EDH Optimizer
Bob, Reluctant HYDRA Agent
Legendary Creature — Human Coward Villain · 1B
Color identity: Black
Bob, Reluctant HYDRA Agent is black: its deck can only run cards of that color plus colorless ones.
Rules text:
Whenever Bob attacks alone, return him to his owner's hand. If you do, each opponent loses 2 life and you gain 2 life.
Reference price of the card: €0.20
Average lands in decks for Bob, Reluctant HYDRA Agent: 37
BurnLifegainLifedrainVillainsAttack TriggersGood StuffLTB EffectsVoltron
Build your Bob, Reluctant HYDRA Agent deck step by step, with in-depth analysis and AI optimization of your list.
🛠️ Build a deck for Bob, Reluctant HYDRA Agent 📥 Analyze my deck🎲 How the average Bob, Reluctant HYDRA Agent 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 (55/100)
- Consistency2
- Speed66
- Interaction38
- Resilience74
- Closing78
See the cards of the average deck · 99 cards, 37 lands (10 nonbasic, 27 Swamp)
Lightning Greaves · Sol Ring · Bontu's Monument · Doom Reigns Supreme · Crossbones, Malicious Mercenary · Baron Strucker, HYDRA Overlord · Tome of Legends · Tinybones Joins Up · Swiftfoot Boots · Jet Medallion · Arcane Signet · Ninja Teen · Marauding Blight-Priest · HYDRA Infiltration · Ayara, First of Locthwain · Lavaspur Boots · Tombstone, Career Criminal · Cabal Paladin · Crashing Drawbridge · Crimson Cowl, Master of Evil · Loyal Subordinate · Scheming Silvertongue // Sign in Blood · Withering Torment · Starscape Cleric · Dark Ritual · Leech Collector // Bloodletting · Witch of the Moors · Endless Ranks of HYDRA · Withering Curse · Phyrexian Arena · Visions of Villainy · Rat King, Pale Piper · Skateboard · Crypt Ghast · Vito, Thorn of the Dusk Rose · Black Market Connections · Gray Merchant of Asphodel · Toxic Deluge · Tragic Trajectory · Sign in Blood · Enduring Tenacity · Feed the Swarm · Night's Whisper · Decode Transmissions · Defile · Exsanguinate · Bloodletter of Aclazotz · Darkness · Creeping Bloodsucker · The Darkness Crystal · The Spot's Portal · Infernal Grasp · Sanguine Bond · Silent Arbiter · Villainous Wrath · Reaper's Talisman · Super Shredder · Citizen V, Helmut Zemo · Deadly Rollick · No Mercy · Vrock · Veinwitch Coven · Bojuka Bog · Cabal Coffers · Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth · Amonkhet Raceway · War Room · Cabal Stronghold · Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx · Reliquary Tower · Witch's Cottage · Villainous Hideout
🃏 Recommended cards for Bob, Reluctant HYDRA Agent
The highest-synergy cards in decks for Bob, Reluctant HYDRA Agent, with their inclusion rate.
| Card | Inclusion | Synergy |
|---|---|---|
| Doom Reigns Supreme | 78% | +77% |
| Crossbones, Malicious Mercenary | 75% | +74% |
| Tome of Legends | 74% | +74% |
| Baron Strucker, HYDRA Overlord | 74% | +73% |
| Tinybones Joins Up | 72% | +67% |
| Ninja Teen | 65% | +64% |
| HYDRA Infiltration | 63% | +63% |
| Tombstone, Career Criminal | 61% | +61% |
| Cabal Paladin | 60% | +60% |
| Lavaspur Boots | 61% | +59% |
| Crimson Cowl, Master of Evil | 59% | +59% |
| Loyal Subordinate | 59% | +58% |
| Marauding Blight-Priest | 64% | +57% |
| Crashing Drawbridge | 59% | +56% |
| Leech Collector | 56% | +56% |
| Starscape Cleric | 58% | +55% |
| Scheming Silvertongue | 59% | +53% |
| Endless Ranks of HYDRA | 52% | +52% |
| Witch of the Moors | 56% | +52% |
| Bontu's Monument | 78% | +50% |
| Lightning Greaves | 83% | +49% |
| Withering Curse | 51% | +49% |
| Skateboard | 49% | +48% |
| Visions of Villainy | 50% | +48% |
💰 The best cards for your Bob, Reluctant HYDRA Agent 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.
- Doom Reigns Supreme
- Crossbones, Malicious Mercenary
- Tome of Legends
- Baron Strucker, HYDRA Overlord
- Tinybones Joins Up
- Ninja Teen
Tier 2 · Balanced up to €10/card
The real step up: pieces that are no longer cheap but still sensible.
- Bontu's Monument
- Lightning Greaves
- Vito, Thorn of the Dusk Rose
- Ayara, First of Locthwain
- Creeping Bloodsucker
- Silent Arbiter
Tier 3 · No cap no cap
The cards your price cap was hiding from you.
- Enduring Tenacity
- Super Shredder
- Bloodletter of Aclazotz
- Black Market Connections
- Bloodchief Ascension
Reference prices (cheapest English printing). They change daily.
♾️ Known combos with Bob, Reluctant HYDRA Agent
- 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
- Exquisite Blood + Enduring Tenacity → Infinite lifegain triggers, Infinite lifeloss, Infinite lifegain
- Bloodchief Ascension + Mindcrank → Infinite mill, Near-infinite lifegain, Near-infinite lifegain triggers, Near-infinite lifeloss
Other commanders
Frequently asked questions
What is Bob, Reluctant HYDRA Agent's color identity?
Bob, Reluctant HYDRA Agent 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 Bob, Reluctant HYDRA Agent come down, and how often does the deck get stuck?
In the average Bob, Reluctant HYDRA Agent deck (the 99 most-included cards per EDHREC, with 37 lands), simulated 4,000 times, the commander comes down on turn 2.0 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 38 % of the time and floods 33 %. Deck health: C (55/100).
How many lands should a Bob, Reluctant HYDRA Agent deck run?
Real Bob, Reluctant HYDRA Agent decks run 37 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 Bob, Reluctant HYDRA Agent?
The three highest-synergy cards are Doom Reigns Supreme, Crossbones, Malicious Mercenary, Tome of Legends. This page lists the top 24 with their real inclusion rate in Bob, Reluctant HYDRA Agent decks.
What combos does Bob, Reluctant HYDRA Agent have?
Bob, Reluctant HYDRA Agent 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 Bob, Reluctant HYDRA Agent deck cost?
You can start cheap: Doom Reigns Supreme, Crossbones, Malicious Mercenary, Tome of Legends 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.