EDH Optimizer
Hope Estheim
Legendary Creature — Human Wizard · WU
Color identity: Blue · White · Azorius
Hope Estheim is Azorius (blue and white): its deck can only run cards of those colors plus colorless ones.
Rules text:
Lifelink
At the beginning of your end step, each opponent mills X cards, where X is the amount of life you gained this turn.
Reference price of the card: €0.26
Average lands in decks for Hope Estheim: 35
MillLifegainControlComboPillow Fort+1/+1 CountersTokensStax
Build your Hope Estheim deck step by step, with in-depth analysis and AI optimization of your list.
🛠️ Build a deck for Hope Estheim 📥 Analyze my deck🎲 How the average Hope Estheim 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: C (55/100)
- Consistency55
- Speed48
- Interaction66
- Resilience87
- Closing42
See the cards of the average deck · 99 cards, 35 lands (25 nonbasic, 6 Plains, 4 Island)
Sol Ring · The Wind Crystal · Arcane Signet · The Water Crystal · Rhox Faithmender · Swords to Plowshares · Soul Warden · Space-Time Anomaly · Authority of the Consuls · Soul's Attendant · Will, Scion of Peace · Counterspell · Beacon of Immortality · Path to Exile · Cleric Class · Dovin's Veto · Fumigate · Alhammarret's Archive · Bruvac the Grandiloquent · Propaganda · Heliod's Intervention · Riot Control · Aerith Gainsborough · Drogskol Reaver · Aetherflux Reservoir · Congregate · Maddening Cacophony · Talisman of Progress · The Gaffer · Ruin Crab · Ghostly Prison · Serra Ascendant · Y'shtola Rhul · Sphinx's Revelation · Absorb · Azorius Signet · Haliya, Guided by Light · Gold-Forged Thopteryx · Angel of Vitality · Exemplar of Light · Felidar Sovereign · Leyline of Hope · Restoration Magic · Riverchurn Monument · Heliod, Sun-Crowned · Pristine Talisman · Boon Reflection · Fractured Sanity · Kwain, Itinerant Meddler · Suture Priest · Swiftfoot Boots · Lightning Greaves · Daxos, Blessed by the Sun · Guide of Souls · War Report · Blind Obedience · Well of Lost Dreams · An Offer You Can't Refuse · Mangara, the Diplomat · Rhystic Study · Sphinx of the Revelation · Tasha's Hideous Laughter · Psychic Corrosion · Gogo, Master of Mimicry · Command Tower · Glacial Fortress · Prairie Stream · Adventurer's Inn · Jidoor, Aristocratic Capital // Overture · Adarkar Wastes · Hallowed Fountain · Tranquil Cove · Deserted Beach · Port Town · Reliquary Tower · Radiant Fountain · Sea of Clouds · Floodfarm Verge · Flooded Strand · Azorius Chancery · Skycloud Expanse · Mystic Gate · Temple of Enlightenment · Exotic Orchard · Sejiri Refuge · Hengegate Pathway // Mistgate Pathway · Kabira Crossroads · Meticulous Archive · Nimbus Maze
🃏 Recommended cards for Hope Estheim
The highest-synergy cards in decks for Hope Estheim, with their inclusion rate.
| Card | Inclusion | Synergy |
|---|---|---|
| The Wind Crystal | 86% | +77% |
| Rhox Faithmender | 77% | +72% |
| The Water Crystal | 78% | +70% |
| Soul Warden | 73% | +66% |
| Space-Time Anomaly | 68% | +62% |
| Will, Scion of Peace | 62% | +58% |
| Soul's Attendant | 62% | +57% |
| Beacon of Immortality | 58% | +54% |
| Bruvac the Grandiloquent | 55% | +51% |
| Cleric Class | 56% | +51% |
| Fumigate | 56% | +50% |
| Authority of the Consuls | 62% | +50% |
| Jidoor, Aristocratic Capital | 55% | +50% |
| Adventurer's Inn | 55% | +49% |
| Alhammarret's Archive | 55% | +48% |
| Riot Control | 52% | +48% |
| Heliod's Intervention | 53% | +47% |
| Maddening Cacophony | 49% | +46% |
| Congregate | 49% | +46% |
| Aerith Gainsborough | 50% | +46% |
| The Gaffer | 48% | +45% |
| Drogskol Reaver | 50% | +44% |
| Ruin Crab | 47% | +43% |
| Aetherflux Reservoir | 49% | +42% |
💰 The best cards for your Hope Estheim 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.
- Rhox Faithmender
- Space-Time Anomaly
- Will, Scion of Peace
- Fumigate
- Adventurer's Inn
- Riot Control
Tier 2 · Balanced up to €10/card
The real step up: pieces that are no longer cheap but still sensible.
- The Wind Crystal
- The Water Crystal
- Soul Warden
- Soul's Attendant
- Beacon of Immortality
- Cleric Class
Tier 3 · No cap no cap
The cards your price cap was hiding from you.
- Bruvac the Grandiloquent
- Alhammarret's Archive
- Aetherflux Reservoir
- Serra Ascendant
- Heliod, Sun-Crowned
- Delney, Streetwise Lookout
Reference prices (cheapest English printing). They change daily.
♾️ Known combos with Hope Estheim
- 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
- Bruvac the Grandiloquent + Maddening Cacophony → Infinite mill
- Restoration Angel + Felidar Guardian → Infinite creature ETB, Infinite creature LTB
- Heliod, Sun-Crowned + Walking Ballista → Infinite damage, Infinite lifegain, Infinite lifegain triggers
- Teferi, Time Raveler + Displacer Kitten + Sol Ring → Infinite card draw, Infinite draw triggers, Near-infinite colorless mana, Near-infinite storm count
👥 Community decks with Hope Estheim
Full decklists published by players on EDH Optimizer, with their analysis, bracket and health. Clone them to your account and optimize them for free.
Other commanders
Frequently asked questions
What is Hope Estheim's color identity?
Hope Estheim is Azorius (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 Hope Estheim come down, and how often does the deck get stuck?
In the average Hope Estheim deck (the 99 cards most played with it, with 35 lands), simulated 4,000 times, the commander comes down on turn 2.3 on average and is on the battlefield before turn 7 in 100 % of games. It misses at least one land drop in the first six turns 36 % of the time and floods 15 %. Deck health: C (55/100).
How many lands should a Hope Estheim deck run?
Real Hope Estheim 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 Hope Estheim?
The three highest-synergy cards are The Wind Crystal, Rhox Faithmender, The Water Crystal. This page lists the top 24 with their real inclusion rate in Hope Estheim decks.
What combos does Hope Estheim have?
Hope Estheim 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 Hope Estheim deck cost?
You can start cheap: Rhox Faithmender, Space-Time Anomaly, Will, Scion of Peace 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.