EDH Optimizer
Dong Zhou, the Tyrant
Legendary Creature — Human Soldier · 4R
Color identity: Red
Dong Zhou, the Tyrant is red: its deck can only run cards of that color plus colorless ones.
Rules text:
When Dong Zhou enters, target creature an opponent controls deals damage equal to its power to that player.
Reference price of the card: €81.38
Average lands in decks for Dong Zhou, the Tyrant: 35
ClonesBurnForced CombatBlinkAggroAikidoControlGroup Slug
Build your Dong Zhou, the Tyrant deck step by step, with in-depth analysis and AI optimization of your list.
🛠️ Build a deck for Dong Zhou, the Tyrant 📥 Analyze my deck🎲 How the average Dong Zhou, the Tyrant 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 (52/100)
- Consistency48
- Speed46
- Interaction41
- Resilience75
- Closing57
See the cards of the average deck · 99 cards, 35 lands (10 nonbasic, 25 Mountain)
Sol Ring · Conjurer's Closet · Panharmonicon · Ruby Medallion · Orthion, Hero of Lavabrink · Arcane Signet · Chaos Warp · Jaxis, the Troublemaker · Unleash Fury · Cursed Mirror · Delina, Wild Mage · Splinter Twin · Blasphemous Act · Blade of Selves · Flameshadow Conjuring · Solemn Simulacrum · Strionic Resonator · Twinflame · Helm of the Host · Heat Shimmer · Downhill Charge · Vandalblast · Mana Geyser · Rush of Blood · Golden Argosy · Molten Duplication · Brash Taunter · Dictate of the Twin Gods · Mirage Phalanx · Jeska's Will · Humble Defector · Mirror March · Bulk Up · Faithless Looting · The Fire Crystal · Furnace of Rath · Rionya, Fire Dancer · Seething Song · Disrupt Decorum · Sunspine Lynx · Alexios, Deimos of Kosmos · Big Score · Electroduplicate · Erratic Portal · Throne of Eldraine · Agitator Ant · Return the Favor · Thrill of Possibility · Mind Stone · Neheb, the Eternal · Valakut Awakening // Valakut Stoneforge · Combustible Gearhulk · Fire Diamond · Iron Myr · Khârn the Betrayer · Unexpected Windfall · Deflecting Swat · Devastating Onslaught · Shiny Impetus · Tibalt's Trickery · Gauntlet of Power · Kiki-Jiki, Mirror Breaker · Abrade · Fanatic of Mogis · Valakut, the Molten Pinnacle · Command Beacon · War Room · Arcane Lighthouse · Myriad Landscape · Sanctum of Eternity · Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx · Spinerock Knoll · Detection Tower · Maze of Ith
🃏 Recommended cards for Dong Zhou, the Tyrant
The highest-synergy cards in decks for Dong Zhou, the Tyrant, with their inclusion rate.
| Card | Inclusion | Synergy |
|---|---|---|
| Conjurer's Closet | 81% | +76% |
| Panharmonicon | 81% | +75% |
| Orthion, Hero of Lavabrink | 73% | +71% |
| Splinter Twin | 67% | +66% |
| Delina, Wild Mage | 67% | +65% |
| Jaxis, the Troublemaker | 68% | +64% |
| Unleash Fury | 68% | +60% |
| Blade of Selves | 61% | +59% |
| Flameshadow Conjuring | 61% | +58% |
| Strionic Resonator | 59% | +55% |
| Downhill Charge | 55% | +53% |
| Heat Shimmer | 56% | +53% |
| Twinflame | 59% | +53% |
| Helm of the Host | 57% | +50% |
| Rush of Blood | 51% | +50% |
| Golden Argosy | 50% | +50% |
| Mirage Phalanx | 48% | +47% |
| Molten Duplication | 50% | +45% |
| Cursed Mirror | 67% | +44% |
| Mirror March | 46% | +44% |
| Sanctum of Eternity | 43% | +42% |
| Rionya, Fire Dancer | 43% | +42% |
| Arcane Lighthouse | 44% | +42% |
| Dictate of the Twin Gods | 49% | +42% |
💰 The best cards for your Dong Zhou, the Tyrant 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.
- Jaxis, the Troublemaker
- Unleash Fury
- Downhill Charge
- Twinflame
- Rush of Blood
- Golden Argosy
Tier 2 · Balanced up to €10/card
The real step up: pieces that are no longer cheap but still sensible.
- Conjurer's Closet
- Panharmonicon
- Orthion, Hero of Lavabrink
- Splinter Twin
- Delina, Wild Mage
- Blade of Selves
Tier 3 · No cap no cap
The cards your price cap was hiding from you.
- Throne of Eldraine
- Ruby Medallion
- Molten Echoes
- Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx
- Bothersome Quasit
- Sceptre of Eternal Glory
Reference prices (cheapest English printing). They change daily.
♾️ Known combos with Dong Zhou, the Tyrant
- 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
- 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
- Blasphemous Act + Repercussion → Near-infinite damage to all players
- 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
- Reiterate + Mana Geyser → Infinite magecraft triggers, Infinite red mana, Infinite storm count
Other commanders
Frequently asked questions
What is Dong Zhou, the Tyrant's color identity?
Dong Zhou, the Tyrant 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 Dong Zhou, the Tyrant come down, and how often does the deck get stuck?
In the average Dong Zhou, the Tyrant deck (the 99 cards most played with it, with 35 lands), simulated 4,000 times, the commander comes down on turn 4.9 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 32 % of the time and floods 14 %. Deck health: C (52/100).
How many lands should a Dong Zhou, the Tyrant deck run?
Real Dong Zhou, the Tyrant 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 Dong Zhou, the Tyrant?
The three highest-synergy cards are Conjurer's Closet, Panharmonicon, Orthion, Hero of Lavabrink. This page lists the top 24 with their real inclusion rate in Dong Zhou, the Tyrant decks.
What combos does Dong Zhou, the Tyrant have?
Dong Zhou, the Tyrant 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 Dong Zhou, the Tyrant deck cost?
You can start cheap: Jaxis, the Troublemaker, Unleash Fury, Downhill Charge 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.