Commander Legends: Rograkh and Ardenn's Equipped Attack

Boros is well known as the color pair for equipment and combat strategies. So when a red legendary zero-drop commander with partner joins forces with a white legendary creature that cares about equipment, you know it's going to be fun. Check out this Rograkh and Ardenn tech, fresh from Commander Legends!

rograkh & ardenn


The new set has brought us the first legendary zero-mana creature and to no one's surprise, it's a Kobold! is an 0/1 with first strike, menace, and trample but also partner. This makes it the perfect teammate for , another new arrival that cares about putting all the Equipment and Auras in play onto one creature.

A Deck That Builds Itself?


ardenn rograkh

With such a clear line of play riding on the commanders, this deck basically builds itself, right? Cast a number of equipment cards, summon Ardenn and Rograkh, hope nobody has instant-speed removal, and put all our stuff on Rograkh to swing in for lethal. Pretty straightforward. However, there is a catch. Our opponents can see this play coming from the very beginning, so they will plan for it. As a result, we cannot just play without caution. We need to bait out our opponent's removal with other things and try to amass a critical amount of equipment so that when we decide to go with the Rograkh plan, we can actually do some serious damage.

More than Just Rograkh

Why rely only on our commander to be able to kill our opponents? We can use Ardenn to put equipment on other creatures. and are the perfect example. The Champion will get +2/+2 for each other equipment attached to it. With trample this can be a serious threat. Similarly, Valduk creates a number of 3/1 Elemental tokens equal to the number of equipment cards attached to it, which can swarm our opponents. Meanwhile, can draw us a bunch of cards if we decide to suit it up with all the equipment we have.


champion of the flame wyleth, soul of steel valduk, keeper of the flame

All the Equipment

Obviously for such a deck, we need a good amount of equipment. We should prioritize equipment that gives protection or haste, then focus on equipment that boosts power. A good example of protective equipment is , , , , and , while , , , and can boost the power of any creature we equip them to.

has the added benefit of destroying any permanent when we attack while can make copies of itself, giving us more equipment to play with. can become an all-star in this deck. Even though Rograkh has menace, we might need more evasion in the form of flying or unblockable. , , , and provide just that.


commander's plate ogre's cleaver bloodforged battle-axe

The Support Cast

The main protagonist of our deck is definitely Rograkh. However, we do need some good support to make this strategy play out smoothly. can provide card draw while also protecting our equipped commander from board wipes. is a powerful new card that helps us dig deeper into our deck to find more equipment. and make casting our equipment cheaper, while draws us cards the more equipment we cast.

and help us find the right creature for the right situation. and make sure that our equipped commander deals more damage. Kediss will make Rograkh deal equal damage to each opponent, while Reyav will give an equipped creature double strike. can help us kill off multiple opponents in a single turn, as long as we trigger the extra combat ability.


armored skyhunter kediss, emberclaw familiar

The Deck


Rograkh & Ardenn's Equipped Attack
  • 1
  • 1
  • 1
  • 1
  • 1
  • 1
  • 1
  • 1
  • 6
  • 1
  • 14
  • 1
  • 1
  • 1
  • 1
  • 1
  • 1
  •  
  • 1
  • 1
  • 1
  • 1
  • 1
  • 1
  • 1
  • 1
  • 1
  • 1
  • 1
  • 1
  • 1
  • 1
  • 1
  • 1
  • 1
  • 1
  • 1
  • 1
  • 1
  • 1
  • 1
  • 1
  • 1
  • 1
  • 1
  • 1
  • 1
  • 1
  • 1
  • 1
  • 1
  • 1
  • 1
  • 1
  • 1
  • 1
  • 1
  • 1
  • 1
  • 1
  • 1
  • 1
  • 1
  •  
  • 1
  • 1
  • 1
  • 1
  • 1
  • 1
  • 1
  • 1
  • 1
  • 1
  • 1
  • 1
  • 1
  • 1
  • 1
  • 1
  • 1
  • 1
  •  
  • Commanders:
  • 1
  • 1

Conclusion

Most people think that Rograkh is a meme, but in practice it can actually be a powerhouse. Having Ardenn's ability to bypass the equip costs and suit up Rograkh in one single swoop can win games in a flash. The weakness of the deck is consistency. Sometimes you might not have enough equipment for lethal damage and your opponents will gang up against you. That's why it is important to play patiently and wait for the right time to strike.

What do you think of this new Boros deck? Can you think of other equipment that would make Rograkh even more impressive? Let us know in the comment section below!

Opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and not necessarily Cardmarket.