Arcane Foundry › Commanders › Zhao, Ruthless Admiral

Zhao, Ruthless Admiral

Zhao, Ruthless Admiral

Legendary Creature — Human Soldier · {2}{B/R}{B/R} · Black/Red commander

Firebending 2 (Whenever this creature attacks, add {R}{R}. This mana lasts until end of combat.) Whenever you sacrifice another permanent, creatures you control get +1/+0 until end of turn.
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What Zhao, Ruthless Admiral actually does

Read off the card by the same engine the Forge and Analyzer use — this is the mechanical classification, not a summary.

What a Zhao, Ruthless Admiral deck wants

The plan the Forge derives for this commander: the roles it fills and how many of each.

Best cards for Zhao, Ruthless Admiral

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.

A creature that HAS the keyword the commander's trigger counts — a card that merely says the word is not one

  1. Fire Nation Palace0 mana
  2. Firebending Student2 mana
  3. Zuko, Firebending Master2 mana
  4. Fire Sages2 mana
  5. Sozin's Comet5 mana
  6. Azula, Ruthless Firebender3 mana
  7. Boiling Rock Rioter3 mana
  8. Jeong Jeong, the Deserter3 mana

Make creature tokens — a static anthem or a go-wide commander needs a board to be wide

  1. Pashalik Mons3 mana
  2. Endless Ranks of the Dead4 mana
  3. Siege-Gang Lieutenant4 mana
  4. Trendy Circus Pirate0 mana
  5. Myr Battlesphere7 mana
  6. Anax, Hardened in the Forge3 mana
  7. Andúril, Flame of the West3 mana
  8. Chandra, Acolyte of Flame3 mana

Actually remove one problem permanent — preventing its damage is not removing it

  1. Wild Magic Surge2 mana
  2. Defile1 mana
  3. Tragic Slip1 mana
  4. Infernal Grasp2 mana
  5. Terminate2 mana
  6. Fatal Push1 mana
  7. Bitter Triumph2 mana
  8. Black Sun's Twilight1 mana

Answer a whole board at once

  1. Do or Die2 mana
  2. Force of Despair3 mana
  3. Blasphemous Act9 mana
  4. Accursed Marauder2 mana
  5. Bontu's Last Reckoning3 mana
  6. Innocent Blood1 mana
  7. Breaking Point3 mana
  8. Coils of the Medusa2 mana

Find the exact card the plan needs

  1. Demonic Tutor2 mana
  2. Diabolic Intent2 mana
  3. Vampiric Tutor1 mana
  4. Imperial Seal1 mana
  5. Insatiable Avarice1 mana
  6. Diabolic Intent2 mana
  7. Grim Tutor3 mana
  8. Liliana Vess // Liliana Vess0 mana

Refill your hand

  1. Skullclamp1 mana
  2. Orcish Bowmasters2 mana
  3. Black Market Connections3 mana
  4. Braids, Arisen Nightmare3 mana
  5. Morbid Opportunist3 mana
  6. Phyrexian Arena3 mana
  7. The One Ring4 mana
  8. Kederekt Parasite1 mana

Keep a permanent you control alive through removal

  1. Hexing Squelcher2 mana
  2. Cryptothrall4 mana
  3. Lightning Greaves2 mana
  4. Swiftfoot Boots2 mana
  5. Eldrazi Monument5 mana
  6. Commander's Plate1 mana
  7. Mithril Coat3 mana
  8. Akroma's Memorial7 mana

Get ahead on mana

  1. Chrome Mox0 mana
  2. Everflowing Chalice0 mana
  3. Mox Amber0 mana
  4. Mox Diamond0 mana
  5. Mox Opal0 mana
  6. Mana Vault1 mana
  7. Sol Ring1 mana
  8. Wayfarer's Bauble1 mana

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