EDH Optimizer
Kethek, Crucible Goliath
Legendary Creature — Phyrexian Beast · 2BR
Color identity: Black · Red · Rakdos
Kethek, Crucible Goliath is Rakdos (black and red): its deck can only run cards of those colors plus colorless ones.
Rules text:
At the beginning of your end step, you may sacrifice another creature. If you do, reveal cards from the top of your library until you reveal a nonlegendary creature card with lesser mana value, put it onto the battlefield, then put the rest on the bottom of your library in a random order.
Reference price of the card: €0.16
Average lands in decks for Kethek, Crucible Goliath: 36
TheftAristocratsReanimatorSacrificeArtifactsBirthing PodControlTokens
Build your Kethek, Crucible Goliath deck step by step, with in-depth analysis and AI optimization of your list.
🛠️ Build a deck for Kethek, Crucible Goliath 📥 Analyze my deck🎲 How the average Kethek, Crucible Goliath 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: D (46/100)
- Consistency79
- Speed57
- Interaction38
- Resilience68
- Closing11
See the cards of the average deck · 99 cards, 36 lands (21 nonbasic, 8 Swamp, 7 Mountain)
Arcane Signet · Sol Ring · Rakdos Signet · Talisman of Indulgence · Morbid Opportunist · Solemn Simulacrum · Furnace Reins · Captivating Crew · Grim Haruspex · Prowling Geistcatcher · Puppeteer Clique · Vengeful Possession · Victimize · Midnight Reaper · Chaos Warp · Nightmare Shepherd · Bloody Betrayal · Act of Treason · Feed the Swarm · Mind Stone · Fellwar Stone · Blasphemous Act · Feldon of the Third Path · Kari Zev's Expertise · Village Rites · Ayara, Widow of the Realm // Ayara, Furnace Queen · Deadly Dispute · Mayhem Devil · Zealous Conscripts · Rakdos Charm · Body Launderer · Firbolg Flutist · Terminate · Exterminator Magmarch · Skullclamp · Bedevil · Ravenous Chupacabra · Twisted Fealty · Mahadi, Emporium Master · Reanimate · Seize the Spotlight · The Beast, Deathless Prince · Viscera Seer · Mimic Vat · Traitorous Blood · Industrial Advancement · Pitiless Plunderer · Combustible Gearhulk · Corrupted Conviction · Hijack · Juri, Master of the Revue · Claim the Firstborn · Faithless Looting · Gray Merchant of Asphodel · Massacre Wurm · Molten Primordial · Song-Mad Treachery // Song-Mad Ruins · Wayfarer's Bauble · Blood Artist · Braids, Arisen Nightmare · Come Back Wrong · Cursed Mirror · Dark Ritual · Command Tower · Dragonskull Summit · Smoldering Marsh · Sulfurous Springs · Foreboding Ruins · Tainted Peak · Shadowblood Ridge · Blood Crypt · Bojuka Bog · Rakdos Carnarium · Temple of Malice · Haunted Ridge · Exotic Orchard · Luxury Suite · Graven Cairns · Blazemire Verge · Bloodstained Mire · Blightstep Pathway // Searstep Pathway · Myriad Landscape · Blackcleave Cliffs · Raucous Theater
🃏 Recommended cards for Kethek, Crucible Goliath
The highest-synergy cards in decks for Kethek, Crucible Goliath, with their inclusion rate.
| Card | Inclusion | Synergy |
|---|---|---|
| Furnace Reins | 53% | +52% |
| Captivating Crew | 50% | +49% |
| Grim Haruspex | 48% | +46% |
| Puppeteer Clique | 45% | +44% |
| Prowling Geistcatcher | 45% | +44% |
| Vengeful Possession | 45% | +44% |
| Morbid Opportunist | 58% | +42% |
| Midnight Reaper | 44% | +42% |
| Nightmare Shepherd | 42% | +42% |
| Bloody Betrayal | 41% | +40% |
| Act of Treason | 40% | +38% |
| Solemn Simulacrum | 55% | +37% |
| Kari Zev's Expertise | 38% | +37% |
| Feldon of the Third Path | 38% | +34% |
| Ayara, Widow of the Realm | 35% | +33% |
| Zealous Conscripts | 35% | +33% |
| Body Launderer | 32% | +31% |
| Firbolg Flutist | 32% | +31% |
| Exterminator Magmarch | 31% | +31% |
| Victimize | 45% | +30% |
| Twisted Fealty | 30% | +30% |
| Ravenous Chupacabra | 30% | +28% |
| The Beast, Deathless Prince | 29% | +28% |
| Traitorous Blood | 28% | +27% |
💰 The best cards for your Kethek, Crucible Goliath 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.
- Furnace Reins
- Captivating Crew
- Grim Haruspex
- Puppeteer Clique
- Prowling Geistcatcher
- Vengeful Possession
Tier 2 · Balanced up to €10/card
The real step up: pieces that are no longer cheap but still sensible.
- Industrial Advancement
- Molten Primordial
- Skullclamp
- Chaos Defiler
- Massacre Wurm
- Sneak Attack
Tier 3 · No cap no cap
The cards your price cap was hiding from you.
- Seize the Spotlight
Reference prices (cheapest English printing). They change daily.
♾️ Known combos with Kethek, Crucible Goliath
- Gravecrawler + Phyrexian Altar → Infinite death triggers, Infinite creature ETB, Infinite creature LTB, Infinite creature sacrifice triggers, Infinite storm count
- Pitiless Plunderer + Ashnod's Altar + Reassembling Skeleton → Infinite colorless mana, Infinite death triggers, Infinite creature ETB, Infinite creature LTB, Infinite creature sacrifice triggers
- Mikaeus, the Unhallowed + Ashnod's Altar → Infinite colorless mana, Infinite creature ETB, Infinite creature LTB, Infinite creature sacrifice triggers, Infinite death triggers
- Pitiless Plunderer + Reassembling Skeleton + Phyrexian Altar → Infinite death triggers, Infinite creature ETB, Infinite creature LTB, Infinite creature sacrifice triggers
- Mikaeus, the Unhallowed + Phyrexian Altar → Infinite colored mana, Infinite creature ETB, Infinite creature LTB, Infinite creature sacrifice triggers, Infinite death triggers
- Gravecrawler + Pitiless Plunderer + Ashnod's Altar → Infinite colorless mana, Infinite death triggers, Infinite creature ETB, Infinite creature LTB, Infinite creature sacrifice triggers, Infinite storm count
Other commanders
Frequently asked questions
What is Kethek, Crucible Goliath's color identity?
Kethek, Crucible Goliath is Rakdos (black and red): 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 Kethek, Crucible Goliath come down, and how often does the deck get stuck?
In the average Kethek, Crucible Goliath deck (the 99 cards most played with it, with 36 lands), simulated 4,000 times, the commander comes down on turn 3.7 on average and is on the battlefield before turn 7 in 99 % of games. It misses at least one land drop in the first six turns 19 % of the time and floods 13 %. Deck health: D (46/100).
How many lands should a Kethek, Crucible Goliath deck run?
Real Kethek, Crucible Goliath 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 Kethek, Crucible Goliath?
The three highest-synergy cards are Furnace Reins, Captivating Crew, Grim Haruspex. This page lists the top 24 with their real inclusion rate in Kethek, Crucible Goliath decks.
What combos does Kethek, Crucible Goliath have?
Kethek, Crucible Goliath has 6 known combos. The most popular one is Gravecrawler + Phyrexian Altar. 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 Kethek, Crucible Goliath deck cost?
You can start cheap: Furnace Reins, Captivating Crew, Grim Haruspex 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.