Molten Man, Inferno IncarnateMolten Man, Inferno Incarnate holds limited appeal, as evidenced by the fact that he was one of the only options remaining when it came time to choose a Spider-Man commander to cover for EDHREC. His land-based abilities cancel each other out, and his text box omits very important keywords, like trample, flying, menace, or vigilance, that would place him squarely in Voltron territory. But he burns bright as a Mountain man, one of the only mono-red lands-matter commanders for now, and I enjoyed exploring how red could approach this largely uncharted territory. In the shadow of Valakut, the Molten PinnacleValakut, the Molten Pinnacle itself, of course.

What Does Molten Man, Inferno Incarnate Do?

Molten Man giveth almost as quickly as Molten Man taketh away. This vanilla Villain's power and toughness are equal to the number of MountainMountains you control, and, when he enters, you can fetch a basic Mountain to put onto the battlefield tapped, fueling his own fire. And they say mono-red can't ramp!

Well, not really, because when Molten Man leaves the battlefield by any means, you're required to sacrifice a land you control... though not necessarily the land you grabbed when he entered.

Molten Man plays with design space introduced on Alpine GuideAlpine Guide from the original Modern Horizons. They also fetch you a Mountain upon entering and require a sacrifice upon exiting; in between, they're required to attack each turn, increasing the chances they'll meet an untimely demise. This fetch-sacrifice mechanic hadn't appeared on a commander until the recent Final Fantasy set when they introduced Zell DinchtZell Dincht, who similarly receives a power boost corresponding to the number of lands you control and offers conditional, short-lived ramp.

Though its payoff is different, Molten Man plays a lot like Moraug, Fury of AkoumMoraug, Fury of Akoum and Ashaya, Soul of the WildAshaya, Soul of the Wild, both from Zendikar Rising. Moraug wants you to play lands and their ability somewhat scales by the number that entered this turn; Ashaya is a different color entirely but scales its lands-contingent power by unlocking additional land drops (of a sort). Notably, these two don't incur a penalty when they exit the battlefield, making them a bit less volatile than Molten Man even if they come down later in the game.

Key Cards for Molten Man, Inferno Incarnate

Unlike green or white, red offers few means to fetch lands directly onto the battlefield from your library, so I had to rely on options ranging from decent to far-less-than-optimal:

• Artifacts remain a reliable way to ramp regardless of what colors you're running; see Wayfarer's BaubleWayfarer's Bauble, Sword of the AnimistSword of the Animist, Sword of Forge and FrontierSword of Forge and Frontier, Walking AtlasWalking Atlas, PuPu UFOPuPu UFO, Solemn SimulacrumSolemn Simulacrum, The RegaliaThe Regalia, Burnished HartBurnished Hart, Ghirapur OrreryGhirapur Orrery, and Scampering SurveyorScampering Surveyor. I opted to try Explorer's ScopeExplorer's Scope, as well, because this deck contains a few more lands than most.
• Zell DinchtZell Dincht, mentioned above, slots in perfectly and affords a bit of redundancy for your commander.
• The new Lander token mechanic from Edge of Eternities introduces Rampant GrowthRampant Growth to all wedges of the color pie. This deck runs Dauntless ScrapbotDauntless Scrapbot and Kav LandseekerKav Landseeker; more options exist, but they felt too situational. In particular, Dauntless Scrapbot seems to be a new Commander staple, offering ramp and removal in every color.
• Despite entering tapped, Myriad LandscapeMyriad Landscape has never let me down when I'm running a nongreen commander. It works just fine here but will become less useful if you decide to power up the deck.
• Evolving WildsEvolving Wilds, Terramorphic ExpanseTerramorphic Expanse, Fabled PassageFabled Passage, Horizon of ProgressHorizon of Progress, Terrain GeneratorTerrain Generator, and the new Vibrant CityscapeVibrant Cityscape are all ways to provide double Landfall triggers, even if the lands they grab enter tapped. Of course, run Arid MesaArid Mesa, Scalding TarnScalding Tarn, Bloodstained MireBloodstained Mire, and Wooded FoothillsWooded Foothills if you've got 'em, though I've relegated them to the Maybeboard due to price.
• Nahiri's LithoformingNahiri's Lithoforming and Hew the EntwoodHew the Entwood perform a great ScapeshiftScapeshift impression for multiple sacrifice and Landfall triggers all at once.

