EDH Optimizer
Hythonia the Cruel
Legendary Creature — Gorgon · 4BB
Color identity: Black
Hythonia the Cruel is black: its deck can only run cards of that color plus colorless ones.
Rules text:
Deathtouch
{6}{B}{B}: Monstrosity 3. (If this creature isn't monstrous, put three +1/+1 counters on it and it becomes monstrous.)
When Hythonia becomes monstrous, destroy all non-Gorgon creatures.
Reference price of the card: €0.48
Average lands in decks for Hythonia the Cruel: 36
GorgonsVoltronReanimatorAggroBig ManaCounters MatterDevotionInfect
Build your Hythonia the Cruel deck step by step, with in-depth analysis and AI optimization of your list.
🛠️ Build a deck for Hythonia the Cruel 📥 Analyze my deck🎲 How the average Hythonia the Cruel 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 (56/100)
- Consistency58
- Speed50
- Interaction53
- Resilience66
- Closing57
See the cards of the average deck · 99 cards, 36 lands (9 nonbasic, 27 Swamp)
Sol Ring · Keepsake Gorgon · Xathrid Gorgon · Visara the Dreadful · Archetype of Finality · Jet Medallion · Gorgon Recluse · Arcane Signet · Exsanguinate · Pharika's Spawn · Defile · Night's Whisper · Crypt Ghast · Gray Merchant of Asphodel · Loathsome Curator · Rattleback Apothecary · Charcoal Diamond · Undercity Eliminator · Venomous Hierophant · Vraska's Finisher · Scourge of the Undercity · Vraska, Scheming Gorgon · Liliana of the Dark Realms · Mind Stone · Phyrexian Arena · Sign in Blood · Solemn Simulacrum · Dark Ritual · Go for the Throat · Persuasive Interrogators · Read the Bones · Wayfarer's Bauble · Arisen Gorgon · Hero's Downfall · Mutilate · Venomous Changeling · Vraska's Contempt · Black Market · Hooded Blightfang · Infernal Grasp · Whip of Erebos · Feed the Swarm · Graveshifter · Burnished Hart · Caged Sun · Cairn Wanderer · Conspiracy · Infernal Medusa · Maskwood Nexus · Thran Dynamo · Vraska's Scorn · Aspect of Gorgon · Rise of the Dark Realms · Worn Powerstone · Bontu's Monument · Erebos, God of the Dead · Thought Vessel · Consuming Corruption · Doom Blade · Lashwrithe · Myojin of Grim Betrayal · Massacre Wurm · Toxic Deluge · Cabal Coffers · Bojuka Bog · Myriad Landscape · Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx · Cabal Stronghold · Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth · Rogue's Passage · Witch's Cottage · Reliquary Tower
🃏 Recommended cards for Hythonia the Cruel
The highest-synergy cards in decks for Hythonia the Cruel, with their inclusion rate.
| Card | Inclusion | Synergy |
|---|---|---|
| Keepsake Gorgon | 75% | +75% |
| Xathrid Gorgon | 73% | +73% |
| Visara the Dreadful | 71% | +71% |
| Archetype of Finality | 68% | +68% |
| Gorgon Recluse | 63% | +63% |
| Pharika's Spawn | 59% | +59% |
| Loathsome Curator | 55% | +55% |
| Rattleback Apothecary | 55% | +55% |
| Vraska's Finisher | 52% | +52% |
| Undercity Eliminator | 52% | +52% |
| Venomous Hierophant | 52% | +52% |
| Scourge of the Undercity | 51% | +51% |
| Vraska, Scheming Gorgon | 49% | +49% |
| Persuasive Interrogators | 42% | +42% |
| Arisen Gorgon | 40% | +40% |
| Venomous Changeling | 38% | +38% |
| Vraska's Contempt | 38% | +38% |
| Hooded Blightfang | 37% | +37% |
| Exsanguinate | 60% | +36% |
| Liliana of the Dark Realms | 48% | +34% |
| Graveshifter | 34% | +33% |
| Hero's Downfall | 40% | +33% |
| Infernal Medusa | 33% | +33% |
| Vraska's Scorn | 33% | +33% |
💰 The best cards for your Hythonia the Cruel 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.
- Keepsake Gorgon
- Xathrid Gorgon
- Visara the Dreadful
- Archetype of Finality
- Gorgon Recluse
- Pharika's Spawn
Tier 2 · Balanced up to €10/card
The real step up: pieces that are no longer cheap but still sensible.
- Liliana of the Dark Realms
- Infernal Medusa
- Whip of Erebos
- Erebos, God of the Dead
- Withering Boon
- Rise of the Dark Realms
Tier 3 · No cap no cap
The cards your price cap was hiding from you.
- Stinging Study
- Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx
Reference prices (cheapest English printing). They change daily.
♾️ Known combos with Hythonia the Cruel
- Sanguine Bond + Exquisite Blood → Infinite lifegain triggers, Infinite lifeloss, Infinite lifegain
- Rings of Brighthearth + Basalt Monolith → Infinite colorless mana
- Rings of Brighthearth + Deserted Temple + Cabal Coffers → Infinite mana lands you control can produce, Infinite black mana, Infinite untap of lands you control
- Rings of Brighthearth + Deserted Temple + Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx → Infinite mana lands you control can produce, Infinite untap of lands you control
Other commanders
Frequently asked questions
What is Hythonia the Cruel's color identity?
Hythonia the Cruel 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 Hythonia the Cruel come down, and how often does the deck get stuck?
In the average Hythonia the Cruel deck (the 99 most-included cards per EDHREC, with 36 lands), simulated 4,000 times, the commander comes down on turn 5.6 on average and is on the battlefield before turn 7 in 90 % of games. It misses at least one land drop in the first six turns 24 % of the time and floods 17 %. Deck health: C (56/100).
How many lands should a Hythonia the Cruel deck run?
Real Hythonia the Cruel 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 Hythonia the Cruel?
The three highest-synergy cards are Keepsake Gorgon, Xathrid Gorgon, Visara the Dreadful. This page lists the top 24 with their real inclusion rate in Hythonia the Cruel decks.
What combos does Hythonia the Cruel have?
Hythonia the Cruel has 4 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 Hythonia the Cruel deck cost?
You can start cheap: Keepsake Gorgon, Xathrid Gorgon, Visara the Dreadful 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.