EDH Optimizer
Selvala, Explorer Returned
Legendary Creature — Elf Scout · 1GW
Color identity: Green · White · Selesnya
Selvala, Explorer Returned is Selesnya (green and white): its deck can only run cards of those colors plus colorless ones.
Rules text:
Parley — {T}: Each player reveals the top card of their library. For each nonland card revealed this way, add {G} and you gain 1 life. Then each player draws a card. (Activate only as an instant.)
Reference price of the card: €0.17
Comes in the precon Peace Offering
Average lands in decks for Selvala, Explorer Returned: 33
Group HugComboLifegainRampElves+1/+1 CountersTap / UntapTokens
Build your Selvala, Explorer Returned deck step by step, with in-depth analysis and AI optimization of your list.
🛠️ Build a deck for Selvala, Explorer Returned 📥 Analyze my deck🎲 How the average Selvala, Explorer Returned 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: C+ (64/100)
- Consistency58
- Speed64
- Interaction44
- Resilience85
- Closing72
See the cards of the average deck · 99 cards, 33 lands (22 nonbasic, 3 Plains, 8 Forest)
Sol Ring · Llanowar Elves · Swords to Plowshares · Elvish Mystic · Avacyn's Pilgrim · Path to Exile · Fyndhorn Elves · Quirion Ranger · Birds of Paradise · Thousand-Year Elixir · Beast Within · Arcane Signet · Seeker of Skybreak · Umbral Mantle · Priest of Titania · Wirewood Symbiote · Eternal Witness · Heroic Intervention · Instill Energy · Vitalize · Lightning Greaves · Arbor Elf · Smothering Tithe · Generous Gift · Kutzil, Malamet Exemplar · Seedborn Muse · To Arms! · Scryb Ranger · Eladamri's Call · Wild Growth · Marvin, Murderous Mimic · Swiftfoot Boots · Formidable Speaker · Elvish Archdruid · Reclamation Sage · Concordant Crossroads · Cultivate · Finale of Devastation · Grand Abolisher · Chord of Calling · Drumbellower · Emerald Charm · Ashaya, Soul of the Wild · Enlightened Tutor · Green Sun's Zenith · Legolas's Quick Reflexes · Mirror Entity · Nature's Chosen · Utopia Sprawl · Worldly Tutor · Beast Whisperer · Delighted Halfling · Loran of the Third Path · Shalai, Voice of Plenty · Village Bell-Ringer · Approach of the Second Sun · Circle of Dreams Druid · Esper Sentinel · Nature's Lore · Rampant Growth · Witch Enchanter // Witch-Blessed Meadow · Craterhoof Behemoth · Gleaming Splendor · Mobilize · Nature's Claim · Rites of Flourishing · Command Tower · Temple Garden · Canopy Vista · Sunpetal Grove · Wirewood Lodge · Brushland · Bountiful Promenade · Reliquary Tower · Windswept Heath · Fortified Village · Overgrown Farmland · Hushwood Verge · Yavimaya, Cradle of Growth · Horizon Canopy · Sungrass Prairie · Boseiju, Who Endures · Temple of Plenty · Branchloft Pathway // Boulderloft Pathway · Exotic Orchard · Lush Portico · Selesnya Sanctuary · Savannah
🃏 Recommended cards for Selvala, Explorer Returned
The highest-synergy cards in decks for Selvala, Explorer Returned, with their inclusion rate.
