Saruman

Format: Commander

Commander: Saruman, the White Hand

Bracket: 3

DeckCheck Threat Index: 29

Deck overview

This Grixis deck operates as a spellslinger-combat midrange strategy led by Saruman, the White Hand. The main objective is to cast Saruman on curve and chain noncreature spells to trigger his amass ability, building a massive Orc Army token protected by passive ward 2. The list incorporates Lord of the Rings thematic powerhouses including Sauron, the Dark Lord, Lord of the Nazgûl, and Call of the Ring to generate recurring card advantage and alternate token swarms. Combat enhancements such as The Black Gate, Orcish Siegemaster, and Assault on Osgiliath ensure the Army can bypass blockers and deal lethal damage across the table. While the strategy features strong backup threats and natural resilience against single-target interaction, its reliance on a tall creature token over several combat cycles leaves it vulnerable to mass removal, bounce effects, and tap-out timing.

Decklist (100 cards)

• 1 Arcane Signet
• 1 Assault on Osgiliath
• 1 Azog, Moria's Ruin
• 1 Barad-dûr
• 1 Bojuka Bog
• 1 Bolg of the North
• 1 Book of Mazarbul
• 1 Bothersome Noisemaker
• 1 Call of the Ring
• 1 Choked Estuary
• 1 Command Tower
• 1 Corsairs of Umbar
• 1 Crumbling Necropolis
• 1 Deceive the Messenger
• 1 Decree of Pain
• 1 Dragonskull Summit
• 1 Drowned Catacomb
• 1 Dunland Crebain
• 1 Faithless Looting
• 1 Fall of Cair Andros
• 1 Feed the Swarm
• 1 Fiery Inscription
• 1 Foray of Orcs
• 1 Foreboding Ruins
• 1 Frostboil Snarl
• 1 Goblin-town
• 1 Gorbag of Minas Morgul
• 1 Gothmog, Morgul Lieutenant
• 1 Grishnákh, Brash Instigator
• 1 Gríma Wormtongue
• 1 Gríma, Saruman's Footman
• 1 In the Darkness Bind Them
• 8 Island
• 1 Lord of the Nazgûl
• 1 March from the Black Gate
• 1 Mauhúr, Uruk-hai Captain
• 1 Misty Mountains Raider
• 1 Mordor Muster
• 1 Moria Scavenger
• 1 Mount Doom
• 6 Mountain
• 1 Nasty End
• 3 Nazgûl
• 1 Orcish Bowmasters
• 1 Orcish Medicine
• 1 Orcish Siegemaster
• 1 Rage into the Valley
• 1 Reanimate
• 1 Relic of Sauron
• 1 Ringsight
• 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 Sauron, the Necromancer
• 1 Shinka, the Bloodsoaked Keep
• 1 Smoldering Marsh
• 1 Sol Ring
• 1 Spiteful Banditry
• 1 Storm of Saruman
• 1 Subjugate the Hobbits
• 1 Sulfur Falls
• 1 Sulfurous Springs
• 1 Summons of Saruman
• 1 Sunken Hollow
• 6 Swamp
• 1 Swarming of Moria
• 1 The Balrog, Durin's Bane
• 1 The Black Gate
• 1 The Great Goblin
• 1 The Mouth of Sauron
• 1 The One Ring
• 1 Too Greedily, Too Deep
• 1 Treason of Isengard
• 1 Troll of Khazad-dûm
• 1 Uglúk of the White Hand
• 1 Underground River
• 1 Warbeast of Gorgoroth
• 1 Witch-king of Angmar
• 1 Wizard's Staff