EDH Optimizer
Nicol Bolas, the Ravager // Nicol Bolas, the Arisen
Legendary Creature — Elder Dragon // Legendary Planeswalker — Bolas
Color identity: Black · Red · Blue · Grixis
Nicol Bolas, the Ravager // Nicol Bolas, the Arisen is Grixis (black, red and blue): its deck can only run cards of those colors plus colorless ones.
Rules text:
Flying
When Nicol Bolas enters, each opponent discards a card.
{4}{U}{B}{R}: Exile Nicol Bolas, then return him to the battlefield transformed under his owner's control. Activate only as a sorcery.
//
+2: Draw two cards.
−3: Nicol Bolas deals 10 damage to target creature or planeswalker.
−4: Put target creature or planeswalker card from a graveyard onto the battlefield under your control.
−12: Exile all but the bottom card of target player's library.
Reference price of the card: €14.58
Average lands in decks for Nicol Bolas, the Ravager // Nicol Bolas, the Arisen: 35
PlaneswalkersDiscardControlReanimatorDragonsComboTheftWheels
Build your Nicol Bolas, the Ravager // Nicol Bolas, the Arisen deck step by step, with in-depth analysis and AI optimization of your list.
🛠️ Build a deck for Nicol Bolas, the Ravager // Nicol Bolas, the Arisen 📥 Analyze my deck🎲 How the average Nicol Bolas, the Ravager // Nicol Bolas, the Arisen 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+ (78/100)
- Consistency61
- Speed54
- Interaction94
- Resilience81
- Closing99
See the cards of the average deck · 99 cards, 35 lands (25 nonbasic, 4 Island, 4 Swamp, 2 Mountain)
Sol Ring · Arcane Signet · Nicol Bolas, Dragon-God · Nicol Bolas, God-Pharaoh · Nicol Bolas, Planeswalker · Counterspell · Blasphemous Act · The Eldest Reborn · Talisman of Dominance · Deliver Unto Evil · Dimir Signet · Nicol Bolas, the Deceiver · Izzet Signet · Nightscape Familiar · Bolas's Citadel · Rakdos Signet · Talisman of Creativity · Talisman of Indulgence · Torment of Hailfire · Dark Intimations · Deepglow Skate · Spark Double · Ichormoon Gauntlet · Damnation · The Chain Veil · Baleful Strix · Flux Channeler · Cruel Ultimatum · Crux of Fate · Cyclonic Rift · Toxic Deluge · Chaos Warp · Dark Ritual · Fellwar Stone · Terminate · Bedevil · Mana Drain · Narset, Parter of Veils · Nicol Bolas · Rhystic Study · Liliana, Dreadhorde General · Hour of Devastation · Propaganda · Relic of Sauron · Tezzeret's Gambit · Vraska, Betrayal's Sting · Chromatic Lantern · Thrummingbird · Demonic Tutor · Solemn Simulacrum · Inexorable Tide · Negate · Ripples of Potential · Waste Not · Ashiok, Dream Render · Dreamtide Whale · Tekuthal, Inquiry Dominus · Windfall · Visage of Bolas · Arcane Denial · Jaya's Phoenix · Reanimate · An Offer You Can't Refuse · Experimental Augury · Command Tower · Watery Grave · Blood Crypt · Steam Vents · Crumbling Necropolis · Dragonskull Summit · Xander's Lounge · Drowned Catacomb · Sulfur Falls · Exotic Orchard · Reliquary Tower · Bloodstained Mire · Polluted Delta · Scalding Tarn · Luxury Suite · Morphic Pool · Training Center · Karn's Bastion · Sunken Hollow · Shipwreck Marsh · Bojuka Bog · Smoldering Marsh · Stormcarved Coast · Haunted Ridge · Interplanar Beacon
🃏 Recommended cards for Nicol Bolas, the Ravager // Nicol Bolas, the Arisen
The highest-synergy cards in decks for Nicol Bolas, the Ravager // Nicol Bolas, the Arisen, with their inclusion rate.
