Magic: The Gathering's Warhammer 40,000 Commader Deck preview season continues, with day two giving us the second of four decks in full. Across a whopping 41 new cards we're introduced to the Chaos Warlord Abaddon the Despoiler, and the demonic forces from the Warp that he represents.
Whether it's the endless, corrupt pleasure of Slaanesh, the bloodshed of Khorne, the jubilant decay of Nurgle, or the ever-changing mystery of Tzeentch, this deck lets you play with the full power of 40K's Chaos.
For Magic players, you should already know what to expect from a deck based on 'Chaos'. There's lots of cascading, lots of Chaos Warps, and a whole army of Demons to back you up. Here's everything revealed for the blue/black/red The Ruinous Powers deck.
The Commander: Abaddon The Despoiler
The Warmaster of Chaos and its greatest champion, Abaddon the Despoiler is the leader of the Chaos Space Marines, a horrific corruption of the supersoldiers that so famously represent the Imperium of Man.
True to his loyalty to Chaos, Abaddon's ability in Magic is highly random, granting cascade to spells that cost less than the total amount of life lost this turn by your opponents. While you do need to jump through hoops to make your opponents lose life, simply saving your big plays for after combat in the second main phase could allow you to cascade off of some of the deck's bigger cards and hit some spicy bombs.
It helps that this deck has a surprisingly high mana curve, with lots of expensive spells to cascade off of. Being able to cast one spell and get another for free helps counteract a few of the problems with this deck, notably its somewhat lacking land base for such big spells, and the deal is made even sweeter with some of the enters-the-battlefield effects you could be unexpectedly triggering.
The Ruinous Powers' backup commander is Be'lakor, the Dark Master, which is a much straighter Demon Tribal commander. As you'd expect from a Demon of Chaos from deep within the Warp, he's a bit of a double-edged knife: you can gain huge hand advantage when you play him thanks to the Prince of Chaos ability, but it's a one-off ability that could also end up dealing more damage to you than you'd like.
To help offset that, the second ability is very powerful. Demons are often big creatures with high power, so being able to use them to blast an opponent's creature off the board – or even go straight for their face – gives you a way to either force the life loss that Abaddon so desperately wants, or simply bring everyone else down to your life total.
Every New Card
The Ruinous Powers deck has two key themes: cascade and Demon Tribal. By playing cards like Sloppity Bilepiper and Heralds of Tzeentch, you can hope to hit cards that generate you even more value on hitting the battlefield, such as Chaos Defiler and Lords of Change.
Your second strategy is more straight-forward: fill the board up with Demons. Most creatures in the deck are Demons, which allows Be'Lakor to blast your opponent away with lots of damage. Make use of Herald of Slaanesh to reduce the cost of your Demons, and you could be both cascading off big spells and dealing huge damage on a single cast spell.
Image |
Name |
Text |
---|---|---|
|
Abaddon the Despoiler |
Two generic, one blue, one black, one red legendary creature – Astartes Warrior – 5/5: Trample Mark of the Chaos Ascendant — During your turn, spells you cast from your hand with mana value X or less have cascade, where X is the total amount of life your opponents have lost this turn. |
|
Heralds of Tzeentch |
Four generic, one blue creature – Demon – 3/3: Flying Cascade (When you cast this spell, exile cards from the top of your library until you exile a nonland card that costs less. You may cast it without paying its mana cost. Put the exiled cards on the bottom of your library in a random order.) |
|
Lord of Change |
Six generic, one blue creature – Demon – 6/6: Flying, ward: three generic Architect of Deception — When Lord of Change enters the battlefield, draw three cards. |
|
Blight Grenade |
Four generic, one black sorcery: Destroy target creature. All creatures get -3/-3 until end of turn. |
|
Great Unclean One |
Four generic, one black creature – Demon – 4/5: Reverberating Summons — At the beginning of your end step, each opponent loses 2 life. Then for each opponent who has less life than you, create a 1/3 black Demon creature token named Plaguebearer of Nurgle. |
|
Mandate of Abaddon |
Three generic, one black sorcery: Chose target creature you control. Destroy all creatures with power less than that creature’s power. |
|
Mortarion, Daemon Primarch |
Five generic, one black legendary creature – Demon Primarch – 5/6: Flying Primarch of the Death Guard — At the beginning of your end step, you may pay X generic. If you do, create X 2/2 black Astartes Warrior creature tokens with menace. X can’t be greater than the amount of life you lost this turn. |
|
Nurgle's Conscription |
Four generic, one black instant: Put target creature card from an opponent’s graveyard onto the battlefield tapped under your control, then exile that player’s graveyard. |
|
Nurgle's Rot |
One black enchantment – Aura: Enchant creature an opponent controls When enchanted creature dies, return Nurgle’s Rot to its owner’s hand and you create a 1/3 black Demon creature token named Plaguebearer of Nurgle. |
|
Plague Drone |
