The Balrog of Moria

Legendary Creature — Avatar Demon

Trample, haste

When The Balrog of Moria dies, you may exile it. When you do, for each opponent, exile up to one target creature that player controls.

Cycling {3}{R} ({3}{R}, Discard this card: Draw a card.)

When you cycle The Balrog of Moria, create two Treasure tokens. (It's a colourless artifact with "{T}, Sacrifice this artifact: Add one mana of any colour.")

Tokens

• Treasure

Legality

Format	Legality
1v1 Commander	Legal
Archenemy	Legal
Block Constructed	Legal
Canadian Highlander	Legal
Casual	Legal
Commander / EDH	Legal
Commander: Rule 0	Legal
Custom	Legal
Duel Commander	Legal
Freeform	Legal
Highlander	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Leviathan	Legal
Limited	Legal
Oathbreaker	Legal
Planar Constructed	Legal
Planechase	Legal
Quest Magic	Legal
Vanguard	Legal
Vintage	Legal

Discussion (5)

trippy_mcfly on Cumly Cube

4 months ago

Introducing Cumly Cube 1.4! Two months ago, Cumly Cube was updated to Cumly Cube 1.3, which was touted as balanced and without any notable flaws. There is no more insidious poison than hubris! Many cards remained that were too strong, or close to unplayable. Many archetypes existed in the cube but had too little support to ever be worth drafting. Many cards failed to fit the ethos of Cumly Cube. With 89 more cuts and adds, I am now pleased to announce that, this time, Cumly Cube has reached a final form! Perhaps a few cards are still too strong, too weak, or out of place, but the vast majority of the draft pool is now in an acceptable state. Any further changes to Cumly Cube 1 will exist as minor updates, swapping out only a few cards at a time. This means that there will never be a Cumly Cube 1.5, only 1.4.1, 1.4.2, etc.

Here are the changes, provided with brief justifications:

REMOVED:

ARTIFACT

1. Basilisk Collar: equipment is not part of Cumly Cube 1
2. Hedron Archive: cut to weaken the artifact archetype
3. Mox DiamondGC: cut to weaken the artifact archetype
4. Mox Opal: cut to weaken the artifact archetype
5. Mox Tantalite: cut to weaken the artifact archetype
6. Sensei's Divining Top:cut to weaken the artifact archetype

CREATURE

1. Academy Manufactor: cut to weaken the artifact archetype
2. Archfiend of Spite: madness is not part of Cumly Cube 1
3. Arsenal Thresher: too weak
4. Augmenting Automaton: too weak
5. Autonomous Assembler: Assembly-Workers have been cut from Cumly Cube 1
6. Baleful Force: too weak
7. Battleground Geist: cut for a better Spirit card
8. Belligerent Hatchling: too weak
9. Bloodpyre Elemental: too generic of a red card
10. Bloom Hulk: there are better proliferate engines available in Cumly Cube
11. Copperhorn Scout: cut to weaken the Elf creature type
12. Crosis, the Purger: too annoying to play against
13. Deathrite Shaman: cut to weaken the Elf creature type
14. Deus of Calamity: too weak
15. Dutiful Replicator: Assembly-Workers have been cut from Cumly Cube 1
16. Dwynen's Elite: cut to weaken the Elf creature type
17. Emperor's Vanguard: cut to weaken green
18. Farhaven Elf: cut to weaken the Elf creature type
19. Fear of Exposure: cut to weaken green
20. Fertilid: cut to weaken green
21. Galazeth Prismari: cut to weaken the artifact archetype
22. Geyserfield Stalker: too weak
23. Greater Gargadon: suspend is not part of Cumly Cube 1
24. Hallowed Priest: cut for an identical card to support the Cat creature type
25. Heedless One: cut for a similar card to better support the Elf creature type
26. Hematite Golem: too weak
27. Hunted Horror: too weak
28. Impetuous Devils: too generic of a red card
29. Jeskai Student: too weak
30. Junktroller: too weak
31. Lashweed Lurker: emerge is not part of Cumly Cube 1
32. Llanowar Visionary: cut to weaken the Elf creature type
33. Lodestone Golem: we have seen enough of this card in other formats
34. Lunar Avenger: too weak
35. Maze Behemoth: cut to weaken green
36. Mishra's Self-Replicator: Assembly-Workers have been cut from Cumly Cube 1
37. Morselhoarder: too weak
38. Night Incarnate: too generic of a black card
39. Omnath, Locus of the Roil: cut to weaken the Elemental creature type
40. Phantom Nishoba: too weak
41. Quirion Ranger: cut to weaken the Elf creature type
42. Scalding Devil: cut to make room for more interesting Devil creatures
43. Self-Assembler: Assembly-Workers have been cut from Cumly Cube 1
44. Seton, Krosan Protector: cut to weaken green
45. Soul of Zendikar: cut to weaken green
46. Teferi's Sentinel: too weak
47. Thought Monitor: cut to weaken the artifact archetype
48. Torbran, Thane of Red Fell: too generic of a red card
49. Ulamog, the Infinite Gyre: cut to make room for more balanced Eldrazi creatures
50. Walking Ballista: cut to remove an infinite combo payoff accessible from the Cumly Zone

