EDH Optimizer
Saruman, the White Hand
Legendary Creature — Avatar Wizard · 1UBR
Color identity: Black · Red · Blue · Grixis
Saruman, the White Hand is Grixis (black, red and blue): its deck can only run cards of those colors plus colorless ones.
Rules text:
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}.
Reference price of the card: €0.89
Comes in the precon The Hosts of Mordor
Average lands in decks for Saruman, the White Hand: 35
SpellslingerAmassZombiesTokens+1/+1 CountersOrcsControlGoblins
Build your Saruman, the White Hand deck step by step, with in-depth analysis and AI optimization of your list.
🛠️ Build a deck for Saruman, the White Hand 📥 Analyze my deck🎲 How the average Saruman, the White Hand deck starts over 4,000 games
The list people actually play per EDHREC (the 99 most-included cards, with its average land count), simulated with the EDH Optimizer engine: hands, mulligans, lands, curve and commander. It does not model opponents; it measures whether the plan gets going.
Deck health of the average list: C (53/100)
- Consistency45
- Speed39
- Interaction79
- Resilience73
- Closing39
See the cards of the average deck · 99 cards, 35 lands (25 nonbasic, 4 Island, 2 Swamp, 4 Mountain)
Arcane Signet · Sol Ring · Blasphemous Act · Orcish Siegemaster · Summons of Saruman · Relic of Sauron · Treason of Isengard · Foray of Orcs · Saruman's Trickery · Arcane Denial · Flame of Anor · Orcish Medicine · Feed the Swarm · Mauhúr, Uruk-hai Captain · Widespread Brutality · Fiery Inscription · Counterspell · Corsairs of Umbar · Guttersnipe · Wizard's Staff · Goblin Electromancer · Gríma, Saruman's Footman · March from the Black Gate · Sauron, the Dark Lord · Talisman of Creativity · Assault on Osgiliath · Chandra's Ignition · Fling · Orcish Bowmasters · Talisman of Dominance · Commander's Sphere · Grishnákh, Brash Instigator · Harmonic Prodigy · Lazotep Plating · Ringsight · Bothersome Noisemaker · Consider · Dreadhorde Invasion · Faithless Looting · Archmage Emeritus · Deep Analysis · Gothmog, Morgul Lieutenant · Izzet Signet · Talisman of Indulgence · Warg Rider · Fall of Cair Andros · Frantic Search · The Mouth of Sauron · Dimir Signet · Lord of the Nazgûl · Mind Stone · Saruman the White · Surrounded by Orcs · Thrill of Possibility · Fellwar Stone · Mordor Muster · Rakdos Signet · Reanimate · Storm of Saruman · Fact or Fiction · Negate · Rage into the Valley · Soul's Fire · Swarming of Moria · Command Tower · Crumbling Necropolis · Sulfur Falls · Dragonskull Summit · Rogue's Passage · Drowned Catacomb · Sunken Hollow · Smoldering Marsh · Barad-dûr · Sulfurous Springs · Underground River · The Black Gate · Exotic Orchard · Frostboil Snarl · Choked Estuary · Foreboding Ruins · Path of Ancestry · Evolving Wilds · Terramorphic Expanse · Steam Vents · Watery Grave · Blood Crypt · Xander's Lounge · Shivan Reef · Training Center
🃏 Recommended cards for Saruman, the White Hand
The highest-synergy cards in decks for Saruman, the White Hand, with their inclusion rate.
| Card | Inclusion | Synergy |
|---|---|---|
| Orcish Siegemaster | 66% | +59% |
| Summons of Saruman | 63% | +58% |
| Treason of Isengard | 56% | +51% |
| Foray of Orcs | 53% | +48% |
| Saruman's Trickery | 53% | +48% |
| Barad-dûr | 54% | +46% |
| Flame of Anor | 49% | +44% |
| Widespread Brutality | 47% | +44% |
| Orcish Medicine | 48% | +44% |
| Fiery Inscription | 46% | +41% |
| Mauhúr, Uruk-hai Captain | 47% | +41% |
| Corsairs of Umbar | 43% | +38% |
| Sauron, the Dark Lord | 39% | +37% |
| Relic of Sauron | 56% | +37% |
| Guttersnipe | 43% | +36% |
| Fling | 38% | +36% |
| The Black Gate | 44% | +35% |
| Chandra's Ignition | 38% | +35% |
| Assault on Osgiliath | 38% | +35% |
| Rogue's Passage | 57% | +35% |
| Wizard's Staff | 41% | +35% |
| Gríma, Saruman's Footman | 39% | +34% |
| March from the Black Gate | 39% | +34% |
| Lazotep Plating | 37% | +33% |
💰 The best cards for your Saruman, the White Hand deck, by budget
Three tiers based on the maximum price PER CARD you are willing to pay. Paste your list and hit Optimize: you pick that cap and the AI only suggests swaps that fit under it.
