EDH Optimizer
Elim Garak, Simple Tailor
Legendary Creature — Cardassian Rogue · 2B
Color identity: Black
Elim Garak, Simple Tailor is black: its deck can only run cards of that color plus colorless ones.
Rules text:
Menace
Whenever you face a dilemma, each opponent loses 2 life and you gain 2 life. (You face a dilemma as you choose one or more modes for a spell or ability.)
Average lands in decks for Elim Garak, Simple Tailor: 38
LifedrainModal SpellsSpellslingerControlReanimatorCommander MattersGraveyardToolbox
Build your Elim Garak, Simple Tailor deck step by step, with in-depth analysis and AI optimization of your list.
🛠️ Build a deck for Elim Garak, Simple Tailor 📥 Analyze my deck🎲 How the average Elim Garak, Simple Tailor 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+ (65/100)
- Consistency72
- Speed70
- Interaction85
- Resilience73
- Closing45
See the cards of the average deck · 99 cards, 38 lands (10 nonbasic, 28 Swamp)
Black Market Connections · Dread Presence · Archenemy's Charm · Retreat to Hagra · Gollum, Riddle Master · Sheoldred's Edict · Will of the Abzan · Sol Ring · Callous Bloodmage · Gruesome Realization · Kimoyo Beads · Heartless Act · Lost Jitte · Pip-Boy 3000 · The Vision · Umezawa's Jitte · Triskaidekaphobia · Erebos's Intervention · Gix's Command · Insatiable Avarice · Junji, the Midnight Sky · Rankle, Master of Pranks · Reverent Howl · Vraska's Final Mercy · Obsidian Order Operative · Profane Command · Shambling Ghast · Vision, Synthezoid Avenger · Arcane Signet · Bloodline Culling · Resistance Is Futile · Henrika Domnathi // Henrika, Infernal Seer · Szat's Will · Vindictive Lich · Gaius van Baelsar · Collective Brutality · Primaris Eliminator · Professor's Warning · Season of Loss · Palace Siege · Rise of the Deathbringer · Titanium Man · Wretched Confluence · Crypt Ghast · Shredder's Revenge · D'Ghor Bloodletter · Desperate Plea · Final Act · Midnight Charm · Test of Loyalty · Doomsday Confluence · Life of Toshiro Umezawa // Memory of Toshiro · Impossible Choice · Dark Ritual · Jet Medallion · Promise of Power · Rush of Dread · Let's Play a Game · Disciple of Perdition · Ebony Charm · Soul Transfer · The Unicomplex · Cabal Coffers · Cabal Stronghold · Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx · War Room · Bojuka Bog · Castle Locthwain · Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth · Myriad Landscape · Witch's Cottage
🃏 Recommended cards for Elim Garak, Simple Tailor
The highest-synergy cards in decks for Elim Garak, Simple Tailor, with their inclusion rate.
| Card | Inclusion | Synergy |
|---|---|---|
| Retreat to Hagra | 83% | +82% |
| Gollum, Riddle Master | 78% | +76% |
| Archenemy's Charm | 85% | +76% |
| Dread Presence | 88% | +75% |
| Will of the Abzan | 78% | +74% |
| Kimoyo Beads | 73% | +72% |
| Black Market Connections | 98% | +72% |
| Callous Bloodmage | 73% | +72% |
| Gruesome Realization | 73% | +71% |
| The Vision | 70% | +70% |
| Lost Jitte | 70% | +70% |
| Pip-Boy 3000 | 70% | +70% |
| Heartless Act | 70% | +68% |
| Umezawa's Jitte | 68% | +67% |
| Triskaidekaphobia | 65% | +64% |
| Sheoldred's Edict | 78% | +63% |
| The Unicomplex | 63% | +62% |
| Reverent Howl | 63% | +62% |
| Vraska's Final Mercy | 63% | +62% |
| Gix's Command | 63% | +61% |
| Erebos's Intervention | 63% | +61% |
| Vision, Synthezoid Avenger | 60% | +60% |
| Obsidian Order Operative | 60% | +60% |
| Profane Command | 60% | +58% |
💰 The best cards for your Elim Garak, Simple Tailor 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.
- Retreat to Hagra
- Archenemy's Charm
- Dread Presence
- Kimoyo Beads
- Callous Bloodmage
- Gruesome Realization
Tier 2 · Balanced up to €10/card
The real step up: pieces that are no longer cheap but still sensible.
- Gollum, Riddle Master
- Will of the Abzan
- Lost Jitte
- Pip-Boy 3000
- Umezawa's Jitte
- The Unicomplex
Tier 3 · No cap no cap
The cards your price cap was hiding from you.
- Black Market Connections
- Tiller Engine
Reference prices (cheapest English printing). They change daily.
♾️ Known combos with Elim Garak, Simple Tailor
- 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
- Marauding Blight-Priest + Exquisite Blood → Infinite lifegain triggers, Infinite lifeloss, Infinite lifegain
- Sensei's Divining Top + Aetherflux Reservoir + Bolas's Citadel → Infinite card draw, Infinite draw triggers, Near-infinite damage, Near-infinite lifegain, Near-infinite lifegain triggers, Near-infinite storm count
- Marauding Blight-Priest + Bloodthirsty Conqueror → Infinite lifegain triggers, Infinite lifeloss, Infinite lifegain
Other commanders
Frequently asked questions
What is Elim Garak, Simple Tailor's color identity?
Elim Garak, Simple Tailor 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 Elim Garak, Simple Tailor come down, and how often does the deck get stuck?
In the average Elim Garak, Simple Tailor deck (the 99 cards most played with it, with 38 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 26 % of the time and floods 34 %. Deck health: C+ (65/100).
How many lands should a Elim Garak, Simple Tailor deck run?
Real Elim Garak, Simple Tailor decks run 38 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 Elim Garak, Simple Tailor?
The three highest-synergy cards are Retreat to Hagra, Gollum, Riddle Master, Archenemy's Charm. This page lists the top 24 with their real inclusion rate in Elim Garak, Simple Tailor decks.
What combos does Elim Garak, Simple Tailor have?
Elim Garak, Simple Tailor 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 Elim Garak, Simple Tailor deck cost?
You can start cheap: Retreat to Hagra, Archenemy's Charm, Dread Presence 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.