10 Budget Hidden Gems You Should Be Playing in Commander – 02 Ruin Grinder

Wheel effects in Commander are often desirable as they offer a soft reset but can be back-breaking in the correct strategy. Ruin Grinder is an excellent option for those who love playing Artifacts in Commander, especially paired with an effect such as Trash for Treasure, where you can gain even more value by returning another artifact into play. Going further, staple sacrifice effects such as Phyrexian Altar, Ashnod’s Altar, and Altar of Dementia are also excellent alongside the Construct card, especially if you have multiple ways to recur it. Wheel effects offer an exciting dynamic in Commander, where you can force opponents to draw a fresh grip of cards, perhaps creating some power imbalance at the table.
Another versatile aspect of the Commander 2021 card is how it mitigates any mana issues as it features Mountaincycling, where you can cycle it away for a Mountain card, which could be something like Xander’s Lounge, Steam Vents, or a Basic Mountain to improve fixing. Not to mention, the stat line on Ruin Grinder is excellent since it’s a 7/4 with Menace, which resembles a modest threat in Commander and could very well close out games. Granted, Ruin Grinder isn’t for every Red-based Commander strategy, but it plays remarkably well in the correct one, especially ones that center around Artifacts and care about discarding cards for extra value.