EDH Optimizer
Balthor the Defiled
Legendary Creature — Zombie Dwarf · 2BB
Color identity: Black
Balthor the Defiled is black: its deck can only run cards of that color plus colorless ones.
Rules text:
Minion creatures get +1/+1.
{B}{B}{B}, Exile Balthor: Each player returns all black and all red creature cards from their graveyard to the battlefield.
Reference price of the card: €7.25
Average lands in decks for Balthor the Defiled: 35
ReanimatorMillGraveyardZombiesSelf-MillComboAristocratsDredge
Build your Balthor the Defiled deck step by step, with in-depth analysis and AI optimization of your list.
🛠️ Build a deck for Balthor the Defiled 📥 Analyze my deck🎲 How the average Balthor the Defiled 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 (49/100)
- Consistency35
- Speed52
- Interaction30
- Resilience59
- Closing63
See the cards of the average deck · 99 cards, 35 lands (10 nonbasic, 25 Swamp)
Gray Merchant of Asphodel · Sol Ring · Buried Alive · Dark Ritual · Stitcher's Supplier · Jet Medallion · Songs of the Damned · Crypt Ghast · Living Death · Arcane Signet · Entomb · Reanimate · Syr Konrad, the Grim · Stinkweed Imp · Vile Entomber · Ayara, First of Locthwain · Massacre Wurm · Ripples of Undeath · Doom Whisperer · Feed the Swarm · K'rrik, Son of Yawgmoth · Cabal Ritual · Undead Butler · Animate Dead · Toxic Deluge · Abhorrent Overlord · Accursed Marauder · Mikaeus, the Unhallowed · Altar of Dementia · Bog Witch · Culling the Weak · Golgari Thug · Mogis's Marauder · Phyrexian Arena · Carrion Feeder · Mire Triton · Victimize · Angel of Suffering · Mesmeric Orb · Overeager Apprentice · Damnation · Fleshbag Marauder · Bubbling Muck · Demonic Tutor · Millikin · Shriekmaw · Soldevi Adnate · Plaguecrafter · Warren Soultrader · Mutilate · Out of the Tombs · Razaketh, the Foulblooded · Skirge Familiar · Vilis, Broker of Blood · Blood Pet · Priest of Gix · Sheoldred, Whispering One · Sign in Blood · Phyrexian Altar · Viscera Seer · Cemetery Tampering · Chainer, Dementia Master · Charcoal Diamond · Dread Return · Cabal Coffers · Crypt of Agadeem · Bojuka Bog · Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth · Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx · Phyrexian Tower · Cabal Stronghold · Dakmor Salvage · Takenuma, Abandoned Mire · Myriad Landscape
🃏 Recommended cards for Balthor the Defiled
The highest-synergy cards in decks for Balthor the Defiled, with their inclusion rate.
| Card | Inclusion | Synergy |
|---|---|---|
| Buried Alive | 72% | +59% |
| Stitcher's Supplier | 64% | +58% |
| Songs of the Damned | 61% | +56% |
| Stinkweed Imp | 47% | +45% |
| Crypt of Agadeem | 56% | +45% |
| Living Death | 54% | +43% |
| Vile Entomber | 47% | +41% |
| Doom Whisperer | 44% | +41% |
| Ripples of Undeath | 45% | +39% |
| Undead Butler | 39% | +37% |
| Entomb | 50% | +37% |
| Mogis's Marauder | 35% | +34% |
| Bog Witch | 36% | +34% |
| Abhorrent Overlord | 37% | +33% |
| Golgari Thug | 35% | +33% |
| Mire Triton | 34% | +32% |
| Angel of Suffering | 33% | +32% |
| Gray Merchant of Asphodel | 82% | +31% |
| Altar of Dementia | 36% | +30% |
| Mesmeric Orb | 33% | +30% |
| Mikaeus, the Unhallowed | 37% | +29% |
| Overeager Apprentice | 30% | +29% |
| Massacre Wurm | 46% | +29% |
| Syr Konrad, the Grim | 49% | +29% |
💰 The best cards for your Balthor the Defiled 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.
- Buried Alive
- Stitcher's Supplier
- Songs of the Damned
- Stinkweed Imp
- Vile Entomber
- Undead Butler
Tier 2 · Balanced up to €10/card
The real step up: pieces that are no longer cheap but still sensible.
- Crypt of Agadeem
- Living Death
- Doom Whisperer
- Ripples of Undeath
- Entomb
- Angel of Suffering
Tier 3 · No cap no cap
The cards your price cap was hiding from you.
- Altar of Dementia
- Mesmeric Orb
- Mikaeus, the Unhallowed
- Out of the Tombs
- Razaketh, the Foulblooded
- Overlord of the Balemurk
Reference prices (cheapest English printing). They change daily.
♾️ Known combos with Balthor the Defiled
- 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
- Enduring Tenacity + Bloodthirsty Conqueror → Infinite lifegain triggers, Infinite lifeloss, Infinite lifegain
- Sheoldred, the Apocalypse + Peer into the Abyss → Near-infinite card draw for target opponent, Near-infinite draw triggers for target opponent, Near-infinite lifeloss for target opponent, Target opponent loses the game
- Warren Soultrader + Gravecrawler + Blood Artist → Infinite death triggers, Infinite creature ETB, Infinite lifegain triggers, Infinite lifeloss, Infinite creature LTB, Infinite creature sacrifice triggers, Infinite storm count
- Warren Soultrader + Gravecrawler + Zulaport Cutthroat → Infinite death triggers, Infinite creature ETB, Infinite lifegain triggers, Infinite lifeloss, Infinite creature LTB, Infinite creature sacrifice triggers, Infinite storm count
Other commanders
Frequently asked questions
What is Balthor the Defiled's color identity?
Balthor the Defiled 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 Balthor the Defiled come down, and how often does the deck get stuck?
In the average Balthor the Defiled deck (the 99 most-included cards per EDHREC, with 35 lands), simulated 4,000 times, the commander comes down on turn 3.7 on average and is on the battlefield before turn 7 in 99 % of games. It misses at least one land drop in the first six turns 28 % of the time and floods 28 %. Deck health: C (49/100).
How many lands should a Balthor the Defiled deck run?
Real Balthor the Defiled 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 Balthor the Defiled?
The three highest-synergy cards are Buried Alive, Stitcher's Supplier, Songs of the Damned. This page lists the top 24 with their real inclusion rate in Balthor the Defiled decks.
What combos does Balthor the Defiled have?
Balthor the Defiled has 6 known combos. The most popular one is Vito, Thorn of the Dusk Rose + Bloodthirsty Conqueror. 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 Balthor the Defiled deck cost?
You can start cheap: Buried Alive, Stitcher's Supplier, Songs of the Damned 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.