EDH Optimizer
Gandalf the Grey
Legendary Creature — Avatar Wizard · 3UR
Color identity: Red · Blue · Izzet
Gandalf the Grey is Izzet (red and blue): its deck can only run cards of those colors plus colorless ones.
Rules text:
Whenever you cast an instant or sorcery spell, choose one that hasn't been chosen —
• You may tap or untap target permanent.
• Gandalf deals 3 damage to each opponent.
• Copy target instant or sorcery spell you control. You may choose new targets for the copy.
• Put Gandalf on top of its owner's library.
Reference price of the card: €0.29
Average lands in decks for Gandalf the Grey: 35
SpellslingerBurnWizardsBlinkSpell CopyComboStormControl
Build your Gandalf the Grey deck step by step, with in-depth analysis and AI optimization of your list.
🛠️ Build a deck for Gandalf the Grey 📥 Analyze my deck🎲 How the average Gandalf the Grey 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 (66/100)
- Consistency54
- Speed52
- Interaction83
- Resilience96
- Closing57
See the cards of the average deck · 99 cards, 35 lands (20 nonbasic, 8 Island, 7 Mountain)
Sol Ring · Arcane Signet · Flame of Anor · Archmage Emeritus · Guttersnipe · Counterspell · Opt · Storm-Kiln Artist · Fiery Inscription · Brainstorm · Frantic Search · Goblin Electromancer · Lightning Bolt · Preordain · Izzet Signet · Blasphemous Act · Ghostly Flicker · Gandalf's Sanction · Essence Flux · Talisman of Creativity · Ponder · Chaos Warp · Consider · Negate · Displacer Kitten · Thousand-Year Storm · Blur · Harmonic Prodigy · Planar Incision · Thought Vessel · Abrade · Archaeomancer · Expressive Iteration · Mana Geyser · Arcane Denial · Erebor Flamesmith · Glamdring · Snap · Talrand, Sky Summoner · Veyran, Voice of Duality · Faithless Looting · Stormcatch Mentor · Display of Power · Gandalf, Friend of the Shire · Niv-Mizzet, Parun · Big Score · Wizard's Staff · An Offer You Can't Refuse · Seething Song · Coruscation Mage · Dualcaster Mage · Gandalf, Goblins' Bane // Flameshape · Resonating Lute · Archmage of Runes · Baral, Chief of Compliance · Jeska's Will · Prismari Command · Pongify · Young Pyromancer · Vandalblast · Mind Stone · Mizzix's Mastery · Solve the Equation · Fellwar Stone · Command Tower · Sulfur Falls · Shivan Reef · Frostboil Snarl · Reliquary Tower · Izzet Boilerworks · Stormcarved Coast · Temple of Epiphany · Cascade Bluffs · Mystic Sanctuary · Steam Vents · Riptide Laboratory · Training Center · Exotic Orchard · Rivendell · Evolving Wilds · Swiftwater Cliffs · Ferrous Lake · Scalding Tarn · Myriad Landscape
🃏 Recommended cards for Gandalf the Grey
The highest-synergy cards in decks for Gandalf the Grey, with their inclusion rate.
| Card | Inclusion | Synergy |
|---|---|---|
| Flame of Anor | 70% | +58% |
| Fiery Inscription | 61% | +52% |
| Ghostly Flicker | 53% | +51% |
| Gandalf's Sanction | 52% | +49% |
| Essence Flux | 49% | +48% |
| Blur | 41% | +40% |
| Planar Incision | 41% | +40% |
| Guttersnipe | 63% | +39% |
| Displacer Kitten | 42% | +39% |
| Archaeomancer | 40% | +37% |
| Glamdring | 37% | +36% |
| Gandalf, Friend of the Shire | 34% | +33% |
| Display of Power | 34% | +33% |
| Archmage Emeritus | 66% | +31% |
| Erebor Flamesmith | 37% | +31% |
| Riptide Laboratory | 35% | +30% |
| Goblin Electromancer | 56% | +29% |
| Opt | 62% | +28% |
| Lightning Bolt | 56% | +27% |
| Gandalf, Goblins' Bane | 30% | +27% |
| Thousand-Year Storm | 42% | +26% |
| Rivendell | 26% | +23% |
| Storm-Kiln Artist | 62% | +23% |
| Preordain | 56% | +23% |
💰 The best cards for your Gandalf the Grey 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.
- Fiery Inscription
- Ghostly Flicker
- Gandalf's Sanction
- Essence Flux
- Blur
- Planar Incision
Tier 2 · Balanced up to €10/card
The real step up: pieces that are no longer cheap but still sensible.
- Flame of Anor
- Harmonic Prodigy
- Wizard's Staff
- Dualcaster Mage
- Storm of Saruman
- Lórien Revealed
Tier 3 · No cap no cap
The cards your price cap was hiding from you.
- Displacer Kitten
- Thassa, Deep-Dwelling
- Twinning Staff
Reference prices (cheapest English printing). They change daily.
♾️ Known combos with Gandalf the Grey
- Hullbreaker Horror + Sol Ring → Infinite colorless mana, Infinite storm count
- 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
- Dualcaster Mage + Twinflame → Infinite creature LTB, Infinite creature ETB, Infinite creature tokens with haste, Infinite magecraft triggers
- Curiosity + Niv-Mizzet, Parun → Infinite draw triggers, Infinite card draw, Near-infinite damage
- Niv-Mizzet, Parun + Niv-Mizzet, Visionary → Near-infinite damage, Infinite card draw, Infinite draw triggers
- Ghostly Flicker + Peregrine Drake + Archaeomancer → Infinite blinking, Infinite creature ETB, Infinite landfall triggers, Infinite creature LTB, Infinite magecraft triggers, Infinite mana lands you control can produce, Infinite storm count, Infinite untap of lands you control
Other commanders
Frequently asked questions
What is Gandalf the Grey's color identity?
Gandalf the Grey is Izzet (red and blue): 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 Gandalf the Grey come down, and how often does the deck get stuck?
In the average Gandalf the Grey deck (the 99 most-included cards per EDHREC, with 35 lands), simulated 4,000 times, the commander comes down on turn 4.9 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 19 %. Deck health: B (66/100).
How many lands should a Gandalf the Grey deck run?
Real Gandalf the Grey 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 Gandalf the Grey?
The three highest-synergy cards are Flame of Anor, Fiery Inscription, Ghostly Flicker. This page lists the top 24 with their real inclusion rate in Gandalf the Grey decks.
What combos does Gandalf the Grey have?
Gandalf the Grey 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 Gandalf the Grey deck cost?
You can start cheap: Fiery Inscription, Ghostly Flicker, Gandalf's Sanction 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.