EDH Optimizer
Mai and Zuko
Legendary Creature — Human Noble Ally · 1UBR
Color identity: Black · Red · Blue · Grixis
Mai and Zuko is Grixis (black, red and blue): its deck can only run cards of those colors plus colorless ones.
Rules text:
Firebending 3
You may cast Ally spells and artifact spells as though they had flash.
Reference price of the card: €3.61
Average lands in decks for Mai and Zuko: 36
ArtifactsAlliesFlashFirebendingComboHistoricEquipmentAggro
Build your Mai and Zuko deck step by step, with in-depth analysis and AI optimization of your list.
🛠️ Build a deck for Mai and Zuko 📥 Analyze my deck🎲 How the average Mai and Zuko 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: C (52/100)
- Consistency71
- Speed56
- Interaction54
- Resilience84
- Closing21
See the cards of the average deck · 99 cards, 36 lands (26 nonbasic, 3 Island, 2 Swamp, 5 Mountain)
Arcane Signet · Sol Ring · Fire Lord Azula · Bender's Waterskin · The Blue Spirit · Zuko, Firebending Master · Talisman of Dominance · Fire Nation Turret · Talisman of Creativity · Redirect Lightning · Talisman of Indulgence · Firebender Ascension · Katara, Waterbending Master · Boiling Rock Rioter · Swiftfoot Boots · Iroh, Dragon of the West · Ty Lee, Chi Blocker · Ozai, the Phoenix King · Fellwar Stone · Sozin's Comet · Counterspell · Sokka, Bold Boomeranger · Etherium Sculptor · Jhoira, Weatherlight Captain · Longshot, Rebel Bowman · Baleful Strix · Lightning Greaves · Wartime Protestors · Firebending Student · An Offer You Can't Refuse · Fire Nation Occupation · Mai, Scornful Striker · Sea Gate Loremaster · Smellerbee, Rebel Fighter · Blasphemous Act · Avatar Roku, Firebender · Mystic Forge · The Mechanist, Aerial Artisan · Deflecting Swat · Dimir Signet · The Fire Nation Drill · The Last Agni Kai · Chaos Warp · Foundry Inspector · Izzet Signet · Enthusiastic Mechanaut · Jwari Shapeshifter · Loyal Fire Sage · Phyrexian Metamorph · Arcane Denial · Deadly Rollick · Emry, Lurker of the Loch · Hagra Diabolist · Kazuul Warlord · Thought Monitor · White Lotus Tile · Zuko, Exiled Prince · Swan Song · The Legend of Roku // Avatar Roku · Tuktuk Scrapper · Vandalblast · Rakdos Signet · Unwinding Clock · Command Tower · Exotic Orchard · Fire Nation Palace · Watery Grave · Blood Crypt · Steam Vents · Xander's Lounge · Path of Ancestry · Crumbling Necropolis · Polluted Delta · Bloodstained Mire · Sulfur Falls · Dragonskull Summit · Jasmine Dragon Tea Shop · Scalding Tarn · Luxury Suite · Morphic Pool · Training Center · Shivan Reef · Drowned Catacomb · Stormcarved Coast · Shipwreck Marsh · Haunted Ridge · Seat of the Synod · Reliquary Tower · Smoldering Marsh
🃏 Recommended cards for Mai and Zuko
The highest-synergy cards in decks for Mai and Zuko, with their inclusion rate.
| Card | Inclusion | Synergy |
|---|---|---|
| Fire Lord Azula | 58% | +57% |
| The Blue Spirit | 52% | +50% |
| Bender's Waterskin | 54% | +50% |
| Zuko, Firebending Master | 51% | +48% |
| Fire Nation Turret | 48% | +46% |
| Fire Nation Palace | 51% | +44% |
| Katara, Waterbending Master | 44% | +44% |
| Boiling Rock Rioter | 43% | +43% |
| Iroh, Dragon of the West | 42% | +41% |
| Ty Lee, Chi Blocker | 42% | +40% |
| Firebender Ascension | 44% | +40% |
| Redirect Lightning | 46% | +38% |
| Sokka, Bold Boomeranger | 38% | +38% |
| Wartime Protestors | 36% | +35% |
| Ozai, the Phoenix King | 41% | +35% |
| Longshot, Rebel Bowman | 37% | +35% |
| Sozin's Comet | 40% | +35% |
| Jhoira, Weatherlight Captain | 37% | +34% |
| Jasmine Dragon Tea Shop | 34% | +34% |
| Sea Gate Loremaster | 33% | +33% |
| Smellerbee, Rebel Fighter | 33% | +33% |
| Etherium Sculptor | 37% | +33% |
| Mai, Scornful Striker | 33% | +33% |
| Fire Nation Occupation | 33% | +32% |
💰 The best cards for your Mai and Zuko 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.
- Fire Lord Azula
- Bender's Waterskin
- Fire Nation Palace
- Boiling Rock Rioter
- Ty Lee, Chi Blocker
- Firebender Ascension
Tier 2 · Balanced up to €10/card
The real step up: pieces that are no longer cheap but still sensible.
- The Blue Spirit
- Fire Nation Turret
- Iroh, Dragon of the West
- Ozai, the Phoenix King
- Sozin's Comet
- Sea Gate Loremaster
Tier 3 · No cap no cap
The cards your price cap was hiding from you.
- Zuko, Firebending Master
- Katara, Waterbending Master
- Redirect Lightning
- Longshot, Rebel Bowman
- Avatar Roku, Firebender
- Unwinding Clock
Reference prices (cheapest English printing). They change daily.
♾️ Known combos with Mai and Zuko
- 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
- Underworld Breach + Lotus Petal + Brain Freeze → Infinite self-mill, Near-infinite magecraft triggers, Near-infinite mill
- 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
- Underworld Breach + Lion's Eye Diamond + Brain Freeze → Infinite self-mill, Near-infinite colored mana, Near-infinite magecraft triggers, Near-infinite mill, Near-infinite storm count
Other commanders
Frequently asked questions
What is Mai and Zuko's color identity?
Mai and Zuko is Grixis (black, red 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 Mai and Zuko come down, and how often does the deck get stuck?
In the average Mai and Zuko deck (the 99 cards most played with it, with 36 lands), simulated 4,000 times, the commander comes down on turn 3.5 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 15 % of the time and floods 20 %. Deck health: C (52/100).
How many lands should a Mai and Zuko deck run?
Real Mai and Zuko decks run 36 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 Mai and Zuko?
The three highest-synergy cards are Fire Lord Azula, The Blue Spirit, Bender's Waterskin. This page lists the top 24 with their real inclusion rate in Mai and Zuko decks.
What combos does Mai and Zuko have?
Mai and Zuko 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 Mai and Zuko deck cost?
You can start cheap: Fire Lord Azula, Bender's Waterskin, Fire Nation Palace 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.