EDH Optimizer
Kaervek, the Punisher
Legendary Creature — Human Warlock · 1BB
Color identity: Black
Kaervek, the Punisher is black: its deck can only run cards of that color plus colorless ones.
Rules text:
Whenever you commit a crime, exile up to one target black card from your graveyard and copy it. You may cast the copy. If you do, you lose 2 life. (Targeting opponents, anything they control, and/or cards in their graveyards is a crime. Copies of permanent spells become tokens.)
Reference price of the card: €0.29
Average lands in decks for Kaervek, the Punisher: 35
SpellslingerControlComboReanimatorCrimeGraveyardStormLifegain
Build your Kaervek, the Punisher deck step by step, with in-depth analysis and AI optimization of your list.
🛠️ Build a deck for Kaervek, the Punisher 📥 Analyze my deck🎲 How the average Kaervek, the Punisher 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+ (63/100)
- Consistency7
- Speed57
- Interaction51
- Resilience85
- Closing100
See the cards of the average deck · 99 cards, 35 lands (9 nonbasic, 26 Swamp)
Dark Ritual · Sol Ring · Jet Medallion · Feed the Swarm · Defile · Arcane Signet · Merrow Bonegnawer · Crypt Ghast · Gray Merchant of Asphodel · Consuming Corruption · Reanimate · Imp's Mischief · Sign in Blood · Professor Onyx · Sedgemoor Witch · Withering Torment · Exsanguinate · Bubbling Muck · Go for the Throat · Morbid Opportunist · Tragic Slip · Infernal Grasp · Night's Whisper · Tendrils of Agony · Snuff Out · Blood Artist · Cabal Ritual · K'rrik, Son of Yawgmoth · Animate Dead · Dread Presence · Gisa, the Hellraiser · Toxic Deluge · Bitter Triumph · Cremate · Deadly Rollick · Phyrexian Arena · Ripples of Undeath · Entomb · The Darkness Crystal · Liquimetal Torque · Dismember · Fell the Profane // Fell Mire · Baleful Mastery · Bolas's Citadel · Vadmir, New Blood · Aetherflux Reservoir · Black Market Connections · Demonic Tutor · Glasses of Urza · Teval's Judgment · Vilis, Broker of Blood · Cling to Dust · Dauthi Voidwalker · Malakir Rebirth // Malakir Mire · Codex Shredder · Damnation · Darkblast · Insatiable Avarice · Mind Stone · Orcish Bowmasters · Raven of Fell Omens · Chain of Smog · Nowhere to Run · Séance Board · Cabal Coffers · Bojuka Bog · Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth · Cabal Stronghold · Myriad Landscape · Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx · Takenuma, Abandoned Mire · War Room · Forbidden Orchard
🃏 Recommended cards for Kaervek, the Punisher
The highest-synergy cards in decks for Kaervek, the Punisher, with their inclusion rate.
| Card | Inclusion | Synergy |
|---|---|---|
| Merrow Bonegnawer | 62% | +62% |
| Sedgemoor Witch | 51% | +50% |
| Professor Onyx | 51% | +46% |
| Consuming Corruption | 60% | +44% |
| Tendrils of Agony | 44% | +41% |
| Cremate | 37% | +36% |
| Gisa, the Hellraiser | 38% | +34% |
| Bubbling Muck | 49% | +34% |
| Liquimetal Torque | 33% | +30% |
| Ripples of Undeath | 36% | +30% |
| Defile | 64% | +29% |
| Snuff Out | 43% | +29% |
| Tragic Slip | 47% | +28% |
| Imp's Mischief | 53% | +28% |
| Vadmir, New Blood | 29% | +28% |
| Glasses of Urza | 28% | +27% |
| Bitter Triumph | 37% | +27% |
| Dread Presence | 40% | +26% |
| Teval's Judgment | 28% | +26% |
| Cling to Dust | 27% | +26% |
| Darkblast | 26% | +26% |
| Exsanguinate | 50% | +25% |
| Go for the Throat | 47% | +25% |
| Raven of Fell Omens | 25% | +24% |
💰 The best cards for your Kaervek, the Punisher 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.
- Merrow Bonegnawer
- Consuming Corruption
- Tendrils of Agony
- Cremate
- Defile
- Tragic Slip
Tier 2 · Balanced up to €10/card
The real step up: pieces that are no longer cheap but still sensible.
- Sedgemoor Witch
- Professor Onyx
- Gisa, the Hellraiser
- Bubbling Muck
- Liquimetal Torque
- Ripples of Undeath
Tier 3 · No cap no cap
The cards your price cap was hiding from you.
- Entomb
- Aetherflux Reservoir
- Urborg
- Crypt Ghast
- Orcish Bowmasters
- Deadly Rollick
Reference prices (cheapest English printing). They change daily.
♾️ Known combos with Kaervek, the Punisher
- Sanguine Bond + Exquisite Blood → Infinite lifegain triggers, Infinite lifeloss, Infinite lifegain
- Vito, Thorn of the Dusk Rose + Exquisite Blood → Infinite lifegain triggers, Infinite lifeloss, Infinite lifegain
- Vito, Thorn of the Dusk Rose + Bloodthirsty Conqueror → Infinite lifegain triggers, Infinite lifeloss, Infinite lifegain
- Gravecrawler + Phyrexian Altar → Infinite death triggers, Infinite creature ETB, Infinite creature LTB, Infinite creature sacrifice triggers, Infinite storm count
- Sanguine Bond + Bloodthirsty Conqueror → Infinite lifegain triggers, Infinite lifeloss, Infinite lifegain
- Exquisite Blood + Enduring Tenacity → Infinite lifegain triggers, Infinite lifeloss, Infinite lifegain
Other commanders
Frequently asked questions
What is Kaervek, the Punisher's color identity?
Kaervek, the Punisher 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 Kaervek, the Punisher come down, and how often does the deck get stuck?
In the average Kaervek, the Punisher deck (the 99 cards most played with it, with 35 lands), simulated 4,000 times, the commander comes down on turn 3.1 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 35 % of the time and floods 43 %. Deck health: C+ (63/100).
How many lands should a Kaervek, the Punisher deck run?
Real Kaervek, the Punisher 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 Kaervek, the Punisher?
The three highest-synergy cards are Merrow Bonegnawer, Sedgemoor Witch, Professor Onyx. This page lists the top 24 with their real inclusion rate in Kaervek, the Punisher decks.
What combos does Kaervek, the Punisher have?
Kaervek, the Punisher has 6 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 Kaervek, the Punisher deck cost?
You can start cheap: Merrow Bonegnawer, Consuming Corruption, Tendrils of Agony 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.