Saruman, the White Hand

Saruman wants to turn your noncreature spells into a growing army of Orcs. Every instant, sorcery, or artifact you cast pumps up your Orc token with counters equal to that spell's mana value, so you're essentially getting a free 2/2 flyer every time you cast something like Counterspell or Lightning Bolt. The gameplan is straightforward: build a token army early, protect it with ward, then swing in for commander damage or go wide with multiple Goblin/Orc tokens.

To maximize Saruman, load your deck with efficient noncreature spells—cheap cantrips and interaction that double as amass triggers. Cards like Expressive Iteration, Counterspell, and Young Pyromancer create a snowball effect where you're constantly growing your army while controlling the board. You'll also want token generators like Goblin Rabblemaster and Talrand, Sky Summoner to create multiple threats that benefit from the ward protection.

The deck wins by turning Saruman's spell-slinging into an overwhelming army of 10+ power Orcs, supported by efficient blue removal and red burn to clear blockers. You're playing a tempo/midrange strategy that pivots from controlling the early game into a flying token army by turns 5–7.

Strategy generated by Tapped Decks AI. Not affiliated with Wizards of the Coast.