Three generic, one black creature – Demon – 3/3: Flying Rot Fly — If an opponent would gain life, that player loses that much life instead. |
|
Poxwalkers |
Two generic, one black creature – Zombie – 3/1: Deathtouch Curse of the Walking Pox — Whenever you cast a spell from anywhere other than your hand, return Poxwalkers from your graveyard to the battlefield tapped. |
|
Sloppity Bilepiper |
Three generic, one black creature – Demon – 3/3: Jolly Gutpipes — Two generic, tap Sloppity Bilepiper, Sacrifice a creature: The next creature spell you cast this turn has cascade. (When you cast your next creature spell, exile cards from the top of your library until you exile a nonland card that costs less. You may cast it without paying its mana cost. Put the exiled cards on the bottom of your library in a random order.) |
|
Tallyman of Nurgle |
Two generic, one black creature – Astartes Warrior – 2/3: Lifelink The Seven-fold Chant — At the beginning of your end step, if a creature died this turn, you draw a card and you lose 1 life. If seven or more creatures died this turn, instead you draw seven cards and you lose 7 life. |
|
Venomcrawler |
Three generic, one black artifact creature – Demon – 2/2: Lifelink Devourer of Souls — Whenever another creature dies, put a +1/+1 counter on Venomcrawler. |
|
Aspiring Champion |
Three generic, one red creature – Astartes Warrior – 3/3: Menace Ruinous Ascension — When Aspiring Champion deals combat damage to a player, sacrifice it. If you do, reveal cards from the top of your library until you reveal a creature card. Put that card onto the battlefield, then shuffle the rest into your library. If that creature is a Demon, it deals damage equal to its power to each opponent. |
|
Bloodcrusher of Khorne |
Three generic, one red creature – Demon Knight – 3/3: Trample Devastating Charge — Other creatures you control have trample. |
|
Bloodthirster |
Five generic, one black creature – Demon – 6/6: Flying, trample Whenever Bloodthirster deals combat damage to a player, untap it. After this combat phase, there is an additional combat phase. Bloodthirster can’t attack a player it has already attacked this turn. |
|
Dark Apostle |
Three generic, one red creature – Astartes Warlock – 3/3: Gift of Chaos — Three generic, tap: The next noncreature spell you cast this turn has cascade. (When you cast that spell, exile cards from the top of your library until you exile a nonland card that costs less. You may cast it without paying its mana cost. Put the exiled cards on the bottom of your library in a random order.) |
|
Herald of Slaanesh |
Two generic, one red creature – Demon – 2/2: Locus of Slaanesh — Demon spells you cast cost two generic less to cast. Other demons you control have haste. |
|
Keeper of Secrets |
Five generic, one red creature – Demon – 6/4: First strike, haste Symphony of Pain — Whenever you cast a spell from anywhere other than your hand, Keeper of Secrets deals damage equal to that spell’s mana value to target opponent. |
|
Khârn the Betrayer |
Three generic, one red legendary creature – Astartes Berserker – 5/1: Berzerker — Khârn the Betrayer attacks or blocks each combat if able. Sigil of Corruption — When you lose control of Khârn the Betrayer, draw two cards. The Betrayer — If damage would be dealt to Khârn the Betrayer, prevent that damage and an opponent of your choice gains control of it. |
|
Knight Rampager |
Four generic, one red artifact creature – Knight – 6/5: Trample Frenzied Rampage — At the beginning of combat on your turn, choose an opponent at random. Knight Rampager attacks that player this combat if able. When Knight Rampager dies, it deals 4 damage to target opponent chosen at random. |
|
Let the Galaxy Burn |
X generic, five generic, one red sorcery: Cascade (When you cast this spell, exile cards from the top of your library until you exile a nonland card that costs less. You may cast it without paying its mana cost. Put the exiled cards on the bottom of your library in a random order.) Let the Galaxy Burn deals X plus two damage to each creature that didn’t enter the battlefield this turn. |
|
Noise Marine |
Four generic, one red creature – Astartes Warrior – 3/2: Cascade (When you cast this spell, exile cards from the top of your library until you exile a nonland card that costs less. You may cast it without paying its mana cost. Put the exiled cards on the bottom of your library in a random order.) Sonic Blaster — When Noise Marine enters the battlefield, it deals damage equal to the number of spells you’ve cast this turn to any target. |
|
Seeker of Slaanesh |
Three generic, one red creature – Demon – 3/3: Haste Allure of Slaanesh — Each opponent must attack with at least one creature each combat if able. |
|
Be'lakor, the Dark Master |
Three generic, one blue, one black, one red legendary creature – Demon Noble – 6/5: Flying Prince of Chaos — When Be'lakor, the Dark Master enters the battlefield, you draw X cards and you lose X life, where X is the number of Demons you control. Lord of Torment — Whenever another Demon enters the battlefield under your control, it deals damage equal to its power to any target. |
|
Blood for the Blood God! |
Eight generic, two black, one red instant: This spell costs one generic less to cast for each creature that died this turn. Discard your hand, then draw eight cards. Blood for the Blood God! deals eight damage to each opponent. Exile Blood for the Blood God! |
|
Chaos Defiler |
