EDH Optimizer
Zedruu the Greathearted
Legendary Creature — Minotaur Monk · 1URW
Color identity: Red · Blue · White · Jeskai
Zedruu the Greathearted is Jeskai (red, blue and white): its deck can only run cards of those colors plus colorless ones.
Rules text:
At the beginning of your upkeep, you gain X life and draw X cards, where X is the number of permanents you own that your opponents control.
{U}{R}{W}: Target opponent gains control of target permanent you control.
Reference price of the card: €1.22
Average lands in decks for Zedruu the Greathearted: 35
DonateChaosGroup HugControlPillow FortLifegainCard DrawStax
Build your Zedruu the Greathearted deck step by step, with in-depth analysis and AI optimization of your list.
🛠️ Build a deck for Zedruu the Greathearted 📥 Analyze my deck🎲 How the average Zedruu the Greathearted 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 (66/100)
- Consistency73
- Speed52
- Interaction74
- Resilience87
- Closing57
See the cards of the average deck · 99 cards, 35 lands (25 nonbasic, 4 Plains, 4 Island, 2 Mountain)
Sol Ring · Arcane Signet · Humble Defector · Nine Lives · Role Reversal · Bazaar Trader · Pendant of Prosperity · Akroan Horse · Propaganda · Ghostly Prison · Hithlain Rope · Steel Golem · Bucknard's Everfull Purse · Thought Vessel · Yes Man, Personal Securitron · Perplexing Chimera · Vedalken Plotter · Illusions of Grandeur · Puca's Mischief · Swords to Plowshares · Harmless Offering · Iroh, Tea Master · Rust Elemental · Stiltzkin, Moogle Merchant · Paradox Haze · Shifting Grift · Aggressive Mining · Azorius Signet · Grid Monitor · Counterspell · Izzet Signet · Wrong Turn · Approach of the Second Sun · Statecraft · Alexios, Deimos of Kosmos · Boros Signet · Chaos Warp · Path to Exile · Psychosis Crawler · Goblin Cadets · Coveted Falcon · Fractured Identity · Khârn the Betrayer · Howling Mine · Pramikon, Sky Rampart · Fellwar Stone · Sudden Substitution · Decanter of Endless Water · Transcendence · Zidane, Tantalus Thief · Pyromancer's Swath · Delusions of Mediocrity · Talisman of Progress · Windborn Muse · Moderation · Smothering Tithe · Talisman of Creativity · Goldnight Castigator · Jinxed Idol · Darksteel Mutation · Felidar Sovereign · Lightning Greaves · Arcane Denial · Marina Vendrell's Grimoire · Command Tower · Reliquary Tower · Mystic Monastery · Exotic Orchard · Glacial Fortress · Sulfur Falls · Clifftop Retreat · Hallowed Fountain · Raugrin Triome · Steam Vents · Sacred Foundry · Sea of Clouds · Training Center · Spectator Seating · Prairie Stream · Flooded Strand · Hall of Heliod's Generosity · Shivan Reef · Evolving Wilds · Arid Mesa · Battlefield Forge · Homeward Path · Scalding Tarn · Adarkar Wastes · Azorius Chancery
🃏 Recommended cards for Zedruu the Greathearted
The highest-synergy cards in decks for Zedruu the Greathearted, with their inclusion rate.
| Card | Inclusion | Synergy |
|---|---|---|
| Humble Defector | 78% | +74% |
| Nine Lives | 73% | +70% |
| Role Reversal | 69% | +66% |
| Pendant of Prosperity | 67% | +64% |
| Bazaar Trader | 67% | +64% |
| Akroan Horse | 64% | +62% |
| Steel Golem | 58% | +56% |
| Hithlain Rope | 58% | +56% |
| Bucknard's Everfull Purse | 57% | +55% |
| Yes Man, Personal Securitron | 57% | +54% |
| Vedalken Plotter | 56% | +54% |
| Perplexing Chimera | 56% | +54% |
| Illusions of Grandeur | 55% | +53% |
| Propaganda | 64% | +53% |
| Puca's Mischief | 55% | +53% |
| Ghostly Prison | 63% | +52% |
| Harmless Offering | 53% | +51% |
| Iroh, Tea Master | 52% | +50% |
| Rust Elemental | 51% | +49% |
| Stiltzkin, Moogle Merchant | 48% | +46% |
| Shifting Grift | 47% | +45% |
| Aggressive Mining | 46% | +45% |
| Paradox Haze | 47% | +45% |
| Grid Monitor | 46% | +44% |
💰 The best cards for your Zedruu the Greathearted 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.
- Humble Defector
- Nine Lives
- Role Reversal
- Pendant of Prosperity
- Akroan Horse
- Steel Golem
Tier 2 · Balanced up to €10/card
The real step up: pieces that are no longer cheap but still sensible.
- Bazaar Trader
- Bucknard's Everfull Purse
- Propaganda
- Ghostly Prison
- Grid Monitor
- Statecraft
Tier 3 · No cap no cap
The cards your price cap was hiding from you.
- Illusions of Grandeur
- Gilded Drake
- Thought Lash
- Smothering Tithe
Reference prices (cheapest English printing). They change daily.
♾️ Known combos with Zedruu the Greathearted
- Curiosity + Niv-Mizzet, Parun → Infinite draw triggers, Infinite card draw, Near-infinite damage
- Niv-Mizzet, Parun + Niv-Mizzet, Visionary → Near-infinite damage, Infinite card draw, Infinite draw triggers
- Approach of the Second Sun + Windfall → Win the game
- Niv-Mizzet, the Firemind + Curiosity → Infinite card draw, Infinite draw triggers, Near-infinite damage
- Approach of the Second Sun + Mystical Tutor → Win the game
- Approach of the Second Sun + Reprieve → Win the game
👥 Community decks with Zedruu the Greathearted
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 Zedruu the Greathearted's color identity?
Zedruu the Greathearted is Jeskai (red, blue and white): 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 Zedruu the Greathearted come down, and how often does the deck get stuck?
In the average Zedruu the Greathearted deck (the 99 cards most played with it, with 35 lands), simulated 4,000 times, the commander comes down on turn 4.0 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 18 % of the time and floods 1 %. Deck health: B (66/100).
How many lands should a Zedruu the Greathearted deck run?
Real Zedruu the Greathearted 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 Zedruu the Greathearted?
The three highest-synergy cards are Humble Defector, Nine Lives, Role Reversal. This page lists the top 24 with their real inclusion rate in Zedruu the Greathearted decks.
What combos does Zedruu the Greathearted have?
Zedruu the Greathearted has 6 known combos. The most popular one is Curiosity + Niv-Mizzet, Parun. 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 Zedruu the Greathearted deck cost?
You can start cheap: Humble Defector, Nine Lives, Role Reversal 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.