EDH Optimizer
Aboshan, Cephalid Emperor
Legendary Creature — Octopus Noble · 4UU
Color identity: Blue
Aboshan, Cephalid Emperor is blue: its deck can only run cards of that color plus colorless ones.
Rules text:
Tap an untapped Octopus you control: Tap target permanent.
{U}{U}{U}: Tap all creatures without flying.
Reference price of the card: €0.26
Average lands in decks for Aboshan, Cephalid Emperor: 35
ControlCephalidsSea CreaturesTap / UntapFlyingComboPillow FortCard Draw
Build your Aboshan, Cephalid Emperor deck step by step, with in-depth analysis and AI optimization of your list.
🛠️ Build a deck for Aboshan, Cephalid Emperor 📥 Analyze my deck🎲 How the average Aboshan, Cephalid Emperor deck starts over 4,000 games
The list people actually play per EDHREC (the 99 most-included cards, with its average land count), simulated with the EDH Optimizer engine: hands, mulligans, lands, curve and commander. It does not model opponents; it measures whether the plan gets going.
Deck health of the average list: C+ (62/100)
- Consistency57
- Speed40
- Interaction82
- Resilience87
- Closing57
See the cards of the average deck · 99 cards, 35 lands (9 nonbasic, 26 Island)
Cephalid Looter · Sol Ring · Cephalid Constable · Llawan, Cephalid Empress · Callous Oppressor · Verity Circle · Cephalid Broker · Counterspell · Cephalid Retainer · Borrowing 100,000 Arrows · Theft of Dreams · Cephalid Pathmage · Cephalid Facetaker · Arcane Signet · Sapphire Medallion · High Tide · Archetype of Imagination · Wonder · Cephalid Illusionist · Cephalid Inkshrouder · Cephalid Sage · Cephalid Scout · Omen Hawker · Shield Broker · Kefnet's Monument · Thought Vessel · Willbreaker · Whelming Wave · Dismiss into Dream · Aboshan's Desire · Cephalid Inkmage · Levitation · Betrayal · Cephalid Vandal · Dramatic Reversal · Sky Diamond · Cephalid Aristocrat · Hylda's Crown of Winter · Negate · Pongify · Cephalid Snitch · Rapid Hybridization · Caelorna, Coral Tyrant · Propaganda · Mothdust Changeling · Reality Shift · Mind Stone · Aetherize · Deep Analysis · Psychic Pickpocket · Sea-Dasher Octopus · Tamiyo, the Moon Sage · Ultros, Obnoxious Octopus · Arcane Denial · Cyclonic Rift · Lightning Greaves · Maskwood Nexus · Reflections of Littjara · Acquisition Octopus · Amoeboid Changeling · Lost in the Maze · Universal Automaton · Brainstorm · Lorthos, the Tidemaker · Reliquary Tower · Cephalid Coliseum · Mystic Sanctuary · Myriad Landscape · Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx · Castle Vantress · Lonely Sandbar · Arcane Lighthouse · Path of Ancestry
🃏 Recommended cards for Aboshan, Cephalid Emperor
The highest-synergy cards in decks for Aboshan, Cephalid Emperor, with their inclusion rate.
| Card | Inclusion | Synergy |
|---|---|---|
| Cephalid Looter | 77% | +76% |
| Llawan, Cephalid Empress | 76% | +76% |
| Cephalid Constable | 76% | +76% |
| Callous Oppressor | 74% | +73% |
| Verity Circle | 74% | +73% |
| Cephalid Broker | 73% | +73% |
| Cephalid Retainer | 68% | +68% |
| Theft of Dreams | 65% | +65% |
| Borrowing 100,000 Arrows | 66% | +65% |
| Cephalid Pathmage | 64% | +63% |
| Cephalid Facetaker | 63% | +62% |
| Cephalid Illusionist | 59% | +59% |
| Cephalid Sage | 57% | +57% |
| Cephalid Scout | 57% | +57% |
| Cephalid Inkshrouder | 57% | +57% |
| Archetype of Imagination | 60% | +56% |
| Wonder | 60% | +55% |
| Shield Broker | 54% | +53% |
| Omen Hawker | 57% | +53% |
| Willbreaker | 51% | +50% |
| Kefnet's Monument | 53% | +47% |
| Dismiss into Dream | 46% | +45% |
| Aboshan's Desire | 44% | +44% |
| Cephalid Inkmage | 44% | +43% |
💰 The best cards for your Aboshan, Cephalid Emperor deck, by budget
Three tiers based on the maximum price PER CARD you are willing to pay. Paste your list and hit Optimize: you pick that cap and the AI only suggests swaps that fit under it.