Three generic, one black, one red artifact creature – Demon Construct – 5/4: Trample Battle Cannon — When Chaos Defiler enters the battlefield or dies, for each opponent, choose a nonland permanent that players controls. Destroy one of them chosen at random. |
|
Drach'Nyen |
Four generic, one black, one red legendary artifact – Equipment: Echo of the First Murder — When Drach'Nyen enters the battlefield, exile up to one target creature. Daemon Sword — Equipped creature has menace and gets +X/+0, where X is the exiled card’s power. Equip: Two generic (Two generic: Attach to target creature you control. Equip only as a sorcery.) |
|
Helbrute |
Three generic, one black, one red artifact creature – Astartes Dreadnought – 5/4: Haste Sarcophagus — You may cast Helbrute from your graveyard by exiling another creature card from your graveyard in addition to paying its other costs. |
|
Kill! Maim! Burn! |
Three generic, two black, one red instant: Choose one or more — • Destroy target artifact. • Destroy target creature. • Kill! Maim! Burn! deals 3 damage to target player. |
|
Lucius the Eternal |
Three generic, one black, one red legendary creature – Astartes Warrior – 5/3: Haste Armor of Shrieking Souls — When Lucius the Eternal dies, exile it and choose target creature an opponent controls. When that creature leaves the battlefield, return Lucius the Eternal from exile to the battlefield under its owner’s control. |
|
The Ruinous Powers |
Two generic, one black, one red enchantment: At the beginning of your upkeep, choose an opponent at random. Exile the top card of that player’s library. Until end of turn, you may play that card and you may spend mana as though it were mana of any color to cast it. When you cast a spell this way, its owner loses life equal to its mana value. |
|
Chaos Mutation |
Three generic, one blue, one red instant: Exile any number of target creatures controlled by different players. For each creature exiled this wya, its controller reveals cards from the top of their library until they reveal a creature card, puts that card onto the battlefield, then puts the rest on the bottom of their library in a random order. |
|
Magnus the Red |
Three generic, one blue, one red legendary creature – Demon Primarch – 4/5: Flying Unearthly Power — Instant and sorcery spells you cast cost {1} less to cast for each creature token you control. Blade of Magnus — Whenever Magnus the Red deals combat damage to a player, create a 3/3 red Spawn creature token. |
|
Mutalith Vortex Beast |
Four generic, one blue, one red creature – Mutant Beast – 6/6: Trample Warp Vortex — When Mutalith Vortex Beast enters the battlefield, flip a coin for each opponent you have. For each flip you win, draw a card. For each flip you lose, Mutalith Vortex Beast deals 3 damage to that player. |
|
Pink Horror |
Three generic, one blue, one red creature – Demon Horror – 4/4: Coruscating Flames — Whenever you cast an instant or sorcery spell, Pink Horror deals 2 damage to any target. Split — When Pink Horror dies, create two 2/2 blue and red Demon Horror creature tokens named Blue Horror with “Whenever you cast an instant or sorcery spell, this creature deals 1 damage to any target.” |
|
The Lost and the Damned |
One generic, one blue, one red enchantment: Whenever a land enters the battlefield under your control from anywhere other than your hand or you cast a spell from anywhere other than your hand, create 3/3 red Spawn creature token. |
|
Tzaangor Shaman |
Two generic, one blue, one red creature – Mutant Shaman – 3/3: Flying Sorcerous Elixir — Whenever Tzaangor Shaman deals combat damage to a player, copy the next instant or sorcery spell you cast this turn when you cast it. You may choose new targets for the copy. |
|
The Horus Heresy |
Three generic, one blue, one black, one red enchantment – Saga: (As this Saga enters and after your draw step, add a lore counter. Sacrifice after III.) One — For each opponent, gain control of up to one target nonlegendary creature that player controls for as long as The Horus Heresy remains on the battlefield. Two — Draw a card for each creature you control but don’t own. Three — Starting with you, each player chooses a creature. Destroy each creature chosen this way. |
The Full Decklist
Like the rest of the 40,000 decks, the majority of The Ruinous Powers is brand-new cards. However, it does also include over 30 reprints, including some much-needed reprints for format staples.
Alongside the ever-popular Blasphemous Act and Chaos Warp, we're also getting one of the game's best mana smoothing tools, Chromatic Lantern. Dark Ritual can be a fantastic first-turn play to speed you ahead of the rest of the board as well.
Particularly interesting to note for those hoping to run Be'lakor instead of Abaddon is Warstorm Surge, which deals damage to any target equal to the power of a creature entering the battlefield under your control. As long as you have Be'Lakor out at the same time, your Demons will be firing off double damage with this and could speed up your gameplan signifiantly.
Like most preconstructed decks, the big weakness here is in the mana base and how slow it is. While Chromatic Lantern is a very nice addition to help ensure you have access to the colours you need, if you're going to upgrade this improving the lands and swapping out that Temple, Swiftwater Cliffs, and Terramorphic Expanse should be your first priority.