Saruman, the White Hand - Intelligence

Saruman is strongest when cheap spells keep the deck moving and discounted high-mana-value spells make a large Orc Army without paying the full printed cost.

Saruman triggers when its controller casts a spell that does not have the creature card type on the stack. Instants, sorceries, noncreature artifacts, enchantments, planeswalkers, battles, and supported noncreature kindred spells qualify.

Artifact creatures, enchantment creatures, creature Adventure spells, creature prototype spells, lands, activated abilities, ordinary spell copies, and permanents put directly onto the battlefield do not trigger Saruman.

The trigger happens when the spell is cast, goes onto the stack above that spell, and remains even if the spell is countered, bounced, exiled, or otherwise does not resolve.

X is the spell's mana value on the stack, not mana spent, reduced cost, alternative cost, additional cost, commander tax, or storm count. A high-mana-value spell cast cheaply still creates a large Amass trigger.

For X spells, include the chosen X while the spell is on the stack. Delve, affinity, improvise, convoke, flashback, escape, retrace, foretell, plot, suspend, cascade, discover, kicker, buyback, overload, and free-cast effects do not lower mana value.

Ordinary copies placed on the stack are not cast. Storm copies do not individually trigger Saruman. A copy explicitly cast can trigger if it is noncreature on the stack.

Saruman's trigger amasses Orcs X. It puts X +1/+1 counters on an Army you control and makes it an Orc. If no Army exists, create a 0/0 black Orc Army token first; do not automatically create a new Army when one already exists.

A mana-value-zero noncreature spell causes Amass Orcs 0. If no Army exists, a 0/0 Army can be created and then normally dies as a state-based action.

Token doublers, counter doublers, additional Amass triggers, and trigger copies are separate effects and should not be merged into one role.

Saruman gives Goblins and Orcs you control ward {2}. An Orc Army qualifies. A Goblin Orc receives only one ward instance from Saruman. Saruman does not get ward by default unless another effect makes him a Goblin or Orc.

Use Blasphemous Act, Dig Through Time, Treasure Cruise, Temporal Trespass, Curtains' Call, Deadly Rollick, Fierce Guardianship, Deflecting Swat, Force of Will, Misdirection, Snuff Out, Reality Heist, Shark Typhoon, and other legal noncreature spells where mana value stays high even when cost paid is low.

Use X spells such as Crackle with Power, Exsanguinate, Torment of Hailfire, Comet Storm, Blue Sun's Zenith, Black Sun's Zenith, March of Swirling Mist, March of Wretched Sorrow, Finale of Revelation, and Pull from Tomorrow.

Use Shark Typhoon, Metallurgic Summonings, Inexorable Tide, Thousand-Year Storm, Storm of Saruman, Fiery Inscription, The One Ring, Palantir of Orthanc, All Will Be One, and The Meathook Massacre as engine or payoff checks.

Use Kess, Past in Flames, Mizzix's Mastery, Underworld Breach, Yawgmoth's Will, Snapcaster Mage, Goblin Dark-Dwellers, Mission Briefing, Mystic Retrieval, Mnemonic Deluge, Finale of Promise, Deep Analysis, Faithless Looting, and Lier to cast qualifying noncreature cards again.