EDH Optimizer
Cao Ren, Wei Commander
Legendary Creature — Human Soldier Warrior · 2BB
Color identity: Black
Cao Ren, Wei Commander is black: its deck can only run cards of that color plus colorless ones.
Rules text:
Horsemanship (This creature can't be blocked except by creatures with horsemanship.)
When Cao Ren enters, you lose 3 life.
Reference price of the card: €34.08
Average lands in decks for Cao Ren, Wei Commander: 37
EquipmentVoltron+1/+1 CountersAggroShadowborn ApostlesUnblockable
Build your Cao Ren, Wei Commander deck step by step, with in-depth analysis and AI optimization of your list.
🛠️ Build a deck for Cao Ren, Wei Commander 📥 Analyze my deck🎲 How the average Cao Ren, Wei Commander 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: B (69/100)
- Consistency51
- Speed57
- Interaction53
- Resilience80
- Closing98
See the cards of the average deck · 99 cards, 37 lands (14 nonbasic, 23 Swamp)
Sol Ring · Vorpal Sword · Fireshrieker · Phyrexian Arena · Swiftfoot Boots · Commander's Plate · Sword of the Animist · Blackblade Reforged · Crypt Ghast · Jet Medallion · Dark Ritual · Lashwrithe · Hammer of Nazahn · Lightning Greaves · Sword of Hearth and Home · Wei Strike Force · Arcane Signet · Brass Squire · Defile · Wei Scout · Buster Sword · Darksteel Plate · Feed the Swarm · Wei Elite Companions · Night's Whisper · Nightmare Lash · Sign in Blood · Deadly Rollick · Shadowspear · Wei Night Raiders · Kaya's Ghostform · Sword of Feast and Famine · Zhang He, Wei General · Grafted Exoskeleton · Infernal Grasp · Xiahou Dun, the One-Eyed · Black Market Connections · Dauthi Voidwalker · Phyresis · Rogue's Gloves · Quietus Spike · Gray Merchant of Asphodel · K'rrik, Son of Yawgmoth · Shade's Form · Solemn Simulacrum · Tainted Strike · Basilisk Collar · Damnation · Gix's Command · Howl from Beyond · Liliana of the Dark Realms · Eternal Thirst · Go for the Throat · Loxodon Warhammer · Mandate of Abaddon · Mask of Memory · Pact Weapon · Snuff Out · Thought Vessel · Toxic Deluge · Demonic Tutor · Dowsing Dagger // Lost Vale · Cabal Coffers · Cabal Stronghold · Bojuka Bog · Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth · Castle Locthwain · Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx · Myriad Landscape · Rogue's Passage · Reliquary Tower · Urza's Cave · War Room · Ancient Tomb · Command Beacon · Witch's Cottage
🃏 Recommended cards for Cao Ren, Wei Commander
The highest-synergy cards in decks for Cao Ren, Wei Commander, with their inclusion rate.
| Card | Inclusion | Synergy |
|---|---|---|
| Vorpal Sword | 74% | +70% |
| Fireshrieker | 71% | +70% |
| Sword of the Animist | 69% | +65% |
| Blackblade Reforged | 67% | +64% |
| Commander's Plate | 69% | +63% |
| Wei Strike Force | 57% | +57% |
| Hammer of Nazahn | 57% | +56% |
| Sword of Hearth and Home | 57% | +56% |
| Lashwrithe | 60% | +56% |
| Wei Scout | 55% | +55% |
| Brass Squire | 55% | +54% |
| Wei Elite Companions | 52% | +52% |
| Buster Sword | 52% | +51% |
| Darksteel Plate | 52% | +50% |
| Nightmare Lash | 50% | +48% |
| Wei Night Raiders | 48% | +48% |
| Zhang He, Wei General | 45% | +45% |
| Sword of Feast and Famine | 45% | +44% |
| Shadowspear | 48% | +43% |
| Xiahou Dun, the One-Eyed | 43% | +42% |
| Grafted Exoskeleton | 43% | +42% |
| Rogue's Gloves | 40% | +40% |
| Swiftfoot Boots | 71% | +40% |
| Phyresis | 40% | +38% |
💰 The best cards for your Cao Ren, Wei Commander 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.
- Vorpal Sword
- Fireshrieker
- Blackblade Reforged
- Wei Strike Force
- Lashwrithe
- Wei Scout
Tier 2 · Balanced up to €10/card
The real step up: pieces that are no longer cheap but still sensible.
- Sword of the Animist
- Hammer of Nazahn
- Sword of Hearth and Home
- Darksteel Plate
- Grafted Exoskeleton
- Phyrexian Arena
Tier 3 · No cap no cap
The cards your price cap was hiding from you.
- Commander's Plate
- Buster Sword
- Wei Night Raiders
- Zhang He, Wei General
- Sword of Feast and Famine
- Shadowspear
Reference prices (cheapest English printing). They change daily.
♾️ Known combos with Cao Ren, Wei Commander
- 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
- Aetherflux Reservoir + Exquisite Blood → Infinite damage, Infinite lifegain triggers
- Sensei's Divining Top + Aetherflux Reservoir + Bolas's Citadel → Infinite card draw, Infinite draw triggers, Near-infinite damage, Near-infinite lifegain, Near-infinite lifegain triggers, Near-infinite storm count
Other commanders
Frequently asked questions
What is Cao Ren, Wei Commander's color identity?
Cao Ren, Wei Commander 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 Cao Ren, Wei Commander come down, and how often does the deck get stuck?
In the average Cao Ren, Wei Commander deck (the 99 most-included cards per EDHREC, with 37 lands), simulated 4,000 times, the commander comes down on turn 3.8 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 30 % of the time and floods 24 %. Deck health: B (69/100).
How many lands should a Cao Ren, Wei Commander deck run?
Real Cao Ren, Wei Commander 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 Cao Ren, Wei Commander?
The three highest-synergy cards are Vorpal Sword, Fireshrieker, Sword of the Animist. This page lists the top 24 with their real inclusion rate in Cao Ren, Wei Commander decks.
What combos does Cao Ren, Wei Commander have?
Cao Ren, Wei Commander 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 Cao Ren, Wei Commander deck cost?
You can start cheap: Vorpal Sword, Fireshrieker, Blackblade Reforged 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.