Art by Christina Kraus
Saved commander deck
The Infamous Cruelclaw
Punish green, Gruul, Naya, and Bant ramp strategies using search denial, land-drop damage, and aggressive discard, while using evasion equipment to help Cruelclaw consistently connect and cheat out high-cost game-ending threats for free.
Prompt: Create a **budget Commander deck** with **The Infamous Cruelclaw** as commander. The main goal is to counter **Ramp**, especially **Green, Gruul and Naya**, with **Bant** as a bonus matchup. Use Rakdos tools to punish Ramp: **discard, anti-search, exile, removal, resource denial, and effects that punish extra land drops**. Prioritize cards that stop library searches, punish multiple lands per turn, remove large Green/Gruul/Naya payoff creatures, disrupt expensive spells before they resolve, and help **Cruelclaw connect in combat** consistently. Avoid **Mass Land Destruction**, expensive staples, and cards useful only against Green. Prefer cards around **$0.10–$3**, occasionally up to **$5**. Build exactly **100 cards**, keep the deck strong in normal Commander games, exploit Cruelclaw’s ability to cast powerful spells for free, and provide the final list in **Moxfield import format**.
Commander
1 cards
The Infamous Cruelclaw
{1}{B}{R}Legendary Creature — Weasel Mercenary
Chosen commander for the requested strategy.
Ramp
10 cards
Sol Ring
{1}Artifact
Essential mana acceleration to cast Cruelclaw and utility spells early.
Talisman of Indulgence
{2}Artifact
Provides untapped black or red mana immediately.
Mind Stone
{2}Artifact
Early mana ramp that can be sacrificed for card draw later.
Fellwar Stone
{2}Artifact
Generates mana, frequently tapping for green/white/blue against ramp opponents.
Commander's Sphere
{3}Artifact
Mana fixing that can replace itself when no longer needed.
Prismatic Lens
{2}Artifact
Inexpensive mana rock that fixes color pips when needed.
Liquimetal Torque
{2}Artifact
Ramps mana and allows red artifact destruction to target any permanent.
Wayfarer's Bauble
{1}Artifact
Colorless land ramp that helps keep pace with opponent land counts.
Card Draw
10 cards
Night's Whisper
{1}{B}Sorcery
Low-cost spell draw to dig for answers and protection.
Read the Bones
{2}{B}Sorcery
Scries two and draws two to smooth out draws and set up free spells.
Sign in Blood
{B}{B}Sorcery
Efficient card draw that can also finish off low-life opponents.
Demand Answers
{1}{R}Instant
Instant-speed draw that offers discard synergy for Cruelclaw's trigger.
Thrill of Possibility
{1}{R}Instant
Instant-speed discard and draw to pitch redundant cards.
Bitter Reunion
{1}{R}Enchantment
Draws cards and can be sacrificed to give Cruelclaw haste.
Syphon Mind
{3}{B}Sorcery
Forces opponent discard while filling your hand with fresh cards.
Morbid Opportunist
{2}{B}Creature — Human Rogue
Generates consistent card draw as opponents' creatures die.
Removal
12 cards
Terminate
{B}{R}Instant
Instant-speed uncondition creature removal to destroy big green threats.
Dreadbore
{B}{R}Sorcery
Cheap destruction for large creatures or annoying planeswalkers.
Chaos Warp
{2}{R}Instant
Flexible spot removal for enchantment or nonland threats.
Feed the Swarm
{1}{B}Sorcery
Black's premier enchantment and creature destruction.
Bedevil
{B}{B}{R}Instant
Flexible instant removal targeting creatures, artifacts, or planeswalkers.
Blasphemous Act
{8}{R}Sorcery
Cheap board wipe that clears out go-wide ramp strategies.
Toxic Deluge
{2}{B}Sorcery
Bypasses indestructible on massive green and Naya beaters.
Sudden Spoiling
{1}{B}{B}Instant
Split-second blow-out against combat or combo turns.
Ob Nixilis, Unshackled
{4}{B}{B}Legendary Creature — Demon
Punishes land-searching effects with 10 damage and creature sacrifice.
