Tales of Middle-earth Commander · 2023 Commander precon
The Hosts of Mordor upgrade guide
Budget upgrades, cuts and the full decklist for Sauron, Lord of the Rings.
The Hosts of Mordor is a Grixis (blue-black-red) Commander precon from Tales of Middle-earth Commander (2023), led by Sauron, Lord of the Rings. Out of the box it runs 38 lands, 11 ramp pieces, 17 card-draw effects, 10 removal spells and 4 board wipes, with an average mana value of 4.10.
It already covers the Commander basics, so the best upgrades focus on synergy and a faster mana base (4 lands enter tapped). Its game plan leans on graveyard, spellslinger and tokens, so the plan below favors cards that push that. The $50 plan below makes 10 swaps for $20.06.
Deck health
$50 budget plan
Best upgrades for The Hosts of Mordor
10 swaps for $20.06, built around graveyard and spellslinger and tokens. Prices as of November 6, 2026.
Add 10
Protection: deck has 0 of ~2 · #12 on EDHREC$1.89
Protection: deck has 0 of ~2 · #13 on EDHREC$3.88
Fits your Graveyard plan · #130 on EDHREC$0.65
Fits your Spellslinger plan · #814 on EDHREC$0.36
Fits your Tokens plan · #854 on EDHREC$0.24
Fits your Graveyard plan · #540 on EDHREC$0.50
Fits your Spellslinger plan · #197 on EDHREC$1.44
Untapped land for all your colors · #9 on EDHREC$0.21
Untapped land for black & blue · #49 on EDHREC$4.47
Untapped land for red & blue · #62 on EDHREC$6.42
Cut 10
Enters tapped — slows your early turns
Enters tapped — slows your early turns
Enters tapped — slows your early turns
Trims you to 37 lands — the deck runs 38
Rarely played (#9,177 on EDHREC) · Costs 7 mana
Costs 7 mana · Extra card draw: deck already has 17 (~10 is plenty)
Costs 6 mana · Extra removal: deck already has 10 (~8 is plenty)
Costs 7 mana · Extra card draw: deck already has 17 (~10 is plenty)
Costs 6 mana · Doesn't support the deck's plan
Costs 6 mana · Doesn't support the deck's plan
The Hosts of Mordor decklist
Commander (1)
Creatures (27)
- 1Anger$1.01
- 1Cavern-Hoard Dragon$20.86
- 1Corsairs of Umbar$0.33
- 1Goblin Cratermaker$0.31
- 1Goblin Dark-Dwellers$0.28
- 1Gríma, Saruman's Footman$1.85
- 1Grishnákh, Brash Instigator$0.16
- 1Guttersnipe$0.37
- 1Hostage Taker$0.36
- 1Inferno Titan$0.33
- 1Knollspine Dragon$0.40
- 1Lord of the Nazgûl$5.37
- 1Merciless Executioner$0.50
- 1Monstrosity of the Lake$0.39
- 1Moria Scavenger$0.43
- 1Notion Thief$3.05
- 1Orcish Siegemaster$1.08
- 1Rampaging War Mammoth$0.34
- 1Saruman, the White Hand$0.75
- 1Scourge of the Throne$0.87
- 1Shelob, Dread Weaver$0.94
- 1Siege-Gang Commander$0.31
- 1The Balrog of Moria$0.76
- 1The Mouth of Sauron$0.19
- 1Treasure Nabber$2.12
- 1Troll of Khazad-dûm$0.81
- 1Voracious Fell Beast$0.14
Instants (6)
- 1Arcane Denial$3.19
- 1Bitter Downfall$0.12
- 1Consider$1.13
- 1Fact or Fiction$0.35
- 1Forbidden Alchemy$0.26
- 1Thrill of Possibility$0.29
Sorceries (16)
- 1Blasphemous Act$2.28
- 1Boon of the Wish-Giver$0.28
- 1Decree of Pain$0.35
- 1Deep Analysis$0.27
- 1Extract from Darkness$0.43
- 1Faithless Looting$0.62
- 1Feed the Swarm$0.37
- 1Languish$0.37
- 1Lidless Gaze$0.29
- 1Living Death$6.52
- 1Reanimate$10.62
- 1Subjugate the Hobbits$0.32
- 1Summons of Saruman$0.38
- 1Too Greedily, Too Deep$0.35
- 1Treason of Isengard$0.15
- 1Wake the Dragon$0.34
Artifacts (8)
- 1Arcane Signet$0.91
- 1Basalt Monolith$4.99
- 1Commander's Sphere$0.37
- 1Everflowing Chalice$0.40
- 1Mind Stone$0.40
- 1Relic of Sauron$8.80
- 1Sol Ring$2.87
- 1Worn Powerstone$0.68
Enchantments (4)
- 1Fiery Inscription$0.45
- 1In the Darkness Bind Them$2.45
- 1Revenge of Ravens$0.56
- 1Shiny Impetus$0.32
Lands (38)
- 1Choked Estuary$0.39
- 1Command Tower$0.36
- 1Crumbling Necropolis$0.46
- 1Desolate Lighthouse$0.24
- 1Dragonskull Summit$1.50
- 1Drowned Catacomb$1.78
- 1Evolving Wilds$0.21
- 1Field of Ruin$0.35
- 1Foreboding Ruins$0.40
- 1Frostboil Snarl$0.37
- 3Island$0.16
- 3Island$0.13
- 4Mountain$0.17
- 3Mountain$0.19
- 1Path of Ancestry$0.35
- 1Rogue's Passage$0.89
- 1Smoldering Marsh$0.37
- 1Sulfur Falls$0.38
- 1Sulfurous Springs$2.78
- 1Sunken Hollow$0.39
- 3Swamp$0.12
- 3Swamp$0.16
- 1Terramorphic Expanse$0.26
- 1The Black Gate$9.86
- 1Underground River$2.15
FAQ
How much is the The Hosts of Mordor precon worth?
At current prices the 100 cards in The Hosts of Mordor are worth about $123.83 as singles (cheapest printings, TCGplayer market price as of November 6, 2026).
What are the best budget upgrades for The Hosts of Mordor?
For about $20.06, our top picks are Swiftfoot Boots, Lightning Greaves, Victimize, Talrand, Sky Summoner, Young Pyromancer. The full 10-card plan with cuts is above, and the upgrade tool can rebuild it for any budget.
What should I cut from The Hosts of Mordor?
Start with Crumbling Necropolis, Terramorphic Expanse, Evolving Wilds, Path of Ancestry. These are the least-played or slowest cards that don't support the deck's plan.
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