EDH Optimizer
The best Rakdos cards for Commander
Rakdos turns resources into damage: sacrifice, drain and removal that does not negotiate. It is the most mana-efficient identity in the format, and also the one that struggles most against enchantments.
Most played
Percentage of decks in this color identity that run them, according to EDHREC, with their reference price.
| Card | Played in | Price | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blood Crypt | 39% | €9.24 | Land |
| Dragonskull Summit | 36% | €0.55 | Land |
| Smoldering Marsh | 34% | €0.21 | Land |
| Talisman of Indulgence | 28% | €1.46 | Artifact |
| Luxury Suite | 24% | €9.95 | Land |
| Sulfurous Springs | 24% | €1.45 | Land |
| Rakdos Signet | 23% | €0.75 | Artifact |
| Terminate | 19% | €0.26 | Instant |
| Haunted Ridge | 17% | €5.24 | Land |
| Rakdos Charm | 15% | €0.58 | Instant |
| Foreboding Ruins | 15% | €0.23 | Land |
| Badlands | 13% | €0.02 | Land |
| Temple of Malice | 12% | €0.22 | Land |
| Shadowblood Ridge | 12% | €0.20 | Land |
| Bedevil | 11% | €0.24 | Instant |
| Tainted Peak | 11% | €0.50 | Land |
| Blazemire Verge | 11% | €7.59 | Land |
| Rakdos Carnarium | 11% | €0.18 | Land |
| Mayhem Devil | 10% | €0.28 | Creature |
| Graven Cairns | 10% | €2.70 | Land |
| Raucous Theater | 10% | €9.61 | Land |
| Canyon Slough | 9% | €0.16 | Land |
| Bloodfell Caves | 7% | €0.03 | Land |
| Blightstep Pathway | 7% | — | |
| Mount Doom | 6% | €6.53 | Land |
| Blackcleave Cliffs | 6% | €1.85 | Land |
| Kardur, Doomscourge | 6% | €0.56 | Creature |
| Mahadi, Emporium Master | 5% | €1.49 | Creature |
| Dark Fortress | 4% | €3.00 | Land |
| Smaug, Wicked Worm | 4% | €1.87 | Creature |
| Stormfist Crusader | 4% | €0.46 | Creature |
| Chainer, Nightmare Adept | 4% | €0.35 | Creature |
| Alesha, Who Laughs at Fate | 4% | €1.14 | Creature |
| Fire Covenant | 3% | €0.77 | Instant |
| Geothermal Bog | 3% | €0.18 | Land |
| Rakdos Guildgate | 3% | €0.03 | Land |
| Spiteful Visions | 3% | €0.75 | Enchantment |
| The Lord of Pain | 3% | €7.35 | Creature |
| Black Waltz No. 3 | 3% | €0.17 | Creature |
| Drossforge Bridge | 3% | €1.09 | Land |
Reference prices (cheapest English printing). They change daily.
By role in the deck
The same list, split by what each card actually does. That is the order to build in: cover the roles first, tune afterwards.
