EDH Optimizer
Animate Dead
Animate Dead is a black enchantment that counts as recursion. It appears in the recommended lists of 165 commanders, and 9% of black decks run it.
Type: Enchantment — Aura
Cost: 1B
Color identity: Black
Reference price: €5.86
Oldest printing: Limited Edition Alpha
Role in the deck: recursion
Rules text
Official text (Scryfall).
Paste your list and we tell you whether this card fits: ramp, draw, interaction, curve and a 10,000-game simulation.
📥 Analyze my deck for free 🛠️ Browse commandersCommanders that play it
The commanders with the highest synergy with this card, with the share of their decks that run it. Each one links to its deck guide.
| Commander | Identity | Inclusion | Synergy |
|---|---|---|---|
| Songbird, Sonic Screamer | Black | 84% | +66% |
| Killian, Decisive Mentor | Black · White | 77% | +66% |
| The Master of Keys | Black · Blue · White | 67% | +57% |
| Kroxa, Titan of Death's Hunger | Black · Red | 60% | +51% |
| Mirko, Obsessive Theorist | Black · Blue | 62% | +51% |
| Kokusho, the Evening Star | Black | 67% | +49% |
| Bebop, Skull & Crossbones | Black | 67% | +49% |
| Raffine, Scheming Seer | Black · Blue · White | 58% | +48% |
| Celes, Rune Knight | Black · Red · White | 56% | +48% |
| Bladewing the Risen | Black · Red | 56% | +47% |
| Scion of the Ur-Dragon | Black · Green · Red · Blue · White | 48% | +46% |
| Lurrus of the Dream-Den | Black · White | 55% | +44% |
| Green Goblin, Back for More | Black | 62% | +44% |
| Old Stickfingers | Black · Green | 49% | +42% |
| The Master of Lake-town | Black | 58% | +41% |
| Xiahou Dun, the One-Eyed | Black | 57% | +40% |
| Victor, Valgavoth's Seneschal | Black · White | 51% | +40% |
| Chainer, Nightmare Adept | Black · Red | 48% | +39% |
| M.O.D.O.K. | Black | 56% | +39% |
| Anje Falkenrath | Black · Red | 47% | +38% |
| Chainer, Dementia Master | Black | 55% | +38% |
| Minotaur, Roxxon CEO | Black | 55% | +37% |
| Volrath the Fallen | Black | 54% | +37% |
| Superior Spider-Man | Black · Blue | 47% | +36% |
How much it is played, by color identity
Share of decks in each identity that run it, according to EDHREC.
Archetypes where it shows up
The most common themes among the commanders that play it. Each one links to its archetype guide.
Reanimator · 140 Graveyard · 79 Combo · 73 Aristocrats · 52 Mill · 47 Control · 44 Discard · 43 Self-Mill · 40
Known combos with Animate Dead
According to Commander Spellbook. Note that a two-card combo raises your deck's bracket.
- Abdel Adrian, Gorion's Ward + Animate Dead → Infinite blinking, Infinite creature tokens, Infinite death triggers
- Worldgorger Dragon + Animate Dead → Infinite death triggers, Infinite colored mana, Infinite colorless mana
- Leonin Relic-Warder + Animate Dead → Infinite death triggers, Infinite creature ETB, Infinite creature LTB
- Sun Titan + Karmic Guide + Animate Dead + Altar of Dementia → Infinite death triggers, Infinite creature ETB, Infinite creature LTB
- Sun Titan + Karmic Guide + Animate Dead + Ashnod's Altar → Infinite colorless mana, Infinite death triggers, Infinite creature ETB
- Kederekt Leviathan + Animate Dead → Return all nonland permanents to owner's hand each turn, Lock
- Sun Titan + Karmic Guide + Animate Dead + Phyrexian Altar → Infinite colored mana, Infinite death triggers, Infinite creature ETB
- Animate Dead + Sun Titan + Dance of the Dead + Viscera Seer → Infinite creature LTB, Infinite creature ETB, Infinite creature sacrifice triggers
Cards that go with it
The ones that show up most often in the same commanders' lists.
Frequently asked questions
Which Commander decks play Animate Dead?
It is in the recommended lists of 165 commanders, with an average inclusion of 34% in their decks. The commanders with the highest synergy with it are Songbird, Sonic Screamer · Killian, Decisive Mentor · The Master of Keys. Overall, 9% of black decks run it.
How much does Animate Dead cost?
Its reference price is €5.86 (cheapest English printing according to Scryfall; it changes daily). The EDH Optimizer optimizer only suggests cards that fit the per-card price cap you pick.
Does Animate Dead have combos?
Yes: 8 known combos on Commander Spellbook. The most popular one is Abdel Adrian, Gorion's Ward + Animate Dead. Remember that two-card combos raise your deck's bracket.
Can I play Animate Dead in my deck?
It is legal in Commander. Its color identity is black, so it only fits in decks whose commander has those colors in its identity (or any deck if it is colorless). EDH Optimizer automatically flags cards outside your commander's identity.