EDH Optimizer
Malcolm, the Eyes
Legendary Creature — Siren Pirate · UR
Color identity: Red · Blue · Izzet
Malcolm, the Eyes is Izzet (red and blue): its deck can only run cards of those colors plus colorless ones.
Rules text:
Flying, haste
Whenever you cast your second spell each turn, investigate. (Create a Clue token. It's an artifact with "{2}, Sacrifice this token: Draw a card.")
Reference price of the card: €0.18
Average lands in decks for Malcolm, the Eyes: 33
ArtifactsCluesCantripsSpellslingerTokensTreasureTempoAggro
Build your Malcolm, the Eyes deck step by step, with in-depth analysis and AI optimization of your list.
🛠️ Build a deck for Malcolm, the Eyes 📥 Analyze my deck🎲 How the average Malcolm, the Eyes 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)
- Consistency50
- Speed54
- Interaction100
- Resilience80
- Closing63
See the cards of the average deck · 99 cards, 33 lands (23 nonbasic, 7 Island, 3 Mountain)
Arcane Signet · Sol Ring · Opt · Academy Manufactor · Consider · Brainstorm · Counterspell · Erdwal Illuminator · Preordain · Deduce · Frantic Search · Jori En, Ruin Diver · Expressive Iteration · Breeches, the Blastmaker · Demand Answers · Ponder · Thoughtcast · Izzet Signet · Talisman of Creativity · Forensic Gadgeteer · Kappa Cannoneer · Storm-Kiln Artist · Inspiring Statuary · Kraum, Violent Cacophony · Lightning Bolt · Reckless Fireweaver · Gleaming Geardrake · Tangletrove Kelp · Snap · Third Path Iconoclast · Trail of Evidence · Blasphemous Act · Thought Monitor · Rise and Shine · Slick Sequence · Abrade · Cyberdrive Awakener · Chaos Warp · Galazeth Prismari · Pongify · Captain Storm, Cosmium Raider · Gitaxian Probe · Izzet Charm · The Mechanist, Aerial Artisan · Negate · Tamiyo's Journal · Thought Vessel · Ingenious Artillerist · Rapid Hybridization · An Offer You Can't Refuse · Five Hundred Year Diary · Shimmer Dragon · Idol of Oblivion · Mechanized Production · Nettlecyst · Aetherize · Arcane Denial · Crime Novelist · Curious Inquiry · Sink into Stupor // Soporific Springs · Vandalblast · Faithless Looting · Serum Visions · Dowsing Device // Geode Grotto · Storm the Vault // Vault of Catlacan · Weftstalker Ardent · Command Tower · Sulfur Falls · Shivan Reef · Cascade Bluffs · Frostboil Snarl · Steam Vents · Stormcarved Coast · Archway of Innovation · Izzet Boilerworks · Temple of Epiphany · Fiery Islet · Reliquary Tower · Seat of the Synod · Training Center · Ferrous Lake · Thundering Falls · Exotic Orchard · Scalding Tarn · Silverbluff Bridge · Great Furnace · Mystic Sanctuary · Riverpyre Verge · Spirebluff Canal
🃏 Recommended cards for Malcolm, the Eyes
The highest-synergy cards in decks for Malcolm, the Eyes, with their inclusion rate.
| Card | Inclusion | Synergy |
|---|---|---|
| Erdwal Illuminator | 51% | +51% |
| Academy Manufactor | 55% | +50% |
| Deduce | 48% | +47% |
| Breeches, the Blastmaker | 46% | +44% |
| Jori En, Ruin Diver | 48% | +43% |
| Forensic Gadgeteer | 44% | +42% |
| Tangletrove Kelp | 41% | +41% |
| Thoughtcast | 46% | +41% |
| Kappa Cannoneer | 44% | +41% |
| Kraum, Violent Cacophony | 43% | +41% |
| Inspiring Statuary | 43% | +41% |
| Gleaming Geardrake | 41% | +40% |
| Demand Answers | 46% | +39% |
| Trail of Evidence | 40% | +39% |
| Rise and Shine | 38% | +37% |
| Reckless Fireweaver | 42% | +37% |
| Thought Monitor | 39% | +35% |
| Slick Sequence | 38% | +35% |
| Archway of Innovation | 39% | +34% |
| Cyberdrive Awakener | 37% | +34% |
| Consider | 53% | +31% |
| Captain Storm, Cosmium Raider | 31% | +30% |
| The Mechanist, Aerial Artisan | 31% | +29% |
| Galazeth Prismari | 33% | +29% |
💰 The best cards for your Malcolm, the Eyes 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.
- Erdwal Illuminator
- Deduce
- Breeches, the Blastmaker
- Jori En, Ruin Diver
- Forensic Gadgeteer
- Tangletrove Kelp
Tier 2 · Balanced up to €10/card
The real step up: pieces that are no longer cheap but still sensible.
- Academy Manufactor
- Cyberdrive Awakener
- Worldwalker Helm
- Snap
- Great Furnace
- Malcolm, Alluring Scoundrel
Tier 3 · No cap no cap
The cards your price cap was hiding from you.
- Urza, Lord High Artificer
- Uthros, Titanic Godcore
Reference prices (cheapest English printing). They change daily.
♾️ Known combos with Malcolm, the Eyes
- Hullbreaker Horror + Sol Ring → Infinite colorless mana, Infinite storm count
- 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
- Underworld Breach + Lion's Eye Diamond + Wheel of Fortune → Infinite draw triggers, Infinite looting, Infinite looting for opponents, Near-infinite storm count
- Curiosity + Niv-Mizzet, Parun → Infinite draw triggers, Infinite card draw, Near-infinite damage
Other commanders
Frequently asked questions
What is Malcolm, the Eyes's color identity?
Malcolm, the Eyes is Izzet (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 Malcolm, the Eyes come down, and how often does the deck get stuck?
In the average Malcolm, the Eyes deck (the 99 cards most played with it, with 33 lands), simulated 4,000 times, the commander comes down on turn 2.2 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 29 % of the time and floods 22 %. Deck health: B (69/100).
How many lands should a Malcolm, the Eyes deck run?
Real Malcolm, the Eyes decks run 33 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 Malcolm, the Eyes?
The three highest-synergy cards are Erdwal Illuminator, Academy Manufactor, Deduce. This page lists the top 24 with their real inclusion rate in Malcolm, the Eyes decks.
What combos does Malcolm, the Eyes have?
Malcolm, the Eyes 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 Malcolm, the Eyes deck cost?
You can start cheap: Erdwal Illuminator, Deduce, Breeches, the Blastmaker 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.