EDH Optimizer
Nick Valentine, Private Eye
Legendary Artifact Creature — Synth Detective · 2U
Color identity: Blue
Nick Valentine, Private Eye is blue: its deck can only run cards of that color plus colorless ones.
Rules text:
Nick Valentine can't be blocked except by artifact creatures.
Whenever Nick Valentine or another artifact creature you control dies, you may investigate. (To investigate, create a Clue token. It's an artifact with "{2}, Sacrifice this token: Draw a card.")
Reference price of the card: €0.21
Comes in the precon Science!
Average lands in decks for Nick Valentine, Private Eye: 34
ArtifactsCluesTokensComboVoltronAristocratsHistoricCounterspells
Build your Nick Valentine, Private Eye deck step by step, with in-depth analysis and AI optimization of your list.
🛠️ Build a deck for Nick Valentine, Private Eye 📥 Analyze my deck🎲 How the average Nick Valentine, Private Eye 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+ (74/100)
- Consistency62
- Speed63
- Interaction77
- Resilience93
- Closing78
See the cards of the average deck · 99 cards, 34 lands (15 nonbasic, 19 Island)
Sol Ring · Forensic Gadgeteer · Academy Manufactor · Etherium Sculptor · Foundry Inspector · Sai, Master Thopterist · Kappa Cannoneer · Tamiyo's Journal · Piper Wright, Publick Reporter · Thopter Spy Network · Arcane Signet · Mechanized Production · Solemn Simulacrum · Emry, Lurker of the Loch · Tangletrove Kelp · Counterspell · Five Hundred Year Diary · Cyberdrive Awakener · Efficient Construction · Myr Retriever · Steel Overseer · Thought Vessel · Thought Monitor · Rise and Shine · Padeem, Consul of Innovation · Stridehangar Automaton · Fabricate · Sapphire Medallion · Mystic Forge · Thoughtcast · Krark-Clan Ironworks · Ornithopter of Paradise · James, Wandering Dad // Follow Him · Master of Etherium · Senator Peacock · Deduce · Junk Diver · Pongify · Urza, Lord High Artificer · An Offer You Can't Refuse · March of the Machines · Synth Infiltrator · Ashnod's Altar · Mind Stone · Rapid Hybridization · Scrap Trawler · Whir of Invention · Junk Winder · Mirrodin Besieged · Nettlecyst · Sharding Sphinx · Swiftfoot Boots · Unwinding Clock · Erdwal Illuminator · Jhoira's Familiar · Negate · Aetherize · Arcane Denial · Curious Inquiry · Silver Myr · Access Denied · Lightning Greaves · Shimmer Myr · Clan Crafter · Phyrexian Metamorph · Seat of the Synod · Buried Ruin · Reliquary Tower · Academy Ruins · Darksteel Citadel · Archway of Innovation · Inventors' Fair · Myriad Landscape · Mystic Sanctuary · Rogue's Passage · Scene of the Crime · Treasure Vault · Urza's Saga · Otawara, Soaring City · Uthros, Titanic Godcore
🃏 Recommended cards for Nick Valentine, Private Eye
The highest-synergy cards in decks for Nick Valentine, Private Eye, with their inclusion rate.
| Card | Inclusion | Synergy |
|---|---|---|
| Academy Manufactor | 76% | +75% |
| Forensic Gadgeteer | 81% | +71% |
| Tamiyo's Journal | 67% | +66% |
| Piper Wright, Publick Reporter | 66% | +65% |
| Tangletrove Kelp | 61% | +60% |
| Thopter Spy Network | 66% | +59% |
| Etherium Sculptor | 76% | +59% |
| Kappa Cannoneer | 67% | +58% |
| Sai, Master Thopterist | 69% | +57% |
| Foundry Inspector | 70% | +56% |
| Mechanized Production | 62% | +55% |
| Five Hundred Year Diary | 56% | +55% |
| Buried Ruin | 61% | +49% |
| Emry, Lurker of the Loch | 61% | +49% |
| Cyberdrive Awakener | 55% | +49% |
| Efficient Construction | 55% | +49% |
| Myr Retriever | 52% | +48% |
| Steel Overseer | 51% | +47% |
| Rise and Shine | 49% | +46% |
| Stridehangar Automaton | 48% | +45% |
| Seat of the Synod | 63% | +44% |
| Solemn Simulacrum | 62% | +42% |
| James, Wandering Dad | 41% | +40% |
| Thought Monitor | 50% | +40% |
💰 The best cards for your Nick Valentine, Private Eye 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.
- Forensic Gadgeteer
- Tamiyo's Journal
- Piper Wright, Publick Reporter
- Tangletrove Kelp
- Thopter Spy Network
- Etherium Sculptor
Tier 2 · Balanced up to €10/card
The real step up: pieces that are no longer cheap but still sensible.
- Academy Manufactor
- Cyberdrive Awakener
- Stridehangar Automaton
- Krark-Clan Ironworks
- Mystic Forge
- Mirrodin Besieged
Tier 3 · No cap no cap
The cards your price cap was hiding from you.
- Ashnod's Altar
- Urza, Lord High Artificer
- Inventors' Fair
- Unwinding Clock
- Cyberman Patrol
- Cybermen Squadron
Reference prices (cheapest English printing). They change daily.
♾️ Known combos with Nick Valentine, Private Eye
- Hullbreaker Horror + Sol Ring → Infinite colorless mana, Infinite storm count
- Sensei's Divining Top + Foundry Inspector + Mystic Forge → Infinite card draw, Near-infinite storm count, Infinite draw triggers
- Sensei's Divining Top + Mystic Forge + Etherium Sculptor → Infinite card draw, Near-infinite storm count, Infinite draw triggers
- Sensei's Divining Top + Etherium Sculptor + The Reality Chip → Infinite card draw, Infinite draw triggers, Near-infinite storm count
- Scrap Trawler + Myr Retriever + Krark-Clan Ironworks + Foundry Inspector → Infinite artifact ETB, Infinite artifact LTB, Infinite artifact sacrifice triggers, Infinite creature ETB, Infinite creature LTB, Infinite colorless mana, Infinite death triggers, Infinite creature sacrifice triggers, Infinite storm count
- Basalt Monolith + Forensic Gadgeteer → Infinite colorless mana
Other commanders
Frequently asked questions
What is Nick Valentine, Private Eye's color identity?
Nick Valentine, Private Eye is blue: 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 Nick Valentine, Private Eye come down, and how often does the deck get stuck?
In the average Nick Valentine, Private Eye deck (the 99 cards most played with it, with 34 lands), simulated 4,000 times, the commander comes down on turn 3.0 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 35 % of the time and floods 17 %. Deck health: B+ (74/100).
How many lands should a Nick Valentine, Private Eye deck run?
Real Nick Valentine, Private Eye decks run 34 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 Nick Valentine, Private Eye?
The three highest-synergy cards are Academy Manufactor, Forensic Gadgeteer, Tamiyo's Journal. This page lists the top 24 with their real inclusion rate in Nick Valentine, Private Eye decks.
What combos does Nick Valentine, Private Eye have?
Nick Valentine, Private Eye 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 Nick Valentine, Private Eye deck cost?
You can start cheap: Forensic Gadgeteer, Tamiyo's Journal, Piper Wright, Publick Reporter 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.