EDH Optimizer
Ma Chao, Western Warrior
Legendary Creature — Human Soldier Warrior · 3RR
Color identity: Red
Ma Chao, Western Warrior is red: its deck can only run cards of that color plus colorless ones.
Rules text:
Horsemanship (This creature can't be blocked except by creatures with horsemanship.)
Whenever Ma Chao attacks alone, it can't be blocked this combat.
Reference price of the card: €26.82
Average lands in decks for Ma Chao, Western Warrior: 35
Build your Ma Chao, Western Warrior deck step by step, with in-depth analysis and AI optimization of your list.
🛠️ Build a deck for Ma Chao, Western Warrior 📥 Analyze my deck🎲 How the average Ma Chao, Western Warrior 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.
Deck health of the average list: B (69/100)
- Consistency57
- Speed52
- Interaction58
- Resilience72
- Closing100
See the cards of the average deck · 99 cards, 35 lands (12 nonbasic, 23 Mountain)
Sol Ring · Commander's Plate · Hammer of Nazahn · Swiftfoot Boots · Mind Stone · Kediss, Emberclaw Familiar · Arcane Signet · Blackblade Reforged · Brass Squire · Lizard Blades · Ruby Medallion · The Reaver Cleaver · Chaos Warp · Hero's Blade · Lightning Bolt · Relentless Assault · Fire Diamond · Unleash Fury · Faithless Looting · Godo, Bandit Warlord · Jeska, Thrice Reborn · Karlach, Fury of Avernus · Sword of Feast and Famine · Thrill of Possibility · Blasphemous Act · Embercleave · Jeska's Will · Lightning Greaves · Magnetic Theft · Rolling Earthquake · Silent Arbiter · Sword of Fire and Ice · Sword of Hearth and Home · Sword of the Animist · Thran Power Suit · Torbran, Thane of Red Fell · Genji Glove · Claws of Valakut · Darksteel Plate · Fiery Emancipation · Loxodon Warhammer · Seething Song · Sword of Light and Shadow · Sword of Truth and Justice · Akki Battle Squad · Argentum Armor · Fireshrieker · Iron Myr · Magus of the Moon · Mask of Memory · Professional Face-Breaker · Seize the Day · Colossus Hammer · Goblin Champion · Golem-Skin Gauntlets · Unstable Molecule Suit · The Fire Crystal · Caged Sun · Deflecting Swat · Heraldic Banner · Tenza, Godo's Maul · Uncaged Fury · Vandalblast · Lavaleaper · Cathedral of War · Valakut, the Molten Pinnacle · War Room · Reliquary Tower · Myriad Landscape · Arena of Glory · Castle Embereth · Forgotten Cave · Maze of Ith · Ancient Tomb · Inventors' Fair · Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx
🃏 Recommended cards for Ma Chao, Western Warrior
The highest-synergy cards in decks for Ma Chao, Western Warrior, with their inclusion rate.
| Card | Inclusion | Synergy |
|---|---|---|
| Cathedral of War | 66% | +65% |
| Hammer of Nazahn | 66% | +59% |
| Commander's Plate | 69% | +56% |
| Kediss, Emberclaw Familiar | 59% | +52% |
| Brass Squire | 56% | +52% |
| Lizard Blades | 56% | +51% |
| Hero's Blade | 53% | +50% |
| Blackblade Reforged | 56% | +49% |
| Relentless Assault | 53% | +47% |
| The Reaver Cleaver | 56% | +45% |
| Jeska, Thrice Reborn | 47% | +44% |
| Godo, Bandit Warlord | 47% | +44% |
| Sword of Feast and Famine | 47% | +43% |
| Unleash Fury | 50% | +42% |
| Rolling Earthquake | 44% | +42% |
| Sword of Fire and Ice | 44% | +41% |
| Sword of Hearth and Home | 44% | +41% |
| Karlach, Fury of Avernus | 47% | +41% |
| Magnetic Theft | 44% | +40% |
| Thran Power Suit | 44% | +40% |
| Sword of Truth and Justice | 41% | +40% |
| Sword of Light and Shadow | 41% | +39% |
| Genji Glove | 42% | +39% |
| Silent Arbiter | 44% | +39% |
💰 The best cards for your Ma Chao, Western Warrior 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.
- Cathedral of War
- Brass Squire
- Hero's Blade
- Blackblade Reforged
- Relentless Assault
- Godo, Bandit Warlord
Tier 2 · Balanced up to €10/card
The real step up: pieces that are no longer cheap but still sensible.
- Hammer of Nazahn
- Kediss, Emberclaw Familiar
- Lizard Blades
- Jeska, Thrice Reborn
- Rolling Earthquake
- Sword of Hearth and Home
Tier 3 · No cap no cap
The cards your price cap was hiding from you.
- Commander's Plate
- The Reaver Cleaver
- Sword of Feast and Famine
- Sword of Fire and Ice
- Karlach, Fury of Avernus
- Sword of Truth and Justice
Reference prices (cheapest English printing). They change daily.
♾️ Known combos with Ma Chao, Western Warrior
- The Reaver Cleaver + Aggravated Assault → Infinite colored mana, Infinite combat damage, Infinite combat phases, Infinite mana creatures you control can produce, Infinite Treasure tokens, Infinite untap of creatures you control
- Blasphemous Act + Repercussion → Near-infinite damage to all players
- Sword of Feast and Famine + Aggravated Assault → Infinite combat phases
- Godo, Bandit Warlord + Helm of the Host → Infinite combat phases, Infinite death triggers, Infinite ETB, Infinite LTB, Infinite sacrifice triggers, Put all Equipment cards from your library onto the battlefield
- Neheb, the Eternal + Aggravated Assault → Infinite combat phases, Infinite red mana, Infinite mana creatures you control can produce, Infinite untap of creatures you control
- Toralf, God of Fury + Blasphemous Act → Near-infinite damage
Other commanders
Frequently asked questions
What is Ma Chao, Western Warrior's color identity?
Ma Chao, Western Warrior is red: 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 Ma Chao, Western Warrior come down, and how often does the deck get stuck?
In the average Ma Chao, Western Warrior deck (the 99 most-included cards per EDHREC, with 35 lands), simulated 4,000 times, the commander comes down on turn 4.9 on average and is on the battlefield before turn 7 in 95 % of games. It misses at least one land drop in the first six turns 30 % of the time and floods 13 %. Deck health: B (69/100).
How many lands should a Ma Chao, Western Warrior deck run?
Real Ma Chao, Western Warrior 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 Ma Chao, Western Warrior?
The three highest-synergy cards are Cathedral of War, Hammer of Nazahn, Commander's Plate. This page lists the top 24 with their real inclusion rate in Ma Chao, Western Warrior decks.
What combos does Ma Chao, Western Warrior have?
Ma Chao, Western Warrior has 6 known combos. The most popular one is The Reaver Cleaver + Aggravated Assault. 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 Ma Chao, Western Warrior deck cost?
You can start cheap: Cathedral of War, Brass Squire, Hero's Blade 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.