EDH Optimizer
Discard Commander decks
Discard in a four-player game has to be symmetric or repeatable to be worth it: attacking one hand leaves two untouched. It works as a stax complement, not as a main plan.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monument to Endurance | 54 | 52% | +42 pts |
| Waste Not | 33 | 67% | +26 pts |
| Containment Construct | 34 | 48% | +26 pts |
| Geier Reach Sanitarium | 32 | 50% | +24 pts |
| Glint-Horn Buccaneer | 29 | 53% | +22 pts |
| Syphon Mind | 29 | 59% | +22 pts |
| Geth's Grimoire | 28 | 62% | +22 pts |
| Magmakin Artillerist | 28 | 58% | +22 pts |
| Liliana's Caress | 25 | 52% | +20 pts |
| Faithless Looting | 47 | 66% | +19 pts |
| Painful Quandary | 25 | 53% | +19 pts |
| Thrill of Possibility | 38 | 52% | +18 pts |
| Anger | 30 | 48% | +18 pts |
| Megrim | 23 | 58% | +18 pts |
| Forgotten Cave | 23 | 53% | +17 pts |
| Dark Deal | 22 | 50% | +17 pts |
| Brass's Tunnel-Grinder | 21 | 45% | +16 pts |
| Surly Badgersaur | 21 | 46% | +16 pts |
| Archfiend of Ifnir | 21 | 54% | +16 pts |
| Sangromancer | 21 | 49% | +15 pts |
| Necrogoyf | 19 | 50% | +15 pts |
| The Raven Man | 17 | 53% | +13 pts |
| Marauding Mako | 17 | 49% | +13 pts |
| Rankle, Master of Pranks | 18 | 50% | +13 pts |
| Ash Barrens | 17 | 45% | +13 pts |
| Bone Miser | 17 | 47% | +13 pts |
| Inti, Seneschal of the Sun | 18 | 54% | +13 pts |
| Burglar Rat | 17 | 59% | +13 pts |
| Raiders' Wake | 16 | 51% | +13 pts |
| Tinybones, Bauble Burglar | 16 | 49% | +13 pts |
Commanders for Discard
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 →
Red Best cards by color →
Black · Red Best cards by color →
Blue · Black Best cards by color →
Blue · Black · Red Best cards by color →
White · Red 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 Discard deck?
The most-built commanders for this archetype are Kefka, Court Mage // Kefka, Ruler of Ruin, Norman Osborn // Green Goblin, Hashaton, Scarab's Fist. EDH Optimizer has the full list of 313 commanders with their recommended cards, ranked by how central Discard is to their decks.
Which cards are must-haves in a Discard deck?
The three most characteristic are Monument to Endurance, Waste Not, Containment Construct. 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 Discard played in?
The most common color identities are Black, Red, Black · Red. The "By color identity" section groups the commanders and links to the best cards for each combination.
How much does a Discard 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.