EDH Optimizer
Bard, King of Dale
Legendary Creature — Human Noble Archer · 4WU
Color identity: Blue · White · Azorius
Bard, King of Dale is Azorius (blue and white): its deck can only run cards of those colors plus colorless ones.
Rules text:
Reach, vigilance
If you would draw a card except the first one you draw in each of your draw steps, draw two cards instead.
If one or more tokens would be created under your control, twice that many of those tokens are created instead.
Reference price of the card: €4.71
Average lands in decks for Bard, King of Dale: 36
TokensCard DrawHumansControlPopulate+1/+1 CountersGo WideMidrange
Build your Bard, King of Dale deck step by step, with in-depth analysis and AI optimization of your list.
🛠️ Build a deck for Bard, King of Dale 📥 Analyze my deck🎲 How the average Bard, King of Dale 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+ (81/100)
- Consistency86
- Speed58
- Interaction98
- Resilience81
- Closing86
See the cards of the average deck · 99 cards, 36 lands (22 nonbasic, 7 Plains, 7 Island)
Sol Ring · Arcane Signet · Swords to Plowshares · The Queen of Dale · Prince Imrahil the Fair · Path to Exile · Thought Vessel · Belladonna Took · Gleaming Splendor · Talisman of Progress · The Council of Four · Bard's Company · Faramir, Prince of Ithilien · Counterspell · Adeline, Resplendent Cathar · Mischievous Mystic · Arcane Denial · Azorius Signet · Bard the Bowman · Brainstorm · Faerie Mastermind · Homunculus Horde · Smothering Tithe · Monologue Tax · Dovin's Veto · An Offer You Can't Refuse · Esper Sentinel · Loran of the Third Path · Mister Fantastic, Reed Richards · Skullclamp · Emrakul's Messenger · Moonshaker Cavalry · Rhystic Study · Fellwar Stone · Frantic Search · Bilbo's Gambit · Chasm Skulker · Caretaker's Talent · Elspeth, Storm Slayer · Horn of Gondor · Reprieve · Tataru Taru · Great Gilded Boat · King T'Challa // Black Panther, Hope Enduring · Alandra, Sky Dreamer · Bard, Heir of Girion · Curiosity Crafter · Lightning Greaves · Supreme Verdict · The Arkenstone // Seek the Heart · Cosmogrand Zenith · Mind Stone · Swan Song · Teferi's Ageless Insight · Voice of Victory · Opt · Ponder · Psychosis Crawler · Preordain · Anointed Procession · Decanter of Endless Water · Mystic Remora · Windfall · Command Tower · Reliquary Tower · Glacial Fortress · Prairie Stream · Hallowed Fountain · Adarkar Wastes · Port Town · Deserted Beach · Sea of Clouds · Flooded Strand · Floodfarm Verge · Exotic Orchard · Meticulous Archive · Minas Tirith · Lake-town · Otawara, Soaring City · Mystic Gate · Castle Ardenvale · Skycloud Expanse · Gleaming Bastion · Temple of Enlightenment · Path of Ancestry
🃏 Recommended cards for Bard, King of Dale
The highest-synergy cards in decks for Bard, King of Dale, with their inclusion rate.
| Card | Inclusion | Synergy |
|---|---|---|
| Prince Imrahil the Fair | 70% | +65% |
| The Queen of Dale | 72% | +64% |
| Belladonna Took | 66% | +60% |
| Bard's Company | 58% | +53% |
| Faramir, Prince of Ithilien | 55% | +52% |
| The Council of Four | 59% | +50% |
| Adeline, Resplendent Cathar | 51% | +48% |
| Mischievous Mystic | 51% | +48% |
| Gleaming Splendor | 61% | +47% |
| Bard the Bowman | 48% | +43% |
| Homunculus Horde | 46% | +41% |
| Monologue Tax | 44% | +39% |
| Faerie Mastermind | 47% | +37% |
| Mister Fantastic, Reed Richards | 39% | +36% |
| Emrakul's Messenger | 38% | +35% |
| Moonshaker Cavalry | 38% | +33% |
| Horn of Gondor | 35% | +33% |
| Great Gilded Boat | 33% | +31% |
| Skullclamp | 38% | +30% |
| Caretaker's Talent | 34% | +30% |
| Elspeth, Storm Slayer | 33% | +30% |
| Bilbo's Gambit | 35% | +30% |
| Chasm Skulker | 35% | +29% |
| Brainstorm | 47% | +29% |
💰 The best cards for your Bard, King of Dale 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.
- Prince Imrahil the Fair
- Bard's Company
- Faramir, Prince of Ithilien
- The Council of Four
- Mischievous Mystic
- Bard the Bowman
Tier 2 · Balanced up to €10/card
The real step up: pieces that are no longer cheap but still sensible.
- Belladonna Took
- Adeline, Resplendent Cathar
- Moonshaker Cavalry
- Skullclamp
- Caretaker's Talent
- Tataru Taru
Tier 3 · No cap no cap
The cards your price cap was hiding from you.
- The Queen of Dale
- Gleaming Splendor
- Faerie Mastermind
- Elspeth, Storm Slayer
- Bard, Heir of Girion
- Voice of Victory
Reference prices (cheapest English printing). They change daily.
♾️ Known combos with Bard, King of Dale
- Hullbreaker Horror + Sol Ring → Infinite colorless mana, Infinite storm count
- Dramatic Reversal + Isochron Scepter → Infinite magecraft triggers, Infinite mana nonland permanents you control can produce, Infinite storm count, Infinite untap of nonland permanents you control
- Hullbreaker Horror + Mana Vault → Infinite colorless mana, Infinite storm count
- Hullbreaker Horror + Mox Amber → Infinite creature ETB, Infinite creature LTB, Infinite colored mana, Infinite storm count
- Rings of Brighthearth + Basalt Monolith → Infinite colorless mana
- Heliod, Sun-Crowned + Walking Ballista → Infinite damage, Infinite lifegain, Infinite lifegain triggers
Other commanders
Frequently asked questions
What is Bard, King of Dale's color identity?
Bard, King of Dale is Azorius (blue 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 Bard, King of Dale come down, and how often does the deck get stuck?
In the average Bard, King of Dale deck (the 99 cards most played with it, with 36 lands), simulated 4,000 times, the commander comes down on turn 5.4 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 10 % of the time and floods 0 %. Deck health: B+ (81/100).
How many lands should a Bard, King of Dale deck run?
Real Bard, King of Dale 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 Bard, King of Dale?
The three highest-synergy cards are Prince Imrahil the Fair, The Queen of Dale, Belladonna Took. This page lists the top 24 with their real inclusion rate in Bard, King of Dale decks.
What combos does Bard, King of Dale have?
Bard, King of Dale has 6 known combos. The most popular one is Hullbreaker Horror + Sol Ring. 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 Bard, King of Dale deck cost?
You can start cheap: Prince Imrahil the Fair, Bard's Company, Faramir, Prince of Ithilien 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.