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Saruman, the White Hand

Magic: The GatheringTales of Middle-earth Commander#477

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Magic: The Gathering

Mana cost

Tales of Middle-earth CommanderLTC · #477
Card type
Legendary Creature — Avatar Wizard
Rarity
Mythic rare
Indicative price
18.33 € · 19.21 $ · ★ 48.23 $
Mana value
4
Power
2
Toughness
5
Colour
Blue Black Red

Card text

Whenever you cast a noncreature spell, amass Orcs X, where X is that spell's mana value. (Put X +1/+1 counters on an Army you control. It's also an Orc. If you don't control an Army, create a 0/0 black Orc Army creature token first.) Goblins and Orcs you control have ward .

Format legality

  • BrawlLegal
  • CommanderLegal
  • CompetitivebrawlLegal
  • DuelLegal
  • GladiatorLegal
  • HistoricLegal
  • LegacyLegal
  • OathbreakerLegal
  • TimelessLegal
  • VintageLegal

Legalities follow the imported catalogue; check format rules before a tournament.
Data imported on 2026-10-06 (UTC).

Indicative Scryfall prices, updated daily. ★: foil; ★ E: etched foil. EUR and USD represent different markets.

Printing information

Illustrator
Leonardo Borazio
Card language
English
Release date
2023-06-23

Flavour text

Over all his works a dark smoke hung and wrapped itself about the sides of Orthanc.

Rulings

A creature that is both a Goblin and an Orc still only gets one instance of ward from Saruman, the White Hand's last ability.

Amass Zombies works the same way, except you create a 0/0 black Zombie Army creature token if you don't control an Army. If the Army creature you chose isn't already a Zombie, it becomes a Zombie in addition to its other types. By combining cards with amass Orcs and amass Zombies, you can end up with an Orc Zombie Army.

Amass abilities are now written as "amass [subtype] N." Previous cards with amass have received errata to say "amass Zombies N."

If Saruman, the White Hand is a Goblin or an Orc, it will have ward .

If you don't control an Army, the Orc Army token you create enters the battlefield as a 0/0 creature before receiving counters. Any abilities that trigger when a creature with a certain power enters the battlefield, such as that of Mentor of the Meek, will see the token enter as a 0/0 creature before it gets +1/+1 counters.

In the rare case that you control multiple Army creatures (perhaps because you played a creature with changeling) while you amass Orcs, you choose which of your Army creatures to put the +1/+1 counters on. If that creature isn't an Orc, it becomes an Orc in addition to its other types.

Some cards refer to the "amassed Army." That means the Army creature you chose to receive counters, even if no counters were placed on it for some reason.

Some spells and abilities that amass Orcs may require targets. If each target chosen is an illegal target as that spell or ability tries to resolve, it won't resolve. You won't amass Orcs.

To amass Orcs N, if you don't control an Army creature, create a 0/0 black Orc Army creature token. Then you choose an Army creature you control and put N +1/+1 counters on it. If that Army isn't already an Orc, it becomes an Orc in addition to its other types.

Other printings of this card

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