EDH Optimizer
Anafenza, the Foremost
Legendary Creature — Human Soldier · WBG
Color identity: Black · Green · White · Abzan
Anafenza, the Foremost is Abzan (black, green and white): its deck can only run cards of those colors plus colorless ones.
Rules text:
Whenever Anafenza attacks, put a +1/+1 counter on another target tapped creature you control.
If a nontoken creature an opponent owns would die or a creature card not on the battlefield would be put into an opponent's graveyard, exile that card instead.
Reference price of the card: €0.45
Average lands in decks for Anafenza, the Foremost: 36
+1/+1 CountersHatebearsMidrangeAggroExileTokensStaxCombo
Build your Anafenza, the Foremost deck step by step, with in-depth analysis and AI optimization of your list.
🛠️ Build a deck for Anafenza, the Foremost 📥 Analyze my deck🎲 How the average Anafenza, the Foremost deck starts over 4,000 games
The list people actually play (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: B (68/100)
- Consistency40
- Speed67
- Interaction49
- Resilience77
- Closing96
See the cards of the average deck · 99 cards, 36 lands (26 nonbasic, 3 Plains, 2 Swamp, 5 Forest)
Sol Ring · Arcane Signet · Swords to Plowshares · Abzan Falconer · Hardened Scales · Path to Exile · Abzan Charm · Inspiring Call · Ivorytusk Fortress · Cultivate · Tuskguard Captain · Abzan Ascendancy · Ainok Bond-Kin · Abzan Battle Priest · Farseek · Avacyn's Pilgrim · Birds of Paradise · Kutzil, Malamet Exemplar · Mer-Ek Nightblade · Anafenza, Kin-Tree Spirit · Champion of Lambholt · Corpsejack Menace · Rampant Growth · Anguished Unmaking · Assassin's Trophy · Conclave Mentor · Hamza, Guardian of Arashin · Shalai, Voice of Plenty · Kami of Whispered Hopes · Rishkar, Peema Renegade · Heroic Intervention · Forgotten Ancient · Kodama's Reach · Cathars' Crusade · Envoy of the Ancestors · Mikaeus, the Lunarch · Winding Constrictor · Duneblast · Elite Scaleguard · Good-Fortune Unicorn · Hollowmurk Siege · Nature's Lore · Citadel Siege · Eternal Witness · Llanowar Elves · Dromoka's Command · Esper Sentinel · Retribution of the Ancients · Reyhan, Last of the Abzan · Scavenging Ooze · Utter End · Abzan Banner · Beast Within · Deathrite Shaman · Swiftfoot Boots · Branching Evolution · Eerie Ultimatum · Longshot Squad · Mortify · Siege Rhino · Damn · Evolution Witness · Leinore, Autumn Sovereign · Command Tower · Sandsteppe Citadel · Godless Shrine · Overgrown Tomb · Temple Garden · Exotic Orchard · Sunpetal Grove · Isolated Chapel · Windswept Heath · Woodland Cemetery · Indatha Triome · Canopy Vista · Gavony Township · Caves of Koilos · Llanowar Wastes · Bojuka Bog · Evolving Wilds · Marsh Flats · Verdant Catacombs · Brushland · Bountiful Promenade · Undergrowth Stadium · Blossoming Sands · Vault of Champions · Deceptive Landscape · Scoured Barrens
🃏 Recommended cards for Anafenza, the Foremost
The highest-synergy cards in decks for Anafenza, the Foremost, with their inclusion rate.