Best ramp cards in Rakdos
Talisman of Indulgence · €1.46 Rakdos Signet · €0.75 Mahadi, Emporium Master · €1.49 Bolg's Company · €0.02 Burnt Offering · €1.23 Rivaz of the Claw · €0.62 Rakdos, Lord of Riots · €0.69 Ultimate Green Goblin · €0.30 Smaug the Impenetrable · €23.50 Kalain, Reclusive Painter · €0.31 Rakdos Keyrune · €0.24 Shadowblood Egg · €0.41
Best card draw in Rakdos
Smaug, Wicked Worm · €1.87 Stormfist Crusader · €0.46 Spiteful Visions · €0.75 Prosper, Tome-Bound · €7.53 Rakdos, Patron of Chaos · €3.68 Theater of Horrors · €0.16 Laughing Jasper Flint · €0.33 Locke, Treasure Hunter · €0.33 Xantcha, Sleeper Agent · €1.16 Florian, Voldaren Scion · €0.34 Blood for the Blood God! · €8.80 Garna, Bloodfist of Keld · €0.12
Best removal spells in Rakdos
Terminate · €0.26 Bedevil · €0.24 Fire Covenant · €0.77 Rakdos, Patron of Chaos · €3.68 Dreadbore · €0.39 Murderous Redcap · €0.47 Chaos Defiler · €9.79 Cut // Ribbons · €0.58 Terminal Agony · €0.05 Molten Collapse · €0.42 Olivia Voldaren · €2.35 Bituminous Blast · €0.10
Best board wipes in Rakdos
Last One Standing · €2.75 Mutinous Massacre · €0.12 Widespread Brutality · €0.41 Rakdos, the Showstopper · €1.18 Void · €0.20 Suicidal Charge · €0.07 Corpse Explosion · €0.14 The Nipton Lottery · €0.31 Spontaneous Combustion · €0.17
Best recursion cards in Rakdos
Chainer, Nightmare Adept · €0.35 Alesha, Who Laughs at Fate · €1.14 Rakdos Joins Up · €0.39 Bladewing the Risen · €1.08 Ares, God of War · €0.27 Olivia, Crimson Bride · €6.64 Carnage, Crimson Chaos · €0.50 Too Greedily, Too Deep · €0.37 Morgue Burst · €0.10 Claim // Fame · €0.17 Cauldron Dance · €0.25 Grave Upheaval · €0.30
Best lands in Rakdos
Blood Crypt · €9.24 Dragonskull Summit · €0.55 Smoldering Marsh · €0.21 Luxury Suite · €9.95 Sulfurous Springs · €1.45 Haunted Ridge · €5.24 Foreboding Ruins · €0.23 Badlands · €0.02 Temple of Malice · €0.22 Shadowblood Ridge · €0.20 Tainted Peak · €0.50 Blazemire Verge · €7.59
Great and cheap
Heavily played cards under €2. Coming from a precon, this is the best value per euro you will find.
| Card | Played in | Price | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dragonskull Summit | 36% | €0.55 | Land |
| Smoldering Marsh | 34% | €0.21 | Land |
| Talisman of Indulgence | 28% | €1.46 | Artifact |
| Sulfurous Springs | 24% | €1.45 | Land |
| Rakdos Signet | 23% | €0.75 | Artifact |
| Terminate | 19% | €0.26 | Instant |
| Rakdos Charm | 15% | €0.58 | Instant |
| Foreboding Ruins | 15% | €0.23 | Land |
| Badlands | 13% | €0.02 | Land |
| Temple of Malice | 12% | €0.22 | Land |
| Shadowblood Ridge | 12% | €0.20 | Land |
| Bedevil | 11% | €0.24 | Instant |
| Tainted Peak | 11% | €0.50 | Land |
| Rakdos Carnarium | 11% | €0.18 | Land |
| Mayhem Devil | 10% | €0.28 | Creature |
Commanders in this identity
Each one with its recommended cards and known combos.
Paste your list and we tell you what is missing: ramp, draw, interaction and a 10,000-game simulation to see whether the deck actually gets going.
📥 Analyze my deck for free 🛠️ Build a deckFrequently asked questions
What are the best Rakdos cards for Commander?
The three most played right now are Blood Crypt, Dragonskull Summit, Smoldering Marsh. This page lists the top 40 with their real inclusion rate and price, plus the breakdown by role.
How much ramp does a Rakdos deck need?
The most common picks are Talisman of Indulgence, Rakdos Signet, Mahadi, Emporium Master. As a reference, a balanced Commander deck runs 8 to 12 ramp sources on top of its 36-38 lands; paste your list into EDH Optimizer and we tell you how many you have and whether that fits your curve.
Which cheap Rakdos cards are worth it?
Under €2, Dragonskull Summit, Smoldering Marsh, Talisman of Indulgence stand out. The "Great and cheap" section on this page has the full list, ranked by how much they are played.
Can I play any Rakdos card in my deck?
Only if its color identity fits inside your commander's: in Commander both mana cost symbols and rules text symbols count. EDH Optimizer automatically flags cards that fall outside your commander's identity.