EDH Optimizer
The Valeyard
Legendary Creature — Time Lord Noble · 2UBR
Color identity: Black · Red · Blue · Grixis
The Valeyard is Grixis (black, red and blue): its deck can only run cards of those colors plus colorless ones.
Rules text:
If an opponent would face a villainous choice, they face that choice an additional time. (They can make the same or different choices.)
While voting, you may vote an additional time.
Reference price of the card: €0.29
Average lands in decks for The Valeyard: 36
PoliticsVillainous ChoiceVotingSpellslingerControlArtifactsGroup SlugChaos
Build your The Valeyard deck step by step, with in-depth analysis and AI optimization of your list.
🛠️ Build a deck for The Valeyard 📥 Analyze my deck🎲 How the average The Valeyard 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: B (70/100)
- Consistency58
- Speed49
- Interaction86
- Resilience79
- Closing81
See the cards of the average deck · 99 cards, 36 lands (26 nonbasic, 4 Island, 3 Swamp, 3 Mountain)
Great Intelligence's Plan · Ensnared by the Mara · This Is How It Ends · Sycorax Commander · Truth or Consequences · Arcane Signet · Davros, Dalek Creator · Mob Verdict · Hunted by The Family · Plea for Power · Sol Ring · Split Decision · Illusion of Choice · The Dalek Emperor · Capital Punishment · Tyrant's Choice · Midnight Crusader Shuttle · Grudge Keeper · Trap the Trespassers · Missy · Model of Unity · Genesis of the Daleks · Bite of the Black Rose · The Master, Gallifrey's End · Coercive Portal · Expropriate · Prisoner's Dilemma · Nightscape Familiar · Propaganda · Seize the Spotlight · Damocles Base, Sword of Kang · Cult of Skaro · Talisman of Dominance · Tempt with Mayhem · Goblin Electromancer · Kess, Dissident Mage · Counterspell · Talisman of Indulgence · Messenger Jays · Fateful Tempest · Solemn Simulacrum · Dalek Squadron · Talisman of Creativity · Blasphemous Act · Auton Soldier · Dalek Drone · Sadistic Shell Game · Lightning Greaves · Thought Vessel · Chaos Warp · Exterminate! · Spark Double · Quantum Misalignment · Dimir Signet · Arcane Denial · Izzet Signet · Cyberman Patrol · Dr. Eggman · Feed the Swarm · Cyber Conversion · Death in Heaven · Stormcatch Mentor · Dark Ritual · Command Tower · Crumbling Necropolis · Exotic Orchard · Dragonskull Summit · Drowned Catacomb · Reliquary Tower · Stormcarved Coast · Shipwreck Marsh · Haunted Ridge · Sulfur Falls · Sunken Hollow · Xander's Lounge · Smoldering Marsh · Luxury Suite · Training Center · Blood Crypt · Morphic Pool · Steam Vents · Watery Grave · Trenzalore Clocktower · Temple of Epiphany · Bojuka Bog · Path of Ancestry · Temple of Deceit · Temple of Malice · Bloodstained Mire
🃏 Recommended cards for The Valeyard
The highest-synergy cards in decks for The Valeyard, with their inclusion rate.
| Card | Inclusion | Synergy |
|---|---|---|
| Great Intelligence's Plan | 97% | +94% |
| This Is How It Ends | 96% | +93% |
| Ensnared by the Mara | 96% | +92% |
| Truth or Consequences | 93% | +92% |
| Sycorax Commander | 92% | +90% |
| Mob Verdict | 90% | +89% |
| Davros, Dalek Creator | 91% | +89% |
| Plea for Power | 89% | +88% |
| Split Decision | 89% | +88% |
| Hunted by The Family | 89% | +87% |
| Illusion of Choice | 88% | +87% |
| The Dalek Emperor | 87% | +85% |
| Capital Punishment | 85% | +85% |
| Tyrant's Choice | 84% | +84% |
| Midnight Crusader Shuttle | 83% | +81% |
| Grudge Keeper | 81% | +81% |
| Trap the Trespassers | 81% | +80% |
| Model of Unity | 79% | +78% |
| Missy | 79% | +77% |
| Genesis of the Daleks | 78% | +76% |
| Bite of the Black Rose | 75% | +75% |
| The Master, Gallifrey's End | 71% | +70% |
| Coercive Portal | 69% | +69% |
| Expropriate | 68% | +66% |
💰 The best cards for your The Valeyard 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.
- Great Intelligence's Plan
- This Is How It Ends
- Truth or Consequences
- Sycorax Commander
- Mob Verdict
- Davros, Dalek Creator
Tier 2 · Balanced up to €10/card
The real step up: pieces that are no longer cheap but still sensible.
- Ensnared by the Mara
- Capital Punishment
- Coercive Portal
- Prisoner's Dilemma
- Kess, Dissident Mage
- Propaganda
Tier 3 · No cap no cap
The cards your price cap was hiding from you.
- Expropriate
- Seize the Spotlight
- Cyberman Patrol
- Cybermen Squadron
- Make an Example
- Sakashima of a Thousand Faces
Reference prices (cheapest English printing). They change daily.
♾️ Known combos with The Valeyard
- Hullbreaker Horror + Sol Ring → Infinite colorless mana, Infinite storm count
- 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
- Dualcaster Mage + Twinflame → Infinite creature LTB, Infinite creature ETB, Infinite creature tokens with haste, Infinite magecraft triggers
- Blasphemous Act + Repercussion → Near-infinite damage to all players
- Narset's Reversal + Isochron Scepter → Infinite turns, Lock
- Dualcaster Mage + Saw in Half → Infinite creature tokens, Infinite creature ETB, Infinite magecraft triggers, Infinite creature LTB, Infinite death triggers
👥 Community decks with The Valeyard
Full decklists published by players on EDH Optimizer, with their analysis, bracket and health. Clone them to your account and optimize them for free.
Other commanders
Frequently asked questions
What is The Valeyard's color identity?
The Valeyard is Grixis (black, 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 The Valeyard come down, and how often does the deck get stuck?
In the average The Valeyard deck (the 99 cards most played with it, with 36 lands), simulated 4,000 times, the commander comes down on turn 4.9 on average and is on the battlefield before turn 7 in 95 % of games. It misses at least one land drop in the first six turns 31 % of the time and floods 6 %. Deck health: B (70/100).
How many lands should a The Valeyard deck run?
Real The Valeyard 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 Valeyard?
The three highest-synergy cards are Great Intelligence's Plan, This Is How It Ends, Ensnared by the Mara. This page lists the top 24 with their real inclusion rate in The Valeyard decks.
What combos does The Valeyard have?
The Valeyard 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 Valeyard deck cost?
You can start cheap: Great Intelligence's Plan, This Is How It Ends, Truth or Consequences 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.