ENCHANTMENT

1. Aura ShardsGC: too powerful
2. Blood Moon: we have seen enough of this card in other formats
3. Impending Disaster: too weak
4. In Bolas's Clutches: cut for a similar but more expensive version of this effect
5. Night Soil: cut due to the presence of two other very similar cards
6. Revel in Riches: too powerful
7. Urban Utopia: cut to weaken green

LAND

1. Ancient TombGC: too powerful
2. Flagstones of Trokair: too weak
3. Mishra's WorkshopGC: too powerful
4. Urza's Saga: too powerful

INSTANT

1. Accelerate: too generic of a red card
2. Bedevil: spot removal has been removed in favor of removal found in commands, charms, and confluences
3. Fading Hope: too generic of a blue card
4. Fissure: spot removal has been removed in favor of removal found in commands, charms, and confluences
5. Fracture: spot removal has been removed in favor of removal found in commands, charms, and confluences
6. Frazzle: too generic of a blue card
7. Inside Out: too weak
8. Lens Flare: spot removal has been removed in favor of removal found in commands, charms, and confluences
9. Schismotivate: too weak
10. Seize the Initiative: too weak
11. Volt Charge: spot removal has been removed in favor of removal found in commands, charms, and confluences

PLANESWALKER

1. Karn Liberated: too generic and powerful of a draft pick
2. Nissa of Shadowed Boughs: animating lands is not part of Cumly Cube 1

SORCERY

1. Broken Bond: spot removal has been removed in favor of removal found in commands, charms, and confluences
2. Chain Reaction: too generic of a red card
3. False Dawn: too weak
4. Grim Tutor: too powerful
5. Ice Storm: spot removal has been removed in favor of removal found in commands, charms, and confluences
6. Lava Flow: spot removal has been removed in favor of removal found in commands, charms, and confluences
7. Sinkhole: spot removal has been removed in favor of removal found in commands, charms, and confluences
8. Tezzeret's Gambit: too powerful
9. Wildfire: too generic of a red card

ADDED:

ARTIFACT

1. Banner of Kinship: encourages building around creature types
2. Conduit of Worlds: supports graveyard synergies
3. Pillar of Origins: encourages building around creature types

CREATURE

1. Aetherjacket: supports the Thopter creature type
2. Ajani's Pridemate: replaces Hallowed Priest to support the Cat creature type and lifegain synergies
3. Akroan Conscriptor: supports spellslinger synergies
4. Alibou, Ancient Witness: supports the Golem creature type and other artifact decks
5. Ancient Cellarspawn: supports the Demon, Horror, and Nightmare creature types
6. Angelic Aberration: supports the Angel and Eldrazi creature types
7. Axgard Artisan: supports the Dwarf creature type
8. Bloodwater Entity: supports spellslinger synergies
9. Brass Herald: supports the Golem creature type and encourages building around creature types
10. Campus Guide: supports the Golem creature type
11. Chief of the Foundry: supports the Construct creature type and other artifact decks
12. Chrome Courier: supports the Thopter creature type
13. Cursed Wombat: supports the Nightmare creature type and +1/+1 counter decks
14. Darksteel Colossus: supports the Golem creature type
15. Duergar Hedge-Mage: supports the Dwarf creature type
16. Eidolon of Blossoms: supports the enchantment archetype
17. Endbringer: supports the Eldrazi creature type
18. Essence Depleter: supports the Eldrazi creature type
19. Gimli, Mournful Avenger: supports the Dwarf creature type
20. Gishath, Sun's Avatar: supports the Dinosaur creature type
21. Herald of Slaanesh: supports the Demon creature type
22. Hunting Velociraptor: supports the Dinosaur creature type
23. Immaculate Magistrate: replaces Heedless One to support the Elf creature type
24. It That Heralds the End: supports the Eldrazi creature type
25. Kozilek's Channeler: supports the Eldrazi creature type
26. Mayhem Devil: supports the Devil creature type
27. Patrician Geist: replaces Battleground Geist to support the Spirit creature type
28. Petravark: supports the Beast creature type
29. Pillardrop Warden: supports the Dwarf and Spirit creature types
30. Precursor Golem: supports the Golem creature type
31. Prosperous Pirates: supports the Pirate creature type
32. Quandrix Pledgemage: supports the Merfolk creature type and spellslinger synergies
33. Roaming Throne: supports the Golem creature type and encourages building around creature types
34. Rootwater Hunter: supports the Merfolk creature type
35. Shambling Suit: supports the Construct creature type and other artifact decks as well as enchantment decks
36. Shantotto, Tactician Magician: supports the Dwarf creature type and spellslinger synergies
37. Smokebraider: supports the Elemental creature type
38. Solarion: supports the Construct creature type
39. Species Specialist: encourages building around creature types
40. Squealing Devil: supports the Devil creature type
41. Tayam, Luminous Enigma: supports the Beast and Nightmare creature types
42. The Balrog of Moria: supports the Demon creature type
43. The Lady of Otaria: supports the Dwarf creature type
44. Three Tree Mascot: adds mana fixing and encourages building around creature types
45. Titans' Vanguard: supports the Eldrazi creature type
46. Torch Fiend: supports the Devil creature type
47. Ulamog's Dreadsire: supports the Eldrazi creature type
48. Vengeful Devil: supports the Devil creature type
49. Venomcrawler: supports the Demon creature type
50. Wavecrash Triton: supports the Merfolk creature type and spellslinger synergies
51. Zara, Renegade Recruiter: supports the Pirate creature type

