EDH Optimizer
Ardyn, the Usurper
Legendary Creature — Elder Human Noble · 5BBB
Color identity: Black
Ardyn, the Usurper is black: its deck can only run cards of that color plus colorless ones.
Rules text:
Demons you control have menace, lifelink, and haste.
Starscourge — At the beginning of combat on your turn, exile up to one target creature card from a graveyard. If you exiled a card this way, create a token that's a copy of that card, except it's a 5/5 black Demon.
Reference price of the card: €0.97
Average lands in decks for Ardyn, the Usurper: 35
ReanimatorDemonsGraveyardLifegainRampMidrangeMillSelf-Mill
Build your Ardyn, the Usurper deck step by step, with in-depth analysis and AI optimization of your list.
🛠️ Build a deck for Ardyn, the Usurper 📥 Analyze my deck🎲 How the average Ardyn, the Usurper 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: C+ (65/100)
- Consistency90
- Speed63
- Interaction35
- Resilience77
- Closing57
See the cards of the average deck · 99 cards, 35 lands (11 nonbasic, 24 Swamp)
Sol Ring · Dark Ritual · Jet Medallion · Archfiend of Depravity · Arcane Signet · Crypt Ghast · Liliana's Contract · Rune-Scarred Demon · Varragoth, Bloodsky Sire · Bontu's Monument · Harvester of Souls · Unholy Annex // Ritual Chamber · Demonic Counsel · Reaper from the Abyss · Feed the Swarm · Gray Merchant of Asphodel · Reanimate · The Darkness Crystal · Vilis, Broker of Blood · K'rrik, Son of Yawgmoth · Phyrexian Arena · Valgavoth, Terror Eater · Withering Torment · Demonic Covenant · Sower of Discord · Bloodletter of Aclazotz · Doom Whisperer · Bloodgift Demon · Lord of the Void · Ancient Cellarspawn · Defile · Abyssal Harvester · Black Market Connections · Ob Nixilis, Unshackled · Lightning Greaves · Archfiend of Despair · Solemn Simulacrum · Toxic Deluge · Great Unclean One · Infernal Grasp · Overseer of the Damned · Sign in Blood · Urza's Incubator · Liliana of the Dark Realms · Victimize · Night's Whisper · Plague Drone · Buried Alive · Herald's Horn · Kindred Dominance · Burning-Rune Demon · Dream Devourer · Indulgent Tormentor · Heartless Summoning · Imp's Mischief · The Speed Demon · Throne of Eldraine · Cabal Ritual · Swiftfoot Boots · Charcoal Diamond · Black Market · Bolas's Citadel · Bubbling Muck · Rise of the Dark Realms · Cabal Coffers · Cabal Stronghold · Bojuka Bog · Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx · Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth · Myriad Landscape · Reliquary Tower · Crypt of Agadeem · Temple of the False God · Witch's Cottage · Command Beacon
🃏 Recommended cards for Ardyn, the Usurper
The highest-synergy cards in decks for Ardyn, the Usurper, with their inclusion rate.
| Card | Inclusion | Synergy |
|---|---|---|
| Archfiend of Depravity | 68% | +61% |
| Liliana's Contract | 62% | +60% |
| Rune-Scarred Demon | 61% | +56% |
| Varragoth, Bloodsky Sire | 60% | +56% |
| Unholy Annex // Ritual Chamber | 57% | +54% |
| Reaper from the Abyss | 55% | +53% |
| Demonic Counsel | 55% | +52% |
| Harvester of Souls | 57% | +51% |
| Demonic Covenant | 48% | +47% |
| Sower of Discord | 48% | +46% |
| Lord of the Void | 45% | +44% |
| Doom Whisperer | 47% | +44% |
| Valgavoth, Terror Eater | 49% | +43% |
| Bloodgift Demon | 45% | +42% |
| Ancient Cellarspawn | 42% | +40% |
| Vilis, Broker of Blood | 51% | +39% |
| Ob Nixilis, Unshackled | 41% | +38% |
| Abyssal Harvester | 41% | +38% |
| Bloodletter of Aclazotz | 47% | +37% |
| Urza's Incubator | 38% | +36% |
| Great Unclean One | 38% | +36% |
| Archfiend of Despair | 39% | +36% |
| Overseer of the Damned | 38% | +36% |
| Plague Drone | 36% | +35% |
💰 The best cards for your Ardyn, the Usurper 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.
- Archfiend of Depravity
- Rune-Scarred Demon
- Unholy Annex // Ritual Chamber
- Reaper from the Abyss
- Demonic Counsel
- Harvester of Souls
Tier 2 · Balanced up to €10/card
The real step up: pieces that are no longer cheap but still sensible.
- Liliana's Contract
- Varragoth, Bloodsky Sire
- Sower of Discord
- Lord of the Void
- Doom Whisperer
- Ancient Cellarspawn
Tier 3 · No cap no cap
The cards your price cap was hiding from you.
- Valgavoth, Terror Eater
- Bloodletter of Aclazotz
- Urza's Incubator
- Liliana of the Dark Realms
- Throne of Eldraine
- Razaketh, the Foulblooded
Reference prices (cheapest English printing). They change daily.
♾️ Known combos with Ardyn, the Usurper
- Sanguine Bond + Exquisite Blood → Infinite lifegain triggers, Infinite lifeloss, Infinite lifegain
- Vito, Thorn of the Dusk Rose + Exquisite Blood → Infinite lifegain triggers, Infinite lifeloss, Infinite lifegain
- Vito, Thorn of the Dusk Rose + Bloodthirsty Conqueror → Infinite lifegain triggers, Infinite lifeloss, Infinite lifegain
- Sanguine Bond + Bloodthirsty Conqueror → Infinite lifegain triggers, Infinite lifeloss, Infinite lifegain
- Gravecrawler + Phyrexian Altar → Infinite death triggers, Infinite creature ETB, Infinite creature LTB, Infinite creature sacrifice triggers, Infinite storm count
- Exquisite Blood + Enduring Tenacity → Infinite lifegain triggers, Infinite lifeloss, Infinite lifegain
Other commanders
Frequently asked questions
What is Ardyn, the Usurper's color identity?
Ardyn, the Usurper is black: 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 Ardyn, the Usurper come down, and how often does the deck get stuck?
In the average Ardyn, the Usurper deck (the 99 cards most played with it, with 35 lands), simulated 4,000 times, the commander comes down on turn 7.4 on average and is on the battlefield before turn 7 in 55 % of games. It misses at least one land drop in the first six turns 30 % of the time and floods 7 %. Deck health: C+ (65/100).
How many lands should a Ardyn, the Usurper deck run?
Real Ardyn, the Usurper 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 Ardyn, the Usurper?
The three highest-synergy cards are Archfiend of Depravity, Liliana's Contract, Rune-Scarred Demon. This page lists the top 24 with their real inclusion rate in Ardyn, the Usurper decks.
What combos does Ardyn, the Usurper have?
Ardyn, the Usurper has 6 known combos. The most popular one is Sanguine Bond + Exquisite Blood. 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 Ardyn, the Usurper deck cost?
You can start cheap: Archfiend of Depravity, Rune-Scarred Demon, Unholy Annex // Ritual Chamber 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.