EDH Optimizer
Elminster
Legendary Planeswalker — Elminster · 3WU
Color identity: Blue · White · Azorius
Elminster is Azorius (blue and white): its deck can only run cards of those colors plus colorless ones.
Rules text:
Whenever you scry, the next instant or sorcery spell you cast this turn costs {X} less to cast, where X is the number of cards looked at while scrying this way.
+2: Draw a card, then scry 2.
−3: Exile the top card of your library. Create a number of 1/1 blue Faerie Dragon creature tokens with flying equal to that card's mana value.
Elminster can be your commander.
Reference price of the card: €0.87
Average lands in decks for Elminster: 35
TopdeckTokensScryControlSpellslingerFlyingExtra TurnsPlaneswalkers
Build your Elminster deck step by step, with in-depth analysis and AI optimization of your list.
🛠️ Build a deck for Elminster 📥 Analyze my deck🎲 How the average Elminster 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+ (59/100)
- Consistency62
- Speed51
- Interaction85
- Resilience79
- Closing32
See the cards of the average deck · 99 cards, 35 lands (25 nonbasic, 3 Plains, 7 Island)
Sol Ring · Arcane Signet · Preordain · Serum Visions · Swords to Plowshares · Approach of the Second Sun · Mystic Speculation · Storm Herd · Foresee · Oath of Teferi · Azorius Signet · Counterspell · Jace, Mirror Mage · Brainstorm · Tamiyo's Epiphany · Thought Vessel · Path to Exile · Ugin's Insight · Opt · Talisman of Progress · Deliberate · Jace's Sanctum · Dig Through Time · Dovin's Veto · Netherese Puzzle-Ward · Mnemonic Deluge · Cryptic Annelid · Planetarium of Wan Shi Tong · Aminatou's Augury · Augury Owl · Matoya, Archon Elder · Faerie Seer · The Temporal Anchor · Spark Double · Intangible Virtue · Treasure Cruise · Behold the Multiverse · Crystal Ball · Generous Gift · Clone Legion · Elminster's Simulacrum · Hour of Reckoning · Negate · Terminus · Elvish Mariner · Farewell · Interpret the Signs · Talrand, Sky Summoner · Siani, Eye of the Storm · Temporal Mastery · Supreme Verdict · Fellwar Stone · Mind Stone · Mystical Tutor · Brainsurge · Lost Isle Calling · Propaganda · Sensei's Divining Top · Arcane Denial · Deification · Sigiled Starfish · Time Stretch · An Offer You Can't Refuse · Sephara, Sky's Blade · Command Tower · Temple of Enlightenment · Prairie Stream · Glacial Fortress · Reliquary Tower · Mystic Sanctuary · Hallowed Fountain · Port Town · Castle Vantress · Adarkar Wastes · Deserted Beach · Sea of Clouds · Azorius Chancery · Skycloud Expanse · Zhalfirin Void · Crystal Grotto · Flooded Strand · Nimbus Maze · Mystic Gate · Exotic Orchard · Floodfarm Verge · Hengegate Pathway // Mistgate Pathway · Irrigated Farmland · Rivendell · New Benalia
🃏 Recommended cards for Elminster
The highest-synergy cards in decks for Elminster, with their inclusion rate.
| Card | Inclusion | Synergy |
|---|---|---|
| Preordain | 78% | +69% |
| Serum Visions | 72% | +68% |
| Mystic Speculation | 65% | +64% |
| Foresee | 64% | +63% |
| Oath of Teferi | 64% | +62% |
| Storm Herd | 65% | +61% |
| Jace, Mirror Mage | 62% | +60% |
| Tamiyo's Epiphany | 60% | +59% |
| Ugin's Insight | 54% | +53% |
| Deliberate | 52% | +50% |
| Approach of the Second Sun | 65% | +50% |
| Jace's Sanctum | 50% | +48% |
| Netherese Puzzle-Ward | 47% | +46% |
| Mnemonic Deluge | 46% | +45% |
| Cryptic Annelid | 45% | +44% |
| Opt | 53% | +44% |
| Planetarium of Wan Shi Tong | 45% | +43% |
| Dig Through Time | 47% | +43% |
| Aminatou's Augury | 44% | +43% |
| Brainstorm | 60% | +42% |
| Augury Owl | 44% | +42% |
| Matoya, Archon Elder | 42% | +41% |
| Castle Vantress | 44% | +39% |
| The Temporal Anchor | 40% | +39% |
💰 The best cards for your Elminster 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.
- Preordain
- Serum Visions
- Mystic Speculation
- Foresee
- Oath of Teferi
- Storm Herd
Tier 2 · Balanced up to €10/card
The real step up: pieces that are no longer cheap but still sensible.
- Approach of the Second Sun
- Planetarium of Wan Shi Tong
- Spark Double
- Elminster's Simulacrum
- Temporal Mastery
- Time Stretch
Tier 3 · No cap no cap
The cards your price cap was hiding from you.
- Mnemonic Deluge
- Sensei's Divining Top
- Scroll Rack
- Ancient Gold Dragon
- Expropriate
- Displacer Kitten
Reference prices (cheapest English printing). They change daily.
♾️ Known combos with Elminster
- Hullbreaker Horror + Sol Ring → Infinite colorless mana, Infinite storm count
- Dramatic Reversal + Isochron Scepter → Infinite magecraft triggers, Infinite mana nonland permanents you control can produce, Infinite storm count, Infinite untap of nonland permanents you control
- Hullbreaker Horror + Mana Vault → Infinite colorless mana, Infinite storm count
- Teferi, Time Raveler + Displacer Kitten + Sol Ring → Infinite card draw, Infinite draw triggers, Near-infinite colorless mana, Near-infinite storm count
- Tidespout Tyrant + Sol Ring → Infinite colorless mana, Infinite storm count
- Narset's Reversal + Isochron Scepter → Infinite turns, Lock
Other commanders
Frequently asked questions
What is Elminster's color identity?
Elminster is Azorius (blue and white): its deck can only run cards of those colors 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 Elminster come down, and how often does the deck get stuck?
In the average Elminster deck (the 99 most-included cards per EDHREC, with 35 lands), simulated 4,000 times, the commander comes down on turn 4.6 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 9 % of the time and floods 14 %. Deck health: C+ (59/100).
How many lands should a Elminster deck run?
Real Elminster 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 Elminster?
The three highest-synergy cards are Preordain, Serum Visions, Mystic Speculation. This page lists the top 24 with their real inclusion rate in Elminster decks.
What combos does Elminster have?
Elminster has 6 known combos. The most popular one is Hullbreaker Horror + Sol Ring. 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 Elminster deck cost?
You can start cheap: Preordain, Serum Visions, Mystic Speculation 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.