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: €0.79
Average lands in decks for Gallowbraid: 38
Self-DamageLifegainGroup SlugLife ExchangeAggroAurasCoin FlipCombo
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 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 (68/100)
- Consistency73
- Speed53
- Interaction33
- Resilience83
- Closing100
See the cards of the average deck · 99 cards, 38 lands (12 nonbasic, 26 Swamp)
Sol Ring · Profane Transfusion · Repay in Kind · Gray Merchant of Asphodel · Magus of the Mirror · Dark Ritual · Soul Conduit · Vilis, Broker of Blood · Font of Agonies · Pact Weapon · Platinum Angel · Sign in Blood · Feed the Swarm · K'rrik, Son of Yawgmoth · Crypt Ghast · Exsanguinate · Jet Medallion · Stunning Reversal · Greed · Wall of Blood · Phyrexian Arena · Arcane Signet · Eternity Vessel · Bubbling Muck · Toxic Deluge · Bolas's Citadel · Morinfen · Marshland Bloodcaster · Tree of Perdition · Dread Presence · Read the Bones · Reanimate · Vito, Thorn of the Dusk Rose · Black Market Connections · Charcoal Diamond · Erebos, God of the Dead · Infernal Grasp · Mind Stone · Thought Vessel · Seizan, Perverter of Truth · Withering Boon · Crypt Incursion · Night's Whisper · Solemn Simulacrum · Devour in Shadow · Diabolic Tutor · Mortarion, Daemon Primarch · Staff of the Death Magus · Whip of Erebos · Infernal Contract · Necropotence · Imp's Mischief · Reckless Spite · Demon's Horn · Lich's Mirror · Lich's Mastery · Shadow of Mortality · Snuff Out · Triskaidekaphobia · Bontu's Monument · Demonic Tutor · Cabal Coffers · Reliquary Tower · Bojuka Bog · Cabal Stronghold · Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth · Castle Locthwain · Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx · Myriad Landscape · Witch's Cottage · Rogue's Passage · War Room · Ancient Tomb
🃏 Recommended cards for Gallowbraid
The highest-synergy cards in decks for Gallowbraid, with their inclusion rate.
| Card | Inclusion | Synergy |
|---|---|---|
| Profane Transfusion | 72% | +70% |
| Repay in Kind | 71% | +69% |
| Magus of the Mirror | 68% | +67% |
| Soul Conduit | 65% | +65% |
| Pact Weapon | 61% | +59% |
| Platinum Angel | 60% | +59% |
| Font of Agonies | 61% | +57% |
| Vilis, Broker of Blood | 65% | +52% |
| Stunning Reversal | 52% | +51% |
| Wall of Blood | 50% | +50% |
| Greed | 51% | +45% |
| Eternity Vessel | 45% | +45% |
| Morinfen | 41% | +41% |
| Marshland Bloodcaster | 39% | +38% |
| Tree of Perdition | 39% | +37% |
| K'rrik, Son of Yawgmoth | 55% | +35% |
| Devour in Shadow | 31% | +31% |
| Mortarion, Daemon Primarch | 31% | +31% |
| Erebos, God of the Dead | 35% | +30% |
| Infernal Contract | 30% | +30% |
| Crypt Incursion | 32% | +29% |
| Seizan, Perverter of Truth | 33% | +29% |
| Reckless Spite | 29% | +29% |
| Withering Boon | 33% | +28% |
💰 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
- Font of Agonies
- Wall of Blood
- Greed
Tier 2 · Balanced up to €10/card
The real step up: pieces that are no longer cheap but still sensible.
- Repay in Kind
- Pact Weapon
- Platinum Angel
- Vilis, Broker of Blood
- Stunning Reversal
- Eternity Vessel
Tier 3 · No cap no cap
The cards your price cap was hiding from you.
- Stinging Study
- Necropotence
- Hatred
- Witch's Clinic
- Cabal Coffers
- Glacial Chasm
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 most-included cards per EDHREC, 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 98 % of games. It misses at least one land drop in the first six turns 22 % of the time and floods 10 %. Deck health: B (68/100).
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 Profane Transfusion, Repay in Kind, 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.