EDH Optimizer
Arvinox, the Mind Flail
Legendary Enchantment Creature — Horror · 4BBB
Color identity: Black
Arvinox, the Mind Flail is black: its deck can only run cards of that color plus colorless ones.
Rules text:
Arvinox isn't a creature unless you control three or more permanents you don't own.
At the beginning of your end step, exile the bottom card of each opponent's library face down. For as long as those cards remain exiled, you may look at them, you may cast permanent spells from among them, and you may spend mana as though it were mana of any color to cast those spells.
Reference price of the card: €0.34
Comes in the precon Miracle Worker
Average lands in decks for Arvinox, the Mind Flail: 35
TheftExileReanimatorControlRampGraveyardDevotionBig Mana
Build your Arvinox, the Mind Flail deck step by step, with in-depth analysis and AI optimization of your list.
🛠️ Build a deck for Arvinox, the Mind Flail 📥 Analyze my deck🎲 How the average Arvinox, the Mind Flail 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+ (63/100)
- Consistency66
- Speed56
- Interaction23
- Resilience71
- Closing96
See the cards of the average deck · 99 cards, 35 lands (12 nonbasic, 23 Swamp)
Sol Ring · Brainstealer Dragon · Dark Ritual · Crypt Ghast · Gonti, Lord of Luxury · Elder Brain · Cunning Rhetoric · Arcane Signet · Jet Medallion · Gray Merchant of Asphodel · Intellect Devourer · Feed the Swarm · Thieving Amalgam · Defile · Nirkana Revenant · Gisa, Glorious Resurrector · Reanimate · Dauthi Voidwalker · Dead Man's Chest · Solemn Simulacrum · Sign in Blood · Breach the Multiverse · Court of Locthwain · Phyrexian Arena · Geth, Lord of the Vault · Mind Stone · Outrageous Robbery · The Darkness Crystal · Charcoal Diamond · Dread Presence · Gonti, Night Minister · Infernal Grasp · Junktroller · Thieving Varmint · Thran Dynamo · Sepulchral Primordial · Liliana of the Dark Realms · Burnished Hart · Heartless Conscription · K'rrik, Son of Yawgmoth · Magus of the Coffers · Withering Torment · Grave Betrayal · Thought Vessel · Bubbling Muck · Damnation · Night's Whisper · Staff of Eden, Vault's Key · Black Market · Caged Sun · Crabomination · Rise of the Dark Realms · Nashi, Moon Sage's Scion · Nyx Lotus · Wayfarer's Bauble · Bontu's Monument · Reito Lantern · Valgavoth, Terror Eater · Animate Dead · Go for the Throat · Reito Sentinel · Soul Shatter · Consuming Corruption · Dredge the Mire · Cabal Coffers · Cabal Stronghold · Myriad Landscape · Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx · Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth · Bojuka Bog · Reliquary Tower · Witch's Cottage · Temple of the False God · Castle Locthwain · War Room · Rogue's Passage
🃏 Recommended cards for Arvinox, the Mind Flail
The highest-synergy cards in decks for Arvinox, the Mind Flail, with their inclusion rate.
| Card | Inclusion | Synergy |
|---|---|---|
| Brainstealer Dragon | 77% | +74% |
| Elder Brain | 71% | +69% |
| Gonti, Lord of Luxury | 72% | +68% |
| Cunning Rhetoric | 70% | +68% |
| Intellect Devourer | 63% | +62% |
| Thieving Amalgam | 58% | +57% |
| Dead Man's Chest | 51% | +51% |
| Gisa, Glorious Resurrector | 53% | +49% |
| Court of Locthwain | 48% | +46% |
| Geth, Lord of the Vault | 45% | +43% |
| Nirkana Revenant | 54% | +43% |
| Outrageous Robbery | 45% | +43% |
| Breach the Multiverse | 48% | +42% |
| Junktroller | 41% | +41% |
| Gonti, Night Minister | 41% | +38% |
| Sepulchral Primordial | 40% | +38% |
| Thieving Varmint | 41% | +37% |
| Dauthi Voidwalker | 52% | +36% |
| Heartless Conscription | 38% | +36% |
| Thran Dynamo | 41% | +35% |
| Grave Betrayal | 37% | +35% |
| Staff of Eden, Vault's Key | 36% | +35% |
| Crabomination | 35% | +34% |
| Reito Lantern | 33% | +32% |
💰 The best cards for your Arvinox, the Mind Flail 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.
- Elder Brain
- Gonti, Lord of Luxury
- Cunning Rhetoric
- Intellect Devourer
- Thieving Amalgam
- Dead Man's Chest
Tier 2 · Balanced up to €10/card
The real step up: pieces that are no longer cheap but still sensible.
- Brainstealer Dragon
- Gisa, Glorious Resurrector
- Court of Locthwain
- Nirkana Revenant
- Breach the Multiverse
- Thieving Varmint
Tier 3 · No cap no cap
The cards your price cap was hiding from you.
- Valgavoth, Terror Eater
- Crypt Ghast
- Stinging Study
- Opposition Agent
- Damnation
- Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx
Reference prices (cheapest English printing). They change daily.
♾️ Known combos with Arvinox, the Mind Flail
- 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
- Gravecrawler + Phyrexian Altar → Infinite death triggers, Infinite creature ETB, Infinite creature LTB, Infinite creature sacrifice triggers, Infinite storm count
- Sanguine Bond + Bloodthirsty Conqueror → Infinite lifegain triggers, Infinite lifeloss, Infinite lifegain
- Exquisite Blood + Enduring Tenacity → Infinite lifegain triggers, Infinite lifeloss, Infinite lifegain
Other commanders
Frequently asked questions
What is Arvinox, the Mind Flail's color identity?
Arvinox, the Mind Flail 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 Arvinox, the Mind Flail come down, and how often does the deck get stuck?
In the average Arvinox, the Mind Flail deck (the 99 most-included cards per EDHREC, with 35 lands), simulated 4,000 times, the commander comes down on turn 6.1 on average and is on the battlefield before turn 7 in 85 % of games. It misses at least one land drop in the first six turns 20 % of the time and floods 13 %. Deck health: C+ (63/100).
How many lands should a Arvinox, the Mind Flail deck run?
Real Arvinox, the Mind Flail 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 Arvinox, the Mind Flail?
The three highest-synergy cards are Brainstealer Dragon, Elder Brain, Gonti, Lord of Luxury. This page lists the top 24 with their real inclusion rate in Arvinox, the Mind Flail decks.
What combos does Arvinox, the Mind Flail have?
Arvinox, the Mind Flail 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 Arvinox, the Mind Flail deck cost?
You can start cheap: Elder Brain, Gonti, Lord of Luxury, Cunning Rhetoric 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.