The Gathering deck, and it exists, and it is called Against the Odds: 60 Equipment (Brawl).

The commander is Thorin, Mountain-king, a Dwarf lord from The Hobbit who can attach every piece of equipment on the battlefield to himself when he enters play. The plan is simple: spend the early turns playing equipment, play Thorin, and let him become a walking arsenal.

One Dwarf, 60 Items

The deck is a gimmick. It is a Brawl deck that is 100% equipment, aside from lands and the commander. There is one Dwarf, and there are 60 equipment cards, each one doing something useful to Thorin.

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The equipment are not random. They fall into five groups, and the deck picks them carefully. The goal is to build the most unstoppable Thorin possible, because the rest of the deck is useless without him.

Haste Is the Engine

The most important ability to give Thorin is haste. The deck plays almost any equipment that grants haste, which means:

  • Crystal Slippers
  • Boots of Speed
  • Samurai’s Katana
  • Swiftfoot Boots

Twelve cards in total give haste, which is the largest group in the deck.

Vigilance follows. Six equipment grant literal vigilance, and there is also Sting, the Glinting Dagger, which untaps Thorin during the opponent’s turn. Both keep Thorin alive when the deck runs low on blockers.

Lifelink is a smaller group, with only four cards. The idea is simple: play Thorin, equip everything, lose life, and gain it all back the same turn. The deck often falls to around 5 life before playing Thorin, then shoots back up to 30 or 40.

Protection is another concern. Hexproof, protection, and indestructible equipment keep Thorin from dying after all the work of getting him ready. The nightmare scenario is building a huge Thorin, playing him, and losing him to a removal spell.

Finishing the Job

The final group is equipment that finishes the game. Colossus Hammer and Swordsman’s Steel make Thorin massive. Lizard Blades give double strike. Mjolnir, Hammer of Thor or Genji Glove add extra combats or double damage. With haste, a massive Thorin can one-shot kill on the turn he is played.

Three equipment stand out as favourites in this group. The Dominion Bracelet is one of them, and the video explains why it is the perfect fit for a deck that can easily hit 15 power.

Why This Works

The deck is absurd, and that is the point. A 60-card hand of equipment is a joke, but the joke has teeth. Thorin can attach everything to himself, and the equipment are designed to work together.

The deck is fragile. It has almost no creatures to block, so it needs vigilance badly. It also needs to hold on to its one Dwarf. Lose Thorin, and the deck loses its engine.

But when it works, it works spectacularly. A massive Thorin with haste, vigilance, lifelink, and a finishing touch is a board wipe disguised as a commander.

The Dominion Bracelet is a standout. It is a Mindslaver with a 15 activation cost, reduced by the power of the creature it is equipped to. On a 15-plus power Thorin, it becomes free to activate. That gives the player control over the opponent’s turn.

The Verdict

Against the Odds: 60 Equipment (Brawl) is a delightful experiment. It is a deck that takes a gimmick and builds a working machine around it. The equipment are not filler. They are tools, and they are used with purpose.

The deck is not for everyone. It requires patience, and it punishes mistakes. But for a casual Brawl game, it is a joy to watch unfold.

The video explains the full list, the reasoning behind each choice, and the testing that went into building the deck. It is worth watching if you want to see a deck that refuses to be normal.

The deck is a reminder that Magic rewards creativity. A deck of 60 equipment is not a bad idea. It is a bold one, and it works.

See the video the story is built around at Mtggoldfish.

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