
Rose, Cutthroat Raider
The Commander
First strike
Raid — At end of combat on your turn, if you attacked this turn, create a Junk token for each opponent you attacked. (It's an artifact with ", Sacrifice this token: Exile the top card of your library. You may play that card this turn. Activate only as a sorcery.")
Whenever you sacrifice a Junk, add .
Guide
Gameplan
Attack every opponent each turn to flood the board with Junk tokens, then sacrifice them for free card advantage and red mana to fuel an explosive go-wide or burn-heavy turn. Rose turns combat damage into resources, so you curve out aggressively early and snowball into a midgame where each attack refills your hand and ramps you. You close by chaining Junk-fueled spells, big swings, or sacrifice payoffs.
Strengths
- Built-in card advantage and ramp that mono-red usually lacks, refueling every combat
- First strike makes Rose a sticky, efficient attacker and trades well
- Junk tokens are artifacts and sacrifice fodder, enabling multiple synergy axes
- Aggressive multiplayer pressure—attacking all three opponents triples your Junk output
Weaknesses
- Junk value requires you to attack, so board stalls and big blockers shut off your engine
- Mono-red is weak to lifegain, fog effects, and pillowfort defenses
- Removal-light color means problematic permanents (enchantments, hexproof threats) stick around
- Relies on Rose connecting; commander removal or sweepers slow the whole plan
Key Cards
- Reckless Fireweaver — Pings each opponent whenever a Junk artifact enters, turning token generation into incremental burn.
- Goblin Bombardment — Lets you sac Junk for damage and the red mana while drawing cards, a flexible outlet.
- Mayhem Devil — Triggers off both Junk creation and sacrifice, dealing damage on every loop.
- Pia and Kiran Nalaar — Provides more artifact tokens and reach as both fodder and a sacrifice payoff body.
- Krenko, Mob Boss — Pairs go-wide token aggression with Rose's resource engine for explosive board states.
- Birgi, God of Storytelling — Adds red mana on each spell cast, compounding the mana from sacrificed Junk for big turns.
Upgrade Path
Add more no-attack-required token generators (Hordeling Outburst, Krenko) and artifact-token enablers so your Junk and aristocrat payoffs keep firing through board stalls. Lean into haste and evasion (Fervor, Goblin Rabblemaster, Rogue's Passage) to guarantee Rose connects, and include rituals or Treasure synergies to convert the red mana floods into game-ending burn. Tighten the curve and add efficient interaction like Vandalblast and Chaos Warp to cover mono-red's blind spots.
Core Cards
The most-played cards for this commander, built from aggregated deck data (the Mythic Graph). Build public decks to seed it.
Win Conditions
- ▸Aristocrat damage from Reckless Fireweaver and Mayhem Devil triggers as you spit out and sacrifice Junk
- ▸Wide aggressive swings backed by Krenko and token anthems
- ▸Burst burn turns powered by the red mana from sacrificed Junk
- ▸Recurring impulse-draw advantage out-resourcing opponents into a grinding aggro finish
Archetypes
- Aristocrats — Junk tokens are endless sacrifice fodder for Mayhem Devil, Reckless Fireweaver, and Goblin Bombardment.
- Artifacts — Every attack produces artifact tokens that fuel affinity, improvise, and artifact-matters payoffs.
- Aggro/Go-Wide — Rose rewards swinging at all opponents, pairing with token makers for a wide, recurring assault.
- Spellslinger — Junk's card advantage plus red mana fuels chaining burn and impulse-draw payoffs.
Combos
- Rose, Cutthroat Raider + Aggravated Assault + Krark-Clan Ironworks
→ Exile your library with the ability to play the exiled cards until end of turn, Infinite Junk tokens, Infinite colorless mana
- Duchess, Wayward Tavernkeep + Rose, Cutthroat Raider + Quest for Pure Flame + Reckless Fireweaver
→ Infinite damage, Exile your library with the ability to play the exiled cards until end of turn
- Duchess, Wayward Tavernkeep + Rose, Cutthroat Raider + Quest for Pure Flame + Ingenious Artillerist
→ Infinite damage, Exile your library with the ability to play the exiled cards until end of turn
- Duchess, Wayward Tavernkeep + Rose, Cutthroat Raider + Quest for Pure Flame + Hedron Detonator
→ Infinite damage, Exile your library with the ability to play the exiled cards until end of turn
- Duchess, Wayward Tavernkeep + Rose, Cutthroat Raider + Quest for Pure Flame + Weftstalker Ardent
→ Infinite damage, Exile your library with the ability to play the exiled cards until end of turn
Combos via Commander Spellbook.
Related Commanders
Same color identity (R), by popularity.

Etali, Primal Storm
EDHREC #260

Ragavan, Nimble Pilferer
EDHREC #268

Birgi, God of Storytelling // Harnfel, Horn of Bounty
EDHREC #486

Purphoros, God of the Forge
EDHREC #653

Krenko, Tin Street Kingpin
EDHREC #849

Solphim, Mayhem Dominus
EDHREC #872

Torbran, Thane of Red Fell
EDHREC #988

Moraug, Fury of Akoum
EDHREC #1,002

Karlach, Fury of Avernus
EDHREC #1,030

Lathliss, Dragon Queen
EDHREC #1,053

Drakuseth, Maw of Flames
EDHREC #1,078

Krenko, Mob Boss
EDHREC #1,098