Ruby Medallion (Original Art)

Among the five Tempest Medallions, Ruby Medallion is arguably one of the most explosive. Red thrives on speed, and any effect that lets it cast multiple spells in a single turn fits the color’s identity perfectly. Ruby Medallion doesn’t generate mana itself – instead, it reduces the cost of every red spell you cast. The practical result is that your mana stretches farther each turn, and in decks that rely on chaining spells, the card becomes a massive tempo engine. Ruby Medallion is especially strong in Storm combo decks, where each spell contributes to a lethal Grapeshot or Empty the Warrens finish. In Commander (EDH), Ruby Medallion is a core card for red-based decks – it turns even modest ramp strategies into engines of aggression and value. Because red doesn’t ramp easily with lands, this artifact plays a crucial role in balancing its tempo against green and blue decks. It’s played in decks like Zada, Hedron Grinder (combo engine with cantrips and token makers), Torbran, Thane of Red Fell (burn or token-focused lists), and Birgi, God of Storytelling / Harnfel, Horn of Bounty (storm-style decks that turn mana reduction into infinite loops). In Commander, Ruby Medallion often functions as a one-card engine – allowing turns where a player can cast two or three impactful spells instead of one. In Legacy, Ruby Medallion is competitively played in Ruby Storm. This deck aims to reduce spell costs with cards like Ruby Medallion and Ral, Monsoon Mage to generate a large amount of mana with ritual spells like Manamorphose, Rite of Flame, Seething Song, and Desperate Ritual. It then proceeds to draw more cards with effects like Reckless Impulse, Jeska’s Will, Will of the Jeskai and Wrenn’s Resolve. The final goal is to cast a spell with storm, like Grapeshot, that deals lethal damage to the opponent, often retrieved using Burning Wish. Ruby Medallion is not on the Reserved List.