The Balrog, Flame of Udûn

Gameplan

The Balrog is a 7/5 trample beater for five mana that you cast early and swing repeatedly, ideally pumped and given evasion or extra combat steps to close games fast. Because killing a legendary creature can tuck it to the bottom of your library, you treat it as a recastable threat and build a sacrifice/aggro shell around it rather than relying on it surviving forever. Turn to turn you develop ramp and removal, deploy the Balrog, and back it with haste, equipment, and damage doublers to one-shot opponents.

Key Cards

• Fireshrieker — Grants double strike to push the trampler's damage and threaten one-shot kills.
• Embercleave — Cheap to cast with multiple attackers and turns the Balrog into a lethal double-strike threat.
• Rogue's Passage — Makes the Balrog unblockable to deliver its full commander-damage clock.
• Fervor — Anthem haste lets the Balrog and your team swing the turn they hit the battlefield.
• Sword of Fire and Ice — Adds evasion, protection, removal, and card draw to a single attacker.
• Berserk — Doubles power and trample for a brutal one-turn commander-damage kill.
• Feldon of the Third Path — Recurs your big threats and synergizes with a graveyard-fueled BR midrange shell.

Upgrade Path

Lean fully into Voltron: add the full Sword cycle, Fireshrieker/Grafted Wargear-style equipment, and a strong haste/evasion package so the Balrog kills in two swings. Tighten the mana with fast rocks (Sol Ring, Arcane Signet) and a low curve, then add reliable protection like Lightning Greaves and Heroic Intervention. Diversify threats with Hellkite Charger or extra-combat effects so the deck still wins if the Balrog gets tucked.