EDH Optimizer
The Howling Commandos
Legendary Creature — Human Soldier Hero · 1W
Color identity: White
The Howling Commandos is white: its deck can only run cards of that color plus colorless ones.
Rules text:
{5}: Creatures you control get +1/+1 until end of turn. Soldiers you control gain vigilance until end of turn.
Reference price of the card: €0.24
Average lands in decks for The Howling Commandos: 36
Build your The Howling Commandos deck step by step, with in-depth analysis and AI optimization of your list.
🛠️ Build a deck for The Howling Commandos 📥 Analyze my deck🎲 How the average The Howling Commandos 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+ (61/100)
- Consistency83
- Speed53
- Interaction66
- Resilience93
- Closing40
See the cards of the average deck · 99 cards, 36 lands (26 nonbasic, 10 Plains)
Hexhaven Battalion · Ainok Bond-Kin · Mana Tithe · Loran's Escape · Your Temple Is Under Attack · Banishing Light · Explorer's Scope · Acrobatic Maneuver · Crusader of Odric · Accorder's Shield · Armory of Iroas · Candletrap · +2 Mace · Akrasan Squire · Aerie Auxiliary · Azorius Arrester · Akroan Skyguard · Scrapwork Cohort · Ardent Recruit · Advance Scout · Abzan Skycaptain · Ardent Soldier · Sol Ring · Swords to Plowshares · Path to Exile · Arcane Signet · Esper Sentinel · Smothering Tithe · Teferi's Protection · Reprieve · Enlightened Tutor · Witch Enchanter // Witch-Blessed Meadow · Skullclamp · Trouble in Pairs · Ephemerate · Sevinne's Reclamation · Archivist of Oghma · Erode · The Mind Stone · Wayfarer's Bauble · Blind Obedience · The One Ring · Heliod, Sun-Crowned · Silence · Razorgrass Ambush // Razorgrass Field · Cathar Commando · Blacksmith's Skill · Flicker of Fate · Walking Ballista · Mox Amber · Deafening Silence · Angel's Grace · Angelic Gift · Touch the Spirit Realm · Ashnod's Altar · Rootborn Defenses · Chrome Mox · Mox Opal · Paladin Class · Charismatic Conqueror · Alms Collector · Rule of Law · Lapse of Certainty · Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx · Reliquary Tower · Path of Ancestry · Urza's Saga · Cavern of Souls · Ancient Tomb · Idyllic Grange · Inventors' Fair · Radiant Fountain · Adventurer's Inn · Drifting Meadow · Gemstone Caverns · Desert of the True · Talon Gates of Madara · High Market · Emergence Zone · Hidden Courtyard · Crystal Vein · Ash Barrens · City of Traitors · Lazotep Quarry · Conduit Pylons · Forge of Heroes · Crystal Grotto · Winding Canyons · Holdout Settlement
🃏 Recommended cards for The Howling Commandos
The highest-synergy cards in decks for The Howling Commandos, with their inclusion rate.
| Card | Inclusion | Synergy |
|---|---|---|
| Hexhaven Battalion | 100% | +100% |
| Ainok Bond-Kin | 75% | +74% |
| Ardent Soldier | 50% | +50% |
| Abzan Skycaptain | 50% | +50% |
| Advance Scout | 50% | +50% |
| Ardent Recruit | 50% | +50% |
| Scrapwork Cohort | 50% | +50% |
| Akroan Skyguard | 50% | +50% |
| Azorius Arrester | 50% | +50% |
| Aerie Auxiliary | 50% | +50% |
| Akrasan Squire | 50% | +50% |
| +2 Mace | 50% | +50% |
| Candletrap | 50% | +50% |
| Armory of Iroas | 50% | +50% |
| Accorder's Shield | 50% | +49% |
| Crusader of Odric | 50% | +49% |
| Acrobatic Maneuver | 50% | +48% |
| Explorer's Scope | 50% | +48% |
| Banishing Light | 50% | +47% |
| Your Temple Is Under Attack | 50% | +44% |
| Loran's Escape | 50% | +43% |
| Mana Tithe | 50% | +39% |
| Daru Stinger | 25% | +25% |
| Conclave Equenaut | 25% | +25% |
💰 The best cards for your The Howling Commandos 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.
- Hexhaven Battalion
- Ainok Bond-Kin
- Ardent Soldier
- Abzan Skycaptain
- Advance Scout
- Ardent Recruit
Tier 2 · Balanced up to €10/card
The real step up: pieces that are no longer cheap but still sensible.
- Loran's Escape
- False Defeat
Reference prices (cheapest English printing). They change daily.
♾️ Known combos with The Howling Commandos
- Basalt Monolith + Forsaken Monument → Infinite colorless mana
- Rings of Brighthearth + Basalt Monolith → Infinite colorless mana
- Heliod, Sun-Crowned + Walking Ballista → Infinite damage, Infinite lifegain, Infinite lifegain triggers
- Rings of Brighthearth + Forsaken Monument + Grim Monolith → Infinite colorless mana
- Lion's Eye Diamond + Auriok Salvagers → Infinite colored mana, Infinite storm count, Return some artifact cards from your graveyard to your hand
Other commanders
Frequently asked questions
What is The Howling Commandos's color identity?
The Howling Commandos 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 Howling Commandos come down, and how often does the deck get stuck?
In the average The Howling Commandos deck (the 99 cards most played with it, with 36 lands), simulated 4,000 times, the commander comes down on turn 2.1 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 16 % of the time and floods 35 %. Deck health: C+ (61/100).
How many lands should a The Howling Commandos deck run?
Real The Howling Commandos 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 Howling Commandos?
The three highest-synergy cards are Hexhaven Battalion, Ainok Bond-Kin, Ardent Soldier. This page lists the top 24 with their real inclusion rate in The Howling Commandos decks.
What combos does The Howling Commandos have?
The Howling Commandos has 5 known combos. The most popular one is Basalt Monolith + Forsaken Monument. 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 Howling Commandos deck cost?
You can start cheap: Hexhaven Battalion, Ainok Bond-Kin, Ardent Soldier 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.