MTG: Forged in Mount Doom – Upgrading the (Other) LotR Commander Decks
The Nine Mortal Kings may have been deceived, but we won’t steer you wrong with these EDH upgrades!
Say what you will about Tales of Middle-earth, the four preconstructed LoTR Commander MtG decks are incredible. Whether they’re bringing back power cards from the olden days, introducing new mechanics, or showcasing legendary heroes, these decks are amazing right out of the box. However, as with all the best warriors, they need a little extra to fulfill their true potential. We talked about the first two decks already, but today we’re talking about the White Council and the Dark Lord. With just a little investment, you can take these decks from a solid 6 all the way to a 9.
Elven Council – Rig the Vote
The least oppressive of all the decks, Elven Council is by no means weak; it just gives the illusion of choice. Galadriel lets you throw out a vote each combat, provided you had another Elf enter the battlefield that turn. You can vote for a little more power for your Ring-bearer or card advantage. You’ll have to play smart and get the table on your side, but with the right amount of politics, you can get the desired result. Or…you can just dictate their decision with the Illusion of Choice.
While you might not want to do that with Galadriel, several other vote pieces in the deck can yield powerful effects. Of course, you also need Elves to trigger Galadriel’s vote, and there are plenty of ways to produce them. Imperious Perfect, Wolverine Riders, and Elven Ambush are all great ways to get more Elves on the battlefield quickly. Once you’ve amassed an army, Imaryll, Elfhame Exile or Heedless One can swoop in and finish the job.
Host of Mordor – Bring a Zombie to an Orc Fight
Ah yes, finally, we’re done with all that goody-two-shoes stuff and can get to some EVIL. Sauron, Lord of the Rings wants to do typical Grixis things. He’ll fill your graveyard, make deadly tokens, and get some recursion. As good as he is, however, one of the first changes you make should maybe be to replace him with Sauron, the Dark Lord. While he lacks some of the punch of the 9/9 beastie, his utility is a lot more valuable.
The main theme of the deck is to amass Orcs, which lets you build up an Orc army or make one if you don’t have one already. However, the wording of “amass Orcs” says that you can put the counters on ANY army, making them into Orcs as well. That means that old-school cards like Dreadhorde Invasion and Eternal Skylord can provide some crazy power to an already nasty deck. Throw in a few other cards like Gothmog, Morgul Lieutenant, and March from the Black Gate and you’ll have an army worthy of Mordor. But of course, the primary addition will be the scariest card in the set (if the internet is to be believed): Orcish Bowmasters.
Which deck is your favorite?
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