ENCHANTMENT

1. Destructive Flow: offers a land destruction engine that can provide a large advantage in some decks
2. Efficient Construction: supports the Thopter creature type
3. Keldon Twilight: offers a creature destruction engine for aggressive decks
4. Lay Claim: replaces In Bolas's Clutches as a more expensive control spell
5. Might Makes Right: encourages large creatures and can be used in conjunction with sacrifice synergies as a creature destruction engine
6. Porphyry Nodes: offers a creature destruction engine for slower decks
7. Retreat to Kazandu: supports landfall synergies
8. Shivan Harvest: offers a land destruction engine and supports sacrifice synergies
9. Sunken Hope: offers a creature bounce engine for slower decks
10. Whirlwind of Thought: supports spellslinger synergies

LAND

1. Foundry of the Consuls: supports the Thopter creature type

INSTANT

1. Atarka's Command: commands have been added to Cumly Cube to provide interaction and versatility
2. Aura Mutation: quite similar to Artifact Mutation
3. Brokers Confluence: confluences have been added to Cumly Cube to provide interaction and versatility
4. Cabaretti Confluence: confluences have been added to Cumly Cube to provide interaction and versatility
5. Dromoka's Command: commands have been added to Cumly Cube to provide interaction and versatility
6. Kolaghan's Command: commands have been added to Cumly Cube to provide interaction and versatility
7. Lorehold Command: commands have been added to Cumly Cube to provide interaction and versatility
8. Maestros Charm: rounding out the charms in Cumly Cube to provide interaction and versatility
9. Maestros Confluence: confluences have been added to Cumly Cube to provide interaction and versatility
10. Obscura Charm: rounding out the charms in Cumly Cube to provide interaction and versatility
11. Obscura Confluence: confluences have been added to Cumly Cube to provide interaction and versatility
12. Ojutai's Command: commands have been added to Cumly Cube to provide interaction and versatility
13. Pulse of the Fields: supports lifegain synergies
14. Quandrix Command: commands have been added to Cumly Cube to provide interaction and versatility
15. Riveteers Charm: rounding out the charms in Cumly Cube to provide interaction and versatility
16. Silumgar's Command: commands have been added to Cumly Cube to provide interaction and versatility
17. Silverquill Command: commands have been added to Cumly Cube to provide interaction and versatility
18. Siren's Ruse: supports the Pirate creature type and blink synergies

PLANESWALKER

1. Saheeli, Filigree Master: supports the Thopter creature type
2. Vraska, Golgari Queen: supports sacrifice synergies

SORCERY

1. Renegade Tactics: replaces Accelerate as a less typical red card
2. Roar of the Crowd: encourages building around creature types
3. Temporary Insanity: stealing creatures is a small but important part of Cumly Cube
4. Witherbloom Command: commands have been added to Cumly Cube to provide interaction and versatility

DeeLight on Be'lakor, Blade of the Seraph

11 months ago

Big fan of demon tribal builds. I learned about Mark of the Oni a long time ago and have been enjoying it in most builds that have enough demons or sac-outlets in them. It's probably good enough to give you an edge. I can also think about The Balrog of Moria (Or maybe Orca, Siege Demon for budget) as a pretty good beatstick with removal, that can give you ramp rather than brick your hand.

Rocketman988 on Demon Till Your Dreams Come True

1 year ago

MightyPox, I did indeed miss your initial comment somehow! I was traveling and replied on mobile, so I blame the small screen. I also really love my demons and it hurts to take any out, so I'm constantly shifting the mix between demons and enablers depending on what I feel is strongest at the moment. We just got some AWESOME new demons though, so I'm tweaking the list towards the creature side again.

