If you like attacking from the shadows, and milling your opponents to death, then Rogue Tribal is the right deck for you.
I love tribal decks because they combine synergy and flavor and of course power. On top of that you can find many unique cards that support a tribe and can be great budget options as those cards work only on a specific tribal deck and are bad to unplayable to any other deck. That’s why I will try building and presenting a series of decks for all those who share the love for tribal decks.
Rogues are those who live by their wits, using stealth and cunning to make their way in life. Many rogues are notoriously tricky and amoral, as their clever minds and silver tongues give them an advantage over most others; a good rogue can steal the clothes right off an unwitting target’s back. Many rogues are skilled with daggers, rapiers, and other light weapons. Most rogues are blue or black, though rogues span all five colors. (MTG Wiki)
Zendikar Rising Commander Deck Sneak Attack, features some great Rogues and Rogue Tribal support cards. It may be a good starting point for building Rogue Tribal. Although you can call it a precon upgrade, my build is more a precon remake than an upgrade so you can start from zero and buy singles. The optimal building option depends on the price and availability of the cards.
The commander of our Rogues is Anowon, the Ruin Thief, a Legendary Vampire Rogue that works as a Rogue Anthem buffing other Rogues with +1/+1 and making them a tool for milling our opponent, while he becomes a repeatable draw source as long as we hit at least one creature that way. A great value engine and a fitting commander for our Rogue Tribal that focus on dealing damage with Rogues (while they are on stealth mode) and on milling our opponents to death.
Synergy Diagram
I always like to make a simple synergy diagram in order to deeply comprehend the potential and the strategy areas that are supported by the commander when I choose top-down building.
Let’s analyze the main goals of the deck.
- Add the best Rogues. Our top priority is to add the ones with Mill synergy and Rogues with a form of evasion.
- Add cards with Rogue Tribal synergy.
- Add cards that Mill our opponents and/or have Mill synergy.
- Add cards that synergize with our strategies. To make the best out of our strategies, we can further amplify them by adding cards that synergize both with Rogues and with Mill strategy.
For the sake of flavor some of the choices are not optimal, but are (usually budget friendly) alternatives that fit greatly the Rogue Tribal theme.
The deck:
Rogue Tribal
Comparative Analysis
Let’s see how the deck compares to the general ratios of my deckbuilding guide.
34 Lands
5 Ramp: Dimir Signet , Arcane Signet , Sol Ring , Patchwork Banner, Frogtosser Banneret
11 Target Removal: Azure Beastbinder (kinda), Thieves’ Guild Enforcer (kinda), Feed the Swarm, Thought Collapse, Drown in the Loch, Enigma Thief, Thieving Skydiver, Didn’t Say Please , Hagra Mauling, Master Thief, Jwari Disruption
2 Board Wipes: Crippling Fear , In Garruk’s Wake
3 Graveyard Recursion: Halo Forager, Back in Town, Marang River Prowler (self-recursion)
3 Graveyard Hate: Bojuka Bog , Dauthi Voidwalker, Halo Forager
1 Tutors: Varragoth, Bloodsky Sire
5 Protection: Cloak and Dagger, Thought Collapse, Drown in the Loch, Jwari Disruption, Lazav, Dimir Mastermind (self-protection)
10 Card Draw: Anowon, the Ruin Thief , Shoreline Looter, Looter il-Kor, Teferi’s Tutelage (1/2), Court of Cunning, Reconnaissance Mission, Coastal Piracy, Ghostly Pilferer, Military Intelligence, Merfolk Windrobber (1/2), Sygg, River Cutthroat
5 Finishers/ Surprise /Alternate win conditions: Duskmantle Guildmage, Bloodchief Ascension, Syr Konrad, the Grim, Notorious Throng, Bruvac the Grandiloquent
As we see form the comparative analysis, the rates per category are good except in ramp category where we see a much lower number than optimal min value. Although our Rogue Tribal has low cmc average (and it is even lower if we calculate the fact that some cards will always be played with their Prowl cost), we need further playtesting to prove that there is no problem. Apart from ramp category, there is no other score below the optimal low average. Finishers/ Surprise /Alternate win conditions are at 5 which is very good, but the real power of our build is not reflected properly in our comparative analysis as there are powerful combo that elevate that category.
Deck Highlights, synergy and flavor options:
Ramp
Frogtosser Banneret is a Rogue (and Goblin) mana cost reducer by 
so it is a great pick for Rogue Tribal.
Patchwork Banner is one of the best cards for Tribal builds as it combines ramp and Tribal support. Being both a mana rock and a Tribal Anthem gives us amazing value for its mana cost. Of course it is a top pick for our Rogue Tribal!
