EDH Optimizer
Cabal Patriarch
Legendary Creature — Human Wizard · 3BBB
Color identity: Black
Cabal Patriarch is black: its deck can only run cards of that color plus colorless ones.
Rules text:
{2}{B}, Sacrifice a creature: Target creature gets -2/-2 until end of turn.
{2}{B}, Exile a creature card from your graveyard: Target creature gets -2/-2 until end of turn.
Reference price of the card: €0.09
Average lands in decks for Cabal Patriarch: 36
AristocratsDiscardReanimator-1/-1 CountersActivated AbilitiesGraveyardSacrificeSelf-Mill
Build your Cabal Patriarch deck step by step, with in-depth analysis and AI optimization of your list.
🛠️ Build a deck for Cabal Patriarch 📥 Analyze my deck🎲 How the average Cabal Patriarch 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 (53/100)
- Consistency37
- Speed49
- Interaction33
- Resilience60
- Closing77
See the cards of the average deck · 99 cards, 36 lands (9 nonbasic, 27 Swamp)
Cabal Ritual · Scion of Darkness · Dark Supplicant · Cabal Interrogator · Sol Ring · Cabal Conditioning · Cabal Executioner · Cabal Archon · Mortal Combat · Curse of the Cabal · Magus of the Coffers · Phage the Untouchable · Sign in Blood · Whisper, Blood Liturgist · Chainer, Dementia Master · Dark Ritual · Doomed Necromancer · Jet Medallion · Patriarch's Bidding · Cabal Evangel · Braids, Arisen Nightmare · Cabal Initiate · Black Market · Cabal Trainee · Gravedigger · Cabal Inquisitor · Cabal Therapist · Rite of Belzenlok · Skulltap · Cabal Paladin · Cabal Surgeon · Charcoal Diamond · Mutilate · Cabal Torturer · Defile · Victimize · Vile Deacon · Cabal Therapy · Patriarch's Desire · Undead Gladiator · Demonlord Belzenlok · Arcane Signet · Chainer's Edict · Crypt Ghast · Gray Merchant of Asphodel · Priest of Gix · Zulaport Cutthroat · Death Match · Mirari · Reanimate · Shepherd of Rot · Tragic Slip · Demonic Vigor · Go for the Throat · Grave Pact · Mind Stone · Oversold Cemetery · Phyrexian Arena · Reassembling Skeleton · Relic Vial · Shadow-Rite Priest · Ashnod's Altar · Blackmail · Cabal Coffers · Cabal Pit · Cabal Stronghold · Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx · Myriad Landscape · Bojuka Bog · Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth · Witch's Cottage · Barren Moor
🃏 Recommended cards for Cabal Patriarch
The highest-synergy cards in decks for Cabal Patriarch, with their inclusion rate.
| Card | Inclusion | Synergy |
|---|---|---|
| Scion of Darkness | 67% | +67% |
| Cabal Pit | 60% | +59% |
| Dark Supplicant | 59% | +59% |
| Cabal Interrogator | 57% | +57% |
| Cabal Executioner | 55% | +55% |
| Cabal Conditioning | 55% | +55% |
| Cabal Archon | 52% | +52% |
| Mortal Combat | 52% | +51% |
| Cabal Ritual | 67% | +49% |
| Curse of the Cabal | 48% | +48% |
| Phage the Untouchable | 48% | +47% |
| Whisper, Blood Liturgist | 47% | +45% |
| Cabal Evangel | 43% | +43% |
| Doomed Necromancer | 45% | +43% |
| Magus of the Coffers | 48% | +42% |
| Cabal Initiate | 41% | +41% |
| Patriarch's Bidding | 45% | +41% |
| Chainer, Dementia Master | 45% | +40% |
| Cabal Trainee | 40% | +40% |
| Gravedigger | 40% | +38% |
| Cabal Inquisitor | 38% | +38% |
| Skulltap | 38% | +38% |
| Cabal Therapist | 38% | +38% |
| Rite of Belzenlok | 38% | +38% |
💰 The best cards for your Cabal Patriarch 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.
- Scion of Darkness
- Cabal Pit
- Dark Supplicant
- Cabal Interrogator
- Cabal Executioner
- Cabal Conditioning
Tier 2 · Balanced up to €10/card
The real step up: pieces that are no longer cheap but still sensible.
- Mortal Combat
- Cabal Ritual
- Phage the Untouchable
- Magus of the Coffers
- Cabal Therapy
- Cabal Stronghold
Tier 3 · No cap no cap
The cards your price cap was hiding from you.
- Rotlung Reanimator
- Graveborn Muse
- Cabal Coffers
Reference prices (cheapest English printing). They change daily.
♾️ Known combos with Cabal Patriarch
- Gravecrawler + Phyrexian Altar → Infinite death triggers, Infinite creature ETB, Infinite creature LTB, Infinite creature sacrifice triggers, Infinite storm count
- 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
- Mikaeus, the Unhallowed + Phyrexian Altar → Infinite colored mana, Infinite creature ETB, Infinite creature LTB, Infinite creature sacrifice triggers, Infinite death triggers
- 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
- Mikaeus, the Unhallowed + Carrion Feeder → Infinite +1/+1 counters on a creature, Infinite creature ETB, Infinite creature LTB, Infinite creature sacrifice triggers, Infinite death triggers
- Gravecrawler + Pitiless Plunderer + Viscera Seer → Infinite creature LTB, Infinite creature ETB, Infinite creature sacrifice triggers, Infinite death triggers, Infinite scry 1, Infinite storm count
Other commanders
Frequently asked questions
What is Cabal Patriarch's color identity?
Cabal Patriarch 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 Cabal Patriarch come down, and how often does the deck get stuck?
In the average Cabal Patriarch deck (the 99 most-included cards per EDHREC, with 36 lands), simulated 4,000 times, the commander comes down on turn 5.9 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 29 % of the time and floods 20 %. Deck health: C (53/100).
How many lands should a Cabal Patriarch deck run?
Real Cabal Patriarch 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 Cabal Patriarch?
The three highest-synergy cards are Scion of Darkness, Cabal Pit, Dark Supplicant. This page lists the top 24 with their real inclusion rate in Cabal Patriarch decks.
What combos does Cabal Patriarch have?
Cabal Patriarch has 6 known combos. The most popular one is Gravecrawler + Phyrexian Altar. 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 Cabal Patriarch deck cost?
You can start cheap: Scion of Darkness, Cabal Pit, Dark Supplicant 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.