Saruman, the White Hand
Legendary Creature — Avatar Wizard
Whenever you cast a noncreature spell, amass Orcs X, where X is that spell's mana value. (Put X +1/+1 counters on an Army you control. It's also an Orc. If you don't control an Army, create a 0/0 black Orc Army creature token first.)
Goblins and Orcs you control have ward 
.
Over all his works a dark smoke hung and wrapped itself about the sides of Orthanc.
2 / 5
- Set
- Tales of Middle-earth Commander (LTC #8)
- Rarity
- Mythic
- Mana value
- 4
- Released
- 2023-06-23
- Artist
- Leonardo Borazio
- EDHREC rank
- #3,680
- Colour identity
- Finishes
- Nonfoil, Foil
- Served from
- Local database
Commander bracket
Derived from card traits, not a ruling — bracket rules turn on how a deck intends to use a card. Bracket rules
EDHREC
Combos 1
Commander recommendations
Top synergy 50
Played far more in this commander's decks than elsewhere.
- Orcish Siegemaster
- Summons of Saruman
- Treason of Isengard
- Foray of Orcs
- Saruman's Trickery
- Barad-dûr
- Flame of Anor
- Widespread Brutality
- Orcish Medicine
- Fiery Inscription
- Mauhúr, Uruk-hai Captain
- Corsairs of Umbar
- Sauron, the Dark Lord
- Relic of Sauron
- Wizard's Staff
- Fling
- Guttersnipe
- The Black Gate
- Chandra's Ignition
- Assault on Osgiliath
- Rogue's Passage
- Gríma, Saruman's Footman
- March from the Black Gate
- Lazotep Plating
- Grishnákh, Brash Instigator
- Bothersome Noisemaker
- Goblin Electromancer
- Dreadhorde Invasion
- Deep Analysis
- Fall of Cair Andros
- Warg Rider
- Gothmog, Morgul Lieutenant
- Ringsight
- Consider
- The Mouth of Sauron
- Surrounded by Orcs
- Harmonic Prodigy
- Storm of Saruman
- Rage into the Valley
- Mordor Muster
- Soul's Fire
- Saruman the White
- Frostboil Snarl
- Swarming of Moria
- The Great Goblin
- Lord of the Nazgûl
- Blasphemous Act
- Glamdring, Foe-hammer
- Archmage Emeritus
- Choked Estuary
Most included 50
Highest share of decks running them, distinctive or not.
- Island
- Mountain
- Swamp
- Command Tower
- Arcane Signet
- Sol Ring
- Blasphemous Act
- Orcish Siegemaster
- Crumbling Necropolis
- Sulfur Falls
- Summons of Saruman
- Dragonskull Summit
- Rogue's Passage
- Drowned Catacomb
- Treason of Isengard
- Relic of Sauron
- Sunken Hollow
- Smoldering Marsh
- Barad-dûr
- Saruman's Trickery
- Foray of Orcs
- Flame of Anor
- Arcane Denial
- Orcish Medicine
- Feed the Swarm
- Widespread Brutality
- Mauhúr, Uruk-hai Captain
- Fiery Inscription
- Sulfurous Springs
- Underground River
- The Black Gate
- Counterspell
- Exotic Orchard
- Wizard's Staff
- Corsairs of Umbar
- Guttersnipe
- Frostboil Snarl
- Gríma, Saruman's Footman
- Choked Estuary
- Goblin Electromancer
- Sauron, the Dark Lord
- Talisman of Creativity
- Foreboding Ruins
- March from the Black Gate
- Fling
- Path of Ancestry
- Chandra's Ignition
- Talisman of Dominance
- Assault on Osgiliath
- Orcish Bowmasters
Format legality
Rulings
- 2023-06-16
A creature that is both a Goblin and an Orc still only gets one instance of ward
from Saruman, the White Hand's last ability. - 2023-06-16
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.
- 2023-06-16
Amass abilities are now written as "amass [subtype] N." Previous cards with amass have received errata to say "amass Zombies N."
- 2023-06-16
If Saruman, the White Hand is a Goblin or an Orc, it will have ward
. - 2023-06-16
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.
- 2023-06-16
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.
- 2023-06-16
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.
- 2023-06-16
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.
- 2023-06-16
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.