EDH Optimizer
The Master of Keys
Legendary Enchantment Creature — Horror · XWUB
Color identity: Black · Blue · White · Esper
The Master of Keys is Esper (black, blue and white): its deck can only run cards of those colors plus colorless ones.
Rules text:
Flying
When The Master of Keys enters, put X +1/+1 counters on it and mill twice X cards.
Each enchantment card in your graveyard has escape. The escape cost is equal to the card's mana cost plus exile three other cards from your graveyard. (You may cast cards from your graveyard for their escape cost.)
Reference price of the card: €0.99
Comes in the precon Miracle Worker
Average lands in decks for The Master of Keys: 35
EnchantressReanimatorMillComboControlSelf-MillGraveyardMidrange
Build your The Master of Keys deck step by step, with in-depth analysis and AI optimization of your list.
🛠️ Build a deck for The Master of Keys 📥 Analyze my deck🎲 How the average The Master of Keys 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: A (83/100)
- Consistency65
- Speed60
- Interaction91
- Resilience97
- Closing100
See the cards of the average deck · 99 cards, 35 lands (25 nonbasic, 4 Plains, 3 Island, 3 Swamp)
Sol Ring · Arcane Signet · Animate Dead · Ripples of Undeath · Swords to Plowshares · Inquisitive Glimmer · Mystic Remora · Talisman of Dominance · Dress Down · Necromancy · Mesa Enchantress · Starfield Mystic · Entity Tracker · Talisman of Progress · Smothering Tithe · Mirrormade · Rhystic Study · Demon of Fate's Design · Sevinne's Reclamation · Gravebreaker Lamia · Talisman of Hierarchy · Entomb · Fear of Sleep Paralysis · Doomwake Giant · Fellwar Stone · Scrabbling Skullcrab · Sphere of Safety · Blind Obedience · Dark Ritual · Amphibian Downpour · Dance of the Dead · Secret Arcade // Dusty Parlor · Ondu Spiritdancer · Overlord of the Floodpits · Enlightened Tutor · Propaganda · An Offer You Can't Refuse · Overlord of the Balemurk · Azorius Signet · Sigil of the Empty Throne · Victor, Valgavoth's Seneschal · Abdel Adrian, Gorion's Ward · Esper Sentinel · Orzhov Signet · Counterspell · Fear of Impostors · Ghostly Prison · Grasp of Fate · Seal of Cleansing · Swan Song · Demonic Tutor · Path to Exile · Redress Fate · Zur, Eternal Schemer · Cemetery Tampering · Arcane Denial · Thassa's Oracle · Vampiric Tutor · Windfall · Grand Abolisher · Lotho, Corrupt Shirriff · Monologue Tax · Reanimate · Starfield of Nyx · Command Tower · Godless Shrine · Hallowed Fountain · Watery Grave · Exotic Orchard · Flooded Strand · Polluted Delta · Hall of Heliod's Generosity · Arcane Sanctum · Marsh Flats · Adarkar Wastes · Caves of Koilos · Underground River · Morphic Pool · Sea of Clouds · Vault of Champions · Raffine's Tower · Undercity Sewers · Bojuka Bog · Glacial Fortress · Otawara, Soaring City · Isolated Chapel · Meticulous Archive · City of Brass · Drowned Catacomb
🃏 Recommended cards for The Master of Keys
The highest-synergy cards in decks for The Master of Keys, with their inclusion rate.
| Card | Inclusion | Synergy |
|---|---|---|
| Ripples of Undeath | 62% | +59% |
| Animate Dead | 67% | +57% |
| Dress Down | 56% | +54% |
| Inquisitive Glimmer | 59% | +52% |
| Necromancy | 54% | +50% |
| Mesa Enchantress | 53% | +45% |
| Entity Tracker | 50% | +45% |
| Starfield Mystic | 51% | +44% |
| Gravebreaker Lamia | 44% | +43% |
| Demon of Fate's Design | 46% | +41% |
| Scrabbling Skullcrab | 41% | +40% |
| Fear of Sleep Paralysis | 43% | +38% |
| Sevinne's Reclamation | 46% | +37% |
| Mirrormade | 47% | +37% |
| Mystic Remora | 58% | +37% |
| Doomwake Giant | 42% | +37% |
| Entomb | 43% | +36% |
| Hall of Heliod's Generosity | 48% | +35% |
| Dance of the Dead | 38% | +35% |
| Secret Arcade // Dusty Parlor | 38% | +33% |
| Overlord of the Floodpits | 37% | +33% |
| Overlord of the Balemurk | 35% | +33% |
| Amphibian Downpour | 38% | +33% |
| Victor, Valgavoth's Seneschal | 34% | +32% |
💰 The best cards for your The Master of Keys 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.
- Dress Down
- Inquisitive Glimmer
- Mesa Enchantress
- Entity Tracker
- Starfield Mystic
- Gravebreaker Lamia
Tier 2 · Balanced up to €10/card
The real step up: pieces that are no longer cheap but still sensible.
- Ripples of Undeath
- Animate Dead
- Mystic Remora
- Entomb
- Hall of Heliod's Generosity
- Secret Arcade // Dusty Parlor
Tier 3 · No cap no cap
The cards your price cap was hiding from you.
- Necromancy
- Dance of the Dead
- Overlord of the Balemurk
- Ondu Spiritdancer
- Starfield of Nyx
- Undercity Sewers
Reference prices (cheapest English printing). They change daily.
♾️ Known combos with The Master of Keys
- Hullbreaker Horror + Sol Ring → Infinite colorless mana, Infinite storm count
- Demonic Consultation + Thassa's Oracle → Exile your library, Win the game
- Sanguine Bond + Exquisite Blood → Infinite lifegain triggers, Infinite lifeloss, Infinite lifegain
- Tainted Pact + Thassa's Oracle → Win the game
- 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
- Hullbreaker Horror + Mana Vault → Infinite colorless mana, Infinite storm count
Other commanders
Frequently asked questions
What is The Master of Keys's color identity?
The Master of Keys is Esper (black, blue 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 The Master of Keys come down, and how often does the deck get stuck?
In the average The Master of Keys deck (the 99 most-included cards per EDHREC, with 35 lands), simulated 4,000 times, the commander comes down on turn 3.3 on average and is on the battlefield before turn 7 in 99 % of games. It misses at least one land drop in the first six turns 32 % of the time and floods 13 %. Deck health: A (83/100).
How many lands should a The Master of Keys deck run?
Real The Master of Keys 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 The Master of Keys?
The three highest-synergy cards are Ripples of Undeath, Animate Dead, Dress Down. This page lists the top 24 with their real inclusion rate in The Master of Keys decks.
What combos does The Master of Keys have?
The Master of Keys 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 The Master of Keys deck cost?
You can start cheap: Dress Down, Inquisitive Glimmer, Mesa Enchantress 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.