EDH Optimizer
Zask, Skittering Swarmlord
Legendary Creature — Insect · 3GG
Color identity: Black · Green · Golgari
Zask, Skittering Swarmlord is Golgari (black and green): its deck can only run cards of those colors plus colorless ones.
Rules text:
You may play lands and cast Insect spells from your graveyard.
Whenever another Insect you control dies, put it on the bottom of its owner's library, then mill two cards. (Put the top two cards of your library into your graveyard.)
{1}{B/G}: Target Insect gets +1/+0 and gains deathtouch until end of turn. ({B/G} can be paid with either {B} or {G}.)
Reference price of the card: €16.60
Average lands in decks for Zask, Skittering Swarmlord: 35
InsectsReanimatorTokensMillGraveyardSelf-MillLands Matter+1/+1 Counters
Build your Zask, Skittering Swarmlord deck step by step, with in-depth analysis and AI optimization of your list.
🛠️ Build a deck for Zask, Skittering Swarmlord 📥 Analyze my deck🎲 How the average Zask, Skittering Swarmlord 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 (70/100)
- Consistency83
- Speed62
- Interaction33
- Resilience70
- Closing100
See the cards of the average deck · 99 cards, 35 lands (25 nonbasic, 3 Swamp, 7 Forest)
Grist, the Hunger Tide · Scute Swarm · Caustic Caterpillar · Haywire Mite · Grist, Voracious Larva // Grist, the Plague Swarm · Sol Ring · Hornet Queen · Aatchik, Emerald Radian · Crawling Sensation · Amzu, Swarm's Hunger · Icetill Explorer · Crawling Infestation · Giant Adephage · Fumulus, the Infestation · Springheart Nantuko · Hornet Nest · Mazirek, Kraul Death Priest · Scute Mob · Arcane Signet · Harrow · Blightbeetle · Giant Ankheg · Ant Queen · Assassin's Trophy · Circuit Mender · Skullclamp · Spring-Leaf Avenger · Canoptek Scarab Swarm · Crash of Rhino Beetles · Insidious Roots · Horizon Explorer · Moldgraf Millipede · Seedship Broodtender · Swarmyard Massacre · The Swarmweaver · Broodhatch Nantuko · Cultivate · Izoni, Thousand-Eyed · Canoptek Tomb Sentinel · Nantuko Elder · Entish Restoration · Huskburster Swarm · Ashnod's Altar · Beast Within · Exploration · Living Hive · Molt Tender · Grisly Salvage · Rampant Growth · Crop Rotation · Old Rutstein · Nantuko Husk · Village Rites · Hedge Shredder · Mortician Beetle · Nature's Lore · Moldervine Reclamation · Putrefy · Ripples of Undeath · Devouring Swarm · Nameless Inversion · Syr Konrad, the Grim · The Hunger Tide Rises · Altanak, the Thrice-Called · Command Tower · Swarmyard · Woodland Cemetery · Evolving Wilds · Overgrown Tomb · Path of Ancestry · Bojuka Bog · Golgari Rot Farm · Terramorphic Expanse · Fabled Passage · Verdant Catacombs · Undergrowth Stadium · Underground Mortuary · Llanowar Wastes · Yavimaya, Cradle of Growth · Tainted Wood · Deathcap Glade · Three Tree City · Myriad Landscape · Twilight Mire · Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth · Lotus Field · Boseiju, Who Endures · Eumidian Hatchery · Necroblossom Snarl
🃏 Recommended cards for Zask, Skittering Swarmlord
The highest-synergy cards in decks for Zask, Skittering Swarmlord, with their inclusion rate.
| Card | Inclusion | Synergy |
|---|---|---|
| Grist, the Hunger Tide | 89% | +80% |
| Caustic Caterpillar | 84% | +78% |
| Grist, Voracious Larva | 79% | +75% |
| Scute Swarm | 89% | +74% |
| Amzu, Swarm's Hunger | 71% | +68% |
| Aatchik, Emerald Radian | 72% | +68% |
| Hornet Queen | 74% | +68% |
| Crawling Sensation | 72% | +67% |
| Crawling Infestation | 69% | +65% |
| Giant Adephage | 68% | +64% |
| Haywire Mite | 83% | +64% |
| Icetill Explorer | 70% | +63% |
| Fumulus, the Infestation | 66% | +62% |
| Scute Mob | 63% | +61% |
| Hornet Nest | 65% | +61% |
| Springheart Nantuko | 66% | +59% |
| Swarmyard | 69% | +55% |
| Mazirek, Kraul Death Priest | 64% | +54% |
| Blightbeetle | 56% | +54% |
| Harrow | 58% | +50% |
| Giant Ankheg | 51% | +49% |
| Ant Queen | 49% | +47% |
| Circuit Mender | 48% | +46% |
| Spring-Leaf Avenger | 48% | +46% |
💰 The best cards for your Zask, Skittering Swarmlord 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.
- Grist, the Hunger Tide
- Caustic Caterpillar
- Aatchik, Emerald Radian
- Hornet Queen
- Crawling Sensation
- Crawling Infestation
Tier 2 · Balanced up to €10/card
The real step up: pieces that are no longer cheap but still sensible.
- Scute Swarm
- Fumulus, the Infestation
- Springheart Nantuko
- Swarmyard
- Horizon Explorer
- Swarmyard Massacre
Tier 3 · No cap no cap
The cards your price cap was hiding from you.
- Amzu, Swarm's Hunger
- Icetill Explorer
- Canoptek Scarab Swarm
- Exploration
- Altar of Dementia
- Three Tree City
Reference prices (cheapest English printing). They change daily.
♾️ Known combos with Zask, Skittering Swarmlord
- Springheart Nantuko + Tireless Provisioner → Infinite landfall triggers, Infinite tapped land tokens
- Springheart Nantuko + Tireless Provisioner → Infinite landfall triggers, Infinite tapped land tokens
- Springheart Nantuko + Lotus Cobra → Infinite landfall triggers, Infinite tapped land tokens
- Springheart Nantuko + Lotus Cobra → Infinite landfall triggers, Infinite tapped land tokens
- The Gitrog Monster + Dakmor Salvage → Infinite self-mill, Near-infinite self-discard triggers
- Springheart Nantuko + Nissa, Resurgent Animist → Infinite landfall triggers, Infinite tapped land tokens
Other commanders
Frequently asked questions
What is Zask, Skittering Swarmlord's color identity?
Zask, Skittering Swarmlord is Golgari (black and green): 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 Zask, Skittering Swarmlord come down, and how often does the deck get stuck?
In the average Zask, Skittering Swarmlord deck (the 99 most-included cards per EDHREC, with 35 lands), simulated 4,000 times, the commander comes down on turn 4.6 on average and is on the battlefield before turn 7 in 96 % of games. It misses at least one land drop in the first six turns 23 % of the time and floods 10 %. Deck health: B (70/100).
How many lands should a Zask, Skittering Swarmlord deck run?
Real Zask, Skittering Swarmlord 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 Zask, Skittering Swarmlord?
The three highest-synergy cards are Grist, the Hunger Tide, Caustic Caterpillar, Grist, Voracious Larva. This page lists the top 24 with their real inclusion rate in Zask, Skittering Swarmlord decks.
What combos does Zask, Skittering Swarmlord have?
Zask, Skittering Swarmlord has 6 known combos. The most popular one is Springheart Nantuko + Tireless Provisioner. 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 Zask, Skittering Swarmlord deck cost?
You can start cheap: Grist, the Hunger Tide, Caustic Caterpillar, Aatchik, Emerald Radian 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.