EDH Optimizer
Nin, the Pain Artist
Legendary Creature — Vedalken Wizard · UR
Color identity: Red · Blue · Izzet
Nin, the Pain Artist is Izzet (red and blue): its deck can only run cards of those colors plus colorless ones.
Rules text:
{X}{U}{R}, {T}: Nin deals X damage to target creature. That creature's controller draws X cards.
Reference price of the card: €0.31
Average lands in decks for Nin, the Pain Artist: 36
WheelsBurnCard DrawComboControlArtifactsGroup HugSpellslinger
Build your Nin, the Pain Artist deck step by step, with in-depth analysis and AI optimization of your list.
🛠️ Build a deck for Nin, the Pain Artist 📥 Analyze my deck🎲 How the average Nin, the Pain Artist 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 (69/100)
- Consistency47
- Speed55
- Interaction100
- Resilience92
- Closing57
See the cards of the average deck · 99 cards, 36 lands (21 nonbasic, 9 Island, 6 Mountain)
Sol Ring · Arcane Signet · Brash Taunter · Stuffy Doll · Thought Vessel · Izzet Signet · Psychosis Crawler · Blasphemous Act · Body of Knowledge · Counterspell · Talisman of Creativity · Chasm Skulker · Chaos Warp · Omen Hawker · Training Grounds · Niv-Mizzet, Parun · Darksteel Myr · Kefnet the Mindful · Swiftfoot Boots · The Locust God · Pain for All · Triskaidekaphile · Decanter of Endless Water · Arcane Denial · Wizard Class · Niv-Mizzet, the Firemind · Donna Noble · Mogg Maniac · Basilisk Collar · Fellwar Stone · Vandalblast · Mana Geyser · Solemn Simulacrum · Thran Dynamo · Inner Fire · Lightning Greaves · Ominous Seas · Screaming Nemesis · Blazing Sunsteel · Laboratory Maniac · Negate · Brainstorm · Chain Reaction · Mind Stone · Proft's Eidetic Memory · Flame of Anor · An Offer You Can't Refuse · Illusionist's Bracers · Pariah's Shield · Willbreaker · Abrade · Cyclonic Rift · Fiendlash · Ill-Tempered Loner // Howlpack Avenger · Scrawling Crawler · Arcbond · Darksteel Plate · Phyrexian Metamorph · Pongify · Propaganda · Teferi's Ageless Insight · Mithril Coat · Windfall · Command Tower · Reliquary Tower · Sulfur Falls · Shivan Reef · Steam Vents · Cascade Bluffs · Izzet Boilerworks · Stormcarved Coast · Training Center · Temple of Epiphany · Frostboil Snarl · Scalding Tarn · Mystic Sanctuary · Exotic Orchard · Ferrous Lake · Riverglide Pathway // Lavaglide Pathway · Temple of the False God · Myriad Landscape · Fiery Islet · Riptide Laboratory · Thundering Falls
🃏 Recommended cards for Nin, the Pain Artist
The highest-synergy cards in decks for Nin, the Pain Artist, with their inclusion rate.
| Card | Inclusion | Synergy |
|---|---|---|
| Brash Taunter | 76% | +74% |
| Stuffy Doll | 72% | +71% |
| Psychosis Crawler | 66% | +59% |
| Body of Knowledge | 60% | +58% |
| Chasm Skulker | 52% | +48% |
| Training Grounds | 47% | +47% |
| Omen Hawker | 47% | +47% |
| Kefnet the Mindful | 44% | +44% |
| Darksteel Myr | 44% | +44% |
| Pain for All | 43% | +43% |
| Triskaidekaphile | 42% | +40% |
| Mogg Maniac | 37% | +37% |
| Donna Noble | 37% | +37% |
| The Locust God | 44% | +36% |
| Thought Vessel | 71% | +35% |
| Screaming Nemesis | 34% | +33% |
| Blazing Sunsteel | 33% | +32% |
| Decanter of Endless Water | 41% | +32% |
| Wizard Class | 39% | +32% |
| Inner Fire | 34% | +32% |
| Ominous Seas | 34% | +31% |
| Willbreaker | 29% | +29% |
| Pariah's Shield | 29% | +29% |
| Niv-Mizzet, the Firemind | 38% | +29% |
💰 The best cards for your Nin, the Pain Artist 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.
- Brash Taunter
- Stuffy Doll
- Psychosis Crawler
- Body of Knowledge
- Chasm Skulker
- Omen Hawker
Tier 2 · Balanced up to €10/card
The real step up: pieces that are no longer cheap but still sensible.
- Training Grounds
- The Locust God
- Screaming Nemesis
- Blazing Sunsteel
- Decanter of Endless Water
- Willbreaker
Tier 3 · No cap no cap
The cards your price cap was hiding from you.
- Giggling Skitterspike
- Mithril Coat
- Solphim, Mayhem Dominus
- Braid of Fire
- Minamo, School at Water's Edge
- Consecrated Sphinx
Reference prices (cheapest English printing). They change daily.
♾️ Known combos with Nin, the Pain Artist
- Hullbreaker Horror + Sol Ring → Infinite colorless mana, Infinite storm count
- Dramatic Reversal + Isochron Scepter → Infinite magecraft triggers, Infinite mana nonland permanents you control can produce, Infinite storm count, Infinite untap of nonland permanents you control
- Curiosity + Niv-Mizzet, Parun → Infinite draw triggers, Infinite card draw, Near-infinite damage
- Rings of Brighthearth + Basalt Monolith → Infinite colorless mana
- Niv-Mizzet, Parun + Niv-Mizzet, Visionary → Near-infinite damage, Infinite card draw, Infinite draw triggers
- Niv-Mizzet, Parun + Ophidian Eye → Infinite card draw, Infinite draw triggers, Near-infinite damage
Other commanders
Frequently asked questions
What is Nin, the Pain Artist's color identity?
Nin, the Pain Artist is Izzet (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 Nin, the Pain Artist come down, and how often does the deck get stuck?
In the average Nin, the Pain Artist deck (the 99 most-included cards per EDHREC, with 36 lands), simulated 4,000 times, the commander comes down on turn 2.2 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 26 % of the time and floods 21 %. Deck health: B (69/100).
How many lands should a Nin, the Pain Artist deck run?
Real Nin, the Pain Artist 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 Nin, the Pain Artist?
The three highest-synergy cards are Brash Taunter, Stuffy Doll, Psychosis Crawler. This page lists the top 24 with their real inclusion rate in Nin, the Pain Artist decks.
What combos does Nin, the Pain Artist have?
Nin, the Pain Artist 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 Nin, the Pain Artist deck cost?
You can start cheap: Brash Taunter, Stuffy Doll, Psychosis Crawler 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.