Target Removal
Azure Beastbinder is not actually a removal, but whenever it attacks, up to one target artifact, creature, or planeswalker an opponent controls loses all abilities until our next turn, which works as a kind of target removal for a limited time. In addition, if it’s a creature, it also has base power and toughness 2/2 until your next turn, while Azure Beastbinder can’t be blocked by creatures with power 2 or greater. A great utility card for our Rogue Tribal.
Thieves’ Guild Enforcer is a top pick for our build, as it has both Rogue Tribal and Mill synergy. As long as an opponent has eight or more cards in their graveyard, Thieves’ Guild Enforcer gets +2/+1 and has Deathtouch and combined with Flash, means it can be used as a kind of removal too.
Thought Collapse, Didn’t Say Please and Drown in the Loch are our counterspells and all have Mill synergy. Drown in the Loch can also be used as a removal which makes it optimal as a target removal. Jwari Disruption has no Mill synergy, but it is a counterspell that can be played as a Land, so it is a great addition. Great target removal options for our Rogue Tribal.
Enigma Thief is meant to be played with its Prowl cost, as for 
we get a 5/5 Flyer, which on ETB, for each opponent, returns up to one target nonland permanent that player controls to its owner’s hand. A top pick for Rogue Tribal.
Thieving Skydiver and Master Thief have powerful ETB effects, as they steal the artifacts of our opponents. Thieving Skydiver needs to be Kicked with 
to gain control of target artifact with mana value X, while Master Thief gains control of target artifact for as long as you control it. Great artifact removal options for our Rogue Tribal, because we can gain multiple value by using the stolen artifacts for our own benefit.
Board Wipes
Crippling Fear is a great budget mass removal for tribal decks as it can clear the board of our opponents while leaving ours intact.
In Garruk’s Wake is very expensive, but at least it is an one-sided creature and planeswalker wipe, affecting only our opponents.
Graveyard Recursion
Back in Town is a great mass graveyard recursion spell for outlaws (Assassins, Mercenaries, Pirates, Rogues, and Warlocks are outlaws) so it is a top pick for our Rogue Tribal.
Halo Forager on ETB, by paying let us cast target instant or sorcery card with mana value X from a graveyard without paying its mana cost. It can be our own or an opponent’s graveyard so it can be used as a graveyard hate card too. Great flexibility and being a 3/1 flyer, makes it a great Rogue for our Rogue Tribal.
Marang River Prowler can be cast from our graveyard as long as we control a black or green permanent. This ability makes it extra sticky and its build-in evasion makes it a great pick for Rogue Tribal.
Graveyard Hate
Bojuka Bog is a staple for graveyard hate.
Dauthi Voidwalker is an amazing card, as it exiles opponent’s cards that would be put into the graveyard with a void counter and by 
and sacrificing it, it lets us play on of those cards without paying its mana cost. Add to that its build-in evasion (Shadow) and we have one of the best cards for our Rogue Tribal.
Tutors
Varragoth, Bloodsky Sire is a Legendary Demon Rogue and a great repeatable tutor that has “Boast – 
: Target player searches their library for a card, then shuffles their library and puts that card on top of it”. Although it has no evasion, it has Deathtouch, so one have to think twice before blocking it. A great addition to our Rogue Tribal.
Protection
Cloak and Dagger is a Tribal Artifact – Rogue Equipment that works wonders in our build. It provides equipped creature with +2/+0 and Shroud, but more importantly whenever a Rogue creature enters the battlefield, we may attach Cloak and Dagger to it, which makes it a great protection tool that’s optimal in Rogue Tribal.
Card Draw
Anowon, the Ruin Thief is our commander and with our Evasion strategy he becomes an unstoppable Mill and draw engine. The cornerstone of our build.
Shoreline Looter and Looter il-Kor are unblockable and help us with card draw by looting. With Shoreline Looter we can avoid the discard part if seven or more cards are in our graveyard. Both can be great sources of card draw in our Rogue Tribal.
Court of Cunning has great synergy with our Rogue Tribal and our Mill strategy. When it enters we become the monarch. At the beginning of our upkeep, any number of target players each mill two cards. If we’re the monarch, each of those players mills ten cards instead. Our evasion strategy can help us reclaim the monarch (if it is lost) and we can expect to draw many cards from it.
Reconnaissance Mission and Coastal Piracy are great card draw engines in our Rogue Tribal that synergize with our evasion strategy, letting us draw a card whenever a creature we control deals combat damage to an opponent. Great picks for our build.
Ghostly Pilferer can help us with card draw either When Ghostly it becomes untapped (by paying 
we may draw a card), or when an opponent casts a spell from anywhere other than their hand. On top of that, by discarding a card, it becomes unblockable which is important for our build, making it a great inclusion for our Rogue Tribal.
