EDH Optimizer
Lydia Frye
Legendary Creature — Human Assassin · 2UB
Color identity: Black · Blue · Dimir
Lydia Frye is Dimir (black and blue): its deck can only run cards of those colors plus colorless ones.
Rules text:
Lydia Frye can't be blocked by creatures with power 3 or greater.
At the beginning of your end step, surveil X, where X is the number of tapped Assassins you control. (Look at the top X cards of your library, then put any number of them into your graveyard and the rest on top of your library in any order.)
Reference price of the card: €0.10
Average lands in decks for Lydia Frye: 35
AssassinsTopdeckSurveilReanimatorAggroControlGood StuffCombo
Build your Lydia Frye deck step by step, with in-depth analysis and AI optimization of your list.
🛠️ Build a deck for Lydia Frye 📥 Analyze my deck🎲 How the average Lydia Frye 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 (73/100)
- Consistency55
- Speed56
- Interaction69
- Resilience83
- Closing99
See the cards of the average deck · 99 cards, 35 lands (22 nonbasic, 5 Island, 8 Swamp)
Desmond Miles · Sol Ring · Assassin Initiate · Arcane Signet · Evie Frye · Royal Assassin · Brotherhood Spy · Ezio, Blade of Vengeance · Restart Sequence · Achilles Davenport · Jacob Frye · Eagle Vision · Ramses, Assassin Lord · Rooftop Bypass · Hookblade Veteran · Poison-Blade Mentor · Mari, the Killing Quill · Hired Poisoner · Basim Ibn Ishaq · The Revelations of Ezio · Blood Operative · Chain Assassination · Dimir Signet · Aven Heartstabber · Changeling Outcast · Enhanced Surveillance · Roshan, Hidden Magister · Talisman of Dominance · Coastal Piracy · Cover of Darkness · Etrata, the Silencer · Hidden Blade · Mirko, Obsessive Theorist · Massacre Girl, Known Killer · Wonder · Brotherhood Regalia · Counterspell · Murder · Back in Town · Etrata, Deadly Fugitive · Merciless Harlequin · Termination Facilitator · Assassin Gauntlet · Go for the Throat · Adéwalé, Breaker of Chains · Unstoppable Slasher · Propaganda · Adrestia · Victimize · Massacre Girl · Smoke Bomb · Consider · Double Down · Escape Detection · Price of Fame · Negate · Darkblade Agent · Guildsworn Prowler · Reanimate · Disinformation Campaign · Mind Stone · Bident of Thassa · Sinister Sabotage · Feed the Swarm · Command Tower · Brotherhood Headquarters · Sunken Hollow · Path of Ancestry · Choked Estuary · Drowned Catacomb · Rogue's Passage · Darkwater Catacombs · Temple of Deceit · Dimir Aqueduct · Bojuka Bog · Watery Grave · Shipwreck Marsh · Tainted Isle · Evolving Wilds · Undercity Sewers · Dismal Backwater · Reliquary Tower · Morphic Pool · Underground River · Exotic Orchard · Turbulent Wetlands
🃏 Recommended cards for Lydia Frye
The highest-synergy cards in decks for Lydia Frye, with their inclusion rate.
| Card | Inclusion | Synergy |
|---|---|---|
| Desmond Miles | 79% | +78% |
| Assassin Initiate | 76% | +75% |
| Evie Frye | 70% | +69% |
| Royal Assassin | 68% | +66% |
| Ezio, Blade of Vengeance | 67% | +65% |
| Brotherhood Spy | 67% | +65% |
| Restart Sequence | 66% | +64% |
| Achilles Davenport | 65% | +64% |
| Jacob Frye | 64% | +63% |
| Rooftop Bypass | 61% | +59% |
| Ramses, Assassin Lord | 61% | +59% |
| Eagle Vision | 61% | +59% |
| Brotherhood Headquarters | 58% | +57% |
| Hookblade Veteran | 58% | +57% |
| Poison-Blade Mentor | 57% | +56% |
| Hired Poisoner | 52% | +51% |
| The Revelations of Ezio | 51% | +50% |
| Mari, the Killing Quill | 53% | +50% |
| Blood Operative | 50% | +50% |
| Basim Ibn Ishaq | 51% | +49% |
| Chain Assassination | 49% | +48% |
| Aven Heartstabber | 48% | +47% |
| Roshan, Hidden Magister | 47% | +46% |
| Hidden Blade | 44% | +44% |
💰 The best cards for your Lydia Frye 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.
- Desmond Miles
- Assassin Initiate
- Evie Frye
- Royal Assassin
- Brotherhood Spy
- Restart Sequence
Tier 2 · Balanced up to €10/card
The real step up: pieces that are no longer cheap but still sensible.
- Ezio, Blade of Vengeance
- Achilles Davenport
- Rooftop Bypass
- Ramses, Assassin Lord
- Mari, the Killing Quill
- Basim Ibn Ishaq
Reference prices (cheapest English printing). They change daily.
♾️ Known combos with Lydia Frye
- Hullbreaker Horror + Sol Ring → Infinite colorless mana, Infinite storm count
- Demonic Consultation + Thassa's Oracle → Exile your library, Win the game
- Tainted Pact + Thassa's Oracle → Win the game
- Dramatic Reversal + Isochron Scepter → Infinite magecraft triggers, Infinite mana nonland permanents you control can produce, Infinite storm count, Infinite untap of nonland permanents you control
- Sheoldred, the Apocalypse + Peer into the Abyss → Near-infinite card draw for target opponent, Near-infinite draw triggers for target opponent, Near-infinite lifeloss for target opponent, Target opponent loses the game
- Marauding Blight-Priest + Bloodthirsty Conqueror → Infinite lifegain triggers, Infinite lifeloss, Infinite lifegain
Other commanders
Frequently asked questions
What is Lydia Frye's color identity?
Lydia Frye is Dimir (black and blue): 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 Lydia Frye come down, and how often does the deck get stuck?
In the average Lydia Frye 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 31 % of the time and floods 14 %. Deck health: B (73/100).
How many lands should a Lydia Frye deck run?
Real Lydia Frye 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 Lydia Frye?
The three highest-synergy cards are Desmond Miles, Assassin Initiate, Evie Frye. This page lists the top 24 with their real inclusion rate in Lydia Frye decks.
What combos does Lydia Frye have?
Lydia Frye has 6 known combos. The most popular one is Hullbreaker Horror + Sol Ring. 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 Lydia Frye deck cost?
You can start cheap: Desmond Miles, Assassin Initiate, Evie Frye 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.