| Card | Inclusion | Synergy |
|---|---|---|
| Nicol Bolas, Dragon-God | 83% | +80% |
| Nicol Bolas, God-Pharaoh | 77% | +75% |
| Nicol Bolas, Planeswalker | 69% | +67% |
| The Eldest Reborn | 52% | +50% |
| Deliver Unto Evil | 50% | +49% |
| Nicol Bolas, the Deceiver | 50% | +49% |
| Dark Intimations | 42% | +41% |
| Deepglow Skate | 42% | +41% |
| Bolas's Citadel | 46% | +41% |
| Ichormoon Gauntlet | 41% | +40% |
| Torment of Hailfire | 44% | +40% |
| The Chain Veil | 40% | +39% |
| Flux Channeler | 39% | +38% |
| Karn's Bastion | 36% | +34% |
| Cruel Ultimatum | 38% | +34% |
| Crux of Fate | 35% | +33% |
| Spark Double | 42% | +33% |
| Damnation | 40% | +33% |
| Nicol Bolas | 32% | +31% |
| Liliana, Dreadhorde General | 31% | +30% |
| Narset, Parter of Veils | 32% | +29% |
| Hour of Devastation | 30% | +29% |
| Baleful Strix | 39% | +29% |
| Tezzeret's Gambit | 30% | +29% |
💰 The best cards for your Nicol Bolas, the Ravager // Nicol Bolas, the Arisen 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.
- Nicol Bolas, Planeswalker
- The Eldest Reborn
- Deliver Unto Evil
- Dark Intimations
- Deepglow Skate
- Flux Channeler
Tier 2 · Balanced up to €10/card
The real step up: pieces that are no longer cheap but still sensible.
- Nicol Bolas, Dragon-God
- Nicol Bolas, God-Pharaoh
- Nicol Bolas, the Deceiver
- Bolas's Citadel
- Ichormoon Gauntlet
- The Chain Veil
Tier 3 · No cap no cap
The cards your price cap was hiding from you.
- Torment of Hailfire
- Damnation
- Ugin, the Spirit Dragon
- Mana Drain
- Cyclonic Rift
- Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
Reference prices (cheapest English printing). They change daily.
Other commanders
Frequently asked questions
What is Nicol Bolas, the Ravager // Nicol Bolas, the Arisen's color identity?
Nicol Bolas, the Ravager // Nicol Bolas, the Arisen 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 Nicol Bolas, the Ravager // Nicol Bolas, the Arisen come down, and how often does the deck get stuck?
In the average Nicol Bolas, the Ravager // Nicol Bolas, the Arisen deck (the 99 most-included cards per EDHREC, with 35 lands), simulated 4,000 times, the commander comes down on turn 3.6 on average and is on the battlefield before turn 7 in 99 % of games. It misses at least one land drop in the first six turns 19 % of the time and floods 16 %. Deck health: B+ (78/100).
How many lands should a Nicol Bolas, the Ravager // Nicol Bolas, the Arisen deck run?
Real Nicol Bolas, the Ravager // Nicol Bolas, the Arisen 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 Nicol Bolas, the Ravager // Nicol Bolas, the Arisen?
The three highest-synergy cards are Nicol Bolas, Dragon-God, Nicol Bolas, God-Pharaoh, Nicol Bolas, Planeswalker. This page lists the top 24 with their real inclusion rate in Nicol Bolas, the Ravager // Nicol Bolas, the Arisen decks.
What combos does Nicol Bolas, the Ravager // Nicol Bolas, the Arisen have?
We have no known combos catalogued for Nicol Bolas, the Ravager // Nicol Bolas, the Arisen. That does not mean there are none — just that they do not show up in the public combo databases.
How much does a Nicol Bolas, the Ravager // Nicol Bolas, the Arisen deck cost?
You can start cheap: Nicol Bolas, Planeswalker, The Eldest Reborn, Deliver Unto Evil 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.