Military Intelligence works greatly in creature-heavy decks and even better in our Rogue Tribal build since it synergizes with our evasion strategy and becomes a draw engine.
Sygg, River Cutthroat is an amazing draw engine for our build as it triggers at the beginning of each end step and if an opponent lost 3 or more life this turn, we may draw a card. A top pick for Rogue Tribal.
Merfolk Windrobber is a cheap Merfolk Rogue that has Mill synergy, evasion (flying) and can be sacrificed for drawing a card (only if an opponent has eight or more cards in their graveyard). A great pick for our Rogue Tribal.
Finishers/ Surprise /Alternate win conditions
Bloodchief Ascension is our top alternate win condition. It needs minimup setup (it is quite easy to get 3 quest counters) and once it starts working, we can easily finish the game with our Mill strategy, as whenever a card is put into an opponent’s graveyard from anywhere, we may have that player lose 2 life and if we do, we gain 2 life. A must-have card for our Rogue Tribal.
Duskmantle Guildmage and Syr Konrad, the Grim play a similar role with Bloodchief Ascension, turning our Mill into life drain. They can be great finishers too, combined with our Mill strategy. Great additions to our Rogue Tribal, as they help with our deck consistency.
Bruvac the Grandiloquent is a Mill doubler and a great combo enabler, as combined with any cards that Mill half the deck of our opponents, he doubles that Mill and leave our opponents with no cards in library. A must-have card to our Rogue Tribal.
Notorious Throng is a great Faerie Rogue Token producer, but its real power comes if we cast it for its Prowl cost, as we take an extra turn. Extra turns are very powerful and combined with the Token creation, it may be a finishing move.
Other synergy pieces
Lethal combo
Bloodchief Ascension + Mindcrank results in infinite mill, near-infinite lifegain, near-infinite lifegain triggers and near-infinite lifeloss. The combo can be explained here (EDHREC)
Duskmantle Guildmage + Mindcrank results in each opponent losing the game, infinite mill and near-infinite lifeloss. The combo can be explained here (EDHREC)
Maddening Cacophony + Bruvac the Grandiloquent results in infinite mill. The combo can be explained here (EDHREC)
Maddening Cacophony + Duskmantle Guildmage results in each opponent losing the game, near-infinite mill and near-infinite lifeloss. The combo can be explained here (EDHREC)
Maddening Cacophony + Fraying Sanity results in infinite mill for target opponent and near-infinite mill for all opponents. The combo can be explained here (EDHREC)
Cut Your Losses + Bruvac the Grandiloquent results in infinite mill for up to two target players. The combo can be explained here (EDHREC)
Traumatize + Bruvac the Grandiloquent results in infinite mill for target opponent. The combo can be explained here (EDHREC)
Traumatize + Fraying Sanity results in infinite mill for target opponent. The combo can be explained here (EDHREC)
Cut Your Losses + Fraying Sanity results in infinite mill for target opponent. The combo can be explained here (EDHREC)
Maddening Cacophony + Riverchurn Monument results in infinite mill. The combo can be explained here (EDHREC)
Cut Your Losses + Riverchurn Monument results in infinite mill for up to two target players. The combo can be explained here (EDHREC)
Traumatize + Riverchurn Monument results in infinite mill for target opponent. The combo can be explained here (EDHREC)
Great Rogues
Mercurial Spelldancer is an unblockable Rogue that stores Oil counters whenever we cast a noncreature spell and when it deals combat damage to a player we may remove two oil counters from it to copy our next instant or sorcery spell this turn and we may choose new targets for the copy. A great utility card that can create some powerful combos in our Rogue Tribal.
Oona’s Blackguard works as a Rogue Lord, giving each other Rogue that enters, +1/+1 counter. In addition whenever a creature we control with a +1/+1 counter on it deals combat damage to a player, that player discards a card. A top pick for our Rogue Tribal.
Soaring Thought-Thief works as a Rogue Lord giving our Rogues +1/+0 as long as an opponent has eight or more cards in their graveyard. It also has Mill synergy, so it is a top card for our Rogue Tribal.
Glasspool Mimic is a Rogue that can copy any creature but still being a Rogue, or it can be played as a Land too, so it is a flexible and valuable tool for our Rogue Tribal.
Nighthawk Scavenger has Flying, Deathtouch, Lifelink and its power is equal to 1 plus the number of card types among cards in our opponents’ graveyards. Great synergy and a powerful creature for our Rogue Tribal.
Stinkdrinker Bandit has Rogue Tribal synergy as whenever a Rogue we control attacks and isn’t blocked, it gets +2/+1 until end of turn. In addition we can cast it for its reduced Prowl cost, getting more value. A great addition for our build with our evasion strategy.