| Card | Inclusion | Synergy |
|---|---|---|
| Abzan Falconer | 50% | +46% |
| Hardened Scales | 48% | +42% |
| Ivorytusk Fortress | 39% | +37% |
| Tuskguard Captain | 38% | +36% |
| Abzan Charm | 44% | +36% |
| Ainok Bond-Kin | 37% | +36% |
| Inspiring Call | 41% | +35% |
| Abzan Battle Priest | 36% | +34% |
| Abzan Ascendancy | 37% | +33% |
| Mer-Ek Nightblade | 32% | +32% |
| Anafenza, Kin-Tree Spirit | 31% | +30% |
| Gavony Township | 35% | +27% |
| Corpsejack Menace | 31% | +27% |
| Champion of Lambholt | 31% | +26% |
| Hamza, Guardian of Arashin | 28% | +26% |
| Conclave Mentor | 28% | +24% |
| Kutzil, Malamet Exemplar | 32% | +22% |
| Elite Scaleguard | 22% | +22% |
| Mikaeus, the Lunarch | 23% | +21% |
| Forgotten Ancient | 24% | +21% |
| Rishkar, Peema Renegade | 26% | +20% |
| Citadel Siege | 21% | +20% |
| Shalai, Voice of Plenty | 28% | +20% |
| Winding Constrictor | 23% | +19% |
💰 The best cards for your Anafenza, the Foremost 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.
- Abzan Falconer
- Hardened Scales
- Ivorytusk Fortress
- Tuskguard Captain
- Abzan Charm
- Ainok Bond-Kin
Tier 2 · Balanced up to €10/card
The real step up: pieces that are no longer cheap but still sensible.
- Gavony Township
- Champion of Lambholt
- Kutzil, Malamet Exemplar
- Cathars' Crusade
- Kami of Whispered Hopes
- Ozolith, the Shattered Spire
Tier 3 · No cap no cap
The cards your price cap was hiding from you.
- Reyhan, Last of the Abzan
- The Ozolith
- Esper Sentinel
- Grand Abolisher
Reference prices (cheapest English printing). They change daily.
♾️ Known combos with Anafenza, the Foremost
- Restoration Angel + Felidar Guardian → Infinite creature ETB, Infinite creature LTB
- Heliod, Sun-Crowned + Walking Ballista → Infinite damage, Infinite lifegain, Infinite lifegain triggers
- Scurry Oak + Ivy Lane Denizen → Infinite +1/+1 counters on a creature, Infinite creature tokens, Infinite creature ETB
- Ashnod's Altar + Cathars' Crusade → Infinite creature ETB, Infinite creature LTB, Infinite +1/+1 counters on most creatures you control, Infinite colorless mana, Infinite death triggers, Infinite creature sacrifice triggers
- Rosie Cotton of South Lane + Basking Broodscale → Infinite colorless mana, Infinite creature tokens, Infinite death triggers, Infinite creature ETB, Infinite creature LTB, Infinite creature sacrifice triggers, Infinite +1/+1 counters on a creature
- Chain of Smog + Witherbloom Apprentice → Infinite lifegain, Infinite lifegain triggers, Infinite lifeloss, Infinite magecraft triggers
Other commanders
Frequently asked questions
What is Anafenza, the Foremost's color identity?
Anafenza, the Foremost is Abzan (black, green and white): its deck can only run cards of those colors 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 Anafenza, the Foremost come down, and how often does the deck get stuck?
In the average Anafenza, the Foremost deck (the 99 cards most played with it, with 36 lands), simulated 4,000 times, the commander comes down on turn 3.3 on average and is on the battlefield before turn 7 in 97 % of games. It misses at least one land drop in the first six turns 30 % of the time and floods 26 %. Deck health: B (68/100).
How many lands should a Anafenza, the Foremost deck run?
Real Anafenza, the Foremost decks run 36 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 Anafenza, the Foremost?
The three highest-synergy cards are Abzan Falconer, Hardened Scales, Ivorytusk Fortress. This page lists the top 24 with their real inclusion rate in Anafenza, the Foremost decks.
What combos does Anafenza, the Foremost have?
Anafenza, the Foremost has 6 known combos. The most popular one is Restoration Angel + Felidar Guardian. 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 Anafenza, the Foremost deck cost?
You can start cheap: Abzan Falconer, Hardened Scales, Ivorytusk Fortress 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.