Art: Greg Staples · ™ & © Wizards of the Coast

Rakdos, the Muscle

Legendary Creature — Demon Mercenary · from $2.20

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 with this commander Start with a starter shell Card details, printings & prices

A typical Commander deck

A starting template, not a rule — counts to fill in around the commander.

Lands3736–38 for most decks; fewer with cheap curves
Ramp10mana rocks, dorks, land ramp — mostly 2–3 mana
Card draw10repeatable engines beat one-shot cantrips
Targeted removal6answers for creatures AND artifacts/enchantments
Board wipes3sweepers reset boards you've lost
Synergy & win conditions33the deck's actual plan

Staples in these colors

The 100 cards that fit this color identity in the most EDHREC decklists (EDHREC rank via Scryfall).

Budget

57 of 100 at $5 or less · 39 at $1 or less

#	Card	Type	MV	Price
1	Sol Ring	Artifact	1	$1.07
2	Command Tower	Land	0	$0.26
3	Arcane Signet	Artifact	2	$0.34
4	Exotic Orchard	Land	0	$0.19
5	Reliquary Tower	Land	0	$4.28
6	Swiftfoot Boots	Artifact	2	$1.43
7	Lightning Greaves	Artifact	2	$3.86
8	Path of Ancestry	Land	0	$0.16
9	Fellwar Stone	Artifact	2	$0.47
10	Rogue's Passage	Land	0	$0.31
11	Evolving Wilds	Land	0	$0.09
12	Thought Vessel	Artifact	2	$2.23
13	Blasphemous Act	Sorcery	9	$0.72
14	Bojuka Bog	Land	0	$1.12
15	Terramorphic Expanse	Land	0	$0.10
16	Chaos Warp	Instant	3	$0.32
17	Myriad Landscape	Land	0	$0.25
18	Mind Stone	Artifact	2	$0.21
19	Dark Ritual	Instant	1	$0.44
20	Polluted Delta	Land	0	$19.85
21	Flooded Strand	Land	0	$12.78
22	Skullclamp	Artifact	1	$4.85
23	Solemn Simulacrum	Creature	4	$0.27
24	Misty Rainforest	Land	0	$35.98
25	Bloodstained Mire	Land	0	$14.54
26	Fabled Passage	Land	0	$0.65
27	Windswept Heath	Land	0	$11.19
28	Wooded Foothills	Land	0	$17.96
29	Verdant Catacombs	Land	0	$29.16
30	Scalding Tarn	Land	0	$36.86
31	Marsh Flats	Land	0	$32.04
32	Commander's Sphere	Artifact	3	$0.19
33	Reanimate	Sorcery	1	$6.56
34	Arid Mesa	Land	0	$31.40
35	Demonic Tutor	Sorcery	2	$62.80
36	Toxic Deluge	Sorcery	3	$5.04
37	Blood Crypt	Land	0	$8.68
38	Ancient Tomb	Land	0	$56.94
39	Deflecting Swat	Instant	3	$70.85
40	Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth	Land	0	$56.13
41	Yavimaya, Cradle of Growth	Land	0	$16.76
42	Temple of the False God	Land	0	$0.19
43	Dragonskull Summit	Land	0	$0.45
44	Chromatic Lantern	Artifact	3	$0.38
45	Feed the Swarm	Sorcery	2	$0.19
46	Smoldering Marsh	Land	0	$0.27
47	City of Brass	Land	0	$9.17
48	The One Ring	Artifact	4	$109.88
49	Faithless Looting	Sorcery	1	$0.36
50	Vandalblast	Sorcery	1	$1.74
51	Phyrexian Arena	Enchantment	3	$1.92
52	Jeska's Will	Sorcery	3	$39.58
53	Deadly Rollick	Instant	4	$26.52
54	Cavern of Souls	Land	0	$47.72
55	Vampiric Tutor	Instant	1	$48.13
56	Mana Confluence	Land	0	$34.75
57	Urza's Saga	Enchantment	0	$34.67
58	Lotus Petal	Artifact	0	$35.11
59	Wayfarer's Bauble	Artifact	1	$0.31
60	Talisman of Indulgence	Artifact	2	$0.47
61	Black Market Connections	Enchantment	3	$10.78
62	Victimize	Sorcery	3	$0.57
63	Deadly Dispute	Instant	2	$0.29
64	Roaming Throne	Creature	4	$47.06
65	Ashnod's Altar	Artifact	3	$8.15
66	Big Score	Instant	4	$0.41
67	War Room	Land	0	$0.79
68	Blood Artist	Creature	2	$2.78
69	Sulfurous Springs	Land	0	$0.49
70	Abrade	Instant	2	$0.17
71	Herald's Horn	Artifact	3	$2.88
72	Mana Vault	Artifact	1	$91.59
73	Chrome Mox	Artifact	0	$51.19
74	Lightning Bolt	Instant	1	$0.75
75	Luxury Suite	Land	0	$8.62
76	Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx	Land	0	$45.68
77	Reflecting Pool	Land	0	$5.50
78	Rakdos Signet	Artifact	2	$0.31
79	Three Tree City	Land	0	$29.09
80	Gemstone Caverns	Land	0	$62.05
81	Night's Whisper	Sorcery	2	$0.23
82	Command Beacon	Land	0	$7.99
83	Idol of Oblivion	Artifact	2	$2.40
84	Prismatic Vista	Land	0	$28.10
85	Buried Ruin	Land	0	$0.38
86	Phyrexian Tower	Land	0	$29.06
87	Thran Dynamo	Artifact	4	$1.94
88	Storm-Kiln Artist	Creature	4	$1.74
89	Fell the Profane // Fell Mire	Instant	4	$5.80
90	Cabal Coffers	Land	0	$20.77
91	Impact Tremors	Enchantment	2	$2.52
92	Patchwork Banner	Artifact	3	$1.52
93	Village Rites	Instant	1	$0.30
94	Mox Amber	Artifact	0	$86.45
95	Karn's Bastion	Land	0	$2.51
96	Professional Face-Breaker	Creature	3	$4.99
97	Ash Barrens	Land	0	$0.15
98	Thrill of Possibility	Instant	2	$0.17
99	Secluded Courtyard	Land	0	$0.31
100	Ornithopter of Paradise	Creature	2	$0.35