Tier 1 · Budget up to €2/card
The most value for almost nothing. Coming from a precon? Start here.
- Orcish Siegemaster
- Summons of Saruman
- Treason of Isengard
- Foray of Orcs
- Saruman's Trickery
- Barad-dûr
Tier 2 · Balanced up to €10/card
The real step up: pieces that are no longer cheap but still sensible.
- Flame of Anor
- Chandra's Ignition
- Wizard's Staff
- Gríma, Saruman's Footman
- Harmonic Prodigy
- Storm of Saruman
Tier 3 · No cap no cap
The cards your price cap was hiding from you.
- Sauron, the Dark Lord
- Relic of Sauron
- The Black Gate
- Warg Rider
- Orcish Bowmasters
- The Ozolith
Reference prices (cheapest English printing). They change daily.
♾️ Known combos with Saruman, the White Hand
- Hullbreaker Horror + Sol Ring → Infinite colorless mana, Infinite storm count
- Demonic Consultation + Thassa's Oracle → Exile your library, Win the game
- Tainted Pact + Thassa's Oracle → Win the game
- Underworld Breach + Lotus Petal + Brain Freeze → Infinite self-mill, Near-infinite magecraft triggers, Near-infinite mill
- Dramatic Reversal + Isochron Scepter → Infinite magecraft triggers, Infinite mana nonland permanents you control can produce, Infinite storm count, Infinite untap of nonland permanents you control
- Underworld Breach + Lion's Eye Diamond + Brain Freeze → Infinite self-mill, Near-infinite colored mana, Near-infinite magecraft triggers, Near-infinite mill, Near-infinite storm count
👥 Community decks with Saruman, the White Hand
Full decklists published by players on EDH Optimizer, with their analysis, bracket and health. Clone them to your account and optimize them for free.
Other commanders
Frequently asked questions
What is Saruman, the White Hand's color identity?
Saruman, the White Hand is Grixis (black, red and blue): its deck can only run cards of those colors plus colorless ones. Color identity comes from every mana symbol on the card, including those in the rules text, not just the casting cost.
What turn does Saruman, the White Hand come down, and how often does the deck get stuck?
In the average Saruman, the White Hand deck (the 99 most-included cards per EDHREC, with 35 lands), simulated 4,000 times, the commander comes down on turn 3.9 on average and is on the battlefield before turn 7 in 99 % of games. It misses at least one land drop in the first six turns 27 % of the time and floods 16 %. Deck health: C (53/100).
How many lands should a Saruman, the White Hand deck run?
Real Saruman, the White Hand decks run 35 lands on average. That is a starting point, not a rule: a lower curve can shave one or two, big-mana builds want more. The EDH Optimizer simulator tells you, over 10,000 games, how often you get mana screwed or flooded with your exact count.
What are the best cards for Saruman, the White Hand?
The three highest-synergy cards are Orcish Siegemaster, Summons of Saruman, Treason of Isengard. This page lists the top 24 with their real inclusion rate in Saruman, the White Hand decks.
What combos does Saruman, the White Hand have?
Saruman, the White Hand has 6 known combos. The most popular one is Hullbreaker Horror + Sol Ring. Note that two-card combos raise your deck's bracket, so it is worth knowing which ones you are running before you sit down.
How much does a Saruman, the White Hand deck cost?
You can start cheap: Orcish Siegemaster, Summons of Saruman, Treason of Isengard are under €2 each. The "Level up" section on this page splits the best cards into three price caps PER CARD (up to €2, up to €10 and no cap), and the optimizer only suggests swaps that fit the cap you pick.