Red is the color of impulse, passion, and chaos, so it makes sense that some of the best Magic: The Gathering cards printed in the Warhammer 40,000 Commander Decks turned out to be red. In a universe home to endless war, bloodthirsty gods, and an eternity of carnage and slaughter, impulse, passion, and chaos are all attributes residents are bound to become quite familiar with.
These facets of red are perhaps best represented by the Demon themed cards found in the Ruinous Powers Commander deck, but there are a few other red cards of note present in the Tyranid Swarm deck. All that being said, let's see how you can upgrade their Commander decks with the best red cards from the Warhammer 40,000 universe.
9 The Red Terror
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It's difficult to understate how much better this card would be if it had trample. Alas, it does not. Mono-red decks specifically may find interest in this creature as it gains counters each time a red source deals damage. It's not difficult to imagine many Mono-Red decks being capable of putting three to five counters on this creature the same turn it comes down.
However, the problem is that The Red Terror doesn't provide you with any immediate value. The most likely outcome when playing this creature will be that your opponent removes it before it gets to make use of the counters you place on it. Alternatively, it will likely just get chump blocked on the occasions that you do actually manage to turn it sideways. Nevertheless, it does still serve as a good lightning rod for removal.
7 Reverberate
The classic red instant Reverberate is already quite familiar among players fond of instants and sorceries. It has been used to provide players with extra copies of their best instants and sorceries ever since it was printed back in 2011.
Some of the best cards to copy with Reverberate include cards that give you an extra turn like Time Warp, removal spells like Terminate, and draw spells like Treasure Cruise. However, Reverberate can also be used in a pinch to provide you with extra removal, counterspells, or whatever else you might need more of. Alternatively, you can Reverberate an opponent's spell to give you a copy of your own for the very cheap price of two red.
6 Screamer-Killer
A five mana 5/5 with trample isn't the best deal in the world, but it's a fine creature to include in a creature-based deck. Where Screamer-Killer really becomes a standout threat is if you are able to cast more creatures of mana value five or greater. Dealing five damage to any target is a great boon at any point in the game, as you can remove creatures with it or deal direct damage to your opponent's life.
There are assuredly some janky combos that will provide you with infinite damage using this card as well, though it's very likely not something that you'll be able to accomplish reliably. If nothing else, this is a great creature to act as a lightning rod for opponent removal before unleashing larger and more terrifying threats.
5 Aspiring Champion
This is a non-Demon creature that's meant to be played in a Demon tribal deck. That in itself is a cool gimmick, especially when you factor in the flavor of Chaos Marines in Warhammer eventually becoming Demons themselves, if they interact with enough chaotic powers.
Flavor aside, Aspiring Champion is simply a great creature mechanically, thanks to the fact that it has Menace. This makes it much easier to get in a successful attack and trigger the Champion's ability to bring the next creature in your library onto the battlefield. You want it to be a Demon, because dealing life point damage to every opponent equal to the Demon's power is a potentially huge life swing that gives you immediate value.
4 Herald Of Slaanesh
Speaking of Demon tribal, Herald of Slaanesh is a great creature to include in any Demon tribal deck thanks to its heavy cost reduction of your Demon creatures. Furthermore, it also provides your Demons with haste, giving them an added bit of value that can tip the game in your favor.
Granted, this creature is likely to be killed on sight by any intelligent player you face. This being the case, that still leaves your opponent with one less removal spell to use against your truly threatening creatures.
3 Keeper Of Secrets
There's no need to grant your Demons haste when they already come pre-packed with the keyword. And what better keyword to pair haste with than First Strike? Keeper of Secrets is a very aggressive Demon that's likely to provide value during the turn it comes into play, thanks to the combination of these keywords.
Furthermore, if you manage to trigger the Keeper's Symphony of Pain ability, your opponents are all sure to be feeling the hurt. Pairing this creature with cascade cards, reanimate effects, or other abilities like foretell, which allow you to cast cards outside of your hand, will make Keeper of Secrets infinitely more valuable.
2 Blasphemous Act
Most good Commander decks have at least a couple ways of dealing with boards that get out of hand, and Blasphemous Act is one of the best cards for the job. Thirteen damage is almost certainly enough to wipe out just about any creature your opponents could muster, making this a very reliable board wipe.
Even better though, Blasphemous Act's mana cost is discounted for every creature on the battlefield. In a Commander game featuring four players placing creatures onto the battlefield, it's very common that this card costs less than five mana.
1 Bloodthirster
It's only fitting that the best red Warhammer card be a powerful Demon, and Bloodthirster certainly delivers. This flying, trampling creature comes with big stats and an ability that will make your opponents do a double take.
That's because each time Bloodthirster deals combat damage to a player, he becomes untapped and provides you with an additional combat phase. Thanks to flying and trample, any time Bloodthirster manages to attack he's very likely to deal combat damage to a player. It's also important to note that Bloodthirster can attack each opposing player once, giving you a possible grand total of four combat phases. Needless to say, you'll be happy that your opponents used all of their removal on your smaller Demons by the time you cast this monster.