Riders of Rohan Upgrade Guide: A Comprehensive Plan

This guide details enhancing the Riders of Rohan precon deck, focusing on maximizing its strengths through strategic card choices and synergistic upgrades․
Explore pathways to elevate your gameplay!

Deck Overview

The Riders of Rohan precon deck centers around a Human tribal strategy, leveraging the power of Rohan’s warriors and their leaders․ The deck’s core strength lies in its ability to overwhelm opponents with a wide board of creatures, boosted by synergistic effects․

Key commanders, such as Éomund and Éowyn, provide crucial buffs and abilities that enhance the effectiveness of the Human army․ The deck features a strong emphasis on combat tricks and battlefield control, utilizing cards like Grasp of Fate and Mirror Entity to gain an advantage․

However, the stock deck can be somewhat inconsistent and vulnerable to targeted removal․ This upgrade guide aims to address these weaknesses by refining the mana base, adding more consistent card draw, and incorporating powerful synergistic cards to elevate the deck’s overall performance․ Expect a focus on aggressive strategies and capitalizing on the Human theme․

Strengths and Weaknesses

The Riders of Rohan deck shines with its aggressive potential, quickly establishing a board presence of resilient Human creatures․ Synergies between Rohan’s heroes and their warriors create powerful combat scenarios, often overwhelming opponents before they can establish control․ Grasp of Fate offers unique disruption, and Mirror Entity can create an unstoppable force․

However, the deck suffers from mana consistency issues, occasionally stumbling in the early game․ It’s also vulnerable to board wipes and targeted removal, which can dismantle the carefully constructed Human army․ Card draw is limited in the base deck, leading to situations where key cards are unavailable when needed․

Furthermore, the deck lacks robust late-game options, potentially faltering against more controlling strategies․ Addressing these weaknesses through targeted upgrades is crucial for maximizing the deck’s competitive edge and ensuring consistent performance across various matchups․

Grasp of Fate – Core Strategy

Grasp of Fate is central to the Riders of Rohan strategy, acting as both a disruptive tool and a value engine․ The key is to anticipate opponent’s plays and exile impactful cards before they resolve, disrupting their game plan․ Prioritize exiling threats that counter your board development or prevent combat damage․

Maximize Grasp of Fate’s effectiveness by ensuring a steady flow of cards to exile; Consider adding cards that allow you to scry or filter your draws, increasing the likelihood of finding crucial instants․ Remember, exiled cards can fuel abilities like those on Éowyn, creating further advantages․

Don’t be afraid to use Grasp of Fate proactively, even if it means exiling a less-than-optimal card․ Denying your opponent resources or delaying their key plays can be just as valuable as removing immediate threats․ Mastering this timing is vital for success․

Mirror Entity – Synergies and Considerations

Mirror Entity offers a unique win condition for the Riders of Rohan deck, transforming your Rohan creatures into potent copies of a chosen threat․ The ideal target is a creature with powerful enter-the-battlefield effects or ongoing abilities, effectively doubling its impact․

Synergies abound with token generation․ Creating multiple Rohan creatures provides more potential targets for Mirror Entity, increasing the likelihood of overwhelming your opponents․ Cards that boost creature stats further enhance the copied creature’s effectiveness․

However, be mindful of timing․ Casting Mirror Entity too early can reveal your strategy, allowing opponents to prepare․ Consider waiting until you have a critical mass of creatures or a particularly devastating target in play․ Protection spells can safeguard your copied creature from removal․

Enhancements & Key Card Replacements

Strategic upgrades involve replacing weaker cards with powerful additions that amplify the deck’s core themes: Rohan synergy, human tribal, and leveraging key commander abilities for dominance․

Human-Focused Synergies

The Riders of Rohan deck thrives on a strong human tribal base, and enhancing this aspect is crucial for a successful upgrade․ Cards like Herald of the Horns and Captain of the Guard provide significant boosts to your human creatures, increasing their combat effectiveness and resilience․ Consider adding cards that reward you for controlling multiple humans, such as Honor of the Pure, which grants +1/+1 to all your human creatures․

