EDH Optimizer
Niko, Light of Hope
Legendary Creature — Human Wizard · 2WU
Color identity: Blue · White · Azorius
Niko, Light of Hope is Azorius (blue and white): its deck can only run cards of those colors plus colorless ones.
Rules text:
When Niko enters, create two Shard tokens. (They're enchantments with "{2}, Sacrifice this token: Scry 1, then draw a card.")
{2}, {T}: Exile target nonlegendary creature you control. Shards you control become copies of it until the next end step. Return it to the battlefield under its owner's control at the beginning of the next end step.
Reference price of the card: €0.34
Average lands in decks for Niko, Light of Hope: 36
BlinkTokensClonesEnchantressControlETBAggroCantrips
Build your Niko, Light of Hope deck step by step, with in-depth analysis and AI optimization of your list.
🛠️ Build a deck for Niko, Light of Hope 📥 Analyze my deck🎲 How the average Niko, Light of Hope 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+ (61/100)
- Consistency46
- Speed52
- Interaction83
- Resilience80
- Closing51
See the cards of the average deck · 99 cards, 36 lands (22 nonbasic, 8 Plains, 6 Island)
Arcane Signet · Sol Ring · Soulherder · Ephemerate · Cloudshift · Swords to Plowshares · Dour Port-Mage · Entity Tracker · Azorius Signet · Essence Flux · Momentary Blink · Talisman of Progress · Teleportation Circle · Thought Vessel · Ghostly Flicker · Path to Exile · Starfield Vocalist · Silent Hallcreeper · Counterspell · Curiosity Crafter · Solemn Simulacrum · Niko Aris · Archon of Sun's Grace · Eerie Interlude · Parting Gust · Panharmonicon · Conjurer's Closet · Charming Prince · Hero of Bladehold · Displacer Kitten · Enduring Curiosity · Thassa, Deep-Dwelling · Aerial Extortionist · Overlord of the Floodpits · Dovin's Veto · Sun Titan · Battle Angels of Tyr · Dream Trawler · Fellwar Stone · Candlekeep Sage · Flicker of Fate · Witch Enchanter // Witch-Blessed Meadow · Exalted Sunborn · Restoration Angel · Mulldrifter · An Offer You Can't Refuse · Overlord of the Mistmoors · Skybind · Far Traveler · Mind Stone · Flickerwisp · Nesting Dovehawk · Sphere of Safety · Ornithopter of Paradise · Spirited Companion · Time Wipe · Silverwing Squadron · Supreme Verdict · Swiftfoot Boots · Brago, King Eternal · Fear of Sleep Paralysis · Generous Gift · Sludge Monster · Command Tower · Glacial Fortress · Prairie Stream · Adarkar Wastes · Reliquary Tower · Hallowed Fountain · Deserted Beach · Floodfarm Verge · Port Town · Sea of Clouds · Skycloud Expanse · Flooded Strand · Azorius Chancery · Temple of Enlightenment · Exotic Orchard · Mystic Gate · Hengegate Pathway // Mistgate Pathway · Nimbus Maze · Meticulous Archive · Otawara, Soaring City · Irrigated Farmland · Mystic Sanctuary
🃏 Recommended cards for Niko, Light of Hope
The highest-synergy cards in decks for Niko, Light of Hope, with their inclusion rate.
| Card | Inclusion | Synergy |
|---|---|---|
| Soulherder | 85% | +72% |
| Ephemerate | 84% | +69% |
| Cloudshift | 76% | +64% |
| Entity Tracker | 67% | +63% |
| Dour Port-Mage | 70% | +61% |
| Teleportation Circle | 66% | +57% |
| Essence Flux | 66% | +57% |
| Momentary Blink | 66% | +56% |
| Silent Hallcreeper | 55% | +52% |
| Niko Aris | 52% | +50% |
| Curiosity Crafter | 54% | +50% |
| Starfield Vocalist | 56% | +48% |
| Ghostly Flicker | 60% | +48% |
| Archon of Sun's Grace | 51% | +48% |
| Parting Gust | 51% | +46% |
| Hero of Bladehold | 48% | +46% |
| Eerie Interlude | 51% | +42% |
| Conjurer's Closet | 49% | +42% |
| Enduring Curiosity | 47% | +42% |
| Overlord of the Floodpits | 44% | +42% |
| Thassa, Deep-Dwelling | 47% | +41% |
| Charming Prince | 48% | +41% |
| Panharmonicon | 50% | +40% |
| Aerial Extortionist | 44% | +40% |
💰 The best cards for your Niko, Light of Hope 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.
- Soulherder
- Cloudshift
- Entity Tracker
- Essence Flux
- Momentary Blink
- Silent Hallcreeper
Tier 2 · Balanced up to €10/card
The real step up: pieces that are no longer cheap but still sensible.
- Ephemerate
- Dour Port-Mage
- Teleportation Circle
- Eerie Interlude
- Conjurer's Closet
- Enduring Curiosity
Tier 3 · No cap no cap
The cards your price cap was hiding from you.
- Thassa, Deep-Dwelling
- Battle Angels of Tyr
- Displacer Kitten
- Exalted Sunborn
- Nesting Dovehawk
- Anointed Procession
Reference prices (cheapest English printing). They change daily.
♾️ Known combos with Niko, Light of Hope
- Hullbreaker Horror + Sol Ring → Infinite colorless mana, Infinite storm count
- Restoration Angel + Felidar Guardian → Infinite creature ETB, Infinite creature LTB
- Peregrine Drake + Deadeye Navigator → Infinite blinking, Infinite creature ETB, Infinite creature LTB, Infinite mana lands you control can produce
- Teferi, Time Raveler + Displacer Kitten + Sol Ring → Infinite card draw, Infinite draw triggers, Near-infinite colorless mana, Near-infinite storm count
- Ghostly Flicker + Peregrine Drake + Archaeomancer → Infinite blinking, Infinite creature ETB, Infinite landfall triggers, Infinite creature LTB, Infinite magecraft triggers, Infinite mana lands you control can produce, Infinite storm count, Infinite untap of lands you control
- Preston, the Vanisher + Felidar Guardian + Ephemerate → Infinite creature ETB, Infinite creature LTB, Infinite creature tokens, Infinite landfall triggers, Infinite blinking of permanents, Infinite mana lands you control that enter the battlefield untapped can produce, Exile all nonland permanents opponents control, Infinite mana lands you control can produce
Other commanders
Frequently asked questions
What is Niko, Light of Hope's color identity?
Niko, Light of Hope is Azorius (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 Niko, Light of Hope come down, and how often does the deck get stuck?
In the average Niko, Light of Hope deck (the 99 cards most played with it, with 36 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 24 % of the time and floods 18 %. Deck health: C+ (61/100).
How many lands should a Niko, Light of Hope deck run?
Real Niko, Light of Hope decks run 36 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 Niko, Light of Hope?
The three highest-synergy cards are Soulherder, Ephemerate, Cloudshift. This page lists the top 24 with their real inclusion rate in Niko, Light of Hope decks.
What combos does Niko, Light of Hope have?
Niko, Light of Hope 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 Niko, Light of Hope deck cost?
You can start cheap: Soulherder, Cloudshift, Entity Tracker 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.