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: €0.25
Comes in the precon Science!
Average lands in decks for Nick Valentine, Private Eye: 34
ArtifactsCluesTokensComboAristocratsVoltronCounterspellsHistoric
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 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)
- Consistency71
- Speed62
- Interaction73
- Resilience93
- Closing82
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 · Tamiyo's Journal · Thopter Spy Network · Kappa Cannoneer · Arcane Signet · Piper Wright, Publick Reporter · Mechanized Production · Solemn Simulacrum · Emry, Lurker of the Loch · Counterspell · Tangletrove Kelp · Five Hundred Year Diary · Efficient Construction · Cyberdrive Awakener · Myr Retriever · Thought Vessel · Rise and Shine · Steel Overseer · Thought Monitor · Stridehangar Automaton · Padeem, Consul of Innovation · Sapphire Medallion · Fabricate · Mystic Forge · Thoughtcast · Krark-Clan Ironworks · Junk Diver · James, Wandering Dad // Follow Him · Ornithopter of Paradise · Pongify · Urza, Lord High Artificer · Ashnod's Altar · March of the Machines · Master of Etherium · Mind Stone · Senator Peacock · Deduce · Scrap Trawler · Rapid Hybridization · Synth Infiltrator · Whir of Invention · An Offer You Can't Refuse · Mirrodin Besieged · Junk Winder · Jhoira's Familiar · Nettlecyst · Sharding Sphinx · Unwinding Clock · Arcane Denial · Swiftfoot Boots · Aetherize · Access Denied · Curious Inquiry · Erdwal Illuminator · Negate · Silver Myr · Shimmer Myr · Unctus, Grand Metatect · Clan Crafter · Tezzeret, Betrayer of Flesh · Seat of the Synod · Buried Ruin · Reliquary Tower · Academy Ruins · Darksteel Citadel · Archway of Innovation · Inventors' Fair · Myriad Landscape · Mystic Sanctuary · Scene of the Crime · Treasure Vault · Rogue's Passage · Urza's Saga · Uthros, Titanic Godcore · Otawara, Soaring City
🃏 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 | 79% | +77% |
| Forensic Gadgeteer | 82% | +72% |
| Tamiyo's Journal | 68% | +67% |
| Piper Wright, Publick Reporter | 65% | +65% |
| Etherium Sculptor | 78% | +61% |
| Thopter Spy Network | 68% | +60% |
| Tangletrove Kelp | 60% | +59% |
| Sai, Master Thopterist | 71% | +59% |
| Kappa Cannoneer | 67% | +59% |
| Foundry Inspector | 72% | +58% |
| Mechanized Production | 64% | +57% |
| Five Hundred Year Diary | 57% | +56% |
| Buried Ruin | 63% | +51% |
| Myr Retriever | 54% | +51% |
| Emry, Lurker of the Loch | 62% | +50% |
| Cyberdrive Awakener | 55% | +50% |
| Rise and Shine | 52% | +50% |
| Efficient Construction | 56% | +50% |
| Steel Overseer | 52% | +47% |
| Stridehangar Automaton | 49% | +46% |
| Seat of the Synod | 65% | +46% |
| Solemn Simulacrum | 63% | +42% |
| Thought Monitor | 51% | +41% |
| Krark-Clan Ironworks | 43% | +41% |
💰 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
- Etherium Sculptor
- Thopter Spy Network
- Tangletrove Kelp
Tier 2 · Balanced up to €10/card
The real step up: pieces that are no longer cheap but still sensible.
- Academy Manufactor
- Stridehangar Automaton
- Krark-Clan Ironworks
- Mystic Forge
- Ashnod's Altar
- Mirrodin Besieged
Tier 3 · No cap no cap
The cards your price cap was hiding from you.
- Urza, Lord High Artificer
- Inventors' Fair
- Unwinding Clock
- Cyberman Patrol
- Cybermen Squadron
- Nuka-Cola Vending Machine
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 + Etherium Sculptor + Mystic Forge → 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 ETB, Infinite LTB, Infinite colorless mana, Infinite death triggers, Infinite 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 most-included cards per EDHREC, 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 34 % of the time and floods 13 %. Deck health: B+ (75/100).
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.