The Hosts of Mordor Precon: Decklist, Value, and Verdict

I’m not into Magic for the financial aspect (if I were, I wouldn’t have spent so much money on cardboard that I absolutely don’t intend to resell) so you can always take my opinion on the value aspect with a grain of salt. All around I think the deck holds enough value to more than make up for its cost.

Now onto the parts that interest me more! I think The Hosts of Mordor ‘s strategy and playability are pretty fun. I worry that it may rely a bit too much on cards with a very high mana value, which can be a risk if your opponents play lots of counterspells and removal spells, but it’s hard to tell how it’ll actually work before having a chance to play it. The three main themes of the deck are fun, and it’s built in such a way that they complement each other without feeling like its scope is too narrow.

In terms of sheer lore (yes, this is something that I absolutely care about, possibly more than I should), I think the deck works perfectly. Sauron being the commander with Saruman as the lieutenant is perfectly reasonable. Basically, all their more important subjects are there as legendary creatures. The mix of orcs, goblins, and humans also fits nicely with how the army of Sauron was in the books. The presence of dragons is a bit off since there was no mention of dragons except for Smaug during the Third Age, but I’m honestly being nitpicky now.

I really like this deck overall, both in terms of gameplay, and as a big LotR nerd.

The Hosts of Mordor ‘s commander, Sauron, Lord of the Rings, lines out its two main strategies pretty well: reanimation and amass orcs.

Sauron is a highly expensive commander at a mana value of eight. This means you’re probably gonna be casting it only a couple of times each game, but the card itself is designed to make each of those plays worthwhile. The second this card hits the battlefield you amass 5, then you self-mill five and return a creature from your graveyard to the battlefield. All of this on a 9/9 body with trample that can make the Ring tempt you.

While Sauron, Lord of the Rings is a very expensive commander, it’s also quite an explosive one that makes up for its high cost. Another thing to consider is that the deck is built with all of this in mind, so there are both explosive creatures to bring back and several ways to send those into the graveyard earlier on. But first let’s talk about the deck’s lieutenant.

Saruman, the White Hand ties into the deck’s amass orcs theme while adding another subtheme: spellslinger. The deck has tons of spells of various mana values, which means Saruman’s gonna be amassing a pretty significant army. It also gives ward 2 to goblins and orcs you control. If you want an alternative to fill Sauron, Lord of the Rings’s spot as this deck’s commander, Saruman, the White Hand is definitely a great choice.

• Official Tales of Middle-earth Commander decklists (Wizards of the Coast)
• Mysteriously Good Deals on LOTR Commander Products Appear From Nowhere by Herko Kerghans (March 19, 2026)
• All 8 Grixis Commander Precons in Magic Ranked by Jeff Dunn (June 3, 2026)