Tier 1 · Budget up to €2/card
The most value for almost nothing. Coming from a precon? Start here.
- Cephalid Looter
- Llawan, Cephalid Empress
- Cephalid Constable
- Callous Oppressor
- Verity Circle
- Cephalid Broker
Tier 2 · Balanced up to €10/card
The real step up: pieces that are no longer cheap but still sensible.
- Cephalid Facetaker
- Willbreaker
- Tamiyo, the Moon Sage
- Shapesharer
- Nyx Lotus
- Kindred Discovery
Tier 3 · No cap no cap
The cards your price cap was hiding from you.
- Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx
- Spawning Kraken
- Urza's Incubator
Reference prices (cheapest English printing). They change daily.
♾️ Known combos with Aboshan, Cephalid Emperor
- Hullbreaker Horror + Sol Ring → Infinite colorless mana, Infinite storm count
- Dramatic Reversal + Isochron Scepter → Infinite magecraft triggers, Infinite mana nonland permanents you control can produce, Infinite storm count, Infinite untap of nonland permanents you control
- Hullbreaker Horror + Mana Vault → Infinite colorless mana, Infinite storm count
- Hullbreaker Horror + Mox Amber → Infinite creature ETB, Infinite creature LTB, Infinite colored mana, Infinite storm count
- Rings of Brighthearth + Basalt Monolith → Infinite colorless mana
- Peregrine Drake + Deadeye Navigator → Infinite blinking, Infinite creature ETB, Infinite creature LTB, Infinite mana lands you control can produce
Other commanders
Frequently asked questions
What is Aboshan, Cephalid Emperor's color identity?
Aboshan, Cephalid Emperor is blue: its deck can only run cards of that color plus colorless ones. Color identity comes from every mana symbol on the card, including those in the rules text, not just the casting cost.
What turn does Aboshan, Cephalid Emperor come down, and how often does the deck get stuck?
In the average Aboshan, Cephalid Emperor deck (the 99 most-included cards per EDHREC, with 35 lands), simulated 4,000 times, the commander comes down on turn 5.8 on average and is on the battlefield before turn 7 in 88 % of games. It misses at least one land drop in the first six turns 24 % of the time and floods 11 %. Deck health: C+ (62/100).
How many lands should a Aboshan, Cephalid Emperor deck run?
Real Aboshan, Cephalid Emperor decks run 35 lands on average. That is a starting point, not a rule: a lower curve can shave one or two, big-mana builds want more. The EDH Optimizer simulator tells you, over 10,000 games, how often you get mana screwed or flooded with your exact count.
What are the best cards for Aboshan, Cephalid Emperor?
The three highest-synergy cards are Cephalid Looter, Llawan, Cephalid Empress, Cephalid Constable. This page lists the top 24 with their real inclusion rate in Aboshan, Cephalid Emperor decks.
What combos does Aboshan, Cephalid Emperor have?
Aboshan, Cephalid Emperor has 6 known combos. The most popular one is Hullbreaker Horror + Sol Ring. Note that two-card combos raise your deck's bracket, so it is worth knowing which ones you are running before you sit down.
How much does a Aboshan, Cephalid Emperor deck cost?
You can start cheap: Cephalid Looter, Llawan, Cephalid Empress, Cephalid Constable are under €2 each. The "Level up" section on this page splits the best cards into three price caps PER CARD (up to €2, up to €10 and no cap), and the optimizer only suggests swaps that fit the cap you pick.