Masochism by SageOzbo

Format: Commander

Commander: Rowan, Scion of War

Bracket: 4

Deck overview

This is a Rakdos life-loss midrange deck helmed by Rowan, Scion of War. The plan is to cast Rowan early, deliberately bleed life through engines like The One Ring, Phyrexian Arena, and Dark Tutelage, then tap her to slash the cost of black and red spells by the life lost that turn. That discount turns expensive haymakers-Bolas's Citadel, Valgavoth, Terror Eater, Archon of Cruelty, Call Forth the Tempest, Meathook Massacre II-into cheap finishers that drain the table, wipe boards, or reanimate piles of demons. Sword of the Paruns untaps Rowan for a second activation, and a two-card kill exists in Sanguine Bond plus Bloodthirsty Conqueror. The deck wins through discounted big spells, Citadel storms, combat from oversized flyers, and the Bond/Conqueror loop rather than a low-to-the-ground combo race.

Decklist (100 cards)

  • 1 Ancient Cellarspawn
  • 1 Arcane Bombardment
  • 1 Archon of Cruelty
  • 1 Behold the Sinister Six!
  • 1 Blazemire Verge
  • 1 Bloodthirsty Conqueror
  • 1 Bolas's Citadel
  • 1 Bolt Bend
  • 1 Call Forth the Tempest
  • 1 Case of the Stashed Skeleton
  • 1 Chandra, Dressed to Kill
  • 1 Command Tower
  • 1 Cursed Recording
  • 1 Cut // Ribbons
  • 1 Damnable Pact
  • 1 Dark Tutelage
  • 1 Darkness of Eternity
  • 1 Deadly Rollick
  • 1 Deadpool, Trading Card
  • 1 Defossilize
  • 1 Demonic Counsel
  • 1 Double Vision
  • 1 Edgar's Awakening
  • 1 Electro, Assaulting Battery
  • 1 Fear, Fire, Foes!
  • 1 Feed the Swarm
  • 1 Final Parting
  • 1 Foreboding Ruins
  • 1 Gamble
  • 1 Gisa, the Hellraiser
  • 1 Graveyard Shift
  • 1 Gwenom, Remorseless
  • 1 Hell to Pay
  • 1 Hidetsugu, Devouring Chaos
  • 1 Hit the Mother Lode
  • 1 Jagged Barrens
  • 1 Judith, Carnage Connoisseur
  • 1 Leyline of the Void
  • 1 Lightning Bolt
  • 1 Luxury Suite
  • 1 Maha, Its Feathers Night
  • 1 March of Wretched Sorrow
  • 1 Marvin, Murderous Mimic
  • 1 Meathook Massacre II
  • 1 Minas Morgul, Dark Fortress
  • 1 Mines of Moria
  • 1 Mithril Coat
  • 1 Morlun, Devourer of Spiders
  • 8 Mountain
  • 1 Nocturnal Hunger
  • 1 Offer Immortality
  • 1 Outrageous Robbery
  • 1 Overwhelming Forces
  • 1 Phyrexian Arena
  • 1 Priest of the Blood Rite
  • 1 Professor Onyx
  • 1 Rakdos Carnarium
  • 1 Rakdos Signet
  • 1 Raucous Theater
  • 1 Razortrap Gorge
  • 1 Reanimate
  • 1 Return the Favor
  • 1 Rowan, Scion of War
  • 1 Rush of Dread
  • 1 Sanguine Bond
  • 1 Saw in Half
  • 1 Seizan, Perverter of Truth
  • 1 Shadowblood Ridge
  • 1 Sign in Blood
  • 1 Slice from the Shadows
  • 1 Smoldering Marsh
  • 1 Sorin the Mirthless
  • 1 Staggershock
  • 1 Sulfurous Springs
  • 8 Swamp
  • 1 Swiftfoot Boots
  • 1 Sword of the Paruns
  • 1 Talisman of Indulgence
  • 1 Tavern Swindler
  • 1 The One Ring
  • 1 Troll of Khazad-dûm
  • 1 Valgavoth, Terror Eater
  • 1 Vampiric Tutor
  • 1 Vandalblast
  • 1 Vilis, Broker of Blood
  • 1 Witch-king, Sky Scourge