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Sauron, the Dark Lord

Sauron, the Dark Lord

Legendary Creature — Avatar Horror

Sauron wants a deck that throws away its own cards on purpose for a reward. It also suits a deck that makes an army of small creatures and attacks with all of them.

  • Mana cost3 genericblueblackred
  • Blue, Black, Red ()
  • Power / toughness7 / 6
  • RarityMythic

Ward—Sacrifice a legendary artifact or legendary creature.

Whenever an opponent casts a spell, amass Orcs 1.

Whenever an Army you control deals combat damage to a player, the Ring tempts you.

Whenever the Ring tempts you, you may discard your hand. If you do, draw four cards.

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Cards That Fit Sauron, the Dark Lord

Picked for what they do in Sauron's deck. When two cards do the same job, the one with the lower comes first. All of them fit Sauron's color identity.Mana ValueThe total amount of mana a card costs, all added up. A card costing two generic and one green has a mana value of three. Wizards renamed this from "converted mana cost" in 2021, so older cards and articles may still use the old name.Sol RingOpen the full glossary

plan6

The 6 Cards

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The 6 Cards

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The 6 Cards

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The 6 Cards

Rulings for Sauron, the Dark Lord

explain how Sauron works in tricky situations. They come from Wizards of the Coast, the company that makes Magic.RulingThe official answer to how a card works in a tricky situation. Most rulings are written by Wizards of the Coast, the company that makes Magic, and a few are notes from Scryfall, the card database Magic players use. A ruling explains a card. It does not change what the card says.Open the full glossary

Wizards of the Coast 16 Jun 2023

Amass abilities are now written as "amass [subtype] N." Previous cards with amass have received errata to say "amass Zombies N."

Wizards of the Coast 16 Jun 2023

Amass Zombies works the same way, except you create a 0/0 black Zombie Army creature token if you don't control an Army. If the Army creature you chose isn't already a Zombie, it becomes a Zombie in addition to its other types. By combining cards with amass Orcs and amass Zombies, you can end up with an Orc Zombie Army.

Wizards of the Coast 16 Jun 2023

As the Ring tempts you, you get an emblem named The Ring if you don't have one. Then your emblem gains its next ability and you choose a creature you control to become (or remain) your Ring-bearer.

Wizards of the Coast 16 Jun 2023

Each player can have only one emblem named The Ring and only one Ring-bearer at a time.

Wizards of the Coast 16 Jun 2023

Each time the Ring tempts you, you must choose a creature if you control one.

Wizards of the Coast 16 Jun 2023

If the creature you choose as your Ring-bearer was already your Ring-bearer, that still counts as choosing that creature as your Ring-bearer for the purpose of abilities that trigger "whenever you choose a creature as your Ring-bearer" or abilities that care about which creature was chosen as your Ring-bearer.

Wizards of the Coast 16 Jun 2023

If you don't control an Army, the Orc Army token you create enters the battlefield as a 0/0 creature before receiving counters. Any abilities that trigger when a creature with a certain power enters the battlefield, such as that of Mentor of the Meek, will see the token enter as a 0/0 creature before it gets +1/+1 counters.

Wizards of the Coast 16 Jun 2023

In the rare case that you control multiple Army creatures (perhaps because you played a creature with changeling) while you amass Orcs, you choose which of your Army creatures to put the +1/+1 counters on. If that creature isn't an Orc, it becomes an Orc in addition to its other types.

Wizards of the Coast 16 Jun 2023

Some cards refer to the "amassed Army." That means the Army creature you chose to receive counters, even if no counters were placed on it for some reason.

Wizards of the Coast 16 Jun 2023

Some spells and abilities that amass Orcs may require targets. If each target chosen is an illegal target as that spell or ability tries to resolve, it won't resolve. You won't amass Orcs.

Wizards of the Coast 16 Jun 2023

Some spells and abilities that cause the Ring to tempt you may require targets. If each target chosen is an illegal target as that spell or ability tries to resolve, it won't resolve. The Ring won't tempt you.

Wizards of the Coast 16 Jun 2023

The Ring can tempt you even if you don't control a creature. In this case, abilities that trigger "whenever the Ring tempts you" will still trigger.

Wizards of the Coast 16 Jun 2023

The Ring gains its abilities in order from top to bottom. Once it gains an ability, it has that ability for the rest of the game.

Wizards of the Coast 16 Jun 2023

To amass Orcs N, if you don't control an Army creature, create a 0/0 black Orc Army creature token. Then you choose an Army creature you control and put N +1/+1 counters on it. If that Army isn't already an Orc, it becomes an Orc in addition to its other types.