Bloodletter of Aclazotz and Rakdos, Patron of Chaos absolutely need to be in the deck. Infernal Sovereign is tricky, and I'm still on the fence, but I'm going to try it out and see. It can fuel some absolutely insane turns, adds bonus value to our cheap spells like rituals and loots, but it's a real feels bad to have if trying to use Sire Of Insanity. High risk high reward, which I want to love.

Bringer of the Last Gift and Scourge of the Skyclaves are both reanimation nonbos, so I don't like them for that reason. I hate paying full cost for my demons since I've worked in so much synergy with cheating creatures. If you like them, run them! They are fun demons for sure. :)

The Balrog of Moria keeps popping in and out of my list, and he's so close to worth it. We'll see if the heavier creature focus I'm shifting back towards gets him a spot.

MightyPox on Demon Till Your Dreams Come True

2 years ago

Hi Rocketman! How is it going?

Nice to see your Rakdos primer is still active and updated!
I appreciate the new section about Rakdos Game Theory!
Haven't played Magic for some time now but my buddy and I will be getting back at it soon. In preparation for that I went through the Rakdos-coloured demons on Gatherer and saw that there are new demons to consider for the deck.

Bloodletter of Aclazotz
We can always use effects like Archfiend of Despair/Fiery Emancipation, so this one's really good.
My deck does most of it's damage during my turn anyhow. Definitely adding it to the deck.

Infernal Sovereign
An effect in the vein of Recycle/Null Profusion on a 6/6 flying, trampling demon may help us in a pseudo combo turn.
I'm usually always playing a land and/or spell each turn or drawing/filtering cards in other ways so skipping the draw step is not a great set back. Not sure about this one but will be testing it.

Bringer of the Last Gift
Living Death is one of my favourite cards in this deck and here it is stacked on a 6/6 flying demon.
The only draw back is that it has to be cast for {6}{B}{B} which is a steep price as most of the expensive demons are reanimated. Only Hellcarver Demon may cheat it into play.
Nevertheless I will try this one out, maybe in place of Patriarch's Bidding.

Scourge of the Skyclaves
This one has been around for a while now and most of the time it will be {5}{B}{B}: everybody loses half of his or her life.
In an earlier iteration of the deck I ran Havoc Festival which was nice because it speeds up things and my opponents would lose the life before me and not simultaneously.
Still for this deck I'm always looking for demons that do "crazy things" and maybe one day I will test this guy.

Concerning The Balrog of Moria: I read that you had this one on and off your deck and I think I like it.
All of it's abilities are relevant to us. If I find space for him I will test him for sure!


I read through your change log/Rakdos Game Theory/user comments and I understand that you emphasize playing the commander and therefore divert slightly away from the demon-theme.
While I think that your success proves you right, I just can't bring myself to cut a lot of demons from this deck - I'm a flavour freak on this one. :D
I'm really light on Rakdos protection (Tibalt's Trickery, Lightning Greaves and Not of this World are the only ones right now). Maybe if I could find room for Bolt Bend and Deflecting Swat I could see myself casting Rakdos more often.
On the other hand: since I've been playing this deck 1vs1 most of the time, connecting with Rakdos is devastating for my opponent and almost always leads to victory.
I also had situations when I had the mana to cast Rakdos very early in the game but had also options to do crazy stuff that could potentially win me the game.
Albeit risky I mostly tried the crazy things because this is my only deck that can do this kind of thing - the Rakdos thing. :D

I'm looking forward on reading what you think about the demon suggestions I made in this post!

Rocketman988 on Demon Till Your Dreams Come True

2 years ago

In addition to the low average CMC of the deck, the deck runs the following 17 non-land cards to satisfy its mana requirements: Jeweled Lotus, Mana Crypt, Sol Ring, Dockside Extortionist, Dream Devourer, Hellcarver Demon, Herald of Slaanesh, Rakdos, Lord of Riots, The Balrog of Moria, Treasonous Ogre, Burnt Offering, Cabal Ritual, Dark Ritual, Sacrifice, Songs of the Damned, Jeska's Will, and Seize the Spotlight.

Because many of the effects are single use or sacrificed to Rakdos, we also run 22 cards that can find or draw the above cards in addition to more lands: Burning-Rune Demon, Doom Whisperer, Immersturm Raider, Rune-Scarred Demon, Varragoth, Bloodsky Sire, Villis, Broker of Blood, Demonic Consultation, Entomb, Thrill of Possibility, Valakut Awakening  ^Flip, Buried Alive, Cathartic Reunion, Demonic Tutor, Doomsday, Faithless Looting, Jeska's Will, Mizzix's Mastery, Reforge the Soul, Seize the Spotlight, Wheel of Fortune, Wheel of Misfortune, and Liliana's Contract.