EDH Optimizer
Halfdane
Legendary Creature — Shapeshifter · 1WUB
Color identity: Black · Blue · White · Esper
Halfdane is Esper (black, blue and white): its deck can only run cards of those colors plus colorless ones.
Rules text:
At the beginning of your upkeep, change Halfdane's base power and toughness to the power and toughness of target creature other than Halfdane until the end of your next upkeep.
Reference price of the card: €27.81
Average lands in decks for Halfdane: 36
ClonesShapeshiftersControlEquipmentVoltronCombo+1/+1 CountersAuras
Build your Halfdane deck step by step, with in-depth analysis and AI optimization of your list.
🛠️ Build a deck for Halfdane 📥 Analyze my deck🎲 How the average Halfdane 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: C (55/100)
- Consistency34
- Speed42
- Interaction85
- Resilience80
- Closing42
See the cards of the average deck · 99 cards, 36 lands (26 nonbasic, 2 Plains, 6 Island, 2 Swamp)
Sol Ring · Arcane Signet · Swords to Plowshares · Counterspell · Dimir Signet · Evil Twin · Swiftfoot Boots · Azorius Signet · Clever Impersonator · Path to Exile · Void Rend · Orzhov Signet · Phyrexian Metamorph · Fellwar Stone · Generous Gift · The Ancient One · Cryptoplasm · Anguished Unmaking · Arcane Denial · Talisman of Dominance · Clone · Dimir Doppelganger · Gigantoplasm · Stunt Double · Fractured Identity · Talisman of Progress · Spark Double · Mocking Doppelganger · Damn · Phyrexian Arena · Propaganda · Solemn Simulacrum · Ponder · Cemetery Puca · Dovin's Veto · Lazav, Dimir Mastermind · Mystic Remora · Supreme Verdict · Talisman of Hierarchy · Thought Vessel · Baleful Strix · Chromatic Lantern · Lightning Greaves · Reanimate · Rite of Replication · Ghostly Prison · Helm of the Host · Mirrormade · Rhystic Study · Brainstorm · Consuming Aberration · Demonic Tutor · Undercover Operative · Windfall · Glasspool Mimic // Glasspool Shore · Mirror Box · Mirrorweave · Sakashima of a Thousand Faces · Sakashima the Impostor · Woolly Razorback · An Offer You Can't Refuse · Clackbridge Troll · Commander's Sphere · Command Tower · Arcane Sanctum · Exotic Orchard · Glacial Fortress · Isolated Chapel · Raffine's Tower · Drowned Catacomb · Hallowed Fountain · Godless Shrine · Watery Grave · Sea of Clouds · Rogue's Passage · Morphic Pool · Sunken Hollow · Reliquary Tower · Deserted Beach · Prairie Stream · Caves of Koilos · Vault of Champions · Bojuka Bog · Flooded Strand · Underground River · Adarkar Wastes · Polluted Delta · Thespian's Stage · Shipwreck Marsh
🃏 Recommended cards for Halfdane
The highest-synergy cards in decks for Halfdane, with their inclusion rate.
| Card | Inclusion | Synergy |
|---|---|---|
| Evil Twin | 45% | +44% |
| Clever Impersonator | 42% | +40% |
| The Ancient One | 37% | +37% |
| Cryptoplasm | 36% | +36% |
| Dimir Doppelganger | 33% | +33% |
| Clone | 33% | +33% |
| Gigantoplasm | 33% | +32% |
| Stunt Double | 33% | +32% |
| Phyrexian Metamorph | 39% | +31% |
| Fractured Identity | 32% | +31% |
| Rogue's Passage | 39% | +30% |
| Mocking Doppelganger | 29% | +28% |
| Cemetery Puca | 26% | +26% |
| Lazav, Dimir Mastermind | 26% | +26% |
| Thespian's Stage | 26% | +25% |
| Spark Double | 30% | +24% |
| Generous Gift | 37% | +23% |
| Undercover Operative | 22% | +22% |
| Rite of Replication | 25% | +22% |
| Helm of the Host | 24% | +22% |
| Mirrorweave | 21% | +21% |
| Consuming Aberration | 22% | +21% |
| Woolly Razorback | 21% | +21% |
| Mirror Box | 21% | +21% |
💰 The best cards for your Halfdane 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.
- Evil Twin
- Clever Impersonator
- The Ancient One
- Cryptoplasm
- Dimir Doppelganger
- Clone
Tier 2 · Balanced up to €10/card
The real step up: pieces that are no longer cheap but still sensible.
- Stunt Double
- Phyrexian Metamorph
- Mocking Doppelganger
- Spark Double
- Helm of the Host
- Mirror Box
Tier 3 · No cap no cap
The cards your price cap was hiding from you.
- Sakashima the Impostor
- Sakashima of a Thousand Faces
- Vesuvan Doppelganger
- Shadowspear
- Sea of Clouds
- Pirated Copy
Reference prices (cheapest English printing). They change daily.
♾️ Known combos with Halfdane
- Hullbreaker Horror + Sol Ring → Infinite colorless mana, Infinite storm count
- Phenax, God of Deception + Consuming Aberration + Maddening Cacophony → Infinite mill for target opponent, Near-infinite mill
- Faerie Mastermind + Smothering Tithe + Mirrormade → Near-infinite colored mana, Infinite draw triggers for all players, Near-infinite Treasure tokens, Infinite card draw for all players
- Narset's Reversal + Twincast → Infinite magecraft triggers
- Felidar Guardian + Spark Double → Infinite creature LTB, Infinite creature ETB
- Phenax, God of Deception + Consuming Aberration + Traumatize → Infinite mill for target opponent
Other commanders
Frequently asked questions
What is Halfdane's color identity?
Halfdane 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 Halfdane come down, and how often does the deck get stuck?
In the average Halfdane deck (the 99 most-included cards per EDHREC, with 36 lands), simulated 4,000 times, the commander comes down on turn 3.8 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 27 % of the time and floods 25 %. Deck health: C (55/100).
How many lands should a Halfdane deck run?
Real Halfdane 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 Halfdane?
The three highest-synergy cards are Evil Twin, Clever Impersonator, The Ancient One. This page lists the top 24 with their real inclusion rate in Halfdane decks.
What combos does Halfdane have?
Halfdane 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 Halfdane deck cost?
You can start cheap: Evil Twin, Clever Impersonator, The Ancient One 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.