Art by Forrest Imel
Commander deckRW
Bruse Tarl, Roving Rancher
Manipulate the top of your deck to continuously trigger Bruse Tarl, generating an explosive herd of Oxen and lands. Magnify your board with power anthems, extra combat steps, and instant-speed tribe manipulation to hit for lethal double-strike damage.
Asked for“Build a Commander deck around Bruse Tarl, Roving Rancher. Focus on exploiting his Ox synergy and his ETB/attack ability instead of making generic Boros aggro. Use a strong Ox tribal core, but do NOT include weak Ox cards just for the creature type. Changelings or creatures that can become Oxen are welcome if they offer better synergy. Prioritize Ox/token generation, anthem and power buffs to maximize double strike, top-deck manipulation to control Bruse’s trigger, extra combat phases, and efficient blink effects to retrigger him. Include enough ramp, card advantage, removal, and protection to keep the deck functional. Every card should have a clear purpose. Avoid generic staples when a more synergistic option exists. The deck should start looking harmless, then suddenly become extremely threatening through buffs, a growing herd, and double strike.”
Deck anatomy
What this list actually runs on: how cheaply it casts things, and whether it has enough ramp, card draw and interaction to keep up at the table. Each block is one card — hover for its name.
Mana curve · 60 nonland cards
The working parts
Counted from Scryfall’s community card tags, not from the builder’s own labels. A card that does two jobs counts twice, so these add up to more than the deck. The hatched band is a common rule of thumb, not a law — combo decks run leaner, battlecruiser decks heavier.
Colored mana symbols
Commander
1Bruse Tarl, Roving Rancher
2RWLegendary Creature — Human Warrior
Chosen commander for the requested strategy.
Ramp
10
Fellwar Stone
2Artifact
cheap two-mana rock that routinely generates usable color
Card Draw
9
Sensei's Divining Top
1Artifact
topdeck manipulation to guarantee Bruse hits lands or tokens on trigger
Scroll Rack
2Artifact
rearranges hand and library top to perfectly curate Bruse exile triggers
Ox of Agonas
3RRCreature — Ox
synergistic Ox creature that draws four cards when cast or escaped
Welcoming Vampire
2WCreature — Vampire
draws a card when 2/2 Ox tokens enter the battlefield
Mentor of the Meek
2WCreature — Human Soldier
turns 2/2 Ox creation into cheap card draw
Skullclamp
1Artifact — Equipment
cashes in tokens or utility creatures for massive card advantage
Mangara, the Diplomat
3WLegendary Creature — Human Cleric
punishes opponents' attacks and multi-casting with card draw
Removal
9
Blasphemous Act
8RSorcery
efficient creature board wipe that often costs one mana
Vanquish the Horde
6WWSorcery
board clear that scales down to two mana on wide battlefields
Wear // Tear
1R // WInstant // Instant
flexible two-in-one artifact and enchantment destruction
Loran of the Third Path
2WLegendary Creature — Human Artificer
artifact or enchantment destruction on an ETB body ideal for blink
Threats/Wincons
22
Roaming Throne
4Artifact Creature — Golem
names Ox to gain double strike and double all of Bruse's triggers
Taurean Mauler
2RCreature — Shapeshifter
growing Changeling Ox that rapidly becomes a massive double-striking threat
Mirror Entity
2WCreature — Shapeshifter
turns entire team into high-power Oxen with double strike
Irregular Cohort
2WWCreature — Shapeshifter
Changeling that enters with another Changeling token to receive Ox buffs
Universal Automaton
1Artifact Creature — Shapeshifter
one-mana Changeling Ox that benefits immediately from Bruse's double strike
Anointed Procession
3WEnchantment
doubles the creation of Ox tokens from Bruse triggers
Mondrak, Glory Dominus
2WWLegendary Creature — Phyrexian Horror
doubles token creation and provides a resilient sacrifice outlet body
Shared Animosity
2REnchantment
grants massive power bonuses to attacking Oxen which double strike doubles
Coat of Arms
5Artifact
tribal anthem that quickly scales Ox token stats to lethal levels
Flowering of the White Tree
WWLegendary Enchantment
anthem that gives legendary creatures Ward and boosts the entire herd
Goldnight Commander
3WCreature — Human Cleric Soldier
gives entire team repeatable +1/+1 buffs as tokens enter
Cathars' Crusade
3WWEnchantment
places permanent +1/+1 counters on all creatures with every token
Moraug, Fury of Akoum
4RRLegendary Creature — Minotaur Warrior
triggers extra combat phases on land ETBs, aligning with Bruse's land ramp
Aurelia, the Warleader
2RRWWLegendary Creature — Angel
provides an additional combat step and attack trigger for Bruse
Karlach, Fury of Avernus
4RLegendary Creature — Tiefling Barbarian
grants extra combats and first strike to empower attacking Oxen
Roar of Resistance
1REnchantment
gives tokens haste and instant power pumps on attack
Valor in Akros
3WEnchantment
pumps entire board power whenever an Ox token enters
Adeline, Resplendent Cathar
1WWLegendary Creature — Human Knight
generates extra tokens on attack that feed power anthems
Horn of Gondor
3Legendary Artifact
exponential token generator that builds a backup wide army
Intangible Virtue
1WEnchantment
cheap anthem granting +1/+1 and vigilance to Ox tokens
Loyal Apprentice
1RCreature — Human Artificer
generates hasty tokens each combat while Bruse is on the field
Aggravated Assault
2REnchantment
repeatable extra combats to repeatedly trigger Bruse's attack ability
Utility
10
Teleportation Circle
3WEnchantment
end-step blink engine for Bruse or ETB utility creatures
Conjurer's Closet
5Artifact
repeatable artifact flicker to retrigger Bruse's ETB every turn
Touch the Spirit Realm
2WEnchantment
versatile protection, blink trigger, or channel removal
Eerie Interlude
2WInstant
protects entire board from board wipes while retriggering Bruse ETB
Teferi's Protection
2WInstant
ultimate defensive spell to phase out board and life total
Boros Charm
RWInstant
protects board from wipes or gives a key creature double strike
Flawless Maneuver
2WInstant
free indestructible protection spell while commander is out
Lightning Greaves
2Artifact — Equipment
gives Bruse haste for immediate attack triggers and free protection
Shields of Velis Vel
WKindred Instant — Shapeshifter
turns all your creatures into Oxen at instant speed to gain double strike
