Balrog, Prince of Darkness by pat22

Format: Commander

Commander: The Balrog, Durin's Bane

Bracket: 3

Deck overview

This Rakdos deck is a Treasure aristocrats deck that turns sacrifices into mana, cards, and a discounted commander. The Balrog, Durin's Bane is a 7/5 with haste that costs {1} less for each permanent sacrificed this turn, is blocked only by legendary creatures, and destroys an artifact or creature when it dies. The main engine makes Treasures with Pitiless Plunderer, Professional Face-Breaker, Goldspan Dragon, Black Market Connections and Xorn, then sacrifices them to Ashnod's Altar and Phyrexian Altar for value. Wins come from combat with the Balrog, drain from Mirkwood Bats and Mayhem Devil, or damage amplification with Fiery Emancipation and Chandra's Ignition. The only registered infinite (Phyrexian Altar + Pitiless Plunderer + Balrog) makes infinite mana and deaths but needs a separate outlet to win.

Decklist (100 cards)

  • 1 Academy Manufactor
  • 1 Ancient Copper Dragon
  • 1 Arcane Signet
  • 1 Arena of Glory
  • 1 Ashnod's Altar
  • 1 Big Score
  • 1 Black Market Connections
  • 1 Blasphemous Edict
  • 1 Blazemire Verge
  • 1 Blightstep Pathway // Searstep Pathway
  • 1 Blood Crypt
  • 1 Bojuka Bog
  • 1 Bolt Bend
  • 1 Bonehoard Dracosaur
  • 1 Chandra's Ignition
  • 1 Command Beacon
  • 1 Command Tower
  • 1 Crime Novelist
  • 1 Dark Fortress
  • 1 Deadly Dispute
  • 1 Deflecting Swat
  • 1 Demonic Tutor
  • 1 Dragonskull Summit
  • 1 Exotic Orchard
  • 1 Faithless Looting
  • 1 Feed the Swarm
  • 1 Fiery Emancipation
  • 1 Flare of Malice
  • 1 Gimli of the Glittering Caves
  • 1 Gimli's Reckless Might
  • 1 Goldlust Triad
  • 1 Goldspan Dragon
  • 1 Graven Cairns
  • 1 Grim Hireling
  • 1 High Market
  • 1 Impulsive Pilferer
  • 1 Jeska's Will
  • 1 Lich-Knights' Conquest
  • 1 Liquimetal Torque
  • 1 Lively Dirge
  • 1 Long-Range Sensor
  • 1 Luxury Suite
  • 1 Magda, Brazen Outlaw
  • 1 Malakir Rebirth // Malakir Mire
  • 1 Mayhem Devil
  • 1 Mines of Moria
  • 1 Mirkwood Bats
  • 1 Morbid Opportunist
  • 1 Mortuary Mire
  • 8 Mountain
  • 1 Obsessive Pursuit
  • 1 Ophiomancer
  • 1 Phyrexian Altar
  • 1 Phyrexian Tower
  • 1 Pitiless Plunderer
  • 1 Plundering Barbarian
  • 1 Professional Face-Breaker
  • 1 Prosper, Tome-Bound
  • 1 Rain of Riches
  • 1 Rakdos Charm
  • 1 Rakdos Signet
  • 1 Rankle and Torbran
  • 1 Reanimate
  • 1 Rocky Tar Pit
  • 1 Rogue's Passage
  • 1 Rose, Cutthroat Raider
  • 1 Seize the Spotlight
  • 1 Shadowblood Ridge
  • 1 Skullport Merchant
  • 1 Smoldering Marsh
  • 1 Sokenzan, Crucible of Defiance
  • 1 Sol Ring
  • 1 Soul Shatter
  • 1 Spiteful Banditry
  • 1 Sticky Fingers
  • 1 Sudden Spoiling
  • 1 Sulfurous Springs
  • 1 Supernatural Stamina
  • 4 Swamp
  • 1 Tainted Peak
  • 1 The Balrog, Durin's Bane
  • 1 The Black Gate
  • 1 Tibalt's Trickery
  • 1 Treasure Vault
  • 1 Undying Malice
  • 1 Unexpected Windfall
  • 1 Untimely Malfunction
  • 1 Victimize
  • 1 Withering Torment
  • 1 Xorn