EDH Optimizer
Shadow the Hedgehog
Legendary Creature — Hedgehog Mercenary · BBRR
Color identity: Black · Red · Rakdos
Shadow the Hedgehog is Rakdos (black and red): its deck can only run cards of those colors plus colorless ones.
Rules text:
Haste
Whenever Shadow the Hedgehog or another creature you control with flash or haste dies, draw a card.
Chaos Control — Each spell you cast has split second if mana from an artifact was spent to cast it. (As long as it's on the stack, players can't cast spells or activate abilities that aren't mana abilities.)
Reference price of the card: €3.40
Average lands in decks for Shadow the Hedgehog: 33
ArtifactsAristocratsTokensTreasureComboHasteAggroBurn
Build your Shadow the Hedgehog deck step by step, with in-depth analysis and AI optimization of your list.
🛠️ Build a deck for Shadow the Hedgehog 📥 Analyze my deck🎲 How the average Shadow the Hedgehog 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 (71/100)
- Consistency74
- Speed65
- Interaction50
- Resilience87
- Closing74
See the cards of the average deck · 99 cards, 33 lands (23 nonbasic, 4 Swamp, 6 Mountain)
Sol Ring · Arcane Signet · Knuckles the Echidna · Deadly Dispute · Talisman of Indulgence · Rakdos Signet · Professional Face-Breaker · Anger · Pitiless Plunderer · Goldspan Dragon · Mayhem Devil · Urabrask's Forge · Blasphemous Act · Fellwar Stone · Swiftfoot Boots · Lagomos, Hand of Hatred · Unexpected Windfall · Chaos Warp · Kellogg, Dangerous Mind · Captain Lannery Storm · Loyal Apprentice · Lightning Greaves · Xorn · The Fire Crystal · Mahadi, Emporium Master · Big Score · Warren Soultrader · Dark Ritual · Mirkwood Bats · The Reaver Cleaver · Vandalblast · Thought Vessel · Terminate · Ragavan, Nimble Pilferer · Dualcaster Mage · Ashnod's Altar · Revel in Riches · Rakdos Charm · Grim Hireling · Reanimate · Deadly Rollick · Black Market Connections · Blood Artist · Cursed Mirror · Hellkite Tyrant · Deflecting Swat · Marionette Apprentice · Saw in Half · Feed the Swarm · Jeska's Will · Smaug, Wicked Worm · Kiki-Jiki, Mirror Breaker · Rising of the Day · Mind Stone · Untimely Malfunction · Academy Manufactor · Urabrask the Hidden · Super State · Demonic Tutor · Diabolic Intent · Lotus Petal · Jaxis, the Troublemaker · Bedevil · Phyrexian Altar · Tibalt's Trickery · Orcish Bowmasters · Command Tower · Great Furnace · Vault of Whispers · Darksteel Citadel · Dragonskull Summit · Treasure Vault · Blood Crypt · Drossforge Bridge · Smoldering Marsh · Sulfurous Springs · Luxury Suite · Bloodstained Mire · Haunted Ridge · Blazemire Verge · Graven Cairns · Bojuka Bog · Tainted Peak · Raucous Theater · Reliquary Tower · Foreboding Ruins · Exotic Orchard · Shadowblood Ridge · Phyrexian Tower
🃏 Recommended cards for Shadow the Hedgehog
The highest-synergy cards in decks for Shadow the Hedgehog, with their inclusion rate.
