EDH Optimizer
Affinity Commander decks
Affinity and its cousins make spells cost less for each permanent of a type you control. With a wide board the curve disappears and the deck casts three or four things in the same turn.
Cards that define the archetype
Ranked by how much MORE they are played inside the archetype than in the rest of Commander. Generic staples (Sol Ring, Arcane Signet…) fall out for exactly that reason: they are played everywhere equally.
| Card | Commanders | Avg. inclusion | Excess |
|---|---|---|---|
| Darksteel Citadel | 16 | 64% | +82 pts |
| Foundry Inspector | 16 | 58% | +80 pts |
| Buried Ruin | 13 | 46% | +65 pts |
| Etherium Sculptor | 11 | 66% | +53 pts |
| Mystic Forge | 10 | 54% | +53 pts |
| Seat of the Synod | 11 | 74% | +53 pts |
| Inventors' Fair | 10 | 44% | +51 pts |
| Thought Monitor | 9 | 53% | +44 pts |
| Solemn Simulacrum | 11 | 58% | +41 pts |
| Sai, Master Thopterist | 8 | 56% | +40 pts |
| Emry, Lurker of the Loch | 8 | 53% | +38 pts |
| Sculpting Steel | 7 | 49% | +37 pts |
| Unwinding Clock | 7 | 52% | +36 pts |
| Great Furnace | 7 | 78% | +35 pts |
| Treasure Vault | 6 | 51% | +32 pts |
| Myr Retriever | 6 | 49% | +32 pts |
| Academy Ruins | 7 | 51% | +31 pts |
| Liquimetal Torque | 6 | 50% | +31 pts |
| Scrap Trawler | 6 | 52% | +31 pts |
| Ornithopter of Paradise | 6 | 54% | +29 pts |
| Phyrexian Metamorph | 6 | 50% | +27 pts |
| Jhoira's Familiar | 5 | 43% | +26 pts |
| Cloud Key | 5 | 47% | +25 pts |
| Padeem, Consul of Innovation | 5 | 56% | +24 pts |
| Archway of Innovation | 5 | 41% | +24 pts |
| Thoughtcast | 5 | 46% | +24 pts |
| Fellwar Stone | 7 | 40% | +23 pts |
| Everflowing Chalice | 5 | 50% | +23 pts |
| Steel Hellkite | 4 | 47% | +22 pts |
| Darksteel Forge | 4 | 48% | +21 pts |
Commanders for Affinity
Ranked by how central this archetype is to their decks and by how played each commander is, according to EDHREC data.
By color identity
Blue
Blue · Red
Red
White · Blue
Colorless
Blue · Black
Paste your list and we tell you whether the deck actually does what it wants to do: curve, ramp, interaction and a 10,000-game simulation.
🛠️ Build a deck like this 📥 Analyze my deckFrequently asked questions
What is the best commander for a Affinity deck?
The most-built commanders for this archetype are Donatello, Turtle Techie, Armix, Filigree Thrasher, Sami, Wildcat Captain. EDH Optimizer has the full list of 123 commanders with their recommended cards, ranked by how central Affinity is to their decks.
Which cards are must-haves in a Affinity deck?
The three most characteristic are Darksteel Citadel, Foundry Inspector, Buried Ruin. They are not the most-played cards in the format, but the ones that appear far more inside this archetype than in the rest of Commander — which is what actually makes them essential here.
What colors is Affinity played in?
The most common color identities are Blue, Blue · Red, Red. The "By color identity" section groups the commanders and links to the best cards for each combination.
How much does a Affinity deck cost?
It depends on the price cap PER CARD you set. Each commander page lists the best cards in three tiers (up to €2, up to €10 and no cap), and the optimizer only suggests swaps that fit the cap you pick.