EDH Optimizer
Nikya of the Old Ways
Legendary Creature — Centaur Druid · 3RG
Color identity: Green · Red · Gruul
Nikya of the Old Ways is Gruul (green and red): its deck can only run cards of those colors plus colorless ones.
Rules text:
You can't cast noncreature spells.
Whenever you tap a land for mana, add one mana of any type that land produced.
Reference price of the card: €0.25
Average lands in decks for Nikya of the Old Ways: 36
AggroPrimal SurgeRampBig ManaStompyZooMidrangeLands Matter
Build your Nikya of the Old Ways deck step by step, with in-depth analysis and AI optimization of your list.
🛠️ Build a deck for Nikya of the Old Ways 📥 Analyze my deck🎲 How the average Nikya of the Old Ways 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+ (76/100)
- Consistency87
- Speed64
- Interaction56
- Resilience74
- Closing98
See the cards of the average deck · 99 cards, 36 lands (26 nonbasic, 2 Mountain, 8 Forest)
Beast Whisperer · Ruric Thar, the Unbowed · Soul of the Harvest · Goreclaw, Terror of Qal Sisma · Sakura-Tribe Elder · Garruk's Packleader · Goblin Anarchomancer · Bane of Progress · Primordial Sage · Wood Elves · Reclamation Sage · Urabrask the Hidden · Augur of Autumn · Magus of the Candelabra · Llanowar Elves · Silverback Elder · Arbor Elf · Farhaven Elf · Apex Devastator · Archetype of Endurance · Terastodon · End-Raze Forerunners · Fierce Empath · Vizier of the Menagerie · Elvish Mystic · Eternal Witness · Somberwald Sage · Toski, Bearer of Secrets · Ohran Frostfang · Gwenna, Eyes of Gaea · Kogla and Yidaro · Manglehorn · Topiary Stomper · Archetype of Aggression · Frenzied Baloth · Kogla, the Titan Ape · Acidic Slime · Springbloom Druid · Fanatic of Rhonas · Gruul Ragebeast · Nullstone Gargoyle · Nylea, Keen-Eyed · Surrak and Goreclaw · Zopandrel, Hunger Dominus · Cactusfolk Sureshot · Xenagos, God of Revels · Ogre Battledriver · Etali, Primal Storm · Prowling Serpopard · Voyaging Satyr · Yeva, Nature's Herald · Anzrag, the Quake-Mole · Birds of Paradise · Ghalta, Stampede Tyrant · Ilharg, the Raze-Boar · Garruk's Horde · Ghalta, Primal Hunger · Giant Ankheg · Ojer Kaslem, Deepest Growth // Temple of Cultivation · Primal Surge · Temur Sabertooth · Enduring Courage · Genesis Hydra · Command Tower · Cinder Glade · Rootbound Crag · Kessig Wolf Run · Mosswort Bridge · Stomping Ground · Rockfall Vale · Game Trail · Gruul Turf · Rogue's Passage · Spire Garden · Karplusan Forest · Castle Garenbrig · Temple of Abandon · Ancient Ziggurat · Myriad Landscape · Bonders' Enclave · Mossfire Valley · Skarrg, the Rage Pits · Thornspire Verge · Wooded Foothills · Boseiju, Who Endures · Sheltered Thicket · Cragcrown Pathway // Timbercrown Pathway · Reliquary Tower · Fire-Lit Thicket
🃏 Recommended cards for Nikya of the Old Ways
The highest-synergy cards in decks for Nikya of the Old Ways, with their inclusion rate.
