EDH Optimizer
Aristocrats Commander decks
Aristocrats turns your own creatures into resources: you sacrifice them to draw, drain and trigger payoffs, then bring them back to do it again. It does not need to attack, which makes it very resilient to wipes and to boards that block well.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zulaport Cutthroat | 123 | 50% | +45 pts |
| Pitiless Plunderer | 117 | 50% | +44 pts |
| Blood Artist | 138 | 50% | +42 pts |
| Village Rites | 118 | 46% | +39 pts |
| Skullclamp | 114 | 50% | +38 pts |
| Ashnod's Altar | 105 | 44% | +38 pts |
| Deadly Dispute | 133 | 48% | +37 pts |
| Viscera Seer | 90 | 50% | +34 pts |
| Morbid Opportunist | 110 | 47% | +33 pts |
| Victimize | 118 | 45% | +33 pts |
| Bastion of Remembrance | 87 | 49% | +32 pts |
| Reassembling Skeleton | 73 | 50% | +26 pts |
| Ophiomancer | 55 | 50% | +18 pts |
| Accursed Marauder | 61 | 47% | +17 pts |
| Phyrexian Tower | 53 | 41% | +17 pts |
| Plaguecrafter | 54 | 47% | +16 pts |
| Braids, Arisen Nightmare | 53 | 44% | +16 pts |
| Carrion Feeder | 40 | 43% | +14 pts |
| Grim Haruspex | 37 | 43% | +13 pts |
| Marionette Apprentice | 40 | 44% | +13 pts |
| Corrupted Conviction | 40 | 40% | +13 pts |
| Ayara, First of Locthwain | 50 | 46% | +13 pts |
| Fleshbag Marauder | 42 | 46% | +13 pts |
| Mirkwood Bats | 49 | 52% | +13 pts |
| Elas il-Kor, Sadistic Pilgrim | 39 | 51% | +12 pts |
| Grave Pact | 33 | 44% | +12 pts |
| Black Market | 46 | 44% | +12 pts |
| Jadar, Ghoulcaller of Nephalia | 31 | 44% | +11 pts |
| Tragic Slip | 38 | 40% | +11 pts |
| Cruel Celebrant | 29 | 49% | +11 pts |
Commanders for Aristocrats
Ranked by how central this archetype is to their decks and by how played each commander is, according to EDHREC data.
By color identity
Black Best cards by color →
White · Black Best cards by color →
Black · Red Best cards by color →
Black · Green Best cards by color →
Red Best cards by color →
Black · Red · Green Best cards by color →
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 Aristocrats deck?
The most-built commanders for this archetype are Meren of Clan Nel Toth, Bane, Lord of Darkness, Sephiroth, Fabled SOLDIER // Sephiroth, One-Winged Angel. EDH Optimizer has the full list of 582 commanders with their recommended cards, ranked by how central Aristocrats is to their decks.
Which cards are must-haves in a Aristocrats deck?
The three most characteristic are Zulaport Cutthroat, Pitiless Plunderer, Blood Artist. 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 Aristocrats played in?
The most common color identities are Black, White · Black, Black · Red. The "By color identity" section groups the commanders and links to the best cards for each combination.
How much does a Aristocrats 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.