Curve of these staples

Most played with Rakdos, the Muscle

The 25 most-played cards in 79 settled top-16 lists running Rakdos, the Muscle (any pairing) at 16+ player events since Mar 7, 2026, ranked by lists played — top-4 counts shown for context. Results from Topdeck.gg.

#	Card	Played in	Top 4
1	Arcane Signet	100% · 79 of 79	20
2	Command Tower	100% · 79 of 79	20
3	Sol Ring	100% · 79 of 79	20
4	Blood Crypt	99% · 78 of 79	20
5	Bloodstained Mire	99% · 78 of 79	20
6	Burnt Offering	99% · 78 of 79	20
7	Culling the Weak	99% · 78 of 79	20
8	Dark Ritual	99% · 78 of 79	20
9	Fury	99% · 78 of 79	20
10	Ingot Chewer	99% · 78 of 79	20
11	Lotus Petal	99% · 78 of 79	20
12	Poxwalkers	99% · 78 of 79	20
13	Warren Soultrader	99% · 78 of 79	20
14	Ashnod's Altar	97% · 77 of 79	20
15	Cabal Ritual	97% · 77 of 79	20
16	Entomb	97% · 77 of 79	19
17	Forsaken Miner	97% · 77 of 79	20
18	Luxury Suite	97% · 77 of 79	20
19	Mana Vault	97% · 77 of 79	19
20	Phyrexian Altar	97% · 77 of 79	20
21	Priest of Gix	97% · 77 of 79	20
22	Ragavan, Nimble Pilferer	97% · 77 of 79	19
23	Sacrifice	97% · 77 of 79	19
24	Shriekmaw	97% · 77 of 79	20
25	Vampiric Tutor	97% · 77 of 79	20

Combos with Rakdos, the Muscle

The 10 most popular of 89 combos (by EDHREC decklist count) using this commander that fit its color identity, from Commander Spellbook.