| Card | Inclusion | Synergy |
|---|---|---|
| Ruric Thar, the Unbowed | 82% | +79% |
| Soul of the Harvest | 75% | +70% |
| Beast Whisperer | 83% | +67% |
| Primordial Sage | 66% | +63% |
| Bane of Progress | 67% | +62% |
| Wood Elves | 64% | +60% |
| Garruk's Packleader | 69% | +59% |
| Magus of the Candelabra | 59% | +57% |
| Goreclaw, Terror of Qal Sisma | 72% | +56% |
| Urabrask the Hidden | 61% | +56% |
| Augur of Autumn | 59% | +55% |
| Reclamation Sage | 62% | +55% |
| Farhaven Elf | 57% | +55% |
| Silverback Elder | 58% | +52% |
| Archetype of Endurance | 55% | +52% |
| Arbor Elf | 57% | +52% |
| Vizier of the Menagerie | 51% | +50% |
| Terastodon | 54% | +50% |
| Apex Devastator | 55% | +49% |
| Sakura-Tribe Elder | 72% | +49% |
| Fierce Empath | 51% | +48% |
| End-Raze Forerunners | 53% | +48% |
| Somberwald Sage | 50% | +45% |
| Topiary Stomper | 44% | +41% |
💰 The best cards for your Nikya of the Old Ways 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.
- Ruric Thar, the Unbowed
- Primordial Sage
- Bane of Progress
- Wood Elves
- Garruk's Packleader
- Magus of the Candelabra
Tier 2 · Balanced up to €10/card
The real step up: pieces that are no longer cheap but still sensible.
- Soul of the Harvest
- Beast Whisperer
- Silverback Elder
- Apex Devastator
- Gwenna, Eyes of Gaea
- Toski, Bearer of Secrets
Tier 3 · No cap no cap
The cards your price cap was hiding from you.
- Ghalta, Stampede Tyrant
- Fanatic of Rhonas
- Craterhoof Behemoth
- Evendo, Waking Haven
- Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx
- Hexhaven Invigorator
Reference prices (cheapest English printing). They change daily.
♾️ Known combos with Nikya of the Old Ways
- Kiki-Jiki, Mirror Breaker + Zealous Conscripts → Infinite creature tokens with haste, Infinite death triggers, Infinite creature ETB, Infinite creature LTB, Infinite creature sacrifice triggers
- Ashaya, Soul of the Wild + Quirion Ranger → Infinite creature ETB, Infinite landfall triggers, Infinite creature LTB, Infinite storm count
- Old Gnawbone + Hellkite Charger → Infinite artifact ETB, Infinite artifact LTB, Infinite artifact sacrifice triggers, Infinite artifact tokens, Infinite colored mana, Infinite combat damage, Infinite combat phases, Infinite Treasure tokens
- Combat Celebrant + Kiki-Jiki, Mirror Breaker → Infinite combat phases, Infinite creature tokens with haste, Infinite creature ETB
- Orthion, Hero of Lavabrink + Terror of the Peaks → Near-infinite damage
- Kodama of the East Tree + Gruul Turf + Rampaging Baloths → Infinite creature tokens, Infinite creature ETB, Infinite landfall triggers
Other commanders
Frequently asked questions
What is Nikya of the Old Ways's color identity?
Nikya of the Old Ways is Gruul (green and red): 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 Nikya of the Old Ways come down, and how often does the deck get stuck?
In the average Nikya of the Old Ways deck (the 99 cards most played with it, with 36 lands), simulated 4,000 times, the commander comes down on turn 4.7 on average and is on the battlefield before turn 7 in 96 % of games. It misses at least one land drop in the first six turns 16 % of the time and floods 4 %. Deck health: B+ (76/100).
How many lands should a Nikya of the Old Ways deck run?
Real Nikya of the Old Ways 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 Nikya of the Old Ways?
The three highest-synergy cards are Ruric Thar, the Unbowed, Soul of the Harvest, Beast Whisperer. This page lists the top 24 with their real inclusion rate in Nikya of the Old Ways decks.
What combos does Nikya of the Old Ways have?
Nikya of the Old Ways has 6 known combos. The most popular one is Kiki-Jiki, Mirror Breaker + Zealous Conscripts. 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 Nikya of the Old Ways deck cost?
You can start cheap: Ruric Thar, the Unbowed, Primordial Sage, Bane of Progress 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.