Zhao, Ruthless Admiral
Firebending 2 (Whenever this creature attacks, add {R}{R}. This mana lasts until end of combat.) Whenever you sacrifice another permanent, creatures you control get +1/+0 until end of turn.
How Zhao decks play in EDH
Zhao, Ruthless Admiral is a Rakdos commander in black and red costing 2B/RB/R, and its legendary creature - human soldier line shapes the whole deck around it. Sacrifice is built into the card, which pairs it with cheap recursive creatures and payoffs that trigger when something dies. The card rewards attacking, so the deck is built to keep creatures pointed at opponents rather than sitting back. The cards below are the ones Zhao, Ruthless Admiral decks actually play most often, grouped by the job they do.
Most-played cards
20 cards · about $25.33Play rates from EDHREC. Prices from Scryfall, refreshed daily.
Ramp (5)
Card draw (8)
Removal (1)
Creatures (5)
Lands (1)
Build the full 100
Grimoire generates a complete, Commander-legal Zhao, Ruthless Admiral decklist with a written strategy, a full mana base and live prices — from the whole card pool, or only from cards you already own.
Start with ZhaoZhao deck questions
What colours can I use in a Zhao, Ruthless Admiral deck?
Zhao, Ruthless Admiral has a Rakdos colour identity, so every card in the deck must be black and red or colourless. That includes mana symbols in rules text, not just casting cost.
What are the best cards for Zhao, Ruthless Admiral?
The cards played most often in Zhao, Ruthless Admiral decks include The Sackville-Bagginses, Smaug, Wicked Worm, Old Thrush. The full list of staples above is grouped by the job each card does, so you can see the deck's skeleton rather than just a pile of names.
How much does a Zhao, Ruthless Admiral deck cost?
The 20 most-played cards shown above come to roughly $25.33 at current market prices. A complete 100-card build costs more, and Grimoire can generate a budget version instead if you set a price ceiling.
Can I build a Zhao, Ruthless Admiral deck from cards I already own?
Yes. Import your collection into Grimoire and choose "my cards" when you build. The generator will only use cards you actually own, and the Missing Cards page shows what you would need to buy to finish any list.