Art by Christina Kraus
Commander deckBR
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.
Asked for“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**.”
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
1The Infamous Cruelclaw
1BRLegendary Creature — Weasel Mercenary
Chosen commander for the requested strategy.
Ramp
10
Sol Ring
1Artifact
Essential mana acceleration to cast Cruelclaw and utility spells early.
Talisman of Indulgence
2Artifact
Provides untapped black or red mana immediately.
Fellwar Stone
2Artifact
Generates mana, frequently tapping for green/white/blue against ramp opponents.
Commander's Sphere
3Artifact
Mana fixing that can replace itself when no longer needed.
Prismatic Lens
2Artifact
Inexpensive mana rock that fixes color pips when needed.
Liquimetal Torque
2Artifact
Ramps mana and allows red artifact destruction to target any permanent.
Wayfarer's Bauble
1Artifact
Colorless land ramp that helps keep pace with opponent land counts.
Card Draw
10
Read the Bones
2BSorcery
Scries two and draws two to smooth out draws and set up free spells.
Sign in Blood
BBSorcery
Efficient card draw that can also finish off low-life opponents.
Demand Answers
1RInstant
Instant-speed draw that offers discard synergy for Cruelclaw's trigger.
Thrill of Possibility
1RInstant
Instant-speed discard and draw to pitch redundant cards.
Bitter Reunion
1REnchantment
Draws cards and can be sacrificed to give Cruelclaw haste.
Syphon Mind
3BSorcery
Forces opponent discard while filling your hand with fresh cards.
Morbid Opportunist
2BCreature — Human Rogue
Generates consistent card draw as opponents' creatures die.
Removal
12
Terminate
BRInstant
Instant-speed uncondition creature removal to destroy big green threats.
Dreadbore
BRSorcery
Cheap destruction for large creatures or annoying planeswalkers.
Bedevil
BBRInstant
Flexible instant removal targeting creatures, artifacts, or planeswalkers.
Blasphemous Act
8RSorcery
Cheap board wipe that clears out go-wide ramp strategies.
Toxic Deluge
2BSorcery
Bypasses indestructible on massive green and Naya beaters.
Ob Nixilis, Unshackled
4BBLegendary Creature — Demon
Punishes land-searching effects with 10 damage and creature sacrifice.
Polluted Bonds
3BBEnchantment
Drains opponents for 2 life whenever a land enters their battlefield.
Zo-Zu the Punisher
1RRLegendary Creature — Goblin Warrior
Deals 2 damage to any player playing extra lands.
Price of Progress
1RInstant
Heavily punishes multi-color nonbasic land bases in Bant and Naya.
Threats/Wincons
19
Sire of Insanity
4BRCreature — Demon
Forces all players to discard their hands at end step, denying ramp payoffs.
Kaervek the Merciless
5BRLegendary Creature — Human Shaman
Punishes opponents casting high-mana spells by dealing equivalent damage.
Drakuseth, Maw of Flames
4RRRLegendary Creature — Dragon
Devastating free spell cheat target that wipes opponent boards on attack.
Archfiend of Depravity
3BBCreature — Demon
Forces opponents to sacrifice down to two creatures, stopping go-wide ramp.
Etali, Primal Storm
4RRLegendary Creature — Elder Dinosaur
Cheats massive spells from all players' libraries on attack.
Knollspine Dragon
5RRCreature — Dragon
Refills hand completely after Cruelclaw attacks and deals damage.
Shadowgrange Archfiend
6BCreature — Demon
Forces creature sacrifice and provides a massive lifelink body.
Archfiend of Ifnir
3BBCreature — Demon
Shrinks opponent boards whenever you discard to Cruelclaw.
Chaos Defiler
3BRArtifact Creature — Demon Construct
Destroys nonland opponents' permanents on entry and death.
Meteor Golem
7Artifact Creature — Golem
Cheated free permanent removal targeting any problem nonland.
City on Fire
5RRREnchantment
Triples all damage dealt, making Cruelclaw hits lethal extremely fast.
Avatar of Slaughter
6RRCreature — Avatar
Forces attacks and doubles combat damage across the board.
Harvester of Souls
4BBCreature — Demon
Large demon threat that draws cards as creatures die.
Defiler of Flesh
2BBCreature — Phyrexian Horror
Grants evasion to Cruelclaw while discount-casting black spells.
Spawn of Mayhem
2BBCreature — Demon
Aggressive evasive flier that steadily lowers opponent life totals.
Fiendish Duo
4RRCreature — Devil
Doubles damage dealt to opponents, punishing ramp players heavily.
Angrath's Marauders
5RRCreature — Human Pirate
Doubles all damage dealt by your sources.
Sepulchral Primordial
5BBCreature — Avatar
Steals huge green and Naya creatures directly out of opponent graveyards.
Master of Cruelties
3BRCreature — Demon
Reduces an opponent to 1 life instantly if unblocked.
Utility
9
Key to the City
2Artifact
Makes Cruelclaw completely unblockable while triggering discard.
Trailblazer's Boots
2Artifact — Equipment
Grants nonbasic landwalk to easily bypass defenses of multi-color decks.
Whispersilk Cloak
3Artifact — Equipment
Grants unblockable and shroud to guarantee Cruelclaw combat triggers.
Swiftfoot Boots
2Artifact — Equipment
Grants haste and hexproof to protect Cruelclaw on entry.
Lightning Greaves
2Artifact — Equipment
Free equip cost haste and shroud for immediate attack triggers.
Footfall Crater
REnchantment — Aura
Inexpensive enchantment giving Cruelclaw haste and trample.
Mask of Griselbrand
1BBLegendary Artifact — Equipment
Grants evasion, lifelink, and massive card draw on death.
Scytheclaw
5Artifact — Equipment
Grants living weapon and cuts opponent life total in half on hit.
Fallen Ideal
2BEnchantment — Aura
Grants flying evasion to Cruelclaw and a sacrificial buff.
