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: €36.65
Average lands in decks for Ma Chao, Western Warrior: 35
EquipmentBurnHorsemanshipSpellslingerVoltron
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 (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)
- Consistency77
- Speed65
- Interaction62
- Resilience75
- Closing68
See the cards of the average deck · 99 cards, 35 lands (10 nonbasic, 25 Mountain)
Sol Ring · Commander's Plate · Swiftfoot Boots · Mind Stone · Hammer of Nazahn · Kediss, Emberclaw Familiar · Arcane Signet · Ruby Medallion · Blackblade Reforged · Relentless Assault · Brass Squire · Faithless Looting · Lightning Bolt · The Reaver Cleaver · Lizard Blades · Chaos Warp · Fire Diamond · Unleash Fury · Hero's Blade · Genji Glove · Seething Song · Karlach, Fury of Avernus · Embercleave · Silent Arbiter · Magnetic Theft · Rolling Earthquake · Blasphemous Act · Jeska's Will · Thrill of Possibility · Professional Face-Breaker · Fiery Emancipation · Sword of the Animist · Sword of Feast and Famine · Sword of Hearth and Home · Jeska, Thrice Reborn · Lightning Greaves · Torbran, Thane of Red Fell · Magus of the Moon · Darksteel Plate · Thran Power Suit · Godo, Bandit Warlord · Claws of Valakut · Iron Myr · Seize the Day · Sword of Fire and Ice · Colossus Hammer · Argentum Armor · Sword of Truth and Justice · Goblin Champion · Vandalblast · Mana Geyser · Mithril Coat · Caged Sun · Loxodon Warhammer · Sword of Light and Shadow · Golem-Skin Gauntlets · Deflecting Swat · Solemn Simulacrum · Heraldic Banner · Mask of Memory · Burnished Hart · Excalibur, Sword of Eden · Fireshrieker · Akki Battle Squad · Cathedral of War · War Room · Valakut, the Molten Pinnacle · Arena of Glory · Reliquary Tower · Myriad Landscape · Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx · Castle Embereth · Ancient Tomb · Maze of Ith
🃏 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 | 63% | +55% |
| Brass Squire | 56% | +52% |
| Relentless Assault | 56% | +51% |
| Blackblade Reforged | 56% | +49% |
| Lizard Blades | 53% | +48% |
| Hero's Blade | 50% | +47% |
| Rolling Earthquake | 47% | +45% |
| Genji Glove | 48% | +45% |
| Magnetic Theft | 47% | +44% |
| Unleash Fury | 50% | +43% |
| Silent Arbiter | 47% | +42% |
| Embercleave | 47% | +42% |
| The Reaver Cleaver | 53% | +41% |
| Jeska, Thrice Reborn | 44% | +41% |
| Sword of Hearth and Home | 44% | +41% |
| Karlach, Fury of Avernus | 47% | +41% |
| Sword of Feast and Famine | 44% | +40% |
| Claws of Valakut | 41% | +38% |
| Godo, Bandit Warlord | 41% | +37% |
| Thran Power Suit | 41% | +37% |
| Goblin Champion | 38% | +37% |
💰 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
- Blackblade Reforged
- Lizard Blades
- Hero's Blade
- Magnetic Theft
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
- Relentless Assault
- Rolling Earthquake
- Genji Glove
- Silent Arbiter
Tier 3 · No cap no cap
The cards your price cap was hiding from you.
- Commander's Plate
- The Reaver Cleaver
- Karlach, Fury of Avernus
- Sword of Feast and Famine
- Sword of Truth and Justice
- Sword of Fire and Ice
Reference prices (cheapest English printing). They change daily.
♾️ Known combos with Ma Chao, Western Warrior
- The Reaver Cleaver + Aggravated Assault → Infinite artifact ETB, Infinite artifact LTB, Infinite artifact sacrifice triggers, Infinite artifact tokens, 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 creature ETB, Infinite creature LTB, Infinite creature 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 cards most played with it, with 35 lands), simulated 4,000 times, the commander comes down on turn 4.5 on average and is on the battlefield before turn 7 in 97 % of games. It misses at least one land drop in the first six turns 23 % of the time and floods 15 %. 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, Blackblade Reforged 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.