EDH Optimizer
Parnesse, the Subtle Brush
Legendary Creature — Vampire Wizard · 2UBR
Color identity: Black · Red · Blue · Grixis
Parnesse, the Subtle Brush is Grixis (black, red and blue): its deck can only run cards of those colors plus colorless ones.
Rules text:
Whenever you or a permanent you control becomes the target of a spell or ability an opponent controls, counter that spell or ability unless that player pays 4 life.
Whenever you copy a spell, up to one target opponent may also copy that spell. They may choose new targets for that copy.
Reference price of the card: €0.28
Average lands in decks for Parnesse, the Subtle Brush: 36
Spell CopySpellslingerGroup HugControlChaosGroup SlugStormBurn
Build your Parnesse, the Subtle Brush deck step by step, with in-depth analysis and AI optimization of your list.
🛠️ Build a deck for Parnesse, the Subtle Brush 📥 Analyze my deck🎲 How the average Parnesse, the Subtle Brush 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 (73/100)
- Consistency29
- Speed48
- Interaction100
- Resilience90
- Closing94
See the cards of the average deck · 99 cards, 36 lands (26 nonbasic, 3 Island, 1 Swamp, 6 Mountain)
Arcane Signet · Sol Ring · Archmage Emeritus · Double Vision · Storm-Kiln Artist · Tempt with Mayhem · Narset's Reversal · Twinning Staff · Cormela, Glamour Thief · Return the Favor · Wandering Archaic // Explore the Vastlands · Arcane Bombardment · Goblin Electromancer · Thousand-Year Storm · Harmonic Prodigy · Izzet Signet · Chaos Warp · Frantic Search · Reverberate · Nightscape Familiar · Galvanic Iteration · Veyran, Voice of Duality · Errant, Street Artist · Alania, Divergent Storm · Dimir Signet · Increasing Vengeance · Kess, Dissident Mage · Sedgemoor Witch · Talisman of Creativity · Rakdos Signet · Swarm Intelligence · Display of Power · Dark Ritual · Creative Technique · Replication Technique · Dualcaster Mage · Talisman of Dominance · Fellwar Stone · Lightning Bolt · Brainstorm · Counterspell · Twincast · Wild Ricochet · Big Score · Chef's Kiss · Grapeshot · Feed the Swarm · Mana Geyser · Primal Amulet // Primal Wellspring · Talisman of Indulgence · Blasphemous Act · Resonating Lute · Thunderclap Drake · Mizzix's Mastery · Ponder · Stormcatch Mentor · Rakdos Charm · Bedevil · Hexing Squelcher · Dual Casting · Flame of Anor · Guttersnipe · Hive Mind · Command Tower · Crumbling Necropolis · Exotic Orchard · Sulfur Falls · Xander's Lounge · Dragonskull Summit · Smoldering Marsh · Sunken Hollow · Reliquary Tower · Steam Vents · Watery Grave · Blood Crypt · Drowned Catacomb · Luxury Suite · Training Center · Morphic Pool · Stormcarved Coast · Shivan Reef · Maestros Theater · Temple of Epiphany · Path of Ancestry · Bloodstained Mire · Bojuka Bog · Cascade Bluffs · Shipwreck Marsh · Polluted Delta
🃏 Recommended cards for Parnesse, the Subtle Brush
The highest-synergy cards in decks for Parnesse, the Subtle Brush, with their inclusion rate.
| Card | Inclusion | Synergy |
|---|---|---|
| Double Vision | 63% | +60% |
| Tempt with Mayhem | 58% | +57% |
| Archmage Emeritus | 63% | +52% |
| Storm-Kiln Artist | 63% | +52% |
| Twinning Staff | 56% | +51% |
| Narset's Reversal | 57% | +51% |
| Cormela, Glamour Thief | 52% | +48% |
| Return the Favor | 51% | +48% |
| Wandering Archaic | 48% | +47% |
| Arcane Bombardment | 47% | +45% |
| Thousand-Year Storm | 47% | +44% |
| Reverberate | 45% | +42% |
| Galvanic Iteration | 43% | +41% |
| Errant, Street Artist | 42% | +41% |
| Alania, Divergent Storm | 41% | +41% |
| Sedgemoor Witch | 41% | +39% |
| Swarm Intelligence | 40% | +39% |
| Goblin Electromancer | 47% | +39% |
| Increasing Vengeance | 41% | +39% |
| Display of Power | 39% | +38% |
| Veyran, Voice of Duality | 43% | +37% |
| Harmonic Prodigy | 46% | +36% |
| Creative Technique | 36% | +36% |
| Replication Technique | 35% | +34% |
💰 The best cards for your Parnesse, the Subtle Brush 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.
- Double Vision
- Tempt with Mayhem
- Archmage Emeritus
- Storm-Kiln Artist
- Narset's Reversal
- Cormela, Glamour Thief
Tier 2 · Balanced up to €10/card
The real step up: pieces that are no longer cheap but still sensible.
- Arcane Bombardment
- Sedgemoor Witch
- Veyran, Voice of Duality
- Harmonic Prodigy
- Kess, Dissident Mage
- Dualcaster Mage
Tier 3 · No cap no cap
The cards your price cap was hiding from you.
- Twinning Staff
- Hexing Squelcher
- Improvisation Capstone
- Xander's Lounge
Reference prices (cheapest English printing). They change daily.
♾️ Known combos with Parnesse, the Subtle Brush
- Reiterate + Jeska's Will → Infinite magecraft triggers, Infinite red mana, Infinite storm count, Exile your library with the ability to play the exiled cards until end of turn
- Narset's Reversal + Isochron Scepter → Infinite turns, Lock
- Reiterate + Mana Geyser → Infinite magecraft triggers, Infinite red mana, Infinite storm count
- Twinning Staff + Narset's Reversal → Infinite magecraft triggers
- Storm-Kiln Artist + Thousand-Year Storm + Narset's Reversal → Infinite artifact ETB, Infinite artifact LTB, Infinite artifact sacrifice triggers, Infinite artifact tokens, Infinite colored mana, Infinite copies of instant and sorcery spells on the stack, Infinite power for any creature, Infinite magecraft triggers, Infinite storm count, Infinite Treasure tokens
- Narset's Reversal + Reverberate → Infinite magecraft triggers
Other commanders
Frequently asked questions
What is Parnesse, the Subtle Brush's color identity?
Parnesse, the Subtle Brush 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 Parnesse, the Subtle Brush come down, and how often does the deck get stuck?
In the average Parnesse, the Subtle Brush deck (the 99 cards most played with it, with 36 lands), simulated 4,000 times, the commander comes down on turn 4.9 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 27 % of the time and floods 21 %. Deck health: B (73/100).
How many lands should a Parnesse, the Subtle Brush deck run?
Real Parnesse, the Subtle Brush 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 Parnesse, the Subtle Brush?
The three highest-synergy cards are Double Vision, Tempt with Mayhem, Archmage Emeritus. This page lists the top 24 with their real inclusion rate in Parnesse, the Subtle Brush decks.
What combos does Parnesse, the Subtle Brush have?
Parnesse, the Subtle Brush has 6 known combos. The most popular one is Reiterate + Jeska's Will. 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 Parnesse, the Subtle Brush deck cost?
You can start cheap: Double Vision, Tempt with Mayhem, Archmage Emeritus 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.