EDH Optimizer
Zhang Liao, Hero of Hefei
Legendary Creature — Human Soldier · 4BB
Color identity: Black
Zhang Liao, Hero of Hefei is black: its deck can only run cards of that color plus colorless ones.
Rules text:
Whenever Zhang Liao deals damage to an opponent, that opponent discards a card.
Reference price of the card: €25.33
Average lands in decks for Zhang Liao, Hero of Hefei: 34
Build your Zhang Liao, Hero of Hefei deck step by step, with in-depth analysis and AI optimization of your list.
🛠️ Build a deck for Zhang Liao, Hero of Hefei 📥 Analyze my deck🎲 How the average Zhang Liao, Hero of Hefei 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 (50/100)
- Consistency68
- Speed55
- Interaction26
- Resilience65
- Closing46
See the cards of the average deck · 99 cards, 34 lands (20 nonbasic, 14 Swamp)
Liliana's Caress · Megrim · Sol Ring · The Raven Man · Waste Not · Geth's Grimoire · Painful Quandary · Raiders' Wake · Hypnotic Specter · Sangromancer · Virus Beetle · Caged Sun · Cao Cao, Lord of Wei · Crypt Ghast · Dark Ritual · Fell Specter · Scythe Specter · Banshee of the Dread Choir · Burglar Rat · Gray Merchant of Asphodel · Syphon Mind · Tinybones, Bauble Burglar · Tourach, Dread Cantor · Cunning Lethemancer · Dark Deal · Feed the Swarm · Jet Medallion · Mind Stone · Mind Twist · Nezumi Informant · Torment of Hailfire · Aclazotz, Deepest Betrayal // Temple of the Dead · Arcane Signet · Black Market Connections · Death Cloud · Elderfang Disciple · Go for the Throat · Hymn to Tourach · Necrogoyf · Nyx Lotus · Plaguecrafter · Quest for the Nihil Stone · Rotting Rats · Tergrid, God of Fright // Tergrid's Lantern · Awaken the Erstwhile · Bandit's Talent · Damnation · Davriel, Rogue Shadowmage · Gauntlet of Power · Liliana of the Veil · Swiftfoot Boots · Vampiric Tutor · Bad Deal · Bloodgift Demon · Bone Miser · Bottomless Pit · Cabal Ritual · Commander's Sphere · Demonic Tutor · Dreamstealer · Mornsong Aria · Thought Vessel · Tinybones Joins Up · Tinybones, Trinket Thief · Vicious Rumors · Cabal Coffers · Bojuka Bog · Geier Reach Sanitarium · Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth · War Room · Cabal Stronghold · Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx · Rogue's Passage · Reliquary Tower · Castle Locthwain · Access Tunnel · Avishkar Raceway · Vibrant Cityscape · Myriad Landscape · Temple of the False God · Tyrite Sanctum · Barren Moor · Desert of the Glorified · Phyrexian Tower · Witch's Cottage
🃏 Recommended cards for Zhang Liao, Hero of Hefei
The highest-synergy cards in decks for Zhang Liao, Hero of Hefei, with their inclusion rate.
| Card | Inclusion | Synergy |
|---|---|---|
| Megrim | 100% | +95% |
| The Raven Man | 100% | +95% |
| Liliana's Caress | 100% | +95% |
| Raiders' Wake | 87% | +84% |
| Waste Not | 93% | +83% |
| Geth's Grimoire | 87% | +80% |
| Hypnotic Specter | 80% | +77% |
| Painful Quandary | 87% | +77% |
| Virus Beetle | 80% | +74% |
| Cao Cao, Lord of Wei | 73% | +73% |
| Scythe Specter | 73% | +73% |
| Sangromancer | 80% | +70% |
| Fell Specter | 73% | +69% |
| Geier Reach Sanitarium | 80% | +69% |
| Banshee of the Dread Choir | 67% | +66% |
| Tinybones, Bauble Burglar | 67% | +63% |
| Caged Sun | 73% | +63% |
| Tourach, Dread Cantor | 67% | +62% |
| Mind Twist | 60% | +59% |
| Cunning Lethemancer | 60% | +57% |
| Burglar Rat | 67% | +56% |
| Syphon Mind | 67% | +55% |
| Nezumi Informant | 60% | +54% |
| Death Cloud | 53% | +51% |
💰 The best cards for your Zhang Liao, Hero of Hefei 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.
- Megrim
- The Raven Man
- Raiders' Wake
- Painful Quandary
- Virus Beetle
- Scythe Specter
Tier 2 · Balanced up to €10/card
The real step up: pieces that are no longer cheap but still sensible.
- Liliana's Caress
- Waste Not
- Geth's Grimoire
- Hypnotic Specter
- Cao Cao, Lord of Wei
- Caged Sun
Tier 3 · No cap no cap
The cards your price cap was hiding from you.
- Cabal Coffers
- Torment of Hailfire
- Bone Miser
- Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
- Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx
- Black Market Connections
Reference prices (cheapest English printing). They change daily.
♾️ Known combos with Zhang Liao, Hero of Hefei
- Marauding Blight-Priest + Exquisite Blood → Infinite lifegain triggers, Infinite lifeloss, Infinite lifegain
- Aetherflux Reservoir + Exquisite Blood → Infinite damage, Infinite lifegain triggers
- Sensei's Divining Top + Aetherflux Reservoir + Bolas's Citadel → Infinite card draw, Infinite draw triggers, Near-infinite damage, Near-infinite lifegain, Near-infinite lifegain triggers, Near-infinite storm count
- 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
- Peer into the Abyss + Underworld Dreams → Target opponent loses the game
Other commanders
Frequently asked questions
What is Zhang Liao, Hero of Hefei's color identