EDH Optimizer

Marneus Calgar

Card: Marneus Calgar

Legendary Creature — Astartes Warrior · 2WUB

Color identity: Black · Blue · White · Esper

Marneus Calgar is Esper (black, blue and white): its deck can only run cards of those colors plus colorless ones.

Rules text:
Double strike
Master Tactician — Whenever one or more tokens you control enter, draw a card.
Chapter Master — {6}: Create two 2/2 white Astartes Warrior creature tokens with vigilance.

Reference price of the card: €8.54

Average lands in decks for Marneus Calgar: 35

TokensComboAristocratsMidrangeControlCard DrawTreasureArtifacts

Build your Marneus Calgar deck step by step, with in-depth analysis and AI optimization of your list.

🛠️ Build a deck for Marneus Calgar 📥 Analyze my deck

🎲 How the average Marneus Calgar 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.

4.5average turn the commander comes down
98 %of games have it on the battlefield before turn 7
14 %of games miss at least one land drop in the first six turns (mana screw)
1 %of games flood (three or more turns with nothing to cast)
100 %of games close out the table before turn 12
8median closing turn
74 %of games assemble a combo

Deck health of the average list: A (84/100)

See the cards of the average deck · 99 cards, 35 lands (25 nonbasic, 5 Plains, 2 Island, 3 Swamp)

Sol Ring · Arcane Signet · Swords to Plowshares · Talisman of Progress · Talisman of Dominance · Talisman of Hierarchy · Smothering Tithe · Lotho, Corrupt Shirriff · Kambal, Profiteering Mayor · Skullclamp · Nadir Kraken · Ashnod's Altar · Ultramarines Honour Guard · Path to Exile · Space Marine Devastator · Mirkwood Bats · Commissar Severina Raine · An Offer You Can't Refuse · Gleaming Splendor · Pitiless Plunderer · Vexilus Praetor · Company Commander · Esper Sentinel · Warren Soultrader · Counterspell · Voice of Victory · Vanguard Suppressor · Fellwar Stone · Thought Vessel · Dark Ritual · The Queen of Dale · Mondrak, Glory Dominus · Adeline, Resplendent Cathar · Inquisitor Greyfax · Swan Song · Black Market Connections · Inquisitorial Rosette · The Golden Throne · Rhystic Study · Deny the Witch · Sicarian Infiltrator · Anointed Procession · Grim Hireling · Elas il-Kor, Sadistic Pilgrim · Charismatic Conqueror · Prince Imrahil the Fair · Cyclonic Rift · Mortify · Hour of Reckoning · Martial Coup · Bastion Protector · Demonic Tutor · Thunderhawk Gunship · Birth of the Imperium · Dovin's Veto · Mystic Remora · Fierce Guardianship · Orcish Bowmasters · Elspeth, Storm Slayer · Enlightened Tutor · For the Emperor! · Vampiric Tutor · Tataru Taru · Collective Effort · Command Tower · Exotic Orchard · Godless Shrine · Hallowed Fountain · Watery Grave · Arcane Sanctum · Flooded Strand · Polluted Delta · Reliquary Tower · Marsh Flats · Sea of Clouds · Prairie Stream · Sunken Hollow · Morphic Pool · Vault of Champions · Raffine's Tower · Path of Ancestry · Port Town · Skycloud Expanse · Otawara, Soaring City · Choked Estuary · Isolated Chapel · Caves of Koilos · Darkwater Catacombs · Glacial Fortress

🃏 Recommended cards for Marneus Calgar

The highest-synergy cards in decks for Marneus Calgar, with their inclusion rate.

CardInclusionSynergy
Kambal, Profiteering Mayor 58% +53%
Nadir Kraken 52% +49%
Ultramarines Honour Guard 49% +46%
Ashnod's Altar 51% +45%
Skullclamp 53% +44%
Space Marine Devastator 46% +44%
Lotho, Corrupt Shirriff 61% +44%
Commissar Severina Raine 43% +41%
Company Commander 42% +40%
Vexilus Praetor 42% +40%
Pitiless Plunderer 42% +39%
Mirkwood Bats 43% +38%
Vanguard Suppressor 40% +38%
Warren Soultrader 41% +37%
Inquisitor Greyfax 37% +35%
The Golden Throne 36% +35%
Inquisitorial Rosette 36% +34%
The Queen of Dale 39% +33%
Sicarian Infiltrator 35% +33%
Smothering Tithe 62% +33%
Prince Imrahil the Fair 34% +33%
Deny the Witch 35% +32%
Charismatic Conqueror 34% +32%
Voice of Victory 40% +32%

💰 The best cards for your Marneus Calgar 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.

  • Nadir Kraken€0.24 · 52% inclusion
  • Space Marine Devastator€1.07 · 46% inclusion
  • Mirkwood Bats€0.45 · 43% inclusion
  • Vanguard Suppressor€0.50 · 40% inclusion
  • Inquisitor Greyfax€0.59 · 37% inclusion
  • Inquisitorial Rosette€1.25 · 36% inclusion
🛠️ Optimize my deck · up to €2/card

Tier 2 · Balanced up to €10/card

The real step up: pieces that are no longer cheap but still sensible.

  • Kambal, Profiteering Mayor€4.75 · 58% inclusion
  • Ultramarines Honour Guard€3.32 · 49% inclusion
  • Skullclamp€4.51 · 53% inclusion
  • Lotho, Corrupt Shirriff€9.03 · 61% inclusion
  • Company Commander€2.12 · 42% inclusion
  • Pitiless Plunderer€3.05 · 42% inclusion
🛠️ Optimize my deck · up to €10/card

Tier 3 · No cap no cap

The cards your price cap was hiding from you.

  • Ashnod's Altar€11.44 · 51% inclusion
  • Commissar Severina Raine€15.52 · 43% inclusion
  • Vexilus Praetor€13.44 · 42% inclusion
  • Warren Soultrader€15.13 · 41% inclusion
  • The Queen of Dale€20.19 · 39% inclusion
  • Smothering Tithe€39.48 · 62% inclusion
🛠️ Optimize my deck · no cap

Reference prices (cheapest English printing). They change daily.

♾️ Known combos with Marneus Calgar

👥 Community decks with Marneus Calgar

Full decklists published by players on EDH Optimizer, with their analysis, bracket and health. Clone them to your account and optimize them for free.

Other commanders

Frequently asked questions

What is Marneus Calgar's color identity?

Marneus Calgar is Esper (black, blue and white): 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 Marneus Calgar come down, and how often does the deck get stuck?

In the average Marneus Calgar 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 98 % of games. It misses at least one land drop in the first six turns 14 % of the time and floods 1 %. Deck health: A (84/100).

How many lands should a Marneus Calgar deck run?

Real Marneus Calgar 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 Marneus Calgar?

The three highest-synergy cards are Kambal, Profiteering Mayor, Nadir Kraken, Ultramarines Honour Guard. This page lists the top 24 with their real inclusion rate in Marneus Calgar decks.

What combos does Marneus Calgar have?

Marneus Calgar 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 Marneus Calgar deck cost?

You can start cheap: Nadir Kraken, Space Marine Devastator, Mirkwood Bats 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.

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