Further synergy can be found in cards that specifically support Rohan humans․ Look for options that provide additional value when you attack with humans, or that offer protection from common removal spells․ Champion of the Realm is a strong contender, offering both a stat boost and protection․ Don’t underestimate the power of repeatable human generation; cards that consistently bring humans onto the battlefield will fuel your synergies and overwhelm opponents․ Prioritize cards that offer both immediate impact and long-term value within the human tribal strategy․

Eowyn, Shieldmaiden of Rohan – Powering the Strategy

Eowyn is the central commander of the Riders of Rohan deck, and maximizing her potential is paramount․ Her ability to become a powerful attacker and defender, especially when humans enter the battlefield, forms the core of the strategy․ Upgrades should focus on consistently triggering this ability; Cards that generate multiple human tokens, like Assemble the Legion, are excellent additions, providing both attackers and triggers for Eowyn’s power․

Protecting Eowyn is also vital․ Include cards like Swiftfoot Boots or Lightning Greaves to grant her hexproof or shroud, preventing opponents from removing her․ Consider cards that provide additional combat tricks or evasion, allowing Eowyn to consistently connect with opponents․ Furthermore, explore cards that benefit from Eowyn’s increasing power and toughness, creating a snowball effect that quickly overwhelms the opposition․ Building around Eowyn’s strengths will unlock the deck’s full potential․

Theoden, King of Rohan – Leadership and Buffs

Theoden, King of Rohan, serves as a crucial secondary commander, offering significant buffs to your human army․ His ability to grant +1/+1 counters and vigilance to other humans upon entering the battlefield dramatically increases the board presence and offensive capabilities of the deck․ Upgrades should prioritize cards that synergize with this effect, maximizing the impact of each human entering play․

Consider including cards that allow you to replay humans from your graveyard, such as Eternal Witness or Regrowth, effectively doubling Theoden’s buffing potential․ Cards that generate multiple human tokens, like Hanwe the Gatherer, are also excellent choices․ Furthermore, explore enchantments that provide additional benefits to humans, such as Cathars’ Crusade, amplifying Theoden’s leadership and creating an unstoppable force․ Protecting Theoden himself is also key, ensuring his buffs continue to bolster your army․

Erkenbrand, Stonehanded – Aggressive Potential

Erkenbrand, Stonehanded, embodies the aggressive spirit of Rohan, offering a potent commander option focused on direct damage and overwhelming attacks․ His ability to deal damage whenever a human attacks allows for swift and decisive victories, particularly when combined with token generation or cards that grant multiple attacks․ Upgrades should lean into this aggressive strategy, maximizing the number of attacking humans and the damage output of each swing․

Cards like Captain of the Host and Garrison Captain further enhance the attacking power of your human army, creating a formidable offensive force․ Consider adding equipment that grants trample or double strike to ensure your attacks connect and deal maximum damage․ Furthermore, explore cards that allow you to untap your creatures, enabling multiple attacks per turn․ Protecting Erkenbrand is vital, ensuring a consistent stream of damage throughout the game, solidifying his role as a relentless aggressor․

Enchantments for Rohan

Strategic enchantments significantly boost the Riders of Rohan deck, providing removal, resource generation, and powerful buffs․
They enhance synergy and control, shaping a dominant battlefield presence․

Banishing Light – Removal Options

Banishing Light is a crucial addition to the Riders of Rohan deck, offering versatile and efficient removal․ Unlike many black or red removal spells, Banishing Light’s flexibility allows it to deal with a wider range of threats, including problematic enchantments and artifacts that could disrupt the Rohan strategy․ Its ability to exile a permanent, regardless of color, makes it particularly effective against decks relying on specific, key pieces․

Consider including multiple copies of Banishing Light, or similar effects like Oblivion Ring or Cast Out, to ensure consistent answers to opposing threats․ These enchantments provide a clean solution to troublesome creatures, artifacts, or enchantments, clearing the path for Rohan’s forces to overwhelm opponents․ Prioritize removing cards that hinder your ability to develop your board or disrupt your key synergies․

Furthermore, Banishing Light synergizes well with cards that repeatedly trigger when permanents enter or leave the battlefield, potentially creating additional value․ It’s a reliable and adaptable removal option, essential for controlling the board and protecting your own key pieces․

