EDH Optimizer
Illuminor Szeras
Legendary Artifact Creature — Necron · 2B
Color identity: Black
Illuminor Szeras is black: its deck can only run cards of that color plus colorless ones.
Rules text:
Secrets of the Soul — {T}, Sacrifice another creature: Add an amount of {B} equal to the sacrificed creature's mana value.
Reference price of the card: €5.69
Average lands in decks for Illuminor Szeras: 35
ArtifactsReanimatorBig ManaAristocratsComboGraveyardSacrificeRamp
Build your Illuminor Szeras deck step by step, with in-depth analysis and AI optimization of your list.
🛠️ Build a deck for Illuminor Szeras 📥 Analyze my deck🎲 How the average Illuminor Szeras 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: B (69/100)
- Consistency53
- Speed59
- Interaction41
- Resilience87
- Closing100
See the cards of the average deck · 99 cards, 35 lands (12 nonbasic, 23 Swamp)
Sol Ring · Solemn Simulacrum · Cathodion · Arcane Signet · Dross Scorpion · Dark Ritual · Nim Deathmantle · Their Name Is Death · Myr Retriever · Noxious Gearhulk · Cryptek · Necron Deathmark · Mystic Forge · Scrap Trawler · Skullclamp · Dread Return · Living Death · Exsanguinate · Foundry Inspector · Sceptre of Eternal Glory · Sculpting Steel · Technomancer · Voltaic Construct · Canoptek Spyder · Mind Stone · Metalwork Colossus · Shadow of Mortality · Imotekh the Stormlord · Cryptothrall · Junk Diver · Psychomancer · Reanimate · Grim Haruspex · Anrakyr the Traveller · Bygone Colossus · Shard of the Nightbringer · Sojourner's Companion · Their Number Is Legion · Caged Sun · Jet Medallion · Shard of the Void Dragon · Myr Enforcer · Royal Warden · Trazyn the Infinite · Workshop Assistant · Morbid Curiosity · Victimize · Bolas's Citadel · Gray Merchant of Asphodel · Staff of Domination · Canoptek Scarab Swarm · Defile · Meteor Golem · Midnight Reaper · Mutilate · Crypt Ghast · Go for the Throat · Canoptek Tomb Sentinel · Chronomancer · Feed the Swarm · Lightning Greaves · Lokhust Heavy Destroyer · Thornbite Staff · Thought Vessel · Vault of Whispers · Cabal Coffers · Tomb Fortress · Reliquary Tower · Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth · Myriad Landscape · Bojuka Bog · Cabal Stronghold · Barren Moor · Buried Ruin · Takenuma, Abandoned Mire · War Room
🃏 Recommended cards for Illuminor Szeras
The highest-synergy cards in decks for Illuminor Szeras, with their inclusion rate.
| Card | Inclusion | Synergy |
|---|---|---|
| Cathodion | 65% | +64% |
| Dross Scorpion | 53% | +53% |
| Vault of Whispers | 55% | +49% |
| Nim Deathmantle | 52% | +49% |
| Their Name Is Death | 50% | +47% |
| Myr Retriever | 49% | +46% |
| Cryptek | 48% | +46% |
| Necron Deathmark | 48% | +45% |
| Solemn Simulacrum | 66% | +45% |
| Voltaic Construct | 44% | +44% |
| Scrap Trawler | 46% | +43% |
| Mystic Forge | 46% | +43% |
| Noxious Gearhulk | 49% | +42% |
| Tomb Fortress | 46% | +42% |
| Shadow of Mortality | 42% | +41% |
| Technomancer | 44% | +41% |
| Metalwork Colossus | 42% | +41% |
| Foundry Inspector | 44% | +41% |
| Sculpting Steel | 44% | +41% |
| Canoptek Spyder | 43% | +40% |
| Imotekh the Stormlord | 41% | +40% |
| Junk Diver | 40% | +38% |
| Psychomancer | 40% | +38% |
| Cryptothrall | 40% | +37% |
💰 The best cards for your Illuminor Szeras 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.
- Cathodion
- Dross Scorpion
- Myr Retriever
- Cryptek
- Solemn Simulacrum
- Voltaic Construct
Tier 2 · Balanced up to €10/card
The real step up: pieces that are no longer cheap but still sensible.
- Vault of Whispers
- Nim Deathmantle
- Their Name Is Death
- Necron Deathmark
- Mystic Forge
- Tomb Fortress
Tier 3 · No cap no cap
The cards your price cap was hiding from you.
- Canoptek Spyder
- Cryptothrall
- Sceptre of Eternal Glory
- Staff of Domination
- Mycosynth Golem
- Resurrection Orb
Reference prices (cheapest English printing). They change daily.
♾️ Known combos with Illuminor Szeras
- Sensei's Divining Top + Foundry Inspector + Mystic Forge → Infinite card draw, Near-infinite storm count, Infinite draw triggers
- Sensei's Divining Top + Aetherflux Reservoir + Bolas's Citadel → Infinite card draw, Infinite draw triggers, Near-infinite damage, Near-infinite lifegain, Near-infinite lifegain triggers, Near-infinite storm count
- Mikaeus, the Unhallowed + Ashnod's Altar → Infinite colorless mana, Infinite creature ETB, Infinite creature LTB, Infinite creature sacrifice triggers, Infinite death triggers
- Sensei's Divining Top + Mystic Forge + Cloud Key → Infinite card draw, Near-infinite storm count, Infinite draw triggers
- Nim Deathmantle + Ashnod's Altar → Infinite creature LTB, Infinite creature ETB, Infinite creature sacrifice triggers, Infinite death triggers
- Scrap Trawler + Myr Retriever + Krark-Clan Ironworks + Foundry Inspector → Infinite artifact ETB, Infinite artifact LTB, Infinite artifact sacrifice triggers, Infinite creature ETB, Infinite creature LTB, Infinite colorless mana, Infinite death triggers, Infinite creature sacrifice triggers, Infinite storm count
Other commanders
Frequently asked questions
What is Illuminor Szeras's color identity?
Illuminor Szeras 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 Illuminor Szeras come down, and how often does the deck get stuck?
In the average Illuminor Szeras deck (the 99 cards most played with it, with 35 lands), simulated 4,000 times, the commander comes down on turn 3.0 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 14 % of the time and floods 15 %. Deck health: B (69/100).
How many lands should a Illuminor Szeras deck run?
Real Illuminor Szeras 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 Illuminor Szeras?
The three highest-synergy cards are Cathodion, Dross Scorpion, Vault of Whispers. This page lists the top 24 with their real inclusion rate in Illuminor Szeras decks.
What combos does Illuminor Szeras have?
Illuminor Szeras has 6 known combos. The most popular one is Sensei's Divining Top + Foundry Inspector + Mystic Forge. 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 Illuminor Szeras deck cost?
You can start cheap: Cathodion, Dross Scorpion, Myr Retriever 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.