In addition to our commander, the above cards electrify our Landfall efforts for even more damage and card advantage. I opted not to include any of the Landfall creatures that buff themselves until end of turn, like Akoum HellhoundAkoum Hellhound, because they're quite slow and don't scale well to a four-player game. Here's what I decided to run:

• SabotenderSabotender, Tunneling GeopedeTunneling Geopede, Cosi's RavagerCosi's Ravager, Spitfire LagacSpitfire Lagac, and Akoum HellkiteAkoum Hellkite ping opponents directly.
• Nesting DragonNesting Dragon produces token defenders that can turn into firebreathing Dragons, and this deck's mana surplus loves firebreathing effects.
• Retreat to ValakutRetreat to Valakut provides versatility, including the ability to squeeze your commander through a clogged board.
• The floor of Valakut ExplorationValakut Exploration is an Outpost SiegeOutpost Siege-type card that you can leverage right away; the ceiling, particularly when you crack an Evolving WildsEvolving Wilds or cast Molten Man, is a source of multiple card draw triggers that pings opponents at end of turn.
• Geode RagerGeode Rager is a beast, goading every one of an opponent's creatures off a single Landfall trigger. This card is nuts and end games in a single turn cycle.
• Moraug, Fury of AkoumMoraug, Fury of Akoum can also push a game towards its inevitable conclusion. Be mindful of its wonky timing restrictions, though. Unlike other extra-combat cards, this one doesn't add a main phase after the additional combat phase. Best to trigger this one during your second main phase because, if not, your first main phase will end with the bonus combat phase, and your creatures won't untap for regular combat; if you do this, remember that the end step will follow the additional combat step. Valakut, the Molten PinnacleValakut, the Molten Pinnacle is this deck's VIP: removal, direct damage, and emotional scarring with very little opportunity cost. Molten Man loves himself the Molten Pinnacle, so I've included Expedition MapExpedition Map and Urza's CaveUrza's Cave as ways to grab Valakut if need be.

Our removal suite feels more flavorful than optimized:

• Targeted land destruction can be aimed at ourselves if we're in need of another MountainMountain; Cleansing WildfireCleansing Wildfire, Geomancer's GambitGeomancer's Gambit, and Sundering EruptionSundering Eruption serve this purpose nicely, all three offering additional upside, as well.
• Choco-CometChoco-Comet requires a bit of mana but plays like a modal spell that can create a 2/2 lands-matter Bird token for two mana if need be.
• Chandra's IgnitionChandra's Ignition, Nibelheim AflameNibelheim Aflame, Kazuul's FuryKazuul's Fury, and Pain for AllPain for All leverage Molten Man's massive body.
• ThemberchaudThemberchaud cares about Molten Man's size, albeit indirectly.

Card draw sources include a new arrival on the scene, Evendo BrushrazerEvendo Brushrazer, to minimize Molten Man's downside and provide some extra mana in a pinch. It's also worth highlighting Tectonic ReformationTectonic Reformation, capable of cheaply transforming our excess lands into more impactful options.

How Does This Molten Man, Inferno Incarnate Commander Deck Win?

Molten Man's massive size means that commander damage is very much on the table, even if the card is bereft of any exciting keyword abilities. Cards like Tenza, Godo's MaulTenza, Godo's Maul, Draconic DestinyDraconic Destiny, and EmbercleaveEmbercleave alleviate this problem, though this deck isn't going all-in on a Voltron strategy. This deck prefers an inflamed Molten Man to threaten from afar while Landfall triggers ping opponents within an inch of their lives, aided by City on FireCity on Fire and Torbran, Thane of Red FellTorbran, Thane of Red Fell. Later, Molten Man's size fits a Chandra's IgnitionChandra's Ignition or Pain for AllPain for All quite nicely, closing out the game for an unlucky opponent or two.

If all else fails, Dragon Throne of TarkirDragon Throne of Tarkir awaits our commander's molten ass, igniting our dinky Sabotenders and PuPu UFOs into game-ending threats. Nine mana is a lot of mana to invest in this effort, though given all of the ramp included in this deck, it shouldn't be too difficult of a task to get Molten Man situated.

This deck also contains a way to win if your opponents continue pelting Molten Man with removal: Cavalier of FlameCavalier of Flame. Its firebreathing pumps all of your creatures and its death trigger, dealing damage to each opponent based on the number of lands in your graveyard, feels unique to mono-red and fits Molten Man like a hot glove. I wish there were other options for this effect; maybe if we revisit Zendikar at a future date, or when they release Universes Beyond: Captain Planet.

Molten Man, Inferno Incarnate Commander Decklist

King of the Hill

Barring some strained bending of the color pie, Molten Man simply won't be able to compete with green when playing the Landfall game, and thus performs best relegated to less power-hungry pods. That's why I strove to build this one for Bracket 2 and avoided many of the more expensive cards, including Fetchlands, Tiller EngineTiller Engine, Bitterthorn, Nissa's AnimusBitterthorn, Nissa's Animus, and Sword of Hearth and HomeSword of Hearth and Home. Also notably absent are Blood MoonBlood Moon and Magus of the MoonMagus of the Moon because they're far too salty for lower-sodium games. Still, the options are there in the Maybeboard for your consideration and/or to lose friends.

What do you think of Molten Man? Does he represent a raging blaze or a wimpy blaze-ette? Is your creative blood boiling? I'd love to know, and please share your own lists, if you have them!