EDH Optimizer

Killian, Ink Duelist

Card: Killian, Ink Duelist

Legendary Creature — Human Warlock · WB

Color identity: Black · White · Orzhov

Killian, Ink Duelist is Orzhov (black and white): its deck can only run cards of those colors plus colorless ones.

Rules text:
Lifelink
Menace (This creature can't be blocked except by two or more creatures.)
Spells you cast that target a creature cost {2} less to cast.

Reference price of the card: €0.18

Comes in the precon Silverquill Influence

Average lands in decks for Killian, Ink Duelist: 34

AurasVoltronEnchantressLifegainSpellslingerAggroControl+1/+1 Counters

Build your Killian, Ink Duelist deck step by step, with in-depth analysis and AI optimization of your list.

🛠️ Build a deck for Killian, Ink Duelist 📥 Analyze my deck

🎲 How the average Killian, Ink Duelist 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.

2.2average turn the commander comes down
100 %of games have it on the battlefield before turn 7
42 %of games miss at least one land drop in the first six turns (mana screw)
16 %of games flood (three or more turns with nothing to cast)
99 %of games close out the table before turn 12
9median closing turn

Deck health of the average list: B (71/100)

See the cards of the average deck · 99 cards, 34 lands (23 nonbasic, 8 Plains, 3 Swamp)

Arcane Signet · All That Glitters · Sage's Reverie · Ethereal Armor · Sram, Senior Edificer · Mesa Enchantress · Sol Ring · Unquestioned Authority · Kor Spiritdancer · Timely Ward · Battle Mastery · Mantle of the Ancients · Angelic Destiny · Light of Promise · Utter End · Orzhov Signet · Pearl-Ear, Imperial Advisor · Astarion's Thirst · Winds of Rath · Spirit Mantle · Angelic Gift · Eidolon of Countless Battles · Generous Gift · Talisman of Hierarchy · Chains of Custody · Heliod's Pilgrim · Darksteel Mutation · Swords to Plowshares · Edge of the Divinity · Hateful Eidolon · Swiftfoot Boots · Cost of Brilliance · Light-Paws, Emperor's Voice · Open the Armory · Sunbond · Retether · Tempest Technique · Feather of Flight · Stroke of Midnight · Curtains' Call · Silverquill Command · Songbirds' Blessing · Grisly Transformation · Glasswing Grace // Age-Graced Chapel · Hyena Umbra · Shelter · Umbra Mystic · Agent of the Fates · Blessing of Leeches · Dark Dabbling · Danitha Capashen, Paragon · Holy Mantle · Informed Inkwright · Pentarch Ward · Stirring Hopesinger · Abstruse Appropriation · General's Enforcer · Killian's Confidence · Lord Skitter's Blessing · Phyresis · Sheltered by Ghosts · Sign in Blood · Anguished Unmaking · Scolding Administrator · Crib Swap · Command Tower · Isolated Chapel · Caves of Koilos · Shineshadow Snarl · Tainted Field · Godless Shrine · Fetid Heath · Rogue's Passage · Temple of Silence · Bojuka Bog · Orzhov Basilica · Vault of Champions · Shattered Sanctum · Hall of Heliod's Generosity · Brightclimb Pathway // Grimclimb Pathway · Eclipsed Steppe · Concealed Courtyard · Marsh Flats · Exotic Orchard · Turbulent Moor · Scoured Barrens · Bleachbone Verge · Desolate Mire

🃏 Recommended cards for Killian, Ink Duelist

The highest-synergy cards in decks for Killian, Ink Duelist, with their inclusion rate.

CardInclusionSynergy
All That Glitters 70% +62%
Sage's Reverie 69% +61%
Ethereal Armor 67% +59%
Unquestioned Authority 62% +59%
Sram, Senior Edificer 67% +57%
Battle Mastery 57% +56%
Mesa Enchantress 64% +55%
Mantle of the Ancients 56% +54%
Timely Ward 58% +53%
Kor Spiritdancer 60% +52%
Light of Promise 54% +52%
Angelic Destiny 55% +50%
Astarion's Thirst 49% +46%
Pearl-Ear, Imperial Advisor 50% +44%
Winds of Rath 49% +43%
Angelic Gift 46% +43%
Chains of Custody 44% +41%
Spirit Mantle 47% +41%
Eidolon of Countless Battles 45% +41%
Utter End 52% +41%
Heliod's Pilgrim 43% +40%
Edge of the Divinity 40% +38%
Sunbond 38% +37%
Cost of Brilliance 38% +36%

💰 The best cards for your Killian, Ink Duelist 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.

  • All That Glitters€0.31 · 70% inclusion
  • Sage's Reverie€0.23 · 69% inclusion
  • Ethereal Armor€0.30 · 67% inclusion
  • Unquestioned Authority€0.88 · 62% inclusion
  • Sram, Senior Edificer€0.78 · 67% inclusion
  • Battle Mastery€0.18 · 57% inclusion
🛠️ Optimize my deck · up to €2/card

Tier 2 · Balanced up to €10/card

The real step up: pieces that are no longer cheap but still sensible.

  • Mantle of the Ancients€5.45 · 56% inclusion
  • Timely Ward€3.69 · 58% inclusion
  • Light-Paws, Emperor's Voice€3.75 · 38% inclusion
  • Retether€5.84 · 37% inclusion
  • Umbra Mystic€3.19 · 32% inclusion
  • Spectra Ward€2.11 · 27% inclusion
🛠️ Optimize my deck · up to €10/card

Reference prices (cheapest English printing). They change daily.

Other commanders

Frequently asked questions

What is Killian, Ink Duelist's color identity?

Killian, Ink Duelist is Orzhov (black 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 Killian, Ink Duelist come down, and how often does the deck get stuck?

In the average Killian, Ink Duelist deck (the 99 most-included cards per EDHREC, with 34 lands), simulated 4,000 times, the commander comes down on turn 2.2 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 42 % of the time and floods 16 %. Deck health: B (71/100).

How many lands should a Killian, Ink Duelist deck run?

Real Killian, Ink Duelist decks run 34 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 Killian, Ink Duelist?

The three highest-synergy cards are All That Glitters, Sage's Reverie, Ethereal Armor. This page lists the top 24 with their real inclusion rate in Killian, Ink Duelist decks.

What combos does Killian, Ink Duelist have?

We have no known combos catalogued for Killian, Ink Duelist. That does not mean there are none — just that they do not show up in the public combo databases.

How much does a Killian, Ink Duelist deck cost?

You can start cheap: All That Glitters, Sage's Reverie, Ethereal Armor 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.

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