EDH Optimizer
Niv-Mizzet, Ghost Counsel
Legendary Creature — Spirit Dragon · 2WWBB
Color identity: Black · White · Orzhov
Niv-Mizzet, Ghost Counsel is Orzhov (black and white): its deck can only run cards of those colors plus colorless ones.
Rules text:
Flying
Whenever you gain life, you may pay that much life. If you do, draw that many cards.
{T}: Each opponent loses 1 life and you gain 1 life.
Reference price of the card: €3.12
Average lands in decks for Niv-Mizzet, Ghost Counsel: 35
LifegainComboSelf-DamageCard DrawLifedrainAristocratsMidrangeControl
Build your Niv-Mizzet, Ghost Counsel deck step by step, with in-depth analysis and AI optimization of your list.
🛠️ Build a deck for Niv-Mizzet, Ghost Counsel 📥 Analyze my deck🎲 How the average Niv-Mizzet, Ghost Counsel 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 (67/100)
- Consistency47
- Speed65
- Interaction39
- Resilience83
- Closing92
See the cards of the average deck · 99 cards, 35 lands (25 nonbasic, 5 Plains, 5 Swamp)
Sol Ring · Arcane Signet · Swords to Plowshares · Soul Warden · Authority of the Consuls · Soul's Attendant · Talisman of Hierarchy · Kambal, Consul of Allocation · Path to Exile · Dark Ritual · Vito, Thorn of the Dusk Rose · Sheoldred, the Apocalypse · Orzhov Signet · Blind Obedience · Enduring Tenacity · Thought Vessel · Aetherflux Reservoir · Exsanguinate · Anguished Unmaking · Liliana the Faultless · Elas il-Kor, Sadistic Pilgrim · Lotho, Corrupt Shirriff · The Wind Crystal · Sanguine Bond · Children of Korlis · Serra Ascendant · Suture Priest · Marauding Blight-Priest · Gray Merchant of Asphodel · Alhammarret's Archive · Psychosis Crawler · Approach of the Second Sun · Bloodthirsty Conqueror · Exquisite Blood · Toxic Deluge · Crypt Ghast · Lightning Greaves · Smothering Tithe · Rhox Faithmender · Starscape Cleric · Fellwar Stone · Reanimate · Karlov of the Ghost Council · Blood Artist · Creeping Bloodsucker · Esper Sentinel · Black Market Connections · Bolas's Citadel · Cleric Class · Damn · Flawless Maneuver · Despark · Haliya, Guided by Light · Sorin of House Markov // Sorin, Ravenous Neonate · Auriok Champion · Pristine Talisman · Debt to the Deathless · Demonic Tutor · Archivist of Oghma · Restoration Magic · Words of Worship · Deadly Rollick · Grand Abolisher · Gleaming Splendor · Command Tower · Godless Shrine · Isolated Chapel · Caves of Koilos · Reliquary Tower · Vault of Champions · Shattered Sanctum · Marsh Flats · Fetid Heath · Bleachbone Verge · Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth · Bojuka Bog · Shadowy Backstreet · Tainted Field · Vault of the Archangel · Brightclimb Pathway // Grimclimb Pathway · Turbulent Moor · Eclipsed Steppe · Scrubland · Shineshadow Snarl · Exotic Orchard · Silent Clearing · Scoured Barrens · Cabal Coffers · Orzhov Basilica
🃏 Recommended cards for Niv-Mizzet, Ghost Counsel
The highest-synergy cards in decks for Niv-Mizzet, Ghost Counsel, with their inclusion rate.