Stinkdrinker Bandit has an ability similar to Ninjutsu that can be used to avoid enemy lines and trigger its powerful ability (whenever it deals combat damage to a player) stealing target permanent card from a player’s graveyard. A must-have card for our Rogue Tribal.
Oona, Queen of the Fae is a great Rogue Token creator. By paying 
and choosing a color, target opponent exiles the top X cards of their library. For each card of the chosen color exiled this way, we create a 1/1 blue and black Faerie Rogue creature token with flying. A nice addition to our Rogue Tribal.
Knowledge Exploitation is a Tribal Sorcery – Rogue that let us search target opponent’s library for an instant or sorcery card and cast that card without paying its mana cost. It is a powerful sorcery and we can cast it for its Prowl cost to get optimal value. A must-have card for our Rogue Tribal.
Evasion Strategy : 26 cards
Changeling Outcast, Merfolk Windrobber, Slither Blade, Triton Shorestalker, Azure Beastbinder, Dauthi Voidwalker, Ghostly Pilferer, Invisible Stalker, Krydle of Baldur’s Gate, Looter il-Kor, Mercurial Spelldancer, Oona’s Blackguard, Shoreline Looter, Soaring Thought-Thief, Thieving Skydiver, Blackbloom Rogue, Halo Forager, Marang River Prowler, Nighthawk Scavenger, Marsh Flitter, Enigma Thief, Access Tunnel, Escape Tunnel, Rogue’s Passage, Soaring Seacliff
Mill Strategy : 27 cards
Merfolk Windrobber, Thieves’ Guild Enforcer, Duskmantle Guildmage, Krydle of Baldur’s Gate, Soaring Thought-Thief, Anowon, the Ruin Thief, Consuming Aberration, Syr Konrad, the Grim, Drown in the Loch, Glimpse the Unthinkable, Maddening Cacophony, Didn’t Say Please, Thought Collapse, Archive Trap, Traumatize, Cut Your Losses, Mindcrank, Riverchurn Monument, Bloodchief Ascension, Court of Cunning, Fraying Sanity, Psychic Corrosion, Sphinx’s Tutelage, Teferi’s Tutelage, Duskmantle, House of Shadow, Ipnu Rivulet, Nephalia Drownyard
Anowon, the Ruin Thief makes all our Rogues having Mill synergy when they deal combat damage to a player and that works wonders with our Evasion strategy.
Other
Lazav, Dimir Mastermind is a Shapeshifter that has Hexproof and may copy any card that is put into an opponent’s graveyard from anywhere, except its name is Lazav, Dimir Mastermind it’s legendary in addition to its other types, and it has hexproof and this ability. Nice synergy with our Mill strategy.
Consuming Aberration help us with Mill, while it can easily get really huge as its power and toughness are each equal to the number of cards in our opponents’ graveyards. Great Mill synergy.
Mindcrank is a top utility card for our Rogue Tribal as it turns an opponent life loss into mill and works wonders with our evasion strategy. Moreover, it is a combo material so it is a must-have card for our build.
Obelisk of Urd can act as a double Tribal anthem and is valuable for our Rogue Tribal as our Rogues get +2/+2 which can be menacing with our evasion strategy.
Double Down acts as a Rogue doubler as whenever we cast an outlaw spell, we copy that spell. (Assassins, Mercenaries, Pirates, Rogues, and Warlocks are outlaws). A great card for Rogue Tribal.
Let’s see some more statistics about our deck. Some important info to care about is the mana curve and the card type distribution, as it can help us understand better our deck and may indicate where there is space for improving it.
Mana Curve
The mana curve is very close to average with an exception in 2 drop position where we see a great spike. Moreover, the cmc average or our Rogue Tribal is actually even lower if we consider the fact that most cards with Prowl will be played with the Prowl cost most of the time and that cost is in most cases significantly lower than the normal cmc.
Card Type Distribution
The Rogue Tribal Card Type Distribution shows the dominant Tribal creature-heavy theme with 36 creatures, with other categories to have smaller psesence: artifacts at 8, sorceries and enchantments at 10 and instants at 6. No planeswalkers or battles are present at the time.
Of course statistics and comparative analysis are great tools but they don’t always tell the whole truth, since many factors like synergy and combo pieces are hard to be measured numerically. For example in this deck, with all the deck build around Anowon, the Ruin Thief, all our Rogues with evasion are a part of our Mill strategy which is much more consistent compared to the numbers shown.
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If you liked the deck, don’t forget to revisit the article after every major new release as I will try to keep my decks updated and examine any potential upgrades. If you want to keep being updated, you can follow mtgbudgetcommander.com on social media (facebook, twitter, instagram, pinterest, linkedin, reddit, tumblr, medium).
If you like my tribal series, you can check my other tribal decks.
