Arcane Foundry › Commanders › Saruman, the White Hand

Saruman, the White Hand

Legendary Creature — Avatar Wizard · {1}{U}{B}{R} · Black/Red/Blue commander

Whenever you cast a noncreature spell, amass Orcs X, where X is that spell's mana value. (Put X +1/+1 counters on an Army you control. It's also an Orc. If you don't control an Army, create a 0/0 black Orc Army creature token first.) Goblins and Orcs you control have ward {2}.

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What Saruman, the White Hand 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 · cast_spellWhenever you cast a noncreature spell, amass Orcs X, where X is that spell's mana value.
• Static ability · keyword_grantGoblins and Orcs you control have ward {2}.

What a Saruman, the White Hand deck needs

Plays as amass. What the commander asks of the other 99 — read from the card and checked by hand.

• noncreature spells with high mana value (each amasses Orcs equal to its mana value)
• evasion and protection for the Army
• Goblins and Orcs (they have ward {2})

The Saruman, the White Hand deck plan

The roles the Forge fills for this commander, and how many cards of each.

• 18× A card that is CAST to trigger the commander — reanimating or blinking it does not count
• 14× A body of the exact type the commander's trigger requires — the wrong type is worthless here regardless of quality
• 5× Actually remove one problem permanent — preventing its damage is not removing it
• 9× Find the exact card the plan needs
• 2× Answer a spell or ability before it resolves
• 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 Saruman, the White Hand

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.

Combos with Saruman, the White Hand

Known combos from Commander Spellbook that Saruman, the White Hand is a piece of, and how many decks list them.

• Saruman, the White Hand + Phyrexian Altar + Chthonian Nightmare + Orcish Bowmasters21 decks

Build this deck in the Arcane Forge →

Arcane Foundry is free to join and every tool is included: the Arcane Forge deck builder, the ARCANE Analyzer that scores a deck by simulating games rather than counting staples, a card scanner, a collection vault, and live webcam Commander tables. Read the guide · Browse all commanders · Pricing