EDH Optimizer
Shao Jun
Legendary Creature — Human Assassin · 1UR
Color identity: Red · Blue · Izzet
Shao Jun is Izzet (red and blue): its deck can only run cards of those colors plus colorless ones.
Rules text:
Leap Strike — During your turn, Shao Jun has flying and first strike.
Rope Dart — Tap two untapped artifacts you control: Shao Jun deals 1 damage to each opponent.
Reference price of the card: €0.10
Average lands in decks for Shao Jun: 35
ArtifactsTreasureBurnTokensComboEquipmentPingersVoltron
Build your Shao Jun deck step by step, with in-depth analysis and AI optimization of your list.
🛠️ Build a deck for Shao Jun 📥 Analyze my deck🎲 How the average Shao Jun 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 (71/100)
- Consistency56
- Speed54
- Interaction66
- Resilience79
- Closing97
See the cards of the average deck · 99 cards, 35 lands (25 nonbasic, 7 Island, 3 Mountain)
Arcane Signet · Sol Ring · Curiosity · Sai, Master Thopterist · Third Path Iconoclast · Enthusiastic Mechanaut · Unwinding Clock · Forensic Gadgeteer · Etherium Sculptor · Reckless Fireweaver · Saheeli, Sublime Artificer · Talisman of Creativity · Izzet Signet · Foundry Inspector · Swiftfoot Boots · Tandem Lookout · Pinnacle Emissary · Dramatic Reversal · Jhoira, Weatherlight Captain · Counterspell · Ophidian Eye · Thought Monitor · Loyal Apprentice · Academy Manufactor · Thought Vessel · Diamond Pick-Axe · Howling Mine · Sigil of Sleep · Thoughtcast · Fellwar Stone · Loyal Inventor · Ravenous Robots · Mind Stone · An Offer You Can't Refuse · Ingenious Artillerist · Blasphemous Act · Worldwalker Helm · Chaos Warp · Lightning Greaves · Unstoppable Plan · Weftstalker Ardent · Beamtown Beatstick · Ornithopter of Paradise · Stridehangar Automaton · Weapons Manufacturing · Basilisk Collar · Big Score · Negate · Thopter Spy Network · Goldvein Pick · The Mechanist, Aerial Artisan · Efficient Construction · Arcane Denial · Bloodforged Battle-Axe · Ghyrson Starn, Kelermorph · Crystal Skull, Isu Spyglass · Mystic Forge · Desynchronization · Eagle Vision · Emry, Lurker of the Loch · The Reaver Cleaver · Uthros Research Craft · Ojer Axonil, Deepest Might // Temple of Power · Solemn Simulacrum · Command Tower · Seat of the Synod · Great Furnace · Silverbluff Bridge · Sulfur Falls · Darksteel Citadel · Shivan Reef · Steam Vents · Stormcarved Coast · Cascade Bluffs · Training Center · Frostboil Snarl · Reliquary Tower · Archway of Innovation · Treasure Vault · Scalding Tarn · Buried Ruin · Exotic Orchard · Academy Ruins · Fiery Islet · Temple of Epiphany · Izzet Boilerworks · Spire of Industry · Ferrous Lake · Inventors' Fair
🃏 Recommended cards for Shao Jun
The highest-synergy cards in decks for Shao Jun, with their inclusion rate.
| Card | Inclusion | Synergy |
|---|---|---|
| Sai, Master Thopterist | 67% | +63% |
| Seat of the Synod | 71% | +60% |
| Unwinding Clock | 64% | +60% |
| Forensic Gadgeteer | 62% | +60% |
| Enthusiastic Mechanaut | 64% | +57% |
| Great Furnace | 66% | +55% |
| Etherium Sculptor | 61% | +54% |
| Reckless Fireweaver | 58% | +53% |
| Saheeli, Sublime Artificer | 58% | +52% |
| Silverbluff Bridge | 60% | +51% |
| Curiosity | 74% | +50% |
| Darksteel Citadel | 56% | +50% |
| Third Path Iconoclast | 65% | +50% |
| Pinnacle Emissary | 50% | +48% |
| Foundry Inspector | 53% | +47% |
| Jhoira, Weatherlight Captain | 48% | +43% |
| Thought Monitor | 46% | +41% |
| Loyal Apprentice | 43% | +41% |
| Diamond Pick-Axe | 41% | +40% |
| Dramatic Reversal | 49% | +39% |
| Howling Mine | 41% | +38% |
| Tandem Lookout | 51% | +38% |
| Loyal Inventor | 39% | +38% |
| Academy Manufactor | 42% | +38% |
💰 The best cards for your Shao Jun 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.
- Sai, Master Thopterist
- Seat of the Synod
- Forensic Gadgeteer
- Enthusiastic Mechanaut
- Etherium Sculptor
- Reckless Fireweaver
Tier 2 · Balanced up to €10/card
The real step up: pieces that are no longer cheap but still sensible.
- Great Furnace
- Academy Manufactor
- Sigil of Sleep
- Worldwalker Helm
- Ophidian Eye
- Stridehangar Automaton
Tier 3 · No cap no cap
The cards your price cap was hiding from you.
- Unwinding Clock
- Ghyrson Starn, Kelermorph
- The Reaver Cleaver
- Urza, Lord High Artificer
- Uthros, Titanic Godcore
- Inventors' Fair
Reference prices (cheapest English printing). They change daily.
♾️ Known combos with Shao Jun
- Hullbreaker Horror + Sol Ring → Infinite colorless mana, Infinite storm count
- Underworld Breach + Lotus Petal + Brain Freeze → Infinite self-mill, Near-infinite magecraft triggers, Near-infinite mill
- Dramatic Reversal + Isochron Scepter → Infinite magecraft triggers, Infinite mana nonland permanents you control can produce, Infinite storm count, Infinite untap of nonland permanents you control
- Underworld Breach + Lion's Eye Diamond + Brain Freeze → Infinite self-mill, Near-infinite colored mana, Near-infinite magecraft triggers, Near-infinite mill, Near-infinite storm count
- 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
👥 Community decks with Shao Jun
Full decklists published by players on EDH Optimizer, with their analysis, bracket and health. Clone them to your account and optimize them for free.
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Frequently asked questions
What is Shao Jun's color identity?
Shao Jun is Izzet (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 Shao Jun come down, and how often does the deck get stuck?
In the average Shao Jun deck (the 99 most-included cards per EDHREC, with 35 lands), simulated 4,000 times, the commander comes down on turn 3.0 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 24 % of the time and floods 19 %. Deck health: B (71/100).
How many lands should a Shao Jun deck run?
Real Shao Jun 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 Shao Jun?
The three highest-synergy cards are Sai, Master Thopterist, Seat of the Synod, Unwinding Clock. This page lists the top 24 with their real inclusion rate in Shao Jun decks.
What combos does Shao Jun have?
Shao Jun has 6 known combos. The most popular one is Hullbreaker Horror + Sol Ring. 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 Shao Jun deck cost?
You can start cheap: Sai, Master Thopterist, Seat of the Synod, Forensic Gadgeteer 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.