| Card | Inclusion | Synergy |
|---|---|---|
| Wirewood Lodge | 53% | +51% |
| Quirion Ranger | 50% | +47% |
| Thousand-Year Elixir | 47% | +45% |
| Seeker of Skybreak | 43% | +42% |
| Elvish Mystic | 63% | +42% |
| Umbral Mantle | 43% | +41% |
| Fyndhorn Elves | 52% | +40% |
| Priest of Titania | 42% | +40% |
| Wirewood Symbiote | 41% | +40% |
| Llanowar Elves | 70% | +39% |
| Vitalize | 38% | +37% |
| Instill Energy | 38% | +37% |
| To Arms! | 33% | +31% |
| Scryb Ranger | 32% | +31% |
| Marvin, Murderous Mimic | 30% | +29% |
| Arbor Elf | 35% | +28% |
| Elvish Archdruid | 28% | +26% |
| Seedborn Muse | 33% | +26% |
| Formidable Speaker | 29% | +25% |
| Emerald Charm | 26% | +25% |
| Eternal Witness | 39% | +24% |
| Avacyn's Pilgrim | 60% | +24% |
| Concordant Crossroads | 27% | +24% |
| Drumbellower | 26% | +24% |
💰 The best cards for your Selvala, Explorer Returned 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.
- Quirion Ranger
- Seeker of Skybreak
- Elvish Mystic
- Priest of Titania
- Wirewood Symbiote
- Llanowar Elves
Tier 2 · Balanced up to €10/card
The real step up: pieces that are no longer cheap but still sensible.
- Wirewood Lodge
- Umbral Mantle
- Fyndhorn Elves
- Seedborn Muse
- Nature's Chosen
- Birds of Paradise
Tier 3 · No cap no cap
The cards your price cap was hiding from you.
- Thousand-Year Elixir
- Formidable Speaker
- Concordant Crossroads
- Ashaya, Soul of the Wild
- Legolas's Quick Reflexes
- Smothering Tithe
Reference prices (cheapest English printing). They change daily.
♾️ Known combos with Selvala, Explorer Returned
- Heliod, Sun-Crowned + Walking Ballista → Infinite damage, Infinite lifegain, Infinite lifegain triggers
- Staff of Domination + Priest of Titania → Infinite card draw, Infinite draw triggers, Infinite lifegain, Infinite lifegain triggers, Infinite untap of creatures you control, Infinite mana creatures you control can produce, Infinite green mana
- Staff of Domination + Elvish Archdruid → Infinite card draw, Infinite draw triggers, Infinite lifegain, Infinite lifegain triggers, Infinite untap of creatures you control, Infinite mana creatures you control can produce, Infinite green mana
- Staff of Domination + Marwyn, the Nurturer → Infinite card draw, Infinite draw triggers, Infinite lifegain, Infinite lifegain triggers, Infinite mana creatures you control can produce, Infinite untap of creatures you control, Infinite green mana
- Staff of Domination + Circle of Dreams Druid → Infinite card draw, Infinite draw triggers, Infinite lifegain, Infinite lifegain triggers, Infinite mana creatures you control can produce, Infinite untap of creatures you control, Infinite green mana
- Ashaya, Soul of the Wild + Quirion Ranger → Infinite creature ETB, Infinite landfall triggers, Infinite creature LTB, Infinite storm count
Other commanders
Frequently asked questions
What is Selvala, Explorer Returned's color identity?
Selvala, Explorer Returned is Selesnya (green 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 Selvala, Explorer Returned come down, and how often does the deck get stuck?
In the average Selvala, Explorer Returned deck (the 99 cards most played with it, with 33 lands), simulated 4,000 times, the commander comes down on turn 2.8 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 6 % of the time and floods 25 %. Deck health: C+ (64/100).
How many lands should a Selvala, Explorer Returned deck run?
Real Selvala, Explorer Returned decks run 33 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 Selvala, Explorer Returned?
The three highest-synergy cards are Wirewood Lodge, Quirion Ranger, Thousand-Year Elixir. This page lists the top 24 with their real inclusion rate in Selvala, Explorer Returned decks.
What combos does Selvala, Explorer Returned have?
Selvala, Explorer Returned has 6 known combos. The most popular one is Heliod, Sun-Crowned + Walking Ballista. 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 Selvala, Explorer Returned deck cost?
You can start cheap: Quirion Ranger, Seeker of Skybreak, Elvish Mystic 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.