EDH Optimizer
Estinien Varlineau
Legendary Creature — Elf Warrior · 2WB
Color identity: Black · White · Orzhov
Estinien Varlineau is Orzhov (black and white): its deck can only run cards of those colors plus colorless ones.
Rules text:
Whenever you cast a noncreature spell, put a +1/+1 counter on Estinien Varlineau. It gains flying until end of turn.
At the beginning of your second main phase, you draw X cards and lose X life, where X is the number of your opponents who were dealt combat damage by Estinien Varlineau or a Dragon this turn.
Reference price of the card: €0.17
Comes in the precon Scions & Spellcraft
Average lands in decks for Estinien Varlineau: 36
Dragons+1/+1 CountersVoltronFlyingSpellslingerMidrangeEquipmentLifegain
Build your Estinien Varlineau deck step by step, with in-depth analysis and AI optimization of your list.
🛠️ Build a deck for Estinien Varlineau 📥 Analyze my deck🎲 How the average Estinien Varlineau 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: B+ (77/100)
- Consistency75
- Speed65
- Interaction68
- Resilience82
- Closing96
See the cards of the average deck · 99 cards, 36 lands (25 nonbasic, 6 Plains, 5 Swamp)
Arcane Signet · Sol Ring · Sunscorch Regent · Shadrix Silverquill · Swords to Plowshares · Crux of Fate · Purging Stormbrood // Absorb Essence · Talisman of Hierarchy · Junji, the Midnight Sky · Scavenger Regent // Exude Toxin · Guardian Scalelord · Eye of Nidhogg · Path to Exile · Ao, the Dawn Sky · Scalelord Reckoner · Orzhov Signet · Feral Deathgorger // Dusk Sight · Zenos yae Galvus // Shinryu, Transcendent Rival · Dragon's Hoard · Icingdeath, Frost Tyrant · Despark · Swiftfoot Boots · Dragonstorm Globe · Changeling Outcast · Anguished Unmaking · Bone Devourer · Corroding Dragonstorm · Crystal Dragon // Rob the Hoard · Protector of the Wastes · Ancient Gold Dragon · Night's Whisper · Boneyard Scourge · Ebondeath, Dracolich · Ancient Brass Dragon · Dark Ritual · Clarion Conqueror · Ardbert, Warrior of Darkness · Timeless Dragon · Summon: Bahamut · Vindicate · Restoration Magic · Sylvia Brightspear · Thought Vessel · Ancestor Dragon · Kokusho, the Evening Star · Fracture · Dion, Bahamut's Dominant // Bahamut, Warden of Light · Authority of the Consuls · Damn · Fellwar Stone · Generous Gift · Yosei, the Morning Star · Sign in Blood · Stroke of Midnight · Sword of the Animist · Topaz Dragon // Entropic Cloud · Lightning Greaves · Mortify · Shadowspear · Austere Command · Brainstealer Dragon · Herald's Horn · Silverquill, the Disputant · Command Tower · Isolated Chapel · Caves of Koilos · Shattered Sanctum · Fetid Heath · Godless Shrine · Tainted Field · Shineshadow Snarl · Vault of the Archangel · Vault of Champions · Bojuka Bog · Haven of the Spirit Dragon · Reliquary Tower · Bleachbone Verge · Rogue's Passage · Maelstrom of the Spirit Dragon · Ishgard, the Holy See // Faith & Grief · Exotic Orchard · Orzhov Basilica · Desolate Mire · Cave of the Frost Dragon · Temple of Silence · Brightclimb Pathway // Grimclimb Pathway · Marsh Flats · Shadowy Backstreet
🃏 Recommended cards for Estinien Varlineau
The highest-synergy cards in decks for Estinien Varlineau, with their inclusion rate.
| Card | Inclusion | Synergy |
|---|---|---|
| Sunscorch Regent | 81% | +77% |
| Shadrix Silverquill | 80% | +74% |
| Crux of Fate | 72% | +72% |
| Purging Stormbrood | 72% | +72% |
| Scavenger Regent | 70% | +70% |
| Guardian Scalelord | 68% | +67% |
| Junji, the Midnight Sky | 71% | +67% |
| Ao, the Dawn Sky | 65% | +62% |
| Scalelord Reckoner | 62% | +62% |
| Eye of Nidhogg | 67% | +62% |
| Feral Deathgorger | 58% | +58% |
| Icingdeath, Frost Tyrant | 57% | +57% |
| Zenos yae Galvus | 58% | +57% |
| Dragon's Hoard | 57% | +57% |
| Dragonstorm Globe | 54% | +54% |
| Corroding Dragonstorm | 51% | +51% |
| Bone Devourer | 52% | +51% |
| Protector of the Wastes | 51% | +51% |
| Crystal Dragon | 51% | +51% |
| Changeling Outcast | 53% | +50% |
| Boneyard Scourge | 48% | +48% |
| Ancient Gold Dragon | 49% | +48% |
| Ebondeath, Dracolich | 47% | +46% |
| Ancient Brass Dragon | 46% | +46% |
💰 The best cards for your Estinien Varlineau 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.
- Sunscorch Regent
- Shadrix Silverquill
- Crux of Fate
- Guardian Scalelord
- Junji, the Midnight Sky
- Ao, the Dawn Sky
Tier 2 · Balanced up to €10/card
The real step up: pieces that are no longer cheap but still sensible.
- Eye of Nidhogg
- Boneyard Scourge
- Clarion Conqueror
- Brainstealer Dragon
- Sword of the Animist
- Herald's Horn
Tier 3 · No cap no cap
The cards your price cap was hiding from you.
- Ancient Gold Dragon
- Ancient Brass Dragon
- Summon: Bahamut
- Kokusho, the Evening Star
- Shadowspear
- Urza's Incubator
Reference prices (cheapest English printing). They change daily.
♾️ Known combos with Estinien Varlineau
- 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
- Exquisite Blood + Enduring Tenacity → Infinite lifegain triggers, Infinite lifeloss, Infinite lifegain
- Enduring Tenacity + Bloodthirsty Conqueror → Infinite lifegain triggers, Infinite lifeloss, Infinite lifegain
Other commanders
Frequently asked questions
What is Estinien Varlineau's color identity?
Estinien Varlineau is Orzhov (black 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 Estinien Varlineau come down, and how often does the deck get stuck?
In the average Estinien Varlineau deck (the 99 most-included cards per EDHREC, 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 20 % of the time and floods 3 %. Deck health: B+ (77/100).
How many lands should a Estinien Varlineau deck run?
Real Estinien Varlineau 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 Estinien Varlineau?
The three highest-synergy cards are Sunscorch Regent, Shadrix Silverquill, Crux of Fate. This page lists the top 24 with their real inclusion rate in Estinien Varlineau decks.
What combos does Estinien Varlineau have?
Estinien Varlineau 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 Estinien Varlineau deck cost?
You can start cheap: Sunscorch Regent, Shadrix Silverquill, Crux of Fate 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.