| Card | Inclusion | Synergy |
|---|---|---|
| Great Furnace | 79% | +72% |
| Vault of Whispers | 78% | +72% |
| Knuckles the Echidna | 74% | +69% |
| Darksteel Citadel | 65% | +61% |
| Treasure Vault | 59% | +52% |
| Drossforge Bridge | 57% | +51% |
| Urabrask's Forge | 55% | +50% |
| Pitiless Plunderer | 63% | +50% |
| Anger | 63% | +50% |
| Professional Face-Breaker | 64% | +47% |
| Lagomos, Hand of Hatred | 54% | +47% |
| Goldspan Dragon | 58% | +47% |
| Captain Lannery Storm | 50% | +46% |
| Kellogg, Dangerous Mind | 50% | +45% |
| Deadly Dispute | 73% | +44% |
| Loyal Apprentice | 49% | +44% |
| The Fire Crystal | 47% | +39% |
| Xorn | 47% | +38% |
| Unexpected Windfall | 51% | +36% |
| The Reaver Cleaver | 41% | +35% |
| Warren Soultrader | 43% | +35% |
| Mahadi, Emporium Master | 46% | +34% |
| Mayhem Devil | 57% | +32% |
| Revel in Riches | 37% | +30% |
💰 The best cards for your Shadow the Hedgehog 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.
- Darksteel Citadel
- Treasure Vault
- Drossforge Bridge
- Urabrask's Forge
- Anger
- Lagomos, Hand of Hatred
Tier 2 · Balanced up to €10/card
The real step up: pieces that are no longer cheap but still sensible.
- Great Furnace
- Vault of Whispers
- Pitiless Plunderer
- Professional Face-Breaker
- Goldspan Dragon
- Kellogg, Dangerous Mind
Tier 3 · No cap no cap
The cards your price cap was hiding from you.
- Knuckles the Echidna
- Xorn
- The Reaver Cleaver
- Warren Soultrader
- Revel in Riches
- Ragavan, Nimble Pilferer
Reference prices (cheapest English printing). They change daily.
♾️ Known combos with Shadow the Hedgehog
- Underworld Breach + Wheel of Fortune + Jeska's Will → Infinite draw triggers for all players, Infinite looting for all players, Near-infinite magecraft triggers, Near-infinite storm count
- Underworld Breach + Lion's Eye Diamond + Wheel of Fortune → Infinite draw triggers, Infinite looting, Infinite looting for opponents, Near-infinite storm count
- Gravecrawler + Phyrexian Altar → Infinite death triggers, Infinite creature ETB, Infinite creature LTB, Infinite creature sacrifice triggers, Infinite storm count
- Dualcaster Mage + Twinflame → Infinite creature LTB, Infinite creature ETB, Infinite creature tokens with haste, Infinite magecraft triggers
- Pitiless Plunderer + Ashnod's Altar + Reassembling Skeleton → Infinite colorless mana, Infinite death triggers, Infinite creature ETB, Infinite creature LTB, Infinite creature sacrifice triggers
- Sensei's Divining Top + Aetherflux Reservoir + Bolas's Citadel → Infinite card draw, Infinite draw triggers, Near-infinite damage, Near-infinite lifegain, Near-infinite lifegain triggers, Near-infinite storm count
👥 Community decks with Shadow the Hedgehog
Full decklists published by players on EDH Optimizer, with their analysis, bracket and health. Clone them to your account and optimize them for free.
Other commanders
Frequently asked questions
What is Shadow the Hedgehog's color identity?
Shadow the Hedgehog is Rakdos (black and red): 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 Shadow the Hedgehog come down, and how often does the deck get stuck?
In the average Shadow the Hedgehog deck (the 99 cards most played with it, with 33 lands), simulated 4,000 times, the commander comes down on turn 4.2 on average and is on the battlefield before turn 7 in 97 % of games. It misses at least one land drop in the first six turns 19 % of the time and floods 6 %. Deck health: B (71/100).
How many lands should a Shadow the Hedgehog deck run?
Real Shadow the Hedgehog 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 Shadow the Hedgehog?
The three highest-synergy cards are Great Furnace, Vault of Whispers, Knuckles the Echidna. This page lists the top 24 with their real inclusion rate in Shadow the Hedgehog decks.
What combos does Shadow the Hedgehog have?
Shadow the Hedgehog has 6 known combos. The most popular one is Underworld Breach + Wheel of Fortune + 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 Shadow the Hedgehog deck cost?
You can start cheap: Darksteel Citadel, Treasure Vault, Drossforge Bridge 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.