EDH Optimizer
The Motherlode, Excavator
Legendary Artifact Creature — Robot · 3RR
Color identity: Red
The Motherlode, Excavator is red: its deck can only run cards of that color plus colorless ones.
Rules text:
When The Motherlode enters, choose target opponent. You get an amount of {E} (energy counters) equal to the number of nonbasic lands that player controls.
Whenever The Motherlode attacks, you may pay {E}{E}{E}{E}. When you do, destroy target nonbasic land defending player controls, and creatures that player controls without flying can't block this turn.
Reference price of the card: €0.38
Comes in the precon Science!
Average lands in decks for The Motherlode, Excavator: 35
EnergyLand DestructionArtifactsAggroComboStaxBlinkCharge Counters
Build your The Motherlode, Excavator deck step by step, with in-depth analysis and AI optimization of your list.
🛠️ Build a deck for The Motherlode, Excavator 📥 Analyze my deck🎲 How the average The Motherlode, Excavator 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+ (65/100)
- Consistency52
- Speed53
- Interaction42
- Resilience73
- Closing99
See the cards of the average deck · 99 cards, 35 lands (9 nonbasic, 26 Mountain)
Aether Refinery · Blaster Hulk · Lightning Runner · Assaultron Dominator · Galvanic Discharge · Aetherworks Marvel · Plasma Caster · Sol Ring · Synth Eradicator · Decoction Module · Conversion Apparatus · Gonti's Aether Heart · Solar Transformer · Stone Idol Generator · Aethertorch Renegade · Amped Raptor · Phyrexian Ironworks · Behemoth of Vault 0 · Aether Revolt · Fabrication Module · Unstable Amulet · Harnessed Lightning · Aetherflux Conduit · Wheel of Potential · Arcane Signet · Blasphemous Act · Electrostatic Pummeler · Solemn Simulacrum · Chaos Warp · Ruby Medallion · T-45 Power Armor · Dynavolt Tower · Smelted Chargebug · Overclocked Electromancer · Aetheric Amplifier · Big Score · Cursed Mirror · Consulate Turret · Foundry Inspector · Vandalblast · Aether Chaser · Conjurer's Closet · Panharmonicon · Orthion, Hero of Lavabrink · Territorial Aetherkite · Thriving Skyclaw · Maulfist Doorbuster · Multiform Wonder · Thriving Grubs · Unexpected Windfall · Faithless Looting · Feldon of the Third Path · Deadlock Trap · Mind Stone · Reiterating Bolt · Scrapper Champion · Abrade · All Will Be One · Iron Myr · Swiftfoot Boots · Filigree Racer · Thrill of Possibility · Jaxis, the Troublemaker · Fire Diamond · HELIOS One · Aether Hub · Buried Ruin · War Room · Karn's Bastion · Myriad Landscape · Rogue's Passage · Valakut, the Molten Pinnacle · Demolition Field
🃏 Recommended cards for The Motherlode, Excavator
The highest-synergy cards in decks for The Motherlode, Excavator, with their inclusion rate.
| Card | Inclusion | Synergy |
|---|---|---|
| Aether Refinery | 87% | +87% |
| Lightning Runner | 86% | +85% |
| Blaster Hulk | 86% | +85% |
| Assaultron Dominator | 84% | +84% |
| Galvanic Discharge | 84% | +83% |
| Aetherworks Marvel | 82% | +82% |
| Plasma Caster | 82% | +81% |
| Synth Eradicator | 80% | +80% |
| Decoction Module | 78% | +78% |
| Solar Transformer | 77% | +77% |
| Conversion Apparatus | 77% | +77% |
| Gonti's Aether Heart | 77% | +77% |
| Stone Idol Generator | 77% | +76% |
| Aethertorch Renegade | 76% | +76% |
| HELIOS One | 74% | +74% |
| Amped Raptor | 74% | +74% |
| Phyrexian Ironworks | 73% | +73% |
| Behemoth of Vault 0 | 71% | +71% |
| Aether Revolt | 70% | +69% |
| Fabrication Module | 68% | +68% |
| Harnessed Lightning | 66% | +66% |
| Unstable Amulet | 67% | +66% |
| Aether Hub | 64% | +64% |
| Aetherflux Conduit | 64% | +64% |
💰 The best cards for your The Motherlode, Excavator 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.
- Aether Refinery
- Lightning Runner
- Blaster Hulk
- Assaultron Dominator
- Galvanic Discharge
- Aetherworks Marvel
Tier 2 · Balanced up to €10/card
The real step up: pieces that are no longer cheap but still sensible.
- Conjurer's Closet
- Orthion, Hero of Lavabrink
- Panharmonicon
- Price of Glory
- Flameshadow Conjuring
- Sunspine Lynx
Tier 3 · No cap no cap
The cards your price cap was hiding from you.
- All Will Be One
Reference prices (cheapest English printing). They change daily.
♾️ Known combos with The Motherlode, Excavator
- Underworld Breach + Lion's Eye Diamond + Wheel of Fortune → Infinite draw triggers, Infinite looting, Infinite looting for opponents, 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
- Blasphemous Act + Repercussion → Near-infinite damage to all players
- Reiterate + Jeska's Will → Infinite magecraft triggers, Infinite red mana, Infinite storm count, Exile your library with the ability to play the exiled cards until end of turn
- Reiterate + Mana Geyser → Infinite magecraft triggers, Infinite red mana, Infinite storm count
- Scrap Trawler + Myr Retriever + Krark-Clan Ironworks + Foundry Inspector → Infinite ETB, Infinite LTB, Infinite colorless mana, Infinite death triggers, Infinite sacrifice triggers, Infinite storm count
Other commanders
Frequently asked questions
What is The Motherlode, Excavator's color identity?
The Motherlode, Excavator is red: 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 Motherlode, Excavator come down, and how often does the deck get stuck?
In the average The Motherlode, Excavator deck (the 99 most-included cards per EDHREC, with 35 lands), simulated 4,000 times, the commander comes down on turn 4.7 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 29 % of the time and floods 14 %. Deck health: C+ (65/100).
How many lands should a The Motherlode, Excavator deck run?
Real The Motherlode, Excavator 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 Motherlode, Excavator?
The three highest-synergy cards are Aether Refinery, Lightning Runner, Blaster Hulk. This page lists the top 24 with their real inclusion rate in The Motherlode, Excavator decks.
What combos does The Motherlode, Excavator have?
The Motherlode, Excavator has 6 known combos. The most popular one is Underworld Breach + Lion's Eye Diamond + Wheel of Fortune. 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 Motherlode, Excavator deck cost?
You can start cheap: Aether Refinery, Lightning Runner, Blaster Hulk 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.