EDH Optimizer
Vhal, Candlekeep Researcher
Legendary Creature — Human Wizard · 3U
Color identity: Blue
Vhal, Candlekeep Researcher is blue: its deck can only run cards of that color plus colorless ones.
Rules text:
Vigilance
{T}: Add an amount of {C} equal to Vhal's toughness. This mana can't be spent to cast spells from your hand.
Choose a Background (You can have a Background as a second commander.)
Reference price of the card: €0.05
Average lands in decks for Vhal, Candlekeep Researcher: 36
Activated AbilitiesCantripsTap / Untap
Build your Vhal, Candlekeep Researcher deck step by step, with in-depth analysis and AI optimization of your list.
🛠️ Build a deck for Vhal, Candlekeep Researcher 📥 Analyze my deck🎲 How the average Vhal, Candlekeep Researcher 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: B+ (78/100)
- Consistency0
- Speed77
- Interaction100
- Resilience95
- Closing97
See the cards of the average deck · 99 cards, 36 lands (6 nonbasic, 30 Island)
Sol Ring · Arcane Signet · Counterspell · Energy Refractor · Slagwurm Armor · Urn of Godfire · Umbral Mantle · Arcane Denial · Freed from the Real · Prismite · Shore Up · An Offer You Can't Refuse · Fabricate · Flow State · Pemmin's Aura · Sting, the Glinting Dagger · Swiftfoot Boots · Emry, Lurker of the Loch · High Tide · Midnight Clock · Negate · Pongify · Prophet of Distortion · Rapid Hybridization · Resculpt · Spell Pierce · Stonework Packbeast · Brainstorm · Cerulean Wisps · Consider · Frantic Search · Ioreth of the Healing House · Junk Diver · Loyal Inventor · Opt · Propaganda · Ravenform · Ring of Evos Isle · Spectral Sailor · Staff of Domination · Thassa's Ire · Thousand-Year Elixir · Trinket Mage · Triton Tactics · Trophy Mage · Vizier of Tumbling Sands · Wizard Class · Accorder's Shield · Aetherize · Aphetto Alchemist · Basalt Monolith · Blackblade Reforged · C.A.M.P. · Cathar's Shield · Cogwork Assembler · Crab Umbra · Dispel · Essence Capture · Etherium Sculptor · Force of Will · Forensic Gadgeteer · Hydroelectric Specimen // Hydroelectric Laboratory · Isochron Scepter · Reliquary Tower · Rogue's Passage · Myriad Landscape · Academy Ruins · Evolving Wilds · Lonely Sandbar
🃏 Recommended cards for Vhal, Candlekeep Researcher
The highest-synergy cards in decks for Vhal, Candlekeep Researcher, with their inclusion rate.
| Card | Inclusion | Synergy |
|---|---|---|
| Urn of Godfire | 42% | +42% |
| Energy Refractor | 42% | +41% |
| Slagwurm Armor | 42% | +41% |
| Umbral Mantle | 38% | +37% |
| Prismite | 33% | +33% |
| Freed from the Real | 33% | +30% |
| Sting, the Glinting Dagger | 29% | +28% |
| Shore Up | 33% | +28% |
| Pemmin's Aura | 29% | +27% |
| Flow State | 29% | +25% |
| Stonework Packbeast | 25% | +25% |
| Prophet of Distortion | 25% | +25% |
| Thassa's Ire | 21% | +21% |
| Triton Tactics | 21% | +21% |
| Ring of Evos Isle | 21% | +20% |
| Junk Diver | 21% | +19% |
| Loyal Inventor | 21% | +19% |
| Staff of Domination | 21% | +19% |
| Rogue's Passage | 33% | +18% |
| Vizier of Tumbling Sands | 21% | +18% |
| Ioreth of the Healing House | 21% | +17% |
| Cerulean Wisps | 21% | +17% |
| Spectral Sailor | 21% | +17% |
| Thousand-Year Elixir | 21% | +17% |
💰 The best cards for your Vhal, Candlekeep Researcher 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.
- Urn of Godfire
- Energy Refractor
- Slagwurm Armor
- Prismite
- Shore Up
- Stonework Packbeast
Tier 2 · Balanced up to €10/card
The real step up: pieces that are no longer cheap but still sensible.
- Umbral Mantle
- Freed from the Real
- Sting, the Glinting Dagger
- Pemmin's Aura
- Flow State
- Staff of Domination
Tier 3 · No cap no cap
The cards your price cap was hiding from you.
- Thousand-Year Elixir
- Talon Gates of Madara
- Nuka-Cola Vending Machine
Reference prices (cheapest English printing). They change daily.
♾️ Known combos with Vhal, Candlekeep Researcher
- 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
- Ioreth of the Healing House + Vizier of Tumbling Sands → Infinite untap of legendary creatures you control, Infinite mana legendary creatures you control can produce
- Ioreth of the Healing House + Aphetto Alchemist → Infinite untap of legendary creatures you control, Infinite mana legendary creatures you control can produce
- Power Artifact + Basalt Monolith → Infinite colorless mana
- Ioreth of the Healing House + Fatestitcher → Infinite untap of legendary creatures you control, Infinite mana legendary creatures you control can produce
- Ioreth of the Healing House + Clever Conjurer → Infinite untap of legendary creatures you control, Infinite mana legendary creatures you control can produce
Other commanders
Frequently asked questions
What is Vhal, Candlekeep Researcher's color identity?
Vhal, Candlekeep Researcher is blue: 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 Vhal, Candlekeep Researcher come down, and how often does the deck get stuck?
In the average Vhal, Candlekeep Researcher deck (the 99 most-included cards per EDHREC, with 36 lands), simulated 4,000 times, the commander comes down on turn 3.7 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 10 % of the time and floods 59 %. Deck health: B+ (78/100).
How many lands should a Vhal, Candlekeep Researcher deck run?
Real Vhal, Candlekeep Researcher 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 Vhal, Candlekeep Researcher?
The three highest-synergy cards are Urn of Godfire, Energy Refractor, Slagwurm Armor. This page lists the top 24 with their real inclusion rate in Vhal, Candlekeep Researcher decks.
What combos does Vhal, Candlekeep Researcher have?
Vhal, Candlekeep Researcher has 6 known combos. The most popular one is Dramatic Reversal + Isochron Scepter. 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 Vhal, Candlekeep Researcher deck cost?
You can start cheap: Urn of Godfire, Energy Refractor, Slagwurm Armor 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.