EDH Optimizer
Ertai, the Corrupted
Legendary Creature — Phyrexian Human Wizard · 2WUB
Color identity: Black · Blue · White · Esper
Ertai, the Corrupted is Esper (black, blue and white): its deck can only run cards of those colors plus colorless ones.
Rules text:
{U}, {T}, Sacrifice a creature or enchantment: Counter target spell.
Reference price of the card: €0.93
Average lands in decks for Ertai, the Corrupted: 35
ControlEnchantressCounterspellsComboTokensStaxAristocratsPillow Fort
Build your Ertai, the Corrupted deck step by step, with in-depth analysis and AI optimization of your list.
🛠️ Build a deck for Ertai, the Corrupted 📥 Analyze my deck🎲 How the average Ertai, the Corrupted 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 (51/100)
- Consistency91
- Speed40
- Interaction96
- Resilience88
- Closing8
See the cards of the average deck · 99 cards, 35 lands (25 nonbasic, 4 Plains, 4 Island, 2 Swamp)
Sol Ring · Arcane Signet · Swords to Plowshares · Counterspell · Hatching Plans · Propaganda · Talisman of Dominance · Lullmage Mentor · Freed from the Real · Path to Exile · Talisman of Progress · Ghostly Prison · Phyrexian Arena · Zur the Enchanter · Bitterblossom · Guile · Ophiomancer · Void Rend · Rhystic Study · Azorius Signet · Dovin's Veto · Talisman of Hierarchy · Dimir Signet · Hanna, Ship's Navigator · Mystic Remora · Treacherous Blessing · Drumbellower · Induced Amnesia · Lightning Greaves · Mesa Enchantress · Pemmin's Aura · Arcane Denial · Baral, Chief of Compliance · Aura Thief · Orzhov Signet · Skrelv's Hive · Smothering Tithe · Solemn Simulacrum · Sphere of Safety · Supreme Verdict · Alela, Artful Provocateur · Anguished Unmaking · Fellwar Stone · Patriar's Seal · Sun Titan · Swiftfoot Boots · Archon of Sun's Grace · Blind Obedience · Cyclonic Rift · Enchanted Evening · Reassembling Skeleton · Thousand-Year Elixir · An Offer You Can't Refuse · Demonic Tutor · Ioreth of the Healing House · Mana Drain · Starfield Mystic · Vizier of Tumbling Sands · Ashiok's Reaper · Damn · Dreadhorde Invasion · Enlightened Tutor · Esper Sentinel · Sigil of the Empty Throne · Command Tower · Arcane Sanctum · Hallowed Fountain · Watery Grave · Godless Shrine · Exotic Orchard · Raffine's Tower · Glacial Fortress · Isolated Chapel · Drowned Catacomb · Hall of Heliod's Generosity · Polluted Delta · Flooded Strand · Prairie Stream · Sunken Hollow · Caves of Koilos · Marsh Flats · Adarkar Wastes · Reliquary Tower · Sea of Clouds · Morphic Pool · Underground River · Bojuka Bog · Vault of Champions · Minamo, School at Water's Edge
🃏 Recommended cards for Ertai, the Corrupted
The highest-synergy cards in decks for Ertai, the Corrupted, with their inclusion rate.
| Card | Inclusion | Synergy |
|---|---|---|
| Hatching Plans | 47% | +47% |
| Lullmage Mentor | 39% | +39% |
| Freed from the Real | 38% | +37% |
| Guile | 35% | +35% |
| Ophiomancer | 35% | +34% |
| Zur the Enchanter | 36% | +32% |
| Treacherous Blessing | 32% | +32% |
| Induced Amnesia | 31% | +31% |
| Bitterblossom | 35% | +31% |
| Hanna, Ship's Navigator | 32% | +30% |
| Drumbellower | 31% | +30% |
| Pemmin's Aura | 29% | +29% |
| Baral, Chief of Compliance | 28% | +27% |
| Aura Thief | 27% | +26% |
| Skrelv's Hive | 27% | +26% |
| Patriar's Seal | 25% | +24% |
| Mesa Enchantress | 31% | +24% |
| Alela, Artful Provocateur | 26% | +23% |
| Hall of Heliod's Generosity | 35% | +23% |
| Minamo, School at Water's Edge | 26% | +23% |
| Phyrexian Arena | 36% | +22% |
| Thousand-Year Elixir | 22% | +21% |
| Reassembling Skeleton | 22% | +21% |
| Enchanted Evening | 22% | +21% |
💰 The best cards for your Ertai, the Corrupted 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.
- Hatching Plans
- Guile
- Ophiomancer
- Zur the Enchanter
- Treacherous Blessing
- Induced Amnesia
Tier 2 · Balanced up to €10/card
The real step up: pieces that are no longer cheap but still sensible.
- Lullmage Mentor
- Freed from the Real
- Pemmin's Aura
- Baral, Chief of Compliance
- Aura Thief
- Patriar's Seal
Tier 3 · No cap no cap
The cards your price cap was hiding from you.
- Bitterblossom
- Minamo, School at Water's Edge
- Thousand-Year Elixir
- Academy Rector
- Land Tax
- Replenish
Reference prices (cheapest English printing). They change daily.
♾️ Known combos with Ertai, the Corrupted
- Hullbreaker Horror + Sol Ring → Infinite colorless mana, Infinite storm count
- Sanguine Bond + Exquisite Blood → Infinite lifegain triggers, Infinite lifeloss, Infinite lifegain
- Demonic Consultation + Thassa's Oracle → Exile your library, Win the game
- Tainted Pact + Thassa's Oracle → Win the game
- 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
- Gravecrawler + Phyrexian Altar → Infinite death triggers, Infinite creature ETB, Infinite creature LTB, Infinite creature sacrifice triggers, Infinite storm count
Other commanders
Frequently asked questions
What is Ertai, the Corrupted's color identity?
Ertai, the Corrupted is Esper (black, 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 Ertai, the Corrupted come down, and how often does the deck get stuck?
In the average Ertai, the Corrupted deck (the 99 cards most played with it, 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 97 % of games. It misses at least one land drop in the first six turns 22 % of the time and floods 11 %. Deck health: C (51/100).
How many lands should a Ertai, the Corrupted deck run?
Real Ertai, the Corrupted 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 Ertai, the Corrupted?
The three highest-synergy cards are Hatching Plans, Lullmage Mentor, Freed from the Real. This page lists the top 24 with their real inclusion rate in Ertai, the Corrupted decks.
What combos does Ertai, the Corrupted have?
Ertai, the Corrupted 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 Ertai, the Corrupted deck cost?
You can start cheap: Hatching Plans, Guile, Ophiomancer 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.