The Rakdos Ward by DillyDally

Format: Commander

Commander: Valgavoth, Harrower of Souls

Bracket: 4

DeckCheck Threat Index: 33

Deck overview

This Rakdos deck is built around a dedicated Ward-tribal and punisher strategy led by Valgavoth, Harrower of Souls. The primary game plan deploys resilient creatures with built-in Ward abilities alongside passive life-loss enchantments to continually grow the commander and draw extra cards on opponents' turns. By layering taxing effects like Painful Quandary and Court of Ambition over hard-to-target beaters like Vein Ripper, Maha, Its Feathers Night, and Sire of Seven Deaths, the deck forces opponents into disadvantageous trades whenever they interact. Mana acceleration from Cabal Coffers, Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth, and Thran Dynamo fuels massive late-game X-spells such as Exsanguinate, Cut // Ribbons, and Banefire to drain out the table. While the deck boasts formidable protection against spot removal and generates steady card advantage, its reliance on sorcery-speed removal and vulnerability to non-targeting sweepers define its primary strategic limitations.

Decklist (100 cards)

  • 1 Agadeem's Awakening // Agadeem, the Undercrypt
  • 1 Alpharael, Stonechosen
  • 1 Arcane Lighthouse
  • 1 Arcane Signet
  • 1 Arena of Glory
  • 1 Badlands
  • 1 Banefire
  • 1 Blackcleave Cliffs
  • 1 Blaze
  • 1 Blazemire Verge
  • 1 Blood Crypt
  • 1 Bloodstained Mire
  • 1 Bonfire of the Damned
  • 1 Brotherhood Regalia
  • 1 Burn from Within
  • 1 Cabal Coffers
  • 1 Canyon Slough
  • 1 Command Beacon
  • 1 Command Tower
  • 1 Cosmic Cube
  • 1 Court of Ambition
  • 1 Court of Embereth
  • 1 Court of Locthwain
  • 1 Cut // Ribbons
  • 1 Cut of the Profits
  • 1 Damnable Pact
  • 1 Dark Fortress
  • 1 Death Cloud
  • 1 Detection Tower
  • 1 Dragonskull Summit
  • 1 Drain Life
  • 1 Dwarven Forge-Chanter
  • 1 Empty the Pits
  • 1 Evin, Waterdeep Opportunist
  • 1 Exsanguinate
  • 1 Fellwar Stone
  • 1 Flamekin Village
  • 1 Foreboding Ruins
  • 1 Forum Necroscribe
  • 1 Gev, Scaled Scorch
  • 1 Gisa, the Hellraiser
  • 1 Graveyard Trespasser // Graveyard Glutton
  • 1 Grenzo, Dungeon Warden
  • 1 Haunted Ridge
  • 1 Hexing Squelcher
  • 1 Hoverstone Pilgrim
  • 1 Kaervek's Purge
  • 1 Kazuul, Tyrant of the Cliffs
  • 1 Lavaspur Boots
  • 1 Leather Armor
  • 1 Luxury Suite
  • 1 Maga, Traitor to Mortals
  • 1 Maha, Its Feathers Night
  • 1 Mishra, Tamer of Mak Fawa
  • 4 Mountain
  • 1 Necropotence
  • 1 Orcus, Prince of Undeath
  • 1 Painful Quandary
  • 1 Phyrexian Arena
  • 1 Phyrexian Fleshgorger
  • 1 Rakdos Carnarium
  • 1 Rakdos's Return
  • 1 Raubahn, Bull of Ala Mhigo
  • 1 Raucous Theater
  • 1 Scavenger Regent // Exude Toxin
  • 1 Sedgemoor Witch
  • 1 Shadowblood Ridge
  • 1 Shivan Gorge
  • 1 Shizo, Death's Storehouse
  • 1 Sire of Seven Deaths
  • 1 Smoldering Marsh
  • 1 Sol Ring
  • 1 Spectral Snatcher
  • 1 Spymaster's Vault
  • 1 Strife Scholar // Awaken the Ages
  • 1 Su-Chi Cave Guard
  • 5 Swamp
  • 1 Tainted Peak
  • 1 Takenuma, Abandoned Mire
  • 1 The Ruinous Wrecking Crew
  • 1 Thran Dynamo
  • 1 Thran Power Suit
  • 1 Timothar, Baron of Bats
  • 1 Ulamog's Dreadsire
  • 1 Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
  • 1 Valakut, the Molten Pinnacle
  • 1 Valgavoth, Harrower of Souls
  • 1 Valgavoth, Terror Eater
  • 1 Vein Ripper
  • 1 Volrath's Stronghold
  • 1 Westgate Regent
  • 1 Wondrous Crucible
  • 1 Zul Ashur, Lich Lord