EDH Optimizer
Erebos, God of the Dead
Legendary Enchantment Creature — God · 3B
Color identity: Black
Erebos, God of the Dead is black: its deck can only run cards of that color plus colorless ones.
Rules text:
Indestructible
As long as your devotion to black is less than five, Erebos isn't a creature. (Each {B} in the mana costs of permanents you control counts toward your devotion to black.)
Your opponents can't gain life.
{1}{B}, Pay 2 life: Draw a card.
Reference price of the card: €8.17
Average lands in decks for Erebos, God of the Dead: 36
LifegainDevotionControlLifedrainSelf-DamageEnchantressReanimatorCombo
Build your Erebos, God of the Dead deck step by step, with in-depth analysis and AI optimization of your list.
🛠️ Build a deck for Erebos, God of the Dead 📥 Analyze my deck🎲 How the average Erebos, God of the Dead 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: B+ (78/100)
- Consistency84
- Speed72
- Interaction34
- Resilience83
- Closing93
See the cards of the average deck · 99 cards, 36 lands (9 nonbasic, 27 Swamp)
Sol Ring · Gray Merchant of Asphodel · Crypt Ghast · Exsanguinate · Jet Medallion · Dark Ritual · Phyrexian Arena · Arcane Signet · Whip of Erebos · Feed the Swarm · Damnation · Toxic Deluge · Liliana of the Dark Realms · Torment of Hailfire · Massacre Wurm · Nirkana Revenant · Exquisite Blood · Phyrexian Obliterator · Reanimate · Underworld Dreams · Defile · Mutilate · Bolas's Citadel · Expedition Map · Sheoldred, the Apocalypse · Painful Quandary · Thought Vessel · Demonic Tutor · Dread Presence · Withering Torment · K'rrik, Son of Yawgmoth · No Mercy · Sign in Blood · The Darkness Crystal · Consuming Corruption · Deadly Rollick · Sanguine Bond · Caged Sun · Mind Stone · The Meathook Massacre · Bubbling Muck · Charcoal Diamond · Vito, Thorn of the Dusk Rose · Bloodletter of Aclazotz · Magus of the Coffers · Vilis, Broker of Blood · Creeping Bloodsucker · Infernal Grasp · Twilight Prophet · Ayara, First of Locthwain · Black Market Connections · Blood Artist · Necropotence · Solemn Simulacrum · Bloodthirsty Conqueror · Imp's Mischief · Vampiric Tutor · Wayfarer's Bauble · Darkness · Dauthi Voidwalker · Enduring Tenacity · Vampire Nighthawk · Animate Dead · Cabal Coffers · Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx · Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth · Bojuka Bog · Cabal Stronghold · Reliquary Tower · Myriad Landscape · Witch's Cottage · Takenuma, Abandoned Mire
🃏 Recommended cards for Erebos, God of the Dead
The highest-synergy cards in decks for Erebos, God of the Dead, with their inclusion rate.
| Card | Inclusion | Synergy |
|---|---|---|
| Exsanguinate | 71% | +47% |
| Whip of Erebos | 55% | +44% |
| Underworld Dreams | 41% | +35% |
| Nirkana Revenant | 44% | +34% |
| Damnation | 53% | +34% |
| Liliana of the Dark Realms | 47% | +33% |
| Gray Merchant of Asphodel | 83% | +33% |
| Torment of Hailfire | 47% | +32% |
| Phyrexian Obliterator | 41% | +30% |
| Exquisite Blood | 42% | +29% |
| Expedition Map | 39% | +28% |
| No Mercy | 35% | +28% |
| Crypt Ghast | 74% | +28% |
| Painful Quandary | 38% | +28% |
| Massacre Wurm | 45% | +27% |
| Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx | 57% | +27% |
| Creeping Bloodsucker | 29% | +25% |
| Mutilate | 40% | +24% |
| Dread Presence | 37% | +24% |
| Sheoldred, the Apocalypse | 39% | +24% |
| Magus of the Coffers | 30% | +24% |
| Caged Sun | 32% | +23% |
| Twilight Prophet | 28% | +22% |
| Sanguine Bond | 33% | +22% |
💰 The best cards for your Erebos, God of the Dead 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.
- Exsanguinate
- Underworld Dreams
- Gray Merchant of Asphodel
- Expedition Map
- Painful Quandary
- Mutilate
Tier 2 · Balanced up to €10/card
The real step up: pieces that are no longer cheap but still sensible.
- Whip of Erebos
- Nirkana Revenant
- Liliana of the Dark Realms
- Phyrexian Obliterator
- No Mercy
- Massacre Wurm
Tier 3 · No cap no cap
The cards your price cap was hiding from you.
- Damnation
- Torment of Hailfire
- Exquisite Blood
- Crypt Ghast
- Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx
- Sheoldred, the Apocalypse
Reference prices (cheapest English printing). They change daily.
♾️ Known combos with Erebos, God of the Dead
- 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
- Gravecrawler + Phyrexian Altar → Infinite death triggers, Infinite creature ETB, Infinite creature LTB, Infinite creature sacrifice triggers, Infinite storm count
- Exquisite Blood + Enduring Tenacity → Infinite lifegain triggers, Infinite lifeloss, Infinite lifegain
Other commanders
Frequently asked questions
What is Erebos, God of the Dead's color identity?
Erebos, God of the Dead 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 Erebos, God of the Dead come down, and how often does the deck get stuck?
In the average Erebos, God of the Dead deck (the 99 cards most played with it, with 36 lands), simulated 4,000 times, the commander comes down on turn 3.7 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 28 % of the time and floods 14 %. Deck health: B+ (78/100).
How many lands should a Erebos, God of the Dead deck run?
Real Erebos, God of the Dead 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 Erebos, God of the Dead?
The three highest-synergy cards are Exsanguinate, Whip of Erebos, Underworld Dreams. This page lists the top 24 with their real inclusion rate in Erebos, God of the Dead decks.
What combos does Erebos, God of the Dead have?
Erebos, God of the Dead 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 Erebos, God of the Dead deck cost?
You can start cheap: Exsanguinate, Underworld Dreams, Gray Merchant of Asphodel 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.