EDH Optimizer
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: €0.17
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 (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 (70/100)
- Consistency48
- Speed51
- Interaction70
- Resilience84
- Closing94
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 · Sram, Senior Edificer · Ethereal Armor · Mesa Enchantress · Sol Ring · Unquestioned Authority · Kor Spiritdancer · Timely Ward · Battle Mastery · Angelic Destiny · Mantle of the Ancients · Light of Promise · Utter End · Orzhov Signet · Pearl-Ear, Imperial Advisor · Astarion's Thirst · Winds of Rath · Spirit Mantle · Angelic Gift · Talisman of Hierarchy · Chains of Custody · Eidolon of Countless Battles · Generous Gift · Darksteel Mutation · Heliod's Pilgrim · Swords to Plowshares · Hateful Eidolon · Cost of Brilliance · Edge of the Divinity · Light-Paws, Emperor's Voice · Open the Armory · Sunbond · Swiftfoot Boots · Tempest Technique · Retether · Stroke of Midnight · Curtains' Call · Feather of Flight · Songbirds' Blessing · Silverquill Command · Grisly Transformation · Shelter · Glasswing Grace // Age-Graced Chapel · Umbra Mystic · Agent of the Fates · Dark Dabbling · Hyena Umbra · Blessing of Leeches · Danitha Capashen, Paragon · Holy Mantle · Informed Inkwright · Sheltered by Ghosts · Stirring Hopesinger · Abstruse Appropriation · Pentarch Ward · Anguished Unmaking · General's Enforcer · Killian's Confidence · Lord Skitter's Blessing · Phyresis · Sign in Blood · Crib Swap · Path to Exile · 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 · Shattered Sanctum · Vault of Champions · Hall of Heliod's Generosity · Brightclimb Pathway // Grimclimb Pathway · Eclipsed Steppe · Concealed Courtyard · Exotic Orchard · Marsh Flats · Scoured Barrens · Turbulent Moor · Desolate Mire · Bleachbone Verge
🃏 Recommended cards for Killian, Ink Duelist
The highest-synergy cards in decks for Killian, Ink Duelist, with their inclusion rate.
| Card | Inclusion | Synergy |
|---|---|---|
| All That Glitters | 69% | +61% |
| Sage's Reverie | 68% | +60% |
| Unquestioned Authority | 61% | +58% |
| Ethereal Armor | 66% | +58% |
| Sram, Senior Edificer | 67% | +56% |
| Battle Mastery | 56% | +55% |
| Mesa Enchantress | 63% | +55% |
| Timely Ward | 58% | +53% |
| Mantle of the Ancients | 55% | +53% |
| Kor Spiritdancer | 59% | +52% |
| Light of Promise | 54% | +52% |
| Angelic Destiny | 55% | +50% |
| Astarion's Thirst | 48% | +46% |
| Pearl-Ear, Imperial Advisor | 50% | +44% |
| Winds of Rath | 48% | +43% |
| Angelic Gift | 45% | +42% |
| Chains of Custody | 44% | +41% |
| Spirit Mantle | 47% | +41% |
| Utter End | 51% | +40% |
| Eidolon of Countless Battles | 44% | +40% |
| Heliod's Pilgrim | 42% | +39% |
| Edge of the Divinity | 39% | +37% |
| Cost of Brilliance | 39% | +37% |
| Sunbond | 38% | +37% |
💰 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
- Sage's Reverie
- Unquestioned Authority
- Ethereal Armor
- Sram, Senior Edificer
- Battle Mastery
Tier 2 · Balanced up to €10/card
The real step up: pieces that are no longer cheap but still sensible.
- Timely Ward
- Mantle of the Ancients
- Open the Armory
- Light-Paws, Emperor's Voice
- Retether
- Umbra Mystic
Reference prices (cheapest English printing). They change daily.
♾️ Known combos with Killian, Ink Duelist
- 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
- Sanguine Bond + Bloodthirsty Conqueror → Infinite lifegain triggers, Infinite lifeloss, Infinite lifegain
- Exquisite Blood + Enduring Tenacity → Infinite lifegain triggers, Infinite lifeloss, Infinite lifegain
- Enduring Tenacity + Bloodthirsty Conqueror → Infinite lifegain triggers, Infinite lifeloss, Infinite lifegain
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 cards most played with it, 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 (70/100).
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, Unquestioned Authority. This page lists the top 24 with their real inclusion rate in Killian, Ink Duelist decks.
What combos does Killian, Ink Duelist have?
Killian, Ink Duelist 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 Killian, Ink Duelist deck cost?
You can start cheap: All That Glitters, Sage's Reverie, Unquestioned Authority 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.