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: €46.58
Average lands in decks for Cao Ren, Wei Commander: 37
VoltronEquipment+1/+1 CountersAggroHorsemanshipOld SchoolShadowborn 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 (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+ (59/100)
- Consistency81
- Speed60
- Interaction62
- Resilience82
- Closing35
See the cards of the average deck · 99 cards, 37 lands (14 nonbasic, 23 Swamp)
Sol Ring · Phyrexian Arena · Vorpal Sword · Commander's Plate · Fireshrieker · Blackblade Reforged · Swiftfoot Boots · Dark Ritual · Jet Medallion · Crypt Ghast · Sword of the Animist · Arcane Signet · Lashwrithe · Hammer of Nazahn · Wei Strike Force · Defile · Lightning Greaves · Wei Scout · Buster Sword · Brass Squire · Deadly Rollick · Nightmare Lash · Feed the Swarm · Sword of Hearth and Home · Wei Elite Companions · Wei Night Raiders · Kaya's Ghostform · Sign in Blood · Sword of Feast and Famine · Darksteel Plate · Grafted Exoskeleton · Night's Whisper · Shadowspear · Black Market Connections · Infernal Grasp · Phyresis · Xiahou Dun, the One-Eyed · Zhang He, Wei General · K'rrik, Son of Yawgmoth · Dauthi Voidwalker · Quietus Spike · Rogue's Gloves · Tainted Strike · Gray Merchant of Asphodel · Pact Weapon · Shade's Form · Thought Vessel · Charcoal Diamond · Imp's Mischief · Loxodon Warhammer · Toxic Deluge · Basilisk Collar · Bolas's Citadel · Cabal Ritual · Eternal Thirst · Go for the Throat · Howl from Beyond · Liliana of the Dark Realms · Malakir Rebirth // Malakir Mire · Mask of Memory · Snuff Out · Solemn Simulacrum · Cabal Coffers · Cabal Stronghold · Bojuka Bog · Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth · Castle Locthwain · Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx · Myriad Landscape · Rogue's Passage · War Room · Reliquary Tower · Takenuma, Abandoned Mire · Witch's Cottage · Command Beacon · Urza's Cave
🃏 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 | 67% | +64% |
| Fireshrieker | 65% | +63% |
| Blackblade Reforged | 63% | +60% |
| Commander's Plate | 65% | +59% |
| Sword of the Animist | 59% | +55% |
| Hammer of Nazahn | 54% | +53% |
| Lashwrithe | 57% | +53% |
| Wei Strike Force | 52% | +52% |
| Wei Scout | 50% | +50% |
| Buster Sword | 49% | +48% |
| Brass Squire | 48% | +47% |
| Wei Elite Companions | 46% | +46% |
| Wei Night Raiders | 46% | +46% |
| Nightmare Lash | 48% | +46% |
| Sword of Hearth and Home | 46% | +44% |
| Sword of Feast and Famine | 43% | +42% |
| Grafted Exoskeleton | 41% | +40% |
| Darksteel Plate | 41% | +39% |
| Zhang He, Wei General | 39% | +39% |
| Xiahou Dun, the One-Eyed | 39% | +39% |
| Phyresis | 39% | +37% |
| Shadowspear | 41% | +37% |
| Rogue's Gloves | 35% | +34% |
| Quietus Spike | 35% | +34% |
💰 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
- Lashwrithe
- Wei Strike Force
- 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
- Grafted Exoskeleton
- Darksteel Plate
- Tainted Strike
Tier 3 · No cap no cap
The cards your price cap was hiding from you.
- Commander's Plate
- Buster Sword
- Wei Night Raiders
- Sword of Feast and Famine
- Zhang He, Wei General
- Xiahou Dun, the One-Eyed
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
- Gravecrawler + Phyrexian Altar → Infinite death triggers, Infinite creature ETB, Infinite creature LTB, Infinite creature sacrifice triggers, Infinite storm count
- Exquisite Blood + Enduring Tenacity → Infinite lifegain triggers, Infinite lifeloss, Infinite lifegain
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 cards most played with it, with 37 lands), simulated 4,000 times, the commander comes down on turn 3.7 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 27 % of the time and floods 20 %. Deck health: C+ (59/100).
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, Blackblade Reforged. 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.