Arcane Foundry › Commanders › Rakdos, the Muscle
Rakdos, the Muscle
Legendary Creature — Demon Mercenary · {2}{B}{B}{R} · Black/Red commander
Flying, trample
Whenever you sacrifice another creature, exile cards equal to its mana value from the top of target player's library. Until your next end step, you may play those cards, and mana of any type can be spent to cast those spells.
Sacrifice another creature: Rakdos gains indestructible until end of turn. Tap it. Activate only once each turn.
Build a Rakdos, the Muscle deck →
What Rakdos, the Muscle actually does
Read off the card by the same engine the Forge and Analyzer use — this is the mechanical classification, not a summary.
- Triggered ability · sacrificeWhenever you sacrifice another creature, exile cards equal to its mana value from the top of target player's library. Until your next end step, you may play those cards, and mana of any type can be sp
- Activated abilitySacrifice another creature: Rakdos gains indestructible until end of turn. Tap it. Activate only once each turn.
- Keyword · flyingflying
- Keyword · trampletrample
What a Rakdos, the Muscle deck needs
Plays as aristocrats. What the commander asks of the other 99 — read from the card and checked by hand.
- expendable creatures with high mana value (sacrificing one exiles that many cards to play)
- sacrifice outlets
The Rakdos, the Muscle deck plan
The roles the Forge fills for this commander, and how many cards of each.
- 8× Evasion that does NOT target or attach — for a commander your own auras and equipment cannot legally touch
- 32× Creatures you are happy to sacrifice — a free sac outlet on the commander is worthless with nothing to feed it
- 6× Actually remove one problem permanent — preventing its damage is not removing it
- 9× Find the exact card the plan needs
- 1× Answer a whole board at once
- 7× Refill your hand
- 2× Keep a permanent you control alive through removal
- 11× Get ahead on mana
Best cards for Rakdos, the Muscle
Ranked by an engine that reads what each card does — its real cost, its delay and how reliably it works — rather than counting how often other people play it.
Evasion that does NOT target or attach — for a commander your own auras and equipment cannot legally touch
- Glaring Spotlight1 mana
- Cultist of the Absolute1 mana
- Inquisitorial Rosette2 mana
- Predators' Hour2 mana
- Crash Through1 mana
- Eldrazi Monument5 mana
- Falthis, Shadowcat Familiar3 mana
- Goblin War Drums3 mana
Creatures you are happy to sacrifice — a free sac outlet on the commander is worthless with nothing to feed it
- Nurgle's Rot1 mana
- Aclazotz, Deepest Betrayal // Temple of the Dead5 mana
- Phyrexian Triniform9 mana
- Exquisite Huntmaster4 mana
- Grixis Slavedriver6 mana
- Impulsive Pilferer1 mana
- Vivi's Persistence2 mana
- Liliana, Heretical Healer // Liliana, Defiant Necromancer3 mana
Actually remove one problem permanent — preventing its damage is not removing it
- Wild Magic Surge2 mana
- Defile1 mana
- Tragic Slip1 mana
- Infernal Grasp2 mana
- Terminate2 mana
- Fatal Push1 mana
- Bitter Triumph2 mana
- Black Sun's Twilight1 mana
Find the exact card the plan needs
- Demonic Tutor2 mana
- Diabolic Intent2 mana
- Vampiric Tutor1 mana
- Imperial Seal1 mana
- Demonic Consultation1 mana
- Grim Tutor3 mana
- Tainted Pact2 mana
- Scheming Symmetry1 mana
Answer a whole board at once
- Toxic Deluge3 mana
- Damnation4 mana
- Blasphemous Act9 mana
- Chain Reaction4 mana
- Bontu's Last Reckoning3 mana
- Street Spasm1 mana
- Sickening Dreams2 mana
- Crypt Rats3 mana
Refill your hand
- Ragavan, Nimble Pilferer1 mana
- Skullclamp1 mana
- Black Market Connections3 mana
- Braids, Arisen Nightmare3 mana
- Morbid Opportunist3 mana
- Phyrexian Arena3 mana
- Professional Face-Breaker3 mana
- The One Ring4 mana
Keep a permanent you control alive through removal
- Hexing Squelcher2 mana
- Lightning Greaves2 mana
- Swiftfoot Boots2 mana
- Eldrazi Monument5 mana
- Commander's Plate1 mana
- Mithril Coat3 mana
- Akroma's Memorial7 mana
- The Walls of Ba Sing Se8 mana
Get ahead on mana
- Sol Ring1 mana
- Rakdos Signet2 mana
- Palladium Myr3 mana
- Worn Powerstone3 mana
- Chrome Mox0 mana
- Everflowing Chalice0 mana
- Mox Diamond0 mana
- Mana Vault1 mana
Combos with Rakdos, the Muscle
Known combos from Commander Spellbook that Rakdos, the Muscle is a piece of, and how many decks list them.
- Rakdos, the Muscle + Forsaken Miner + Phyrexian Altar2,791 decks
- Rakdos, the Muscle + Golgari Thug + Ashnod's Altar1,505 decks
- Rakdos, the Muscle + Doomsday Excruciator1,035 decks
- Rakdos, the Muscle + Mortuary + Ashnod's Altar60 decks
- Rakdos, the Muscle + Mortuary + Phyrexian Altar52 decks
- Rakdos, the Muscle + Mortuary + Reckless Barbarian47 decks