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: 35
Spell CopySpellslingerGroup HugControlChaosStormGroup SlugBurn
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 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 (72/100)
- Consistency26
- Speed46
- Interaction100
- Resilience90
- Closing93
See the cards of the average deck · 99 cards, 35 lands (25 nonbasic, 3 Island, 1 Swamp, 6 Mountain)
Arcane Signet · Sol Ring · Archmage Emeritus · Double Vision · Storm-Kiln Artist · Tempt with Mayhem · Twinning Staff · Narset's Reversal · Cormela, Glamour Thief · Return the Favor · Wandering Archaic // Explore the Vastlands · Arcane Bombardment · Goblin Electromancer · Izzet Signet · Harmonic Prodigy · Thousand-Year Storm · Frantic Search · Reverberate · Chaos Warp · Nightscape Familiar · Veyran, Voice of Duality · Errant, Street Artist · Galvanic Iteration · Sedgemoor Witch · Dimir Signet · Increasing Vengeance · Kess, Dissident Mage · Rakdos Signet · Swarm Intelligence · Talisman of Creativity · Alania, Divergent Storm · Display of Power · Dark Ritual · Creative Technique · Replication Technique · Dualcaster Mage · Fellwar Stone · Talisman of Dominance · Brainstorm · Counterspell · Lightning Bolt · Twincast · Wild Ricochet · Chef's Kiss · Feed the Swarm · Grapeshot · Primal Amulet // Primal Wellspring · Big Score · Mana Geyser · Talisman of Indulgence · Blasphemous Act · Mizzix's Mastery · Thunderclap Drake · Ponder · Resonating Lute · Bedevil · Rakdos Charm · Guttersnipe · Mindsplice Apparatus · Ral, Storm Conduit · Stormcatch Mentor · Flame of Anor · Hexing Squelcher · Hive Mind · Command Tower · Crumbling Necropolis · Exotic Orchard · Sulfur Falls · Xander's Lounge · Sunken Hollow · Smoldering Marsh · Dragonskull Summit · Reliquary Tower · Steam Vents · Watery Grave · Blood Crypt · Training Center · Drowned Catacomb · Luxury Suite · Morphic Pool · Stormcarved Coast · Maestros Theater · Shivan Reef · Path of Ancestry · Temple of Epiphany · Cascade Bluffs · Shipwreck Marsh · Bloodstained Mire · Bojuka Bog
🃏 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% | +61% |
| Tempt with Mayhem | 58% | +57% |
| Storm-Kiln Artist | 63% | +52% |
| Archmage Emeritus | 63% | +52% |
| Twinning Staff | 57% | +52% |
| Narset's Reversal | 55% | +49% |
| Wandering Archaic | 49% | +48% |
| Cormela, Glamour Thief | 52% | +47% |
| Return the Favor | 50% | +47% |
| Arcane Bombardment | 48% | +46% |
| Thousand-Year Storm | 46% | +43% |
| Reverberate | 45% | +41% |
| Errant, Street Artist | 42% | +41% |
| Galvanic Iteration | 42% | +40% |
| Sedgemoor Witch | 42% | +40% |
| Swarm Intelligence | 41% | +40% |
| Alania, Divergent Storm | 40% | +39% |
| Goblin Electromancer | 48% | +39% |
| Increasing Vengeance | 41% | +39% |
| Display of Power | 39% | +38% |
| Veyran, Voice of Duality | 44% | +38% |
| Creative Technique | 36% | +36% |
| Harmonic Prodigy | 46% | +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
- Storm-Kiln Artist
- Archmage Emeritus
- 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
- Twincast
Tier 3 · No cap no cap
The cards your price cap was hiding from you.
- Twinning Staff
- Hexing Squelcher
- Improvisation Capstone
Reference prices (cheapest English printing). They change daily.
♾️ Known combos with Parnesse, the Subtle Brush
- Narset's Reversal + Isochron Scepter → Infinite turns, Lock
- Twinning Staff + Narset's Reversal → Infinite magecraft triggers
- Storm-Kiln Artist + Thousand-Year Storm + Narset's Reversal → 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
- Narset's Reversal + Expansion // Explosion → Infinite magecraft triggers
- Pyromancer's Goggles + 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 most-included cards per EDHREC, with 35 lands), simulated 4,000 times, the commander comes down on turn 4.9 on average and is on the battlefield before turn 7 in 95 % of games. It misses at least one land drop in the first six turns 29 % of the time and floods 20 %. Deck health: B (72/100).
How many lands should a Parnesse, the Subtle Brush deck run?
Real Parnesse, the Subtle Brush 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 Parnesse, the Subtle Brush?
The three highest-synergy cards are Double Vision, Tempt with Mayhem, Storm-Kiln Artist. 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 Narset's Reversal + Isochron Scepter. 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, Storm-Kiln Artist 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.