The Lord of Pain 
Legendary Creature — Human Assassin · Duskmourn: House of Horror Commander
Menace
Your opponents can't gain life.
Whenever a player casts their first spell each turn, choose another target player. The Lord of Pain deals damage equal to that spell's mana value to the chosen player.
Plays well with: Lifegain, Value engine
Buy this card: TCGplayer · Cardmarket
📖 How to build The Lord of Pain
The Lord of Pain is a five-mana Rakdos creature with menace that turns every player's first spell each turn into direct damage. Whenever someone casts their first spell in a turn, you choose another player to take damage equal to that spell's mana value. It also stops your opponents from gaining life, so the damage sticks. Your plan is to keep casting spells and let the triggers wear opponents down.
Build around spells with high mana value, since they hit hardest as your first spell of the turn. Blasphemous Act is the clearest example: its mana value is 9, so it deals 9 damage to the player you choose. Add card flow and value like Phyrexian Arena and Demonic Tutor to keep gas coming. Sweepers such as Toxic Deluge and Vandalblast can protect you while the Lord stays on the board.
Watch out for cheap first spells, which barely trigger the Lord. Opponents' first spells trigger it too, and you must choose a player other than the caster, which in a two-player game means you. The Lord is also a five-mana creature, so removal leaves you with nothing.
Deck guide written with AI assistance based on the card's rules text.
🔗 Lifegain synergy
$3.49
$1.52
$4.83
$3.13
$19.19
$0.45
$0.33
$21.58🧩 Top staples for this deck
✔️ Auto-includes (you probably already run these): Sol Ring, Command Tower, Arcane Signet, Exotic Orchard, Reliquary Tower, Swiftfoot Boots, Lightning Greaves, Path of Ancestry.
$1.85
$0.87
$8.06
$10.31
$62.61
—
$73.11
$0.22
$0.48
$2.52
$3.07
$26.94⚙️ Colorless all-stars
—
$5.89
$11.44
$105.01
$49.67
$33.79🪙 Budget picks (under $2€2)
$1.85
$1.39$0.87$0.22$0.48
$1.59
$0.33
$0.46👑 Other Rakdos commanders
Rakdos · $3.77
Rakdos · $1.08
Rakdos · $1.55
Rakdos · $1.97
Rakdos · $0.33
Rakdos · —Staples are based on how often cards are played in Commander overall (popularity data via Scryfall/EDHREC) and filtered to this commander's colors. Synergy picks match the commander's rules text.