EDH Optimizer
Gallowbraid
Legendary Creature — Phyrexian Horror · 3BB
Color identity: Black
Gallowbraid is black: its deck can only run cards of that color plus colorless ones.
Rules text:
Trample
Cumulative upkeep—Pay 1 life. (At the beginning of your upkeep, put an age counter on this permanent, then sacrifice it unless you pay its upkeep cost for each age counter on it.)
Reference price of the card: €0.71
Average lands in decks for Gallowbraid: 38
Self-DamageLifegainLife ExchangeAggroAurasCoin FlipComboEquipment
Build your Gallowbraid deck step by step, with in-depth analysis and AI optimization of your list.
🛠️ Build a deck for Gallowbraid 📥 Analyze my deck🎲 How the average Gallowbraid 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 (67/100)
- Consistency83
- Speed63
- Interaction29
- Resilience82
- Closing67
See the cards of the average deck · 99 cards, 38 lands (12 nonbasic, 26 Swamp)
Sol Ring · Repay in Kind · Profane Transfusion · Gray Merchant of Asphodel · Dark Ritual · Magus of the Mirror · Soul Conduit · Vilis, Broker of Blood · Sign in Blood · Pact Weapon · Platinum Angel · Feed the Swarm · Font of Agonies · Stunning Reversal · Wall of Blood · Crypt Ghast · Exsanguinate · Jet Medallion · K'rrik, Son of Yawgmoth · Phyrexian Arena · Greed · Eternity Vessel · Toxic Deluge · Arcane Signet · Bolas's Citadel · Bubbling Muck · Tree of Perdition · Morinfen · Dread Presence · Marshland Bloodcaster · Read the Bones · Reanimate · Infernal Grasp · Thought Vessel · Vito, Thorn of the Dusk Rose · Imp's Mischief · Withering Boon · Black Market Connections · Charcoal Diamond · Infernal Contract · Mind Stone · Necropotence · Night's Whisper · Seizan, Perverter of Truth · Staff of the Death Magus · Devour in Shadow · Erebos, God of the Dead · Darksteel Angel · Whip of Erebos · Snuff Out · Crypt Incursion · Diabolic Tutor · Lich's Mirror · Solemn Simulacrum · Demon's Horn · Mortarion, Daemon Primarch · Reckless Spite · Demonic Tutor · Lich's Mastery · Shadow of Mortality · Triskaidekaphobia · Cabal Coffers · Reliquary Tower · Bojuka Bog · Cabal Stronghold · Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth · Castle Locthwain · Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx · Myriad Landscape · Witch's Cottage · Ancient Tomb · Rogue's Passage · War Room
🃏 Recommended cards for Gallowbraid
The highest-synergy cards in decks for Gallowbraid, with their inclusion rate.
| Card | Inclusion | Synergy |
|---|---|---|
| Repay in Kind | 72% | +71% |
| Profane Transfusion | 71% | +69% |
| Magus of the Mirror | 68% | +67% |
| Soul Conduit | 66% | +65% |
| Pact Weapon | 62% | +60% |
| Platinum Angel | 61% | +60% |
| Stunning Reversal | 56% | +55% |
| Vilis, Broker of Blood | 66% | +54% |
| Font of Agonies | 58% | +54% |
| Wall of Blood | 54% | +54% |
| Eternity Vessel | 47% | +46% |
| Greed | 50% | +44% |
| Tree of Perdition | 43% | +41% |
| Morinfen | 40% | +40% |
| Marshland Bloodcaster | 39% | +38% |
| K'rrik, Son of Yawgmoth | 53% | +34% |
| Infernal Contract | 34% | +33% |
| Devour in Shadow | 33% | +32% |
| Staff of the Death Magus | 34% | +31% |
| Darksteel Angel | 32% | +31% |
| Seizan, Perverter of Truth | 34% | +31% |
| Withering Boon | 35% | +31% |
| Lich's Mirror | 30% | +30% |
| Reckless Spite | 29% | +29% |
💰 The best cards for your Gallowbraid 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.
- Profane Transfusion
- Magus of the Mirror
- Soul Conduit
- Pact Weapon
- Font of Agonies
- Wall of Blood
Tier 2 · Balanced up to €10/card
The real step up: pieces that are no longer cheap but still sensible.
- Repay in Kind
- Platinum Angel
- Stunning Reversal
- Vilis, Broker of Blood
- Eternity Vessel
- Tree of Perdition
Tier 3 · No cap no cap
The cards your price cap was hiding from you.
- Stinging Study
- Necropotence
- Hatred
- Cabal Coffers
Reference prices (cheapest English printing). They change daily.
♾️ Known combos with Gallowbraid
- 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
- Exquisite Blood + Enduring Tenacity → Infinite lifegain triggers, Infinite lifeloss, Infinite lifegain
- Marauding Blight-Priest + Exquisite Blood → Infinite lifegain triggers, Infinite lifeloss, Infinite lifegain
- Aetherflux Reservoir + Exquisite Blood → Infinite damage, Infinite lifegain triggers
Other commanders
Frequently asked questions
What is Gallowbraid's color identity?
Gallowbraid 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 Gallowbraid come down, and how often does the deck get stuck?
In the average Gallowbraid deck (the 99 cards most played with it, with 38 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 7 %. Deck health: B (67/100).
How many lands should a Gallowbraid deck run?
Real Gallowbraid 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 Gallowbraid?
The three highest-synergy cards are Repay in Kind, Profane Transfusion, Magus of the Mirror. This page lists the top 24 with their real inclusion rate in Gallowbraid decks.
What combos does Gallowbraid have?
Gallowbraid 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 Gallowbraid deck cost?
You can start cheap: Profane Transfusion, Magus of the Mirror, Soul Conduit 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.