Forsaken Miner + Phyrexian Altar + Rakdos, the Muscle
Cast any number of spells from opponents' libraries · Exile each opponent's library · Infinite death triggers · Infinite creature ETB · Infinite creature LTB · Infinite creature sacrifice triggers
How it works on Commander Spellbook
Build around this combo
Ashnod's Altar + Golgari Thug + Rakdos, the Muscle
Infinite creature LTB · Infinite creature ETB · Infinite creature sacrifice triggers · Infinite death triggers · Infinite storm count · Exile your library with the ability to play the exiled cards until end of turn
How it works on Commander Spellbook
Build around this combo
Doomsday Excruciator + Rakdos, the Muscle
Each opponent loses the game · Exile each opponent's library
How it works on Commander Spellbook
Build around this combo
Ashnod's Altar + Mortuary + Rakdos, the Muscle
Infinite creature LTB · Infinite creature ETB · Infinite creature sacrifice triggers · Infinite death triggers · Infinite colorless mana · Infinite storm count · Exile your library with the ability to play the exiled cards until end of turn
How it works on Commander Spellbook
Build around this combo
Mortuary + Phyrexian Altar + Rakdos, the Muscle
Infinite creature LTB · Infinite creature ETB · Infinite creature sacrifice triggers · Infinite death triggers · Infinite storm count · Exile your library with the ability to play the exiled cards until end of turn
How it works on Commander Spellbook
Build around this combo
Mortuary + Rakdos, the Muscle + Reckless Barbarian
Infinite creature LTB · Infinite creature ETB · Infinite creature sacrifice triggers · Infinite death triggers · Infinite storm count · Exile your library with the ability to play the exiled cards until your next end step
How it works on Commander Spellbook
Build around this combo
Blood Pet + Mortuary + Rakdos, the Muscle
Infinite creature LTB · Infinite creature ETB · Infinite creature sacrifice triggers · Infinite death triggers · Infinite storm count · Exile your library with the ability to play the exiled cards until your next end step
How it works on Commander Spellbook
Build around this combo
Haunted Crossroads + Pitiless Plunderer + Rakdos, the Muscle + Reckless Barbarian
Infinite creature LTB · Infinite creature ETB · Infinite creature sacrifice triggers · Infinite death triggers · Infinite storm count · Exile your library with the ability to play the exiled cards until your next end step
How it works on Commander Spellbook
Build around this combo
Ashnod's Altar + Haunted Crossroads + Priest of Gix + Rakdos, the Muscle
Infinite creature LTB · Infinite creature ETB · Infinite black mana · Exile your library with the ability to play the exiled cards until your next end step · Infinite creature sacrifice triggers · Infinite death triggers · Infinite colorless mana · Infinite storm count
How it works on Commander Spellbook
Build around this combo
Haunted Crossroads + Prosper, Tome-Bound + Rakdos, the Muscle + Reckless Barbarian
Infinite artifact ETB · Infinite creature LTB · Infinite creature ETB · Infinite creature sacrifice triggers · Infinite death triggers · Infinite storm count · Exile your library with the ability to play the exiled cards until your next end step
How it works on Commander Spellbook
Build around this combo

Top finishes

The 8 most recent of 82 finishes placing top 16 at 16+ player events with this commander. Results from Topdeck.gg.

1st of 39 — Clash at the Capital- Mana Mayhem! on Topdeck.ggSep 19, 2026 · 4–1–1 · by Rakdos Chris
14th of 63 — Commander Invitational Qualifier - East Coast Gaming on Topdeck.ggSep 19, 2026 · 2–3–0 · by Collin Childers
14th of 39 — Gem State CEDH: Anime ID on Topdeck.ggSep 19, 2026 · 2–3–0 · by Anthony Benkse
16th of 25 — Head to Head Games cEDH Slam #3 on Topdeck.ggSep 19, 2026 · 1–4–0 · by Derek Hall
16th of 44 — Lucky Top Deck Series 18 on Topdeck.ggSep 19, 2026 · 1–2–1 · by Casper Adriaensen Langouche
12th of 18 — CSG Tampa Magic: CoolStuff Con Free Entry cEDH Tournament cEDH Tournament on Topdeck.ggSep 13, 2026 · 0–3–0 · by Nicolas Johansmeyer
10th of 52 — cEDH Monthly - Hobbit Collector Box on Topdeck.ggSep 12, 2026 · 2–3–1 · by Tyler V
8th of 17 — FNM Commander on Topdeck.ggSep 11, 2026 · 1–2–0 · by Nicolas Johansmeyer

All 82 finishes →

Card data and images courtesy of Scryfall; popularity ranking from EDHREC decklist data included in Scryfall bulk. Combo data courtesy of Commander Spellbook. Tournament results courtesy of Topdeck.gg. Deckwarden is unofficial Fan Content and is not endorsed by Wizards of the Coast.

Commanders