EDH Optimizer
Self-Mill Commander decks
Milling yourself is only good when the graveyard is a second battlefield: reanimation, delve, or payoffs that count cards down there. Built well it is the archetype that sees the most cards per turn in the format; built badly it just throws the deck away.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stitcher's Supplier | 27 | 56% | +48 pts |
| Ripples of Undeath | 19 | 47% | +33 pts |
| Syr Konrad, the Grim | 21 | 48% | +31 pts |
| Millikin | 16 | 47% | +30 pts |
| Reanimate | 24 | 52% | +30 pts |
| Aftermath Analyst | 17 | 49% | +30 pts |
| Victimize | 22 | 46% | +29 pts |
| Dread Return | 16 | 45% | +27 pts |
| Skull Prophet | 15 | 47% | +25 pts |
| Eternal Witness | 18 | 47% | +22 pts |
| Buried Alive | 14 | 47% | +22 pts |
| Grisly Salvage | 13 | 47% | +22 pts |
| Frantic Search | 15 | 53% | +21 pts |
| Satyr Wayfinder | 11 | 44% | +20 pts |
| Animate Dead | 13 | 40% | +19 pts |
| Sakura-Tribe Elder | 16 | 51% | +16 pts |
| Hedge Shredder | 9 | 37% | +16 pts |
| Life from the Loam | 9 | 48% | +16 pts |
| Terramorphic Expanse | 10 | 45% | +16 pts |
| Six | 9 | 45% | +16 pts |
| Deranged Assistant | 8 | 47% | +15 pts |
| Nyx Weaver | 9 | 48% | +15 pts |
| Stitch Together | 7 | 46% | +13 pts |
| Undercity Sewers | 8 | 38% | +13 pts |
| Fact or Fiction | 7 | 46% | +12 pts |
| Altar of Dementia | 7 | 43% | +12 pts |
| Wonder | 7 | 47% | +12 pts |
| Windfall | 8 | 43% | +12 pts |
| Evolving Wilds | 11 | 49% | +11 pts |
| Undead Butler | 6 | 50% | +11 pts |
Commanders for Self-Mill
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 →
Black · Green Best cards by color →
Blue · Black Best cards by color →
Blue Best cards by color →
Green Best cards by color →
Blue · Black · 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 Self-Mill deck?
The most-built commanders for this archetype are Lazav, the Multifarious, Diamond Weapon, Akawalli, the Seething Tower. EDH Optimizer has the full list of 226 commanders with their recommended cards, ranked by how central Self-Mill is to their decks.
Which cards are must-haves in a Self-Mill deck?
The three most characteristic are Stitcher's Supplier, Ripples of Undeath, Syr Konrad, the Grim. 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 Self-Mill played in?
The most common color identities are Black, Black · Green, Blue · Black. The "By color identity" section groups the commanders and links to the best cards for each combination.
How much does a Self-Mill 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.