EDH Optimizer
Doctor Strange, Surgeon
Legendary Creature — Human Doctor Hero · 4W
Color identity: White
Doctor Strange, Surgeon is white: its deck can only run cards of that color plus colorless ones.
Rules text:
Lifelink
If you would gain life, you gain twice that much life instead.
At the beginning of each combat, if you have at least 10 life more than your starting life total, creatures you control get +2/+2 and gain vigilance until end of turn.
Reference price of the card: €1.56
Average lands in decks for Doctor Strange, Surgeon: 36
LifegainTokens+1/+1 CountersAngelsComboBlinkCharge CountersClerics
Build your Doctor Strange, Surgeon deck step by step, with in-depth analysis and AI optimization of your list.
🛠️ Build a deck for Doctor Strange, Surgeon 📥 Analyze my deck🎲 How the average Doctor Strange, Surgeon 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 (49/100)
- Consistency67
- Speed52
- Interaction43
- Resilience80
- Closing22
See the cards of the average deck · 99 cards, 36 lands (11 nonbasic, 25 Plains)
Sol Ring · Soul Warden · Soul's Attendant · Swords to Plowshares · Authority of the Consuls · The Wind Crystal · Archangel of Thune · Path to Exile · Pearl Medallion · Felidar Sovereign · Aetherflux Reservoir · Alhammarret's Archive · Arcane Signet · Cleric Class · Rhox Faithmender · Haliya, Guided by Light · Heliod, Sun-Crowned · Leyline of Hope · Serra Ascendant · Nykthos Paragon · Well of Lost Dreams · Aerith Gainsborough · Daxos, Blessed by the Sun · Suture Priest · The Gaffer · Test of Endurance · Angel of Vitality · Beacon of Immortality · Caduceus, Staff of Hermes · Ajani's Pridemate · Generous Gift · Voice of the Blessed · Ajani's Welcome · Fumigate · Resplendent Angel · Heliod's Intervention · Aunt May · Auriok Champion · Exemplar of Light · Linden, the Steadfast Queen · Storm Herd · Ajani, Strength of the Pride · Boon Reflection · Hinterland Sanctifier · Land Tax · Ocelot Pride · Reprieve · Cosmos Elixir · Archaeomancer's Map · Archivist of Oghma · Esper Sentinel · Pristine Talisman · Thought Vessel · Dawn of Hope · Elenda's Hierophant · Mass Calcify · Riot Control · Smothering Tithe · Teferi's Protection · Oketra's Monument · Clever Concealment · Ghostly Prison · Light of Promise · Emeria, the Sky Ruin · Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx · Castle Ardenvale · War Room · Adventurer's Inn · Myriad Landscape · Rogue's Passage · Minas Tirith · Radiant Fountain · Reliquary Tower · Eiganjo, Seat of the Empire
🃏 Recommended cards for Doctor Strange, Surgeon
The highest-synergy cards in decks for Doctor Strange, Surgeon, with their inclusion rate.
| Card | Inclusion | Synergy |
|---|---|---|
| Soul's Attendant | 80% | +66% |
| Soul Warden | 81% | +60% |
| Alhammarret's Archive | 62% | +58% |
| Felidar Sovereign | 63% | +57% |
| Rhox Faithmender | 59% | +56% |
| Archangel of Thune | 70% | +56% |
| Leyline of Hope | 58% | +54% |
| Aetherflux Reservoir | 62% | +53% |
| Nykthos Paragon | 56% | +52% |
| Cleric Class | 59% | +52% |
| The Wind Crystal | 72% | +51% |
| Aerith Gainsborough | 55% | +50% |
| Authority of the Consuls | 73% | +50% |
| The Gaffer | 54% | +49% |
| Well of Lost Dreams | 56% | +49% |
| Beacon of Immortality | 50% | +49% |
| Heliod, Sun-Crowned | 58% | +49% |
| Haliya, Guided by Light | 58% | +48% |
| Test of Endurance | 51% | +47% |
| Serra Ascendant | 58% | +46% |
| Daxos, Blessed by the Sun | 54% | +43% |
| Ajani's Pridemate | 47% | +42% |
| Suture Priest | 54% | +41% |
| Voice of the Blessed | 46% | +41% |
💰 The best cards for your Doctor Strange, Surgeon 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.
- Soul Warden
- Felidar Sovereign
- Rhox Faithmender
- Leyline of Hope
- Nykthos Paragon
- Aerith Gainsborough
Tier 2 · Balanced up to €10/card
The real step up: pieces that are no longer cheap but still sensible.
- Soul's Attendant
- Alhammarret's Archive
- Cleric Class
- The Wind Crystal
- Authority of the Consuls
- The Gaffer
Tier 3 · No cap no cap
The cards your price cap was hiding from you.
- Archangel of Thune
- Aetherflux Reservoir
- Heliod, Sun-Crowned
- Serra Ascendant
- Ocelot Pride
- Celestine, the Living Saint
Reference prices (cheapest English printing). They change daily.
♾️ Known combos with Doctor Strange, Surgeon
- Heliod, Sun-Crowned + Walking Ballista → Infinite damage, Infinite lifegain, Infinite lifegain triggers
- Approach of the Second Sun + Reprieve → Win the game
- Archangel of Thune + Walking Ballista → Infinite damage, Infinite lifegain, Infinite lifegain triggers, Infinite +1/+1 counters on creatures you control
- Cleric Class + Walking Ballista → Infinite damage, Infinite lifegain, Infinite lifegain triggers
- Storm Herd + Cathars' Crusade → Near-infinite +1/+1 counters, Near-infinite creature ETB, Near-infinite creature tokens
- Famished Paladin + Resplendent Mentor → Infinite lifegain
Other commanders
Frequently asked questions
What is Doctor Strange, Surgeon's color identity?
Doctor Strange, Surgeon is white: 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 Doctor Strange, Surgeon come down, and how often does the deck get stuck?
In the average Doctor Strange, Surgeon deck (the 99 cards most played with it, with 36 lands), simulated 4,000 times, the commander comes down on turn 4.8 on average and is on the battlefield before turn 7 in 96 % of games. It misses at least one land drop in the first six turns 31 % of the time and floods 15 %. Deck health: C (49/100).
How many lands should a Doctor Strange, Surgeon deck run?
Real Doctor Strange, Surgeon 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 Doctor Strange, Surgeon?
The three highest-synergy cards are Soul's Attendant, Soul Warden, Alhammarret's Archive. This page lists the top 24 with their real inclusion rate in Doctor Strange, Surgeon decks.
What combos does Doctor Strange, Surgeon have?
Doctor Strange, Surgeon has 6 known combos. The most popular one is Heliod, Sun-Crowned + Walking Ballista. 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 Doctor Strange, Surgeon deck cost?
You can start cheap: Soul Warden, Felidar Sovereign, Rhox Faithmender 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.