Saruman, thrower of armies

Format: Commander

Commander: Saruman, the White Hand

Bracket: 3

DeckCheck Threat Index: 38

Deck overview

This deck is a focused Grixis spellslinger strategy helmed by Saruman, the White Hand. The primary objective is to deploy early acceleration, cast Saruman on turn 4, and chain low-cost noncreature spells, card draw, and removal to amass a massive Orc Army token. Rather than relying on traditional token swarms, the deck concentrates its power into a single massive threat that Saruman protects with passive ward {2}. Once the Army reaches lethal size around turn 6, the deck converts that power into rapid player eliminations through direct burn and fling spells such as Chandra's Ignition, Fling, Rite of Consumption, and Gravitic Punch. A rich interactive suite of countermagic, deflection spells, and The Ozolith shields the primary game plan from opposing removal. If Saruman is disrupted, high-impact secondary threats like Sauron, the Dark Lord ensure the deck can rebuild and close out games effectively.

Decklist (100 cards)

  • 1 An Offer You Can't Refuse
  • 1 Arcane Denial
  • 1 Arcane Lighthouse
  • 1 Arcane Signet
  • 1 Arcbond
  • 1 Badlands
  • 1 Barad-dûr
  • 1 Big Score
  • 1 Blasphemous Act
  • 1 Blood Crypt
  • 1 Bloodstained Mire
  • 1 Bojuka Bog
  • 1 Callous Sell-Sword // Burn Together
  • 1 Chandra's Ignition
  • 1 Chaos Warp
  • 1 Command Tower
  • 1 Curse of Opulence
  • 1 Demolition Field
  • 1 Dig Through Time
  • 1 Dragonskull Summit
  • 1 Drowned Catacomb
  • 1 Exotic Orchard
  • 1 Feed the Swarm
  • 1 Fell the Profane // Fell Mire
  • 1 Fellwar Stone
  • 1 Flame of Anor
  • 1 Fling
  • 1 Foray of Orcs
  • 1 Frantic Search
  • 1 Goblin Electromancer
  • 1 Gravitic Punch
  • 1 Grishnákh, Brash Instigator
  • 1 Gríma, Saruman's Footman
  • 1 Haunted Ridge
  • 1 Island
  • 1 Kazuul's Fury // Kazuul's Cliffs
  • 1 Kess, Dissident Mage
  • 1 Lightning Bolt
  • 1 Lightning Greaves
  • 1 Luxury Suite
  • 1 Lórien Revealed
  • 1 March from the Black Gate
  • 1 Marchesa, the Black Rose
  • 1 Mauhúr, Uruk-hai Captain
  • 1 Mind Stone
  • 1 Morphic Pool
  • 2 Mountain
  • 1 Nightscape Familiar
  • 1 Orcish Bowmasters
  • 1 Orcish Siegemaster
  • 1 Otawara, Soaring City
  • 1 Palantír of Orthanc
  • 1 Plaza of Heroes
  • 1 Polluted Delta
  • 1 Prismatic Vista
  • 1 Reanimate
  • 1 Return the Favor
  • 1 Rite of Consumption
  • 1 Rupture
  • 1 Saruman the White
  • 1 Saruman's Trickery
  • 1 Saruman, the White Hand
  • 1 Sauron, Lord of the Rings
  • 1 Sauron, the Dark Lord
  • 1 Scalding Tarn
  • 1 Self-Destruct
  • 1 Shipwreck Marsh
  • 1 Shivan Reef
  • 1 Sink into Stupor // Soporific Springs
  • 1 Sol Ring
  • 1 Soul's Fire
  • 1 Steam Vents
  • 1 Stormcarved Coast
  • 1 Sulfur Falls
  • 1 Sulfurous Springs
  • 1 Summons of Saruman
  • 1 Swamp
  • 1 Swan Song
  • 1 Talisman of Creativity
  • 1 Talisman of Indulgence
  • 1 The Black Gate
  • 1 The Great Goblin
  • 1 The Mouth of Sauron
  • 1 The Ozolith
  • 1 Thud
  • 1 Training Center
  • 1 Treason of Isengard
  • 1 Treasure Cruise
  • 1 Underground River
  • 1 Underground Sea
  • 1 Unexpected Windfall
  • 1 Untimely Malfunction
  • 1 Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
  • 1 Valakut Awakening // Valakut Stoneforge
  • 1 Volcanic Island
  • 1 Warg Rider
  • 1 Watery Grave
  • 1 Wave Goodbye
  • 1 Xander's Lounge