EDH Optimizer
Volrath the Fallen
Legendary Creature — Phyrexian Shapeshifter · 3BBB
Color identity: Black
Volrath the Fallen is black: its deck can only run cards of that color plus colorless ones.
Rules text:
{1}{B}, Discard a creature card: Volrath gets +X/+X until end of turn, where X is the discarded card's mana value.
Reference price of the card: €0.94
Average lands in decks for Volrath the Fallen: 36
ReanimatorVoltronDiscardGraveyardBig ManaCommander MattersAggro+1/+1 Counters
Build your Volrath the Fallen deck step by step, with in-depth analysis and AI optimization of your list.
🛠️ Build a deck for Volrath the Fallen 📥 Analyze my deck🎲 How the average Volrath the Fallen 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)
- Consistency57
- Speed48
- Interaction49
- Resilience79
- Closing92
See the cards of the average deck · 99 cards, 36 lands (12 nonbasic, 24 Swamp)
Sol Ring · Draco · Dark Ritual · Shadow of Mortality · Jet Medallion · Avatar of Woe · Crypt Ghast · Arcane Signet · Phyrexian Reclamation · Swiftfoot Boots · Hypnox · Phyrexian Arena · Reanimate · Animate Dead · Living Death · Whispersilk Cloak · Lightning Greaves · Mind Stone · Artisan of Kozilek · Gray Merchant of Asphodel · Filth · Scavenged Brawler · Bubbling Muck · Strands of Night · Key to the City · Baleful Force · Feed the Swarm · Sheoldred, Whispering One · Sign in Blood · Charcoal Diamond · Shadowgrange Archfiend · Victimize · Nirkana Revenant · Rune-Scarred Demon · Scion of Darkness · Scion of Draco · Solemn Simulacrum · Mutilate · Pathrazer of Ulamog · Dauthi Embrace · Tainted Strike · Thran Dynamo · K'rrik, Son of Yawgmoth · Mask of Griselbrand · Metalwork Colossus · Persist · Keen Duelist · Stitch Together · Vilis, Broker of Blood · Songs of the Damned · Wayfarer's Bauble · Dragon Shadow · Essence Harvest · Pestilence Demon · Reiver Demon · Toxic Deluge · It That Betrays · Night's Whisper · Archon of Cruelty · Cabal Ritual · Read the Bones · Tortured Existence · Burnished Hart · Rogue's Passage · Cabal Coffers · Bojuka Bog · Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth · Shizo, Death's Storehouse · Myriad Landscape · Volrath's Stronghold · Cabal Stronghold · Witch's Cottage · Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx · Ancient Tomb · Barren Moor
🃏 Recommended cards for Volrath the Fallen
The highest-synergy cards in decks for Volrath the Fallen, with their inclusion rate.
| Card | Inclusion | Synergy |
|---|---|---|
| Draco | 79% | +79% |
| Shadow of Mortality | 70% | +69% |
| Avatar of Woe | 63% | +61% |
| Hypnox | 60% | +60% |
| Rogue's Passage | 73% | +53% |
| Phyrexian Reclamation | 61% | +51% |
| Whispersilk Cloak | 53% | +47% |
| Artisan of Kozilek | 47% | +46% |
| Scavenged Brawler | 46% | +45% |
| Strands of Night | 45% | +44% |
| Filth | 46% | +43% |
| Living Death | 53% | +42% |
| Baleful Force | 42% | +41% |
| Key to the City | 43% | +41% |
| Shadowgrange Archfiend | 40% | +39% |
| Scion of Darkness | 38% | +37% |
| Scion of Draco | 38% | +37% |
| Animate Dead | 54% | +37% |
| Pathrazer of Ulamog | 37% | +36% |
| Dauthi Embrace | 36% | +35% |
| Rune-Scarred Demon | 39% | +34% |
| Metalwork Colossus | 35% | +34% |
| Tainted Strike | 36% | +33% |
| Keen Duelist | 34% | +33% |
💰 The best cards for your Volrath the Fallen 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.
- Shadow of Mortality
- Hypnox
- Rogue's Passage
- Whispersilk Cloak
- Artisan of Kozilek
- Strands of Night
Tier 2 · Balanced up to €10/card
The real step up: pieces that are no longer cheap but still sensible.
- Draco
- Avatar of Woe
- Phyrexian Reclamation
- Scavenged Brawler
- Filth
- Living Death
Tier 3 · No cap no cap
The cards your price cap was hiding from you.
- Volrath's Stronghold
- Sheoldred, Whispering One
- It That Betrays
- Shizo, Death's Storehouse
- Necromancy
- Stinging Study
Reference prices (cheapest English printing). They change daily.
♾️ Known combos with Volrath the Fallen
- Sanguine Bond + Exquisite Blood → Infinite lifegain triggers, Infinite lifeloss, Infinite lifegain
- Vito, Thorn of the Dusk Rose + Exquisite Blood → Infinite lifegain triggers, Infinite lifeloss, Infinite lifegain
- Sheoldred, the Apocalypse + Peer into the Abyss → Near-infinite card draw for target opponent, Near-infinite draw triggers for target opponent, Near-infinite lifeloss for target opponent, Target opponent loses the game
- Orcish Bowmasters + Peer into the Abyss → Infinite +1/+1 counters on a creature, Near-infinite card draw for target opponent, Near-infinite damage, Near-infinite draw triggers for target opponent, Target opponent loses the game
- Sensei's Divining Top + Sheoldred, the Apocalypse + Bolas's Citadel → Infinite card draw, Infinite draw triggers, Near-infinite lifegain, Near-infinite lifegain triggers, Near-infinite storm count
- Professor Onyx + Chain of Smog → Infinite lifegain, Infinite lifegain triggers, Infinite lifeloss, Infinite magecraft triggers
Other commanders
Frequently asked questions
What is Volrath the Fallen's color identity?
Volrath the Fallen is black: 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 Volrath the Fallen come down, and how often does the deck get stuck?
In the average Volrath the Fallen deck (the 99 most-included cards per EDHREC, with 36 lands), simulated 4,000 times, the commander comes down on turn 5.5 on average and is on the battlefield before turn 7 in 91 % of games. It misses at least one land drop in the first six turns 20 % of the time and floods 18 %. Deck health: C+ (65/100).
How many lands should a Volrath the Fallen deck run?
Real Volrath the Fallen 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 Volrath the Fallen?
The three highest-synergy cards are Draco, Shadow of Mortality, Avatar of Woe. This page lists the top 24 with their real inclusion rate in Volrath the Fallen decks.
What combos does Volrath the Fallen have?
Volrath the Fallen has 6 known combos. The most popular one is Sanguine Bond + Exquisite Blood. 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 Volrath the Fallen deck cost?
You can start cheap: Shadow of Mortality, Hypnox, Rogue's Passage 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.