Court of Ire – Punishing Opponents

Court of Ire serves as a powerful deterrent and a significant source of punishment for opponents who dare to target your Rohan creatures․ This enchantment directly supports the deck’s aggressive strategy by making attacks more costly for defenders․ Each time an opponent casts a spell targeting one of your creatures, they take damage, slowly chipping away at their life total and discouraging further interaction․

The effectiveness of Court of Ire increases as you establish a strong board presence․ The more Rohan creatures you control, the greater the risk for your opponents, forcing them to reconsider their actions․ It synergizes exceptionally well with cards that protect your creatures or encourage opponents to attack, turning their aggression against them․

Consider including cards that allow you to repeatedly untap your creatures, maximizing the number of potential targets for your opponents, and thus, increasing the damage output of Court of Ire․ It’s a fantastic way to turn defensive plays into offensive advantages․

Fealty to the Realm – Resource Generation

Fealty to the Realm is a crucial addition for consistent mana development within the Riders of Rohan deck․ This enchantment provides a steady stream of colorless mana based on the number of Rohan creatures you control, effectively accelerating your game plan․ Unlike traditional ramp spells, Fealty scales with your board state, becoming more valuable as you deploy more units․

The generated mana can be used to cast powerful spells, activate abilities, and overwhelm opponents with a relentless wave of Rohan warriors․ It’s particularly effective when combined with cards that generate additional Rohan creatures or enhance their abilities․ Prioritize including cards that synergize with a wide board presence to maximize Fealty’s output․

Consider cards that allow you to search for Fealty to the Realm, ensuring you can consistently establish a strong mana base․ This enchantment is a cornerstone of a successful Riders of Rohan strategy․

Marshals Anthem – Creature Buffs

Marshals Anthem is a powerful enchantment that significantly boosts the combat effectiveness of your Rohan creatures․ Granting +1/+1 to all Rohan creatures you control, it transforms smaller units into formidable attackers and blockers, and amplifies the strength of your already powerful ones․ This simple buff can dramatically shift the board state in your favor․

The anthem effect stacks with other buffs, creating opportunities for overwhelming attacks․ Combine Marshals Anthem with cards that provide additional power and toughness, or grant keywords like trample or vigilance, to create truly unstoppable threats․ It’s especially effective when you have a large number of Rohan creatures on the battlefield․

Prioritize protecting Marshals Anthem, as its removal can severely hamper your offensive capabilities․ Consider including cards that offer protection or recursion to ensure its continued presence on the battlefield, solidifying your board control․

Lands & Mana Base Improvements

Optimize your mana base for consistency with dual lands and utility lands․ Explore ramp options to accelerate mana production, enabling faster deployment of key Rohan creatures and enchantments․

Dual Lands for Consistency

Improving mana consistency is paramount for a smooth-running Riders of Rohan deck․ The precon, while strong, can stumble with inconsistent color access․ Prioritize acquiring dual lands that tap for both white and red mana․ Lands like Wind-Scarred Crag and Battlefield Forge are excellent choices, providing reliable mana fixing without significant drawbacks․

Consider budget-friendly options like Karplusan Forest and Brushland if more expensive duals are unavailable․ These lands enter tapped, but still offer crucial color fixing․ Beyond basic duals, explore lands that offer additional utility, such as Luxury Suite, which can provide life gain in a pinch․

Aim for a land base that consistently delivers the colors you need, especially for casting Eowyn, Shieldmaiden of Rohan and activating Theoden’s abilities․ A stable mana base allows for more consistent plays and reduces the risk of being mana-screwed or flooded․

Utility Lands – Expanding Options

Beyond basic dual lands, utility lands significantly enhance the Riders of Rohan deck’s strategic depth․ Reliquary Tower is a strong inclusion, eliminating maximum hand size restrictions – crucial when drawing cards with engines like Grasp of Fate․ Command Tower provides access to all commander colors, aiding flexibility if you expand the deck’s color identity later․

Consider Emeria, the Sky Ruin for potential late-game recursion, bringing back key creatures․ Secluded Steppe offers protection from targeted removal, safeguarding vital pieces like Eowyn․ Copperline Gorge provides a defensive boost, hindering attackers․

These lands aren’t just about mana; they offer tactical advantages․ Carefully select utility lands that complement the deck’s core strategy, providing resilience and opening up new lines of play․ Prioritize lands that offer value beyond simply producing mana․

