Gathering Dark by tfrancisquinn

Format: Commander

Commander: Saruman, the White Hand

Bracket: 3

DeckCheck Threat Index: 26

Deck overview

This deck is a Grixis Spellslinger strategy led by Saruman, the White Hand. The primary game plan revolves around casting noncreature spells to trigger Saruman, building an enormous Orc Army token while keeping opposing boards in check. The deck converts spell casts into physical board presence and protective ward shielding. Once the Army reaches significant power, the deck closes the game using evasion, double strike, and high-impact burn cards like Chandra's Ignition, All Will Be One, and Fling. Supporting cards provide consistent card draw, stack interaction, and protection to safeguard the commander and key permanents. While vulnerable to bounce and exile effects that target its single tall token, the deck maintains steady pressure and robust board wiping power to dominate mid-game combat steps and burn out the table.

Decklist (100 cards)

• 1 All Will Be One
• 1 Arcane Denial
• 1 Arcane Signet
• 1 Assault on Osgiliath
• 1 Barad-dûr
• 1 Basilisk Collar
• 1 Blasphemous Act
• 1 Bleeding Edge
• 1 Blood Crypt
• 1 Bothersome Noisemaker
• 1 Brash Taunter
• 1 Callous Dismissal
• 1 Cancel
• 1 Chandra's Ignition
• 1 Chimil, the Inner Sun
• 1 Choked Estuary
• 1 Command Tower
• 1 Commence the Endgame
• 1 Consider
• 1 Crumbling Necropolis
• 1 Crush Dissent
• 1 Dark Ritual
• 1 Desolate Lighthouse
• 1 Dragonskull Summit
• 1 Dreadhorde Invasion
• 1 Drowned Catacomb
• 1 Enter the God-Eternals
• 1 Exotic Orchard
• 1 Fall of Cair Andros
• 1 Feed the Swarm
• 1 Fiery Inscription
• 1 Flame of Anor
• 1 Fling
• 1 Foray of Orcs
• 1 Frostboil Snarl
• 1 Gathering of Darkness
• 1 Glamdring, Foe-hammer // Gleam of Death
• 1 Goblin Electromancer
• 1 Goblin Plate Mail
• 1 Guttersnipe
• 1 Hexing Squelcher
• 1 Honor the God-Pharaoh
• 1 Invade the City
• 6 Island
• 1 Lasting Tarfire
• 1 Lazotep Plating
• 1 March from the Black Gate
• 1 Mindless Conscription
• 1 Misty Mountains Raider
• 1 Mordor Muster
• 5 Mountain
• 1 My Precious // Allure of Power
• 1 Orcish Bowmasters
• 1 Orcish Medicine
• 1 Oscorp Industries
• 1 Plunder the Trollshaws
• 1 Rage into the Valley
• 1 Reanimate
• 1 Relentless Advance
• 1 Relic of Sauron
• 1 Reliquary Tower
• 1 Rhystic Study
• 1 Saruman's Trickery
• 1 Saruman, the White Hand
• 1 Sauron, the Dark Lord
• 1 Smoldering Marsh
• 1 Sol Ring
• 1 Soul Immolation
• 1 Soul's Fire
• 1 Steam Vents
• 1 Stormcarved Coast
• 1 Sulfur Falls
• 1 Sulfurous Springs
• 1 Summons of Saruman
• 1 Sunken Hollow
• 1 Surrounded by Orcs
• 5 Swamp
• 1 Swarming of Moria
• 1 Swiftfoot Boots
• 1 The Black Gate
• 1 The Great Goblin
• 1 Tidings of War
• 1 Treason of Isengard
• 1 Vampiric Tutor
• 1 Widespread Brutality
• 1 Wishclaw Talisman
• 1 Wizard's Staff