EDH Optimizer
Nicol Bolas, the Ravager // Nicol Bolas, the Arisen
Legendary Creature — Elder Dragon // Legendary Planeswalker — Bolas · 1UBR
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: €14.93
Average lands in decks for Nicol Bolas, the Ravager // Nicol Bolas, the Arisen: 35
PlaneswalkersControlDiscardReanimatorComboDragonsTheftMidrange
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 (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: C+ (58/100)
- Consistency85
- Speed60
- Interaction74
- Resilience85
- Closing24
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 · Talisman of Dominance · The Eldest Reborn · Deliver Unto Evil · Dimir Signet · Nicol Bolas, the Deceiver · Izzet Signet · Nightscape Familiar · Talisman of Creativity · Rakdos Signet · Talisman of Indulgence · Bolas's Citadel · Torment of Hailfire · Dark Intimations · Deepglow Skate · Spark Double · Ichormoon Gauntlet · Damnation · Flux Channeler · The Chain Veil · Baleful Strix · Cruel Ultimatum · Crux of Fate · Toxic Deluge · Cyclonic Rift · Dark Ritual · Fellwar Stone · Chaos Warp · Terminate · Bedevil · Liliana, Dreadhorde General · Mana Drain · Nicol Bolas · Narset, Parter of Veils · Propaganda · Rhystic Study · Hour of Devastation · Relic of Sauron · Tezzeret's Gambit · Thrummingbird · Vraska, Betrayal's Sting · Chromatic Lantern · Demonic Tutor · Solemn Simulacrum · Inexorable Tide · Waste Not · Negate · Ripples of Potential · Ashiok, Dream Render · Dreamtide Whale · Tekuthal, Inquiry Dominus · Visage of Bolas · Windfall · Arcane Denial · Jaya's Phoenix · Reanimate · An Offer You Can't Refuse · Experimental Augury · Command Tower · Watery Grave · Steam Vents · Blood Crypt · 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% | +81% |
| 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 | 43% | +41% |
| Deepglow Skate | 42% | +41% |
| Bolas's Citadel | 45% | +40% |
| Torment of Hailfire | 45% | +40% |
| Ichormoon Gauntlet | 41% | +40% |
| The Chain Veil | 40% | +39% |
| Flux Channeler | 40% | +39% |
| Karn's Bastion | 36% | +34% |
| Cruel Ultimatum | 38% | +34% |
| Crux of Fate | 35% | +33% |
| Damnation | 40% | +33% |
| Spark Double | 42% | +33% |
| Nicol Bolas | 32% | +31% |
| Liliana, Dreadhorde General | 32% | +30% |
| Tezzeret's Gambit | 30% | +29% |
| Baleful Strix | 39% | +29% |
| Hour of Devastation | 30% | +29% |
| Vraska, Betrayal's Sting | 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.
- The Eldest Reborn
- Deliver Unto Evil
- Dark Intimations
- Deepglow Skate
- Flux Channeler
- Cruel Ultimatum
Tier 2 · Balanced up to €10/card
The real step up: pieces that are no longer cheap but still sensible.
- Nicol Bolas, God-Pharaoh
- Nicol Bolas, Planeswalker
- Nicol Bolas, the Deceiver
- Bolas's Citadel
- Karn's Bastion
- Spark Double
Tier 3 · No cap no cap
The cards your price cap was hiding from you.
- Nicol Bolas, Dragon-God
- Torment of Hailfire
- Ichormoon Gauntlet
- The Chain Veil
- Damnation
- Vronos, Masked Inquisitor
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 cards most played with it, with 35 lands), simulated 4,000 times, the commander comes down on turn 3.7 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 18 % of the time and floods 12 %. Deck health: C+ (58/100).
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: The Eldest Reborn, Deliver Unto Evil, Dark Intimations 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.