Ares by stepelle

Format: Commander

Commander: Ares, God of War

Bracket: 3

DeckCheck Threat Index: 47

Deck overview

This deck is a Rakdos Aggro-Aristocrats engine helmed by Ares, God of War. Ares bypasses the normal drawback of temporary beaters like Ball Lightning, Blistering Firecat, and Lightning Skelemental by returning them to your hand whenever they die while attacking. This interaction allows you to recast high-power trample threats every single turn, maintaining relentless combat pressure while generating sacrifice triggers. Supported by sacrifice outlets such as Goblin Bombardment, Phyrexian Altar, and Warren Soultrader, the deck turns combat deaths into mana, card draw via Skullclamp, and asymmetric board suppression through Grave Pact and Dictate of Erebos. Aristocrat staples like Blood Artist and Mayhem Devil convert continuous board turnover into direct table-wide damage, culminating in a swift turn 7 finish. Free defensive interaction and redirection spells protect Ares during critical combat steps.

Decklist (100 cards)

  • 1 Alesha, Who Laughs at Fate
  • 1 Anger
  • 1 Arcane Signet
  • 1 Arena of Glory
  • 1 Ares, God of War
  • 1 Ashnod's Altar
  • 1 Atsushi, the Blazing Sky
  • 1 Ball Lightning
  • 1 Blasphemous Act
  • 1 Blazemire Verge
  • 1 Blightstep Pathway // Searstep Pathway
  • 1 Blistering Firecat
  • 1 Blood Artist
  • 1 Blood Crypt
  • 1 Bloodstained Mire
  • 1 Bolt Bend
  • 1 Breath of Fury
  • 1 Broadside Bombardiers
  • 1 Carrion Feeder
  • 1 Chaos Warp
  • 1 Combat Celebrant
  • 1 Command Tower
  • 1 Corrupted Conviction
  • 1 Dark Ritual
  • 1 Deadly Dispute
  • 1 Deadly Rollick
  • 1 Deflecting Swat
  • 1 Dictate of Erebos
  • 1 Dragonskull Summit
  • 1 Embercleave
  • 1 Enduring Courage
  • 1 Fell the Profane // Fell Mire
  • 1 Flare of Malice
  • 1 Fling
  • 1 Garna, Bloodfist of Keld
  • 1 Goblin Bombardment
  • 1 Grave Pact
  • 1 Gut, True Soul Zealot
  • 1 Haunted Ridge
  • 1 Jeska's Will
  • 1 Junji, the Midnight Sky
  • 1 Kardur, Doomscourge
  • 1 Kratos, God of War
  • 1 Lightning Greaves
  • 1 Lightning Skelemental
  • 1 Luxury Suite
  • 1 Mahadi, Emporium Master
  • 1 Malakir Rebirth // Malakir Mire
  • 1 Mayhem Devil
  • 9 Mountain
  • 1 Nasty End
  • 1 Phyrexian Altar
  • 1 Phyrexian Tower
  • 1 Pitiless Plunderer
  • 1 Professional Face-Breaker
  • 1 RMS Titanic
  • 1 Rabid Attack
  • 1 Rakdos Signet
  • 1 Rakdos, Lord of Riots
  • 1 Reanimate
  • 1 Rogue's Passage
  • 1 Rot-Curse Rakshasa
  • 1 Shadow, Mysterious Assassin
  • 1 Shizo, Death's Storehouse
  • 1 Skullclamp
  • 1 Sneak Attack
  • 1 Sol Ring
  • 1 Sulfurous Springs
  • 9 Swamp
  • 1 Swiftfoot Boots
  • 1 Tainted Peak
  • 1 Talisman of Indulgence
  • 1 Terminate
  • 1 The Fire Crystal
  • 1 The Soul Stone
  • 1 Thought Vessel
  • 1 Toxic Deluge
  • 1 Untimely Malfunction
  • 1 Vandalblast
  • 1 Victimize
  • 1 Village Rites
  • 1 Viscera Seer
  • 1 Warren Soultrader
  • 1 Zulaport Cutthroat