EDH Optimizer
Basim Ibn Ishaq
Legendary Creature — Human Assassin · UB
Color identity: Black · Blue · Dimir
Basim Ibn Ishaq is Dimir (black and blue): its deck can only run cards of those colors plus colorless ones.
Rules text:
Whenever you cast a historic spell, draw a card. Basim Ibn Ishaq can't be blocked this turn. This ability triggers only once each turn. (Artifacts, legendaries, and Sagas are historic.)
Whenever Basim Ibn Ishaq deals combat damage to a player, put a +1/+1 counter on it.
Reference price of the card: €3.26
Average lands in decks for Basim Ibn Ishaq: 35
HistoricEquipmentArtifactsVoltron+1/+1 CountersAssassinsAggroLegends
Build your Basim Ibn Ishaq deck step by step, with in-depth analysis and AI optimization of your list.
🛠️ Build a deck for Basim Ibn Ishaq 📥 Analyze my deck🎲 How the average Basim Ibn Ishaq 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+ (75/100)
- Consistency77
- Speed70
- Interaction98
- Resilience92
- Closing64
See the cards of the average deck · 99 cards, 35 lands (25 nonbasic, 7 Island, 3 Swamp)
Sol Ring · Arcane Signet · Swiftfoot Boots · Counterspell · Baleful Strix · Talisman of Dominance · Etherium Sculptor · Ramses, Assassin Lord · Excalibur, Sword of Eden · Crystal Skull, Isu Spyglass · Desynchronization · Dimir Signet · Emry, Lurker of the Loch · Cranial Plating · The Key to the Vault · Foundry Inspector · Eagle Vision · Loyal Inventor · An Offer You Can't Refuse · Thought Vessel · Fireshrieker · Lightning Greaves · Propaganda · Sai, Master Thopterist · Blackblade Reforged · Negate · Mithril Coat · Sword of the Animist · Jhoira's Familiar · Slip Out the Back · Champion's Helm · Go for the Throat · Brotherhood Regalia · Nettlecyst · Ornithopter of Paradise · Assassin Gauntlet · Feed the Swarm · Arcane Denial · Ezio, Blade of Vengeance · Fellwar Stone · Toxic Deluge · Solemn Simulacrum · Sword of Feast and Famine · Shimmer Myr · Smoke Bomb · Hidden Blade · The Reality Chip · Ballad of the Black Flag · Brass Squire · Mind Stone · Forensic Gadgeteer · Shadowspear · Proft's Eidetic Memory · Sink into Stupor // Soporific Springs · Restart Sequence · K-9, Mark I · Deadly Rollick · Swan Song · Kappa Cannoneer · Winged Boots · Achilles Davenport · Hammer of Nazahn · Fell the Profane // Fell Mire · Sygg, River Cutthroat · Command Tower · Drowned Catacomb · Sunken Hollow · Watery Grave · Underground River · Reliquary Tower · Shipwreck Marsh · Seat of the Synod · Choked Estuary · Morphic Pool · Polluted Delta · Vault of Whispers · Tainted Isle · Darkwater Catacombs · Gloomlake Verge · Bojuka Bog · Academy Ruins · Archway of Innovation · Exotic Orchard · Dimir Aqueduct · Undercity Sewers · Rogue's Passage · Clearwater Pathway // Murkwater Pathway · Otawara, Soaring City · Abstergo Entertainment
🃏 Recommended cards for Basim Ibn Ishaq
The highest-synergy cards in decks for Basim Ibn Ishaq, with their inclusion rate.
| Card | Inclusion | Synergy |
|---|---|---|
| Etherium Sculptor | 54% | +50% |
| Ramses, Assassin Lord | 51% | +50% |
| Excalibur, Sword of Eden | 50% | +49% |
| Desynchronization | 49% | +47% |
| Crystal Skull, Isu Spyglass | 49% | +47% |
| Cranial Plating | 48% | +46% |
| The Key to the Vault | 46% | +45% |
| Loyal Inventor | 44% | +43% |
| Emry, Lurker of the Loch | 48% | +43% |
| Eagle Vision | 44% | +42% |
| Foundry Inspector | 45% | +41% |
| Swiftfoot Boots | 64% | +40% |
| Fireshrieker | 40% | +39% |
| Blackblade Reforged | 37% | +36% |
| Baleful Strix | 60% | +36% |
| Seat of the Synod | 41% | +35% |
| Jhoira's Familiar | 35% | +34% |
| Sai, Master Thopterist | 37% | +33% |
| Mithril Coat | 36% | +33% |
| Champion's Helm | 34% | +33% |
| Vault of Whispers | 38% | +32% |
| Nettlecyst | 33% | +32% |
| Sword of the Animist | 35% | +32% |
| Assassin Gauntlet | 32% | +31% |
💰 The best cards for your Basim Ibn Ishaq 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.
- Etherium Sculptor
- Cranial Plating
- The Key to the Vault
- Loyal Inventor
- Emry, Lurker of the Loch
- Eagle Vision
Tier 2 · Balanced up to €10/card
The real step up: pieces that are no longer cheap but still sensible.
- Ramses, Assassin Lord
- Desynchronization
- Crystal Skull, Isu Spyglass
- Baleful Strix
- Vault of Whispers
- Sword of the Animist
Tier 3 · No cap no cap
The cards your price cap was hiding from you.
- Excalibur, Sword of Eden
- Mithril Coat
- Sword of Feast and Famine
- Shadowspear
- Urza, Lord High Artificer
- Urza's Saga
Reference prices (cheapest English printing). They change daily.
♾️ Known combos with Basim Ibn Ishaq
- Hullbreaker Horror + Sol Ring → Infinite colorless mana, Infinite storm count
- Demonic Consultation + Thassa's Oracle → Exile your library, Win the game
- Tainted Pact + Thassa's Oracle → Win the game
- 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
👥 Community decks with Basim Ibn Ishaq
Full decklists published by players on EDH Optimizer, with their analysis, bracket and health. Clone them to your account and optimize them for free.
Other commanders
Frequently asked questions
What is Basim Ibn Ishaq's color identity?
Basim Ibn Ishaq is Dimir (black and blue): 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 Basim Ibn Ishaq come down, and how often does the deck get stuck?
In the average Basim Ibn Ishaq deck (the 99 cards most played with it, with 35 lands), simulated 4,000 times, the commander comes down on turn 2.3 on average and is on the battlefield before turn 7 in 100 % of games. It misses at least one land drop in the first six turns 8 % of the time and floods 2 %. Deck health: B+ (75/100).
How many lands should a Basim Ibn Ishaq deck run?
Real Basim Ibn Ishaq 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 Basim Ibn Ishaq?
The three highest-synergy cards are Etherium Sculptor, Ramses, Assassin Lord, Excalibur, Sword of Eden. This page lists the top 24 with their real inclusion rate in Basim Ibn Ishaq decks.
What combos does Basim Ibn Ishaq have?
Basim Ibn Ishaq 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 Basim Ibn Ishaq deck cost?
You can start cheap: Etherium Sculptor, Cranial Plating, The Key to the Vault 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.