| Card | Inclusion | Synergy |
|---|---|---|
| Soul Warden | 80% | +63% |
| Soul's Attendant | 73% | +61% |
| Authority of the Consuls | 74% | +57% |
| Kambal, Consul of Allocation | 69% | +55% |
| Sheoldred, the Apocalypse | 60% | +53% |
| Liliana the Faultless | 51% | +47% |
| Aetherflux Reservoir | 54% | +46% |
| Enduring Tenacity | 57% | +44% |
| Psychosis Crawler | 43% | +42% |
| Thought Vessel | 56% | +42% |
| Children of Korlis | 46% | +42% |
| The Wind Crystal | 49% | +41% |
| Approach of the Second Sun | 42% | +41% |
| Vito, Thorn of the Dusk Rose | 61% | +41% |
| Blind Obedience | 57% | +40% |
| Serra Ascendant | 46% | +40% |
| Reliquary Tower | 62% | +39% |
| Alhammarret's Archive | 43% | +39% |
| Dark Ritual | 65% | +38% |
| Exsanguinate | 52% | +38% |
| Rhox Faithmender | 39% | +35% |
| Gray Merchant of Asphodel | 44% | +34% |
| Suture Priest | 46% | +34% |
| Crypt Ghast | 40% | +33% |
💰 The best cards for your Niv-Mizzet, Ghost Counsel 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.
- Soul Warden
- Psychosis Crawler
- Thought Vessel
- Children of Korlis
- Reliquary Tower
- Dark Ritual
Tier 2 · Balanced up to €10/card
The real step up: pieces that are no longer cheap but still sensible.
- Soul's Attendant
- Authority of the Consuls
- Kambal, Consul of Allocation
- Liliana the Faultless
- The Wind Crystal
- Approach of the Second Sun
Tier 3 · No cap no cap
The cards your price cap was hiding from you.
- Sheoldred, the Apocalypse
- Aetherflux Reservoir
- Enduring Tenacity
- Serra Ascendant
- Crypt Ghast
- Bloodthirsty Conqueror
Reference prices (cheapest English printing). They change daily.
♾️ Known combos with Niv-Mizzet, Ghost Counsel
- Sanguine Bond + Exquisite Blood → Infinite lifegain triggers, Infinite lifeloss, Infinite lifegain
- Vito, Thorn of the Dusk Rose + Exquisite Blood → Infinite lifegain triggers, Infinite lifeloss, Infinite lifegain
- Vito, Thorn of the Dusk Rose + Bloodthirsty Conqueror → Infinite lifegain triggers, Infinite lifeloss, Infinite lifegain
- Sanguine Bond + Bloodthirsty Conqueror → Infinite lifegain triggers, Infinite lifeloss, Infinite lifegain
- Exquisite Blood + Enduring Tenacity → Infinite lifegain triggers, Infinite lifeloss, Infinite lifegain
- Enduring Tenacity + Bloodthirsty Conqueror → Infinite lifegain triggers, Infinite lifeloss, Infinite lifegain
Other commanders
Frequently asked questions
What is Niv-Mizzet, Ghost Counsel's color identity?
Niv-Mizzet, Ghost Counsel is Orzhov (black 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 Niv-Mizzet, Ghost Counsel come down, and how often does the deck get stuck?
In the average Niv-Mizzet, Ghost Counsel deck (the 99 most-included cards per EDHREC, with 35 lands), simulated 4,000 times, the commander comes down on turn 5.7 on average and is on the battlefield before turn 7 in 88 % of games. It misses at least one land drop in the first six turns 25 % of the time and floods 11 %. Deck health: B (67/100).
How many lands should a Niv-Mizzet, Ghost Counsel deck run?
Real Niv-Mizzet, Ghost Counsel 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 Niv-Mizzet, Ghost Counsel?
The three highest-synergy cards are Soul Warden, Soul's Attendant, Authority of the Consuls. This page lists the top 24 with their real inclusion rate in Niv-Mizzet, Ghost Counsel decks.
What combos does Niv-Mizzet, Ghost Counsel have?
Niv-Mizzet, Ghost Counsel has 6 known combos. The most popular one is Sanguine Bond + Exquisite Blood. 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 Niv-Mizzet, Ghost Counsel deck cost?
You can start cheap: Soul Warden, Psychosis Crawler, Thought Vessel 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.