EDH Optimizer
Crossbones, Malicious Mercenary
Legendary Creature — Human Mercenary Villain · 3B
Color identity: Black
Crossbones, Malicious Mercenary is black: its deck can only run cards of that color plus colorless ones.
Rules text:
Deathtouch
Whenever another Villain you control enters, put a +1/+1 counter on Crossbones. He deals 2 damage to each opponent. This ability triggers only once each turn.
Reference price of the card: €0.16
Average lands in decks for Crossbones, Malicious Mercenary: 35
Build your Crossbones, Malicious Mercenary deck step by step, with in-depth analysis and AI optimization of your list.
🛠️ Build a deck for Crossbones, Malicious Mercenary 📥 Analyze my deck🎲 How the average Crossbones, Malicious Mercenary 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+ (61/100)
- Consistency47
- Speed67
- Interaction29
- Resilience61
- Closing87
See the cards of the average deck · 99 cards, 35 lands (9 nonbasic, 26 Swamp)
Baron Strucker, HYDRA Overlord · The Masters of Evil · Tombstone, Career Criminal · Sol Ring · Swarm, Being of Bees · Doom Reigns Supreme · Madame Masque · Yellowjacket, Heartless Marauder · Grim Reaper, Lethal Legionnaire · Scorpion, Seething Striker · Thunderbolts Conspiracy · Arcane Signet · Symbiote Spawn · Boomerang, Blade Flinger · Common Crook · Crimson Cowl, Master of Evil · Elektra, Daughter of the Hand · HYDRA Troopers · Venom's Hunger · Visions of Villainy · Arnim Zola, Bio-Fanatic · M.O.D.O.K. · Merciless Enforcers · Agents of HYDRA · Black Cat, Cunning Thief · Minotaur, Roxxon CEO · The Spot's Portal · The Frightful Four · Bob, Reluctant HYDRA Agent · Citizen V, Helmut Zemo · Criminal Enterprise · Jet Medallion · Klaw, Sonic Subjugator · Baron Helmut Zemo · Deadly Dispute · Robot Domination · White Widow, Yelena Belova · Dark Ritual · Gray Merchant of Asphodel · Hero's Downfall · Red Room Recruit · Ultimo, Civilization's End · Klaw, Master of Sound · Grendel, Spawn of Knull · Venom, Eddie Brock · Kingpin's Enforcers · Moonstone, Harsh Mistress · Ayara, First of Locthwain · Doctor Doom · Endless Ranks of HYDRA · Reanimate · Roxxon Brutes · Zulaport Cutthroat · HYDRA Disintegrator · Ninja of the Hand · Radioactive Man · Bontu's Monument · Feed the Swarm · Sign in Blood · Villainous Wrath · Doombot Harbinger · Ultron Drone · Valentina Allegra de Fontaine · Villainous Syndication · Villainous Hideout · Bojuka Bog · Cabal Coffers · Myriad Landscape · Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth · Command Tower · Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx · Reliquary Tower · Cabal Stronghold
🃏 Recommended cards for Crossbones, Malicious Mercenary
The highest-synergy cards in decks for Crossbones, Malicious Mercenary, with their inclusion rate.
| Card | Inclusion | Synergy |
|---|---|---|
| Tombstone, Career Criminal | 82% | +81% |
| The Masters of Evil | 82% | +81% |
| Baron Strucker, HYDRA Overlord | 82% | +81% |
| Swarm, Being of Bees | 73% | +72% |
| Doom Reigns Supreme | 67% | +66% |
| Yellowjacket, Heartless Marauder | 65% | +64% |
| Madame Masque | 65% | +64% |
| Thunderbolts Conspiracy | 64% | +63% |
| Scorpion, Seething Striker | 64% | +63% |
| Grim Reaper, Lethal Legionnaire | 64% | +63% |
| Symbiote Spawn | 61% | +60% |
| Boomerang, Blade Flinger | 58% | +58% |
| Crimson Cowl, Master of Evil | 58% | +57% |
| Venom's Hunger | 58% | +57% |
| HYDRA Troopers | 58% | +57% |
| Elektra, Daughter of the Hand | 58% | +57% |
| Common Crook | 58% | +57% |
| Visions of Villainy | 58% | +56% |
| Arnim Zola, Bio-Fanatic | 55% | +54% |
| Merciless Enforcers | 55% | +54% |
| M.O.D.O.K. | 55% | +51% |
| Minotaur, Roxxon CEO | 52% | +51% |
| The Spot's Portal | 52% | +51% |
| Agents of HYDRA | 52% | +51% |
💰 The best cards for your Crossbones, Malicious Mercenary 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.
- Tombstone, Career Criminal
- The Masters of Evil
- Baron Strucker, HYDRA Overlord
- Swarm, Being of Bees
- Doom Reigns Supreme
- Yellowjacket, Heartless Marauder
Tier 2 · Balanced up to €10/card
The real step up: pieces that are no longer cheap but still sensible.
- M.O.D.O.K.
- Minotaur, Roxxon CEO
- Doctor Doom
- Vedalken Orrery
- Behold the Sinister Six!
- Wound Reflection
Tier 3 · No cap no cap
The cards your price cap was hiding from you.
- Venom, Eddie Brock
- Doctor Doom, Unrivaled
- Shadowspear
Reference prices (cheapest English printing). They change daily.
♾️ Known combos with Crossbones, Malicious Mercenary
- 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
- Marauding Blight-Priest + Exquisite Blood → Infinite lifegain triggers, Infinite lifeloss, Infinite lifegain
- Marauding Blight-Priest + Bloodthirsty Conqueror → Infinite lifegain triggers, Infinite lifeloss, Infinite lifegain
Other commanders
Frequently asked questions
What is Crossbones, Malicious Mercenary's color identity?
Crossbones, Malicious Mercenary 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 Crossbones, Malicious Mercenary come down, and how often does the deck get stuck?
In the average Crossbones, Malicious Mercenary deck (the 99 most-included cards per EDHREC, with 35 lands), simulated 4,000 times, the commander comes down on turn 3.9 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 48 % of the time and floods 12 %. Deck health: C+ (61/100).
How many lands should a Crossbones, Malicious Mercenary deck run?
Real Crossbones, Malicious Mercenary decks run 35 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 Crossbones, Malicious Mercenary?
The three highest-synergy cards are Tombstone, Career Criminal, The Masters of Evil, Baron Strucker, HYDRA Overlord. This page lists the top 24 with their real inclusion rate in Crossbones, Malicious Mercenary decks.
What combos does Crossbones, Malicious Mercenary have?
Crossbones, Malicious Mercenary 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 Crossbones, Malicious Mercenary deck cost?
You can start cheap: Tombstone, Career Criminal, The Masters of Evil, Baron Strucker, HYDRA Overlord 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.