Wizards of the Coast 29 Jun 2026

Amass Orcs works the same way, except you create a 0/0 black Orc Army creature token if you don't control an Army. And if the Army creature you chose isn't already an Orc, it becomes an Orc in addition to its other types. By combining cards with amass Orcs and amass Goblins, you can end up with a Goblin Orc Army.

Wizards of the Coast 29 Jun 2026

If you don't control an Army, the Goblin Army token you create enters the battlefield as a 0/0 creature before receiving counters. Any abilities that trigger when a creature with a certain power enters the battlefield, such as that of Mentor of the Meek, will see the token enter as a 0/0 creature before it gets +1/+1 counters.

Wizards of the Coast 29 Jun 2026

In the rare case that you control multiple Army creatures (perhaps because you control a creature with changeling) while you amass Goblins, you choose which of your Army creatures to put the +1/+1 counters on. If that creature isn't a Goblin, it becomes a Goblin in addition to its other types.

Wizards of the Coast 29 Jun 2026

Some cards refer to the "amassed Army." That means the Army creature you chose to receive counters, even if no counters were placed on it for some reason.

Wizards of the Coast 29 Jun 2026

Some spells and abilities that amass Goblins may require targets. If each target chosen is an illegal target as that spell or ability tries to resolve, it won't resolve. You won't amass Goblins.

Wizards of the Coast 29 Jun 2026

To amass Goblins N, if you don't control an Army creature, create a 0/0 black Goblin Army creature token. Then you choose an Army creature you control and put N +1/+1 counters on it. If that Army isn't already a Goblin, it becomes a Goblin in addition to its other types.

20 rulings, all written by Wizards of the Coast. Read the originals on Gatherer ↗

Similar Commanders

Commanders that share the most with Sauron, and what they share.

Color identityEvery color of mana symbol on a card, in its cost and in its rules text. Your commander's color identity sets the limit for your whole deck: every other card has to fit inside it. A deck led by a green and white commander cannot play a card with any blue in its color identity.Open the full glossaryUBRPlayers write colors as letters: U for blue, B for black, R for red. Blue is U because B was already taken by black.Madness/DiscardDiscard decks throw away their own cards on purpose and play cards that reward each discard. Cards with madness can even be cast for a different, usually cheaper, cost at the moment you discard them.Open the Madness/Discard pageLootingDraws and discards in the same breath. Faithless Looting, Frantic Search. It does not gain you cards. It improves the ones you have, and fills your graveyard on purpose, which is exactly what a reanimator card like Animate Dead wants.Open the Looting pageSaboteurTriggers when a creature deals combat damage to a player, so the reward comes from connecting rather than from the damage itself. Evasion makes these far more reliable. Ragavan, Nimble PilfererOpen the Saboteur pageSelf-DiscardDiscards your own cards as a cost or an effect. Filling your own graveyard on purpose is the point: it feeds cards that bring things back, madness and channel abilities, and some cards are worth more there than in hand. Faithless Looting, Boseiju, Who EnduresOpen the Self-Discard pageTokensToken decks fill the battlefield with small creatures made by their cards, then attack with all of them or make them all bigger at once. A token is a creature (or other object) that a card creates, not a card from your deck.Open the Tokens pageToken EngineMakes tokens again and again rather than once. A token is a creature or other permanent created by a card, with no card of its own. Something that makes one token gives you a body; something that makes them every turn gives you a board you can keep rebuilding after it is cleared. Grave Titan, Bitterblossom, OphiomancerOpen the Token Engine pageToken MakerCreates one or more tokens. Different cards make very different ones: creatures Grave Titan, Treasures Smothering Tithe, Clues Tireless Tracker or Food Gilded Goose. This is one of our largest tags, so pair it with an archetype or theme when you are hunting a specific kind.Open the Token Maker pageLegends MatterCards that care about legendary cards: rewards for casting them, discounts, or bonuses for each one you control.Open the Legends Matter pageThe Ring Tempts YouWhenever the Ring tempts you, you choose one of your creatures as your Ring-bearer and the Ring gets stronger. It comes from Magic's Lord of the Rings cards, and the Ring gains up to four abilities.Open the The Ring Tempts You pageThe RingFrom the Lord of the Rings set. When "the Ring tempts you", you choose one of your creatures to be your Ring-bearer, and it gains new abilities. Each time the temptation happens, the Ring grows stronger.Open the The Ring pageProtectionA creature with protection from something, like a color, is safe from anything with that quality. It cannot be damaged, enchanted or equipped, blocked, or targeted by it, and players remember the four with the word DEBT. It does not stop effects that neither target nor damage, like a board wipe that destroys every creature. ProgenitusOpen the Protection pageDrawDraws you extra cards. More cards means more choices every turn, and in a 100-card deck it is the main way to find the pieces you need. Rhystic Study, SkullclampOpen the Draw page