EDH Optimizer
Maarika, Brutal Gladiator
Legendary Creature — Human Warrior · 2BRG
Color identity: Black · Green · Red · Jund
Maarika, Brutal Gladiator is Jund (black, green and red): its deck can only run cards of those colors plus colorless ones.
Rules text:
Maarika, Brutal Gladiator must be blocked if able.
As long as it's your turn, Maarika has indestructible.
Whenever Maarika deals damage to a creature, if that creature was dealt excess damage this turn, that creature's controller sacrifices a noncreature, nonland permanent.
Reference price of the card: €0.56
Average lands in decks for Maarika, Brutal Gladiator: 35
FightVoltronAggroEquipmentExtra CombatsControlForced CombatMidrange
Build your Maarika, Brutal Gladiator deck step by step, with in-depth analysis and AI optimization of your list.
🛠️ Build a deck for Maarika, Brutal Gladiator 📥 Analyze my deck🎲 How the average Maarika, Brutal Gladiator 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+ (75/100)
- Consistency62
- Speed59
- Interaction82
- Resilience73
- Closing96
See the cards of the average deck · 99 cards, 35 lands (25 nonbasic, 1 Swamp, 3 Mountain, 6 Forest)
Sol Ring · Arcane Signet · Swiftfoot Boots · Infiltration Lens · Ignoble Hierarch · Neyith of the Dire Hunt · Bushwhack · Cultivate · Mr. Orfeo, the Boulder · Prizefight · Ulvenwald Tracker · Chandra's Ignition · Basilisk Collar · Farseek · Gimli's Reckless Might · Goblin Anarchomancer · Blasphemous Act · Domri, Anarch of Bolas · Xenagos, God of Revels · Goreclaw, Terror of Qal Sisma · General Marhault Elsdragon · Inscription of Abundance · Rhythm of the Wild · Tail Swipe · Kodama's Reach · Garruk's Uprising · Rampant Growth · Ancient Animus · Rishkar's Expertise · Heroic Intervention · Karlach, Fury of Avernus · Ram Through · Chevill, Bane of Monsters · Pain for All · Guardian Augmenter · Mage Slayer · Nature's Lore · Saryth, the Viper's Fang · Rancor · Birds of Paradise · Pit Fight · Beast Within · Kediss, Emberclaw Familiar · Brash Taunter · Halana and Alena, Partners · Tamiyo's Safekeeping · Bear Umbra · Hunter's Talent · Prey Upon · Shadowspear · Stump Stomp // Burnwillow Clearing · Archetype of Aggression · Fiendlash · Khalni Ambush // Khalni Territory · Power Fist · The Last Agni Kai · Tyvar's Stand · Anzrag, the Quake-Mole · Fight Rigging · Primal Might · Three Visits · Animist's Might · Assassin's Trophy · Fanatic of Rhonas · Command Tower · Savage Lands · Ziatora's Proving Ground · Cinder Glade · Exotic Orchard · Kessig Wolf Run · Rootbound Crag · Stomping Ground · Smoldering Marsh · Overgrown Tomb · Woodland Cemetery · Rockfall Vale · Blood Crypt · Undergrowth Stadium · Spire Garden · Dragonskull Summit · Luxury Suite · Bojuka Bog · Wooded Foothills · Bloodstained Mire · Evolving Wilds · Verdant Catacombs · Rogue's Passage · Arena · Twisted Landscape
🃏 Recommended cards for Maarika, Brutal Gladiator
The highest-synergy cards in decks for Maarika, Brutal Gladiator, with their inclusion rate.
| Card | Inclusion | Synergy |
|---|---|---|
| Infiltration Lens | 69% | +67% |
| Neyith of the Dire Hunt | 68% | +66% |
| Bushwhack | 65% | +62% |
| Prizefight | 63% | +60% |
| Ulvenwald Tracker | 63% | +60% |
| Mr. Orfeo, the Boulder | 64% | +59% |
| Basilisk Collar | 60% | +55% |
| Gimli's Reckless Might | 54% | +51% |
| Domri, Anarch of Bolas | 53% | +50% |
| Chandra's Ignition | 62% | +49% |
| Swiftfoot Boots | 70% | +48% |
| General Marhault Elsdragon | 50% | +48% |
| Inscription of Abundance | 49% | +47% |
| Tail Swipe | 49% | +46% |
| Xenagos, God of Revels | 52% | +46% |
| Goreclaw, Terror of Qal Sisma | 51% | +44% |
| Goblin Anarchomancer | 54% | +43% |
| Ancient Animus | 45% | +43% |
| Ram Through | 44% | +42% |
| Karlach, Fury of Avernus | 44% | +41% |
| Chevill, Bane of Monsters | 42% | +40% |
| Guardian Augmenter | 41% | +39% |
| Pain for All | 42% | +39% |
| Mage Slayer | 40% | +37% |
💰 The best cards for your Maarika, Brutal Gladiator 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.
- Infiltration Lens
- Bushwhack
- Prizefight
- Mr. Orfeo, the Boulder
- Domri, Anarch of Bolas
- Swiftfoot Boots
Tier 2 · Balanced up to €10/card
The real step up: pieces that are no longer cheap but still sensible.
- Neyith of the Dire Hunt
- Ulvenwald Tracker
- Basilisk Collar
- Gimli's Reckless Might
- Chandra's Ignition
- Xenagos, God of Revels
Tier 3 · No cap no cap
The cards your price cap was hiding from you.
- Karlach, Fury of Avernus
- Shadowspear
- Fanatic of Rhonas
- The Reaver Cleaver
- Aggravated Assault
Reference prices (cheapest English printing). They change daily.
♾️ Known combos with Maarika, Brutal Gladiator
- 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
- Squee, the Immortal + Food Chain → Infinite colored mana that can only be spent to cast creature spells, Infinite creature ETB, Infinite creature LTB, Infinite storm count
- Sword of Feast and Famine + Aggravated Assault → Infinite combat phases
- Blowfly Infestation + Nest of Scarabs → Infinite death triggers, Infinite creature ETB, Infinite creature LTB
- Blowfly Infestation + Hapatra, Vizier of Poisons → Infinite death triggers, Infinite creature ETB, Infinite creature LTB
Other commanders
Frequently asked questions
What is Maarika, Brutal Gladiator's color identity?
Maarika, Brutal Gladiator is Jund (black, green and red): 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 Maarika, Brutal Gladiator come down, and how often does the deck get stuck?
In the average Maarika, Brutal Gladiator deck (the 99 most-included cards per EDHREC, with 35 lands), simulated 4,000 times, the commander comes down on turn 5.0 on average and is on the battlefield before turn 7 in 91 % of games. It misses at least one land drop in the first six turns 31 % of the time and floods 14 %. Deck health: B+ (75/100).
How many lands should a Maarika, Brutal Gladiator deck run?
Real Maarika, Brutal Gladiator 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 Maarika, Brutal Gladiator?
The three highest-synergy cards are Infiltration Lens, Neyith of the Dire Hunt, Bushwhack. This page lists the top 24 with their real inclusion rate in Maarika, Brutal Gladiator decks.
What combos does Maarika, Brutal Gladiator have?
Maarika, Brutal Gladiator 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 Maarika, Brutal Gladiator deck cost?
You can start cheap: Infiltration Lens, Bushwhack, Prizefight 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.