EDH Optimizer
The Gaffer
Legendary Creature — Halfling Peasant · 2W
Color identity: White
The Gaffer is white: its deck can only run cards of that color plus colorless ones.
Rules text:
At the beginning of each end step, if you gained 3 or more life this turn, draw a card.
Reference price of the card: €8.67
Comes in the precon Food and Fellowship
Average lands in decks for The Gaffer: 36
LifegainTokens+1/+1 CountersControlCard DrawStaxComboMidrange
Build your The Gaffer deck step by step, with in-depth analysis and AI optimization of your list.
🛠️ Build a deck for The Gaffer 📥 Analyze my deck🎲 How the average The Gaffer 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: C+ (58/100)
- Consistency58
- Speed60
- Interaction44
- Resilience76
- Closing55
See the cards of the average deck · 99 cards, 36 lands (10 nonbasic, 26 Plains)
Soul Warden · Swords to Plowshares · Soul's Attendant · Sol Ring · Cleric Class · Authority of the Consuls · Path to Exile · Pearl Medallion · Shattered Angel · Auriok Champion · Revitalize · Arcane Signet · Angel of Vitality · Exemplar of Light · Angelic Accord · Haliya, Guided by Light · Sunscorch Regent · The Wind Crystal · Aetherflux Reservoir · Crested Sunmare · Gwaihir, Greatest of the Eagles · Rhox Faithmender · Valkyrie Harbinger · Alhammarret's Archive · Generous Gift · Resplendent Angel · Griffin Aerie · Daxos, Blessed by the Sun · Riot Control · Felidar Sovereign · Well of Lost Dreams · Invoke the Divine · Suture Priest · Thought Vessel · Reprieve · Serra Ascendant · Archangel of Thune · Fumigate · Leyline of Hope · Test of Endurance · Heliod, Sun-Crowned · Knight of the White Orchid · Light of Hope · Pristine Talisman · Archivist of Oghma · Blind Obedience · Knight of Dawn's Light · Voice of the Blessed · Peace of Mind · Speaker of the Heavens · The Book of Exalted Deeds · Lembas · Sanctify · The Battle of Bywater · Approach of the Second Sun · Cosmos Elixir · Heliod's Intervention · Nykthos Paragon · Guide of Souls · Leonin Elder · Stroke of Midnight · Dawn of Hope · Land Tax · Radiant Fountain · Reliquary Tower · Emeria, the Sky Ruin · War Room · Kabira Crossroads · Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx · Seraph Sanctuary · Adventurer's Inn · Myriad Landscape · Castle Ardenvale
🃏 Recommended cards for The Gaffer
The highest-synergy cards in decks for The Gaffer, with their inclusion rate.
| Card | Inclusion | Synergy |
|---|---|---|
| Soul's Attendant | 83% | +69% |
| Soul Warden | 89% | +68% |
| Shattered Angel | 71% | +67% |
| Cleric Class | 75% | +67% |
| Revitalize | 62% | +59% |
| Auriok Champion | 62% | +57% |
| Gwaihir, Greatest of the Eagles | 57% | +56% |
| Crested Sunmare | 58% | +56% |
| Sunscorch Regent | 59% | +55% |
| Radiant Fountain | 61% | +55% |
| Rhox Faithmender | 55% | +52% |
| Angelic Accord | 59% | +50% |
| Authority of the Consuls | 72% | +50% |
| Aetherflux Reservoir | 58% | +50% |
| Alhammarret's Archive | 52% | +48% |
| Haliya, Guided by Light | 59% | +48% |
| Griffin Aerie | 50% | +47% |
| Angel of Vitality | 60% | +46% |
| Riot Control | 49% | +46% |
| Exemplar of Light | 60% | +45% |
| Invoke the Divine | 46% | +43% |
| Felidar Sovereign | 48% | +42% |
| Valkyrie Harbinger | 53% | +41% |
| Well of Lost Dreams | 48% | +41% |
💰 The best cards for your The Gaffer 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.
- Soul Warden
- Shattered Angel
- Revitalize
- Gwaihir, Greatest of the Eagles
- Sunscorch Regent
- Radiant Fountain
Tier 2 · Balanced up to €10/card
The real step up: pieces that are no longer cheap but still sensible.
- Soul's Attendant
- Cleric Class
- Auriok Champion
- Crested Sunmare
- Authority of the Consuls
- Alhammarret's Archive
Tier 3 · No cap no cap
The cards your price cap was hiding from you.
- Aetherflux Reservoir
- Heliod, Sun-Crowned
- Serra Ascendant
- Archangel of Thune
- Celestine, the Living Saint
- Ocelot Pride
Reference prices (cheapest English printing). They change daily.
♾️ Known combos with The Gaffer
- Heliod, Sun-Crowned + Walking Ballista → Infinite damage, Infinite lifegain, Infinite lifegain triggers
- Approach of the Second Sun + Reprieve → Win the game
- Archangel of Thune + Walking Ballista → Infinite damage, Infinite lifegain, Infinite lifegain triggers, Infinite +1/+1 counters on creatures you control
- Guilty Conscience + Phyrexian Vindicator → Infinite damage
- Approach of the Second Sun + Scroll Rack → Win the game
- Cleric Class + Walking Ballista → Infinite damage, Infinite lifegain, Infinite lifegain triggers
Other commanders
Frequently asked questions
What is The Gaffer's color identity?
The Gaffer is white: its deck can only run cards of that color 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 The Gaffer come down, and how often does the deck get stuck?
In the average The Gaffer deck (the 99 most-included cards per EDHREC, with 36 lands), simulated 4,000 times, the commander comes down on turn 3.1 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 27 % of the time and floods 8 %. Deck health: C+ (58/100).
How many lands should a The Gaffer deck run?
Real The Gaffer 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 The Gaffer?
The three highest-synergy cards are Soul's Attendant, Soul Warden, Shattered Angel. This page lists the top 24 with their real inclusion rate in The Gaffer decks.
What combos does The Gaffer have?
The Gaffer 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 The Gaffer deck cost?
You can start cheap: Soul Warden, Shattered Angel, Revitalize 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.