EDH Optimizer
Ao, the Dawn Sky
Legendary Creature — Dragon Spirit · 3WW
Color identity: White
Ao, the Dawn Sky is white: its deck can only run cards of that color plus colorless ones.
Rules text:
Flying, vigilance
When Ao dies, choose one —
• Look at the top seven cards of your library. Put any number of nonland permanent cards with total mana value 4 or less from among them onto the battlefield. Put the rest on the bottom of your library in a random order.
• Put two +1/+1 counters on each permanent you control that's a creature or Vehicle.
Reference price of the card: €0.40
Comes in the precon Lorehold Spirit
Average lands in decks for Ao, the Dawn Sky: 33
ComboReanimatorStaxArtifactsAristocratsSacrificeHatebearsCheerios
Build your Ao, the Dawn Sky deck step by step, with in-depth analysis and AI optimization of your list.
🛠️ Build a deck for Ao, the Dawn Sky 📥 Analyze my deck🎲 How the average Ao, the Dawn Sky 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 (67/100)
- Consistency95
- Speed58
- Interaction36
- Resilience86
- Closing64
See the cards of the average deck · 99 cards, 33 lands (13 nonbasic, 20 Plains)
Sol Ring · Gift of Immortality · Ashnod's Altar · Nim Deathmantle · Swords to Plowshares · Arcane Signet · Angelic Renewal · Blade of Selves · Esper Sentinel · Path to Exile · Loyal Retainers · Weathered Wayfarer · Mirage Mirror · Pearl Medallion · Brought Back · Enduring Renewal · Cathar Commando · Land Tax · Phyrexian Altar · Recruiter of the Guard · Archivist of Oghma · Grand Abolisher · Knight of the White Orchid · Mirror of the Forebears · Enlightened Tutor · Oswald Fiddlebender · Loran of the Third Path · Skyclave Apparition · Witch Enchanter // Witch-Blessed Meadow · Restoration Specialist · Sol Talisman · Blind Obedience · Faith's Reward · Memnite · Sevinne's Reclamation · Sun Titan · Aven Mindcensor · Jackdaw Savior · Lotus Bloom · Ornithopter · Smothering Tithe · Altar of Dementia · Flare of Fortitude · Mind Stone · Moonsilver Key · Oketra's Monument · Ranger-Captain of Eos · Martyred Rusalka · Skullclamp · Deep Gnome Terramancer · Generous Gift · Archaeomancer's Map · Archon of Emeria · Welcoming Vampire · Dusk Rose Reliquary · Walking Ballista · Relic Vial · Samwise the Stouthearted · Second Sunrise · Stoneforge Mystic · Gerrard's Hourglass Pendant · Grasp of Fate · Drannith Magistrate · Loyal Warhound · Moon-Blessed Cleric · Spirit of the Labyrinth · High Market · Emeria, the Sky Ruin · Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx · Eiganjo, Seat of the Empire · War Room · Lazotep Quarry · Urza's Saga · Inventors' Fair · Myriad Landscape · Ancient Tomb · Command Beacon · Hall of Heliod's Generosity · Ancient Den
🃏 Recommended cards for Ao, the Dawn Sky
The highest-synergy cards in decks for Ao, the Dawn Sky, with their inclusion rate.
| Card | Inclusion | Synergy |
|---|---|---|
| Gift of Immortality | 72% | +67% |
| Ashnod's Altar | 71% | +67% |
| Nim Deathmantle | 67% | +66% |
| High Market | 68% | +66% |
| Angelic Renewal | 62% | +60% |
| Blade of Selves | 62% | +59% |
| Loyal Retainers | 55% | +55% |
| Mirage Mirror | 53% | +53% |
| Enduring Renewal | 48% | +48% |
| Brought Back | 49% | +46% |
| Phyrexian Altar | 44% | +42% |
| Weathered Wayfarer | 55% | +42% |
| Mirror of the Forebears | 41% | +41% |
| Cathar Commando | 47% | +39% |
| Oswald Fiddlebender | 40% | +37% |
| Restoration Specialist | 37% | +37% |
| Sol Talisman | 37% | +36% |
| Memnite | 36% | +36% |
| Lotus Bloom | 35% | +34% |
| Faith's Reward | 36% | +34% |
| Recruiter of the Guard | 44% | +34% |
| Jackdaw Savior | 35% | +33% |
| Ornithopter | 35% | +33% |
| Altar of Dementia | 34% | +32% |
💰 The best cards for your Ao, the Dawn Sky 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.
- Gift of Immortality
- High Market
- Angelic Renewal
- Loyal Retainers
- Mirage Mirror
- Enduring Renewal
Tier 2 · Balanced up to €10/card
The real step up: pieces that are no longer cheap but still sensible.
- Nim Deathmantle
- Blade of Selves
- Lotus Bloom
- Recruiter of the Guard
- Lazotep Quarry
- Archivist of Oghma
Tier 3 · No cap no cap
The cards your price cap was hiding from you.
- Ashnod's Altar
- Phyrexian Altar
- Altar of Dementia
- Ranger-Captain of Eos
- Esper Sentinel
- Grand Abolisher
Reference prices (cheapest English printing). They change daily.
♾️ Known combos with Ao, the Dawn Sky
- Heliod, Sun-Crowned + Walking Ballista → Infinite damage, Infinite lifegain, Infinite lifegain triggers
- Luminous Broodmoth + Ashnod's Altar → Infinite creature LTB, Infinite creature ETB, Infinite creature sacrifice triggers, Infinite death triggers, Infinite colorless mana
- Nim Deathmantle + Ashnod's Altar → Infinite creature LTB, Infinite creature ETB, Infinite creature sacrifice triggers, Infinite death triggers
- Luminous Broodmoth + Phyrexian Altar → Infinite creature LTB, Infinite creature ETB, Infinite colored mana, Infinite creature sacrifice triggers, Infinite death triggers
- Luminous Broodmoth + Altar of Dementia → Infinite creature LTB, Infinite creature ETB, Infinite creature sacrifice triggers, Infinite death triggers, Infinite mill, Infinite self-mill
- Karmic Guide + Reveillark + Ashnod's Altar → Infinite colorless mana, Infinite death triggers, Infinite creature ETB, Infinite creature LTB, Infinite creature sacrifice triggers, Infinite recursion of creature cards with power 2 or less
Other commanders
Frequently asked questions
What is Ao, the Dawn Sky's color identity?
Ao, the Dawn Sky is white: 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 Ao, the Dawn Sky come down, and how often does the deck get stuck?
In the average Ao, the Dawn Sky deck (the 99 cards most played with it, with 33 lands), simulated 4,000 times, the commander comes down on turn 4.5 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 23 % of the time and floods 10 %. Deck health: B (67/100).
How many lands should a Ao, the Dawn Sky deck run?
Real Ao, the Dawn Sky decks run 33 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 Ao, the Dawn Sky?
The three highest-synergy cards are Gift of Immortality, Ashnod's Altar, Nim Deathmantle. This page lists the top 24 with their real inclusion rate in Ao, the Dawn Sky decks.
What combos does Ao, the Dawn Sky have?
Ao, the Dawn Sky has 6 known combos. The most popular one is Heliod, Sun-Crowned + Walking Ballista. 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 Ao, the Dawn Sky deck cost?
You can start cheap: Gift of Immortality, High Market, Angelic Renewal 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.