EDH Optimizer
Cleon, Merry Champion
Legendary Creature — Human Soldier · 2R
Color identity: Red
Cleon, Merry Champion is red: its deck can only run cards of that color plus colorless ones.
Rules text:
Double strike
Heroic — Whenever you cast a spell that targets Cleon, exile the top card of your library. You may play that card until the end of your next turn.
Reference price of the card: €0.21
Average lands in decks for Cleon, Merry Champion: 34
VoltronAggroSpellslingerAurasStormImpulse DrawBurnCommander Matters
Build your Cleon, Merry Champion deck step by step, with in-depth analysis and AI optimization of your list.
🛠️ Build a deck for Cleon, Merry Champion 📥 Analyze my deck🎲 How the average Cleon, Merry Champion 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+ (62/100)
- Consistency58
- Speed58
- Interaction19
- Resilience66
- Closing100
See the cards of the average deck · 99 cards, 34 lands (3 nonbasic, 31 Mountain)
Titan's Strength · Siege Smash · Dreadmaw's Ire · Sol Ring · Brute Force · Infuriate · Monstrous Rage · Unleash Fury · Blazing Crescendo · Bulk Up · Expedite · Rush of Adrenaline · Leyline of Resonance · Ruby Medallion · Runaway Steam-Kin · Fists of Flame · Storm-Kiln Artist · Arcane Signet · Sticky Fingers · Gimli's Fury · Might of the Meek · Brute Strength · Samut's Sprint · Invigorated Rampage · Swiftfoot Boots · Raze the Effigy · Run Amok · Reckless Ransacking · Demonic Ruckus · Reckless Charge · Turn Inside Out · Ancestral Anger · Crimson Wisps · Haste Magic · Birgi, God of Storytelling // Harnfel, Horn of Bounty · Frontline Heroism · Antagonize · Chaos Warp · Built to Smash · Impolite Entrance · Sazacap's Brew · Kediss, Emberclaw Familiar · Ancestors' Aid · Stolen Vitality · Untimely Malfunction · Wild Ride · Ashling, Flame Dancer · Guttersnipe · Borrowed Hostility · Dragon Mantle · Rile · Seething Song · Rabid Gnaw · Dragon's Rage Channeler · Etali's Favor · Renegade Tactics · Young Pyromancer · Downhill Charge · Jeska's Will · Sudden Breakthrough · Electro, Assaulting Battery · Firebending Student · Urabrask // The Great Work · Fire Diamond · Witch's Mark · Rogue's Passage · Fire Nation Palace · Arena of Glory
🃏 Recommended cards for Cleon, Merry Champion
The highest-synergy cards in decks for Cleon, Merry Champion, with their inclusion rate.
| Card | Inclusion | Synergy |
|---|---|---|
| Titan's Strength | 77% | +73% |
| Dreadmaw's Ire | 72% | +69% |
| Siege Smash | 73% | +67% |
| Infuriate | 70% | +67% |
| Brute Force | 70% | +66% |
| Monstrous Rage | 70% | +65% |
| Rush of Adrenaline | 63% | +61% |
| Leyline of Resonance | 62% | +60% |
| Blazing Crescendo | 64% | +59% |
| Unleash Fury | 66% | +58% |
| Gimli's Fury | 57% | +56% |
| Bulk Up | 63% | +56% |
| Expedite | 63% | +52% |
| Fists of Flame | 59% | +52% |
| Brute Strength | 54% | +52% |
| Samut's Sprint | 54% | +52% |
| Might of the Meek | 56% | +52% |
| Invigorated Rampage | 53% | +51% |
| Sticky Fingers | 58% | +50% |
| Raze the Effigy | 52% | +50% |
| Run Amok | 52% | +50% |
| Demonic Ruckus | 49% | +47% |
| Turn Inside Out | 48% | +47% |
| Reckless Charge | 49% | +46% |
💰 The best cards for your Cleon, Merry Champion 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.
- Titan's Strength
- Dreadmaw's Ire
- Siege Smash
- Infuriate
- Brute Force
- Monstrous Rage
Tier 2 · Balanced up to €10/card
The real step up: pieces that are no longer cheap but still sensible.
- Kediss, Emberclaw Familiar
- Ashling, Flame Dancer
- Electro, Assaulting Battery
- Seize the Day
- Brotherhood Regalia
- Kessig Flamebreather
Reference prices (cheapest English printing). They change daily.
♾️ Known combos with Cleon, Merry Champion
- Underworld Breach + Wheel of Fortune + Jeska's Will → Infinite draw triggers for all players, Infinite looting for all players, Near-infinite magecraft triggers, Near-infinite storm count
- Underworld Breach + Lion's Eye Diamond + Wheel of Fortune → Infinite draw triggers, Infinite looting, Infinite looting for opponents, Near-infinite storm count
- Dualcaster Mage + Twinflame → Infinite creature LTB, Infinite creature ETB, Infinite creature tokens with haste, Infinite magecraft triggers
- Dualcaster Mage + Molten Duplication → Infinite creature LTB, Infinite creature ETB, Infinite creature sacrifice triggers, Infinite death triggers, Infinite creature tokens with haste, Infinite magecraft triggers
- The Reaver Cleaver + Aggravated Assault → Infinite artifact ETB, Infinite artifact LTB, Infinite artifact sacrifice triggers, Infinite artifact tokens, Infinite colored mana, Infinite combat damage, Infinite combat phases, Infinite mana creatures you control can produce, Infinite Treasure tokens, Infinite untap of creatures you control
- Reiterate + Jeska's Will → Infinite magecraft triggers, Infinite red mana, Infinite storm count, Exile your library with the ability to play the exiled cards until end of turn
Other commanders
Frequently asked questions
What is Cleon, Merry Champion's color identity?
Cleon, Merry Champion is red: 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 Cleon, Merry Champion come down, and how often does the deck get stuck?
In the average Cleon, Merry Champion deck (the 99 most-included cards per EDHREC, with 34 lands), simulated 4,000 times, the commander comes down on turn 2.9 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 18 % of the time and floods 9 %. Deck health: C+ (62/100).
How many lands should a Cleon, Merry Champion deck run?
Real Cleon, Merry Champion decks run 34 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 Cleon, Merry Champion?
The three highest-synergy cards are Titan's Strength, Dreadmaw's Ire, Siege Smash. This page lists the top 24 with their real inclusion rate in Cleon, Merry Champion decks.
What combos does Cleon, Merry Champion have?
Cleon, Merry Champion has 6 known combos. The most popular one is Underworld Breach + Wheel of Fortune + Jeska's Will. 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 Cleon, Merry Champion deck cost?
You can start cheap: Titan's Strength, Dreadmaw's Ire, Siege Smash 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.