Ramp Options – Accelerating Mana

Accelerating mana production is vital for deploying powerful Rohan threats quickly․ Sol Ring remains an auto-include in nearly every Commander deck, providing an immediate two-mana boost․ Arcane Signet offers efficient color fixing and ramp, crucial for a multi-colored deck like Riders of Rohan․

Consider adding Cultivate and Kodama’s Reach for consistent land ramp, ensuring you hit land drops consistently․ Three Visits provides similar functionality with added scrying․ For more explosive ramp, Explosive Vegetation can put multiple lands onto the battlefield at once․

Don’t overlook artifact ramp options like Mind Stone and Commander’s Sphere, offering both mana acceleration and potential card draw․ Prioritize ramp that provides colored mana, supporting the deck’s diverse casting costs․ Efficient ramp enables earlier deployment of key creatures and enchantments․

Further Upgrade Paths

Explore advanced strategies with card draw, board wipes for control, protective spells for key pieces, and alternative win conditions to refine your Riders of Rohan deck․

Card Draw Engines

Consistent card advantage is crucial for sustaining momentum with the Riders of Rohan deck․ Adding dedicated card draw engines ensures you consistently have options and can react to your opponents’ plays․ Consider incorporating cards like Rhovanion Outpost, which provides card draw based on creatures entering the battlefield – a common occurrence with Rohan’s token generation․

Lorehold Study offers a repeatable draw effect, though it requires managing your library․ For a more immediate impact, Consider can replace a land and provide a card, albeit with a potential life loss․

Don’t underestimate the power of repeatable draw like Harmonize or Blue Sun’s Zenith if splashing blue․ These options provide a steady stream of cards, allowing you to dig for key pieces and maintain pressure․ Prioritize draw that synergizes with your creature-focused strategy, ensuring you’re always ready to ride!

Board Wipes – Control Elements

While Riders of Rohan excels at aggressive strategies, incorporating board wipes provides essential control against overwhelming opponents․ These spells reset the battlefield, allowing you to rebuild with advantage․ Wrath of God and Day of Judgment are classic, efficient options for clearing all creatures․ However, consider wipes with added benefits․

Farewell exiles threats, preventing recursion, while Austere Command offers customizable removal, letting you preserve your own key pieces․ For a more thematic approach, Wildfire can devastate opponents while potentially ramping your mana if you control enough lands․

Remember to balance board wipes with targeted removal․ Over-reliance on wipes can hinder your own development․ Strategic timing is key – use them to disrupt coordinated attacks or to break stalemates, ensuring you capitalize on the cleared board!

Protection Spells – Safeguarding Key Pieces

Protecting your commanders and crucial creatures is vital for maintaining momentum with the Riders of Rohan deck․ Losing Eowyn or Theoden can severely disrupt your strategy․ Swiftfoot Boots and Lightning Greaves grant hexproof and haste, ensuring your key pieces remain available․ Boros Charm offers versatile protection, shielding from board wipes or targeted removal․

Consider spells like Teferi’s Protection for preemptive defense against devastating effects․ Heroic Intervention provides a similar effect at a lower cost, protecting all your creatures․ Don’t overlook counterspells like Swan Song or Negate to prevent removal spells entirely․

Prioritize protecting creatures with strong synergy or those generating significant value․ A well-timed protection spell can swing the game in your favor, preserving your board state and ensuring continued dominance!

Alternative Win Conditions

Beyond combat damage, diversifying win conditions strengthens the Riders of Rohan deck․ Consider incorporating strategies that aren’t solely reliant on overwhelming opponents with creatures․ Approach of the Second Darkness offers a potent, albeit risky, alternate win by milling opponents․ This synergizes with discard effects, subtly weakening their resources․

Explore combat tricks that can deliver lethal commander damage unexpectedly․ Rite of Replication can create a massive token army, potentially overwhelming defenses․ Overrun effects, like Craterhoof Behemoth, provide a decisive finishing blow․

Don’t underestimate the power of political maneuvering and forging temporary alliances․ A well-timed deal can eliminate a shared threat, paving the way for your victory․ Having multiple paths to victory makes your strategy less predictable and more resilient!