Polluted Bonds
{3}{B}{B}Enchantment
Drains opponents for 2 life whenever a land enters their battlefield.
Zo-Zu the Punisher
{1}{R}{R}Legendary Creature — Goblin Warrior
Deals 2 damage to any player playing extra lands.
Price of Progress
{1}{R}Instant
Heavily punishes multi-color nonbasic land bases in Bant and Naya.
Threats/Wincons
19 cards
Sire of Insanity
{4}{B}{R}Creature — Demon
Forces all players to discard their hands at end step, denying ramp payoffs.
Kaervek the Merciless
{5}{B}{R}Legendary Creature — Human Shaman
Punishes opponents casting high-mana spells by dealing equivalent damage.
Drakuseth, Maw of Flames
{4}{R}{R}{R}Legendary Creature — Dragon
Devastating free spell cheat target that wipes opponent boards on attack.
Archfiend of Depravity
{3}{B}{B}Creature — Demon
Forces opponents to sacrifice down to two creatures, stopping go-wide ramp.
Etali, Primal Storm
{4}{R}{R}Legendary Creature — Elder Dinosaur
Cheats massive spells from all players' libraries on attack.
Knollspine Dragon
{5}{R}{R}Creature — Dragon
Refills hand completely after Cruelclaw attacks and deals damage.
Shadowgrange Archfiend
{6}{B}Creature — Demon
Forces creature sacrifice and provides a massive lifelink body.
Archfiend of Ifnir
{3}{B}{B}Creature — Demon
Shrinks opponent boards whenever you discard to Cruelclaw.
Chaos Defiler
{3}{B}{R}Artifact Creature — Demon Construct
Destroys nonland opponents' permanents on entry and death.
Meteor Golem
{7}Artifact Creature — Golem
Cheated free permanent removal targeting any problem nonland.
City on Fire
{5}{R}{R}{R}Enchantment
Triples all damage dealt, making Cruelclaw hits lethal extremely fast.
Avatar of Slaughter
{6}{R}{R}Creature — Avatar
Forces attacks and doubles combat damage across the board.
Harvester of Souls
{4}{B}{B}Creature — Demon
Large demon threat that draws cards as creatures die.
Defiler of Flesh
{2}{B}{B}Creature — Phyrexian Horror
Grants evasion to Cruelclaw while discount-casting black spells.
Spawn of Mayhem
{2}{B}{B}Creature — Demon
Aggressive evasive flier that steadily lowers opponent life totals.
Fiendish Duo
{4}{R}{R}Creature — Devil
Doubles damage dealt to opponents, punishing ramp players heavily.
Angrath's Marauders
{5}{R}{R}Creature — Human Pirate
Doubles all damage dealt by your sources.
Sepulchral Primordial
{5}{B}{B}Creature — Avatar
Steals huge green and Naya creatures directly out of opponent graveyards.
Master of Cruelties
{3}{B}{R}Creature — Demon
Reduces an opponent to 1 life instantly if unblocked.
Utility
9 cards
Key to the City
{2}Artifact
Makes Cruelclaw completely unblockable while triggering discard.
Trailblazer's Boots
{2}Artifact — Equipment
Grants nonbasic landwalk to easily bypass defenses of multi-color decks.
Whispersilk Cloak
{3}Artifact — Equipment
Grants unblockable and shroud to guarantee Cruelclaw combat triggers.
Swiftfoot Boots
{2}Artifact — Equipment
Grants haste and hexproof to protect Cruelclaw on entry.
Lightning Greaves
{2}Artifact — Equipment
Free equip cost haste and shroud for immediate attack triggers.
Footfall Crater
{R}Enchantment — Aura
Inexpensive enchantment giving Cruelclaw haste and trample.
Mask of Griselbrand
{1}{B}{B}Legendary Artifact — Equipment
Grants evasion, lifelink, and massive card draw on death.
Scytheclaw
{5}Artifact — Equipment
Grants living weapon and cuts opponent life total in half on hit.
Fallen Ideal
{2}{B}Enchantment — Aura
Grants flying evasion to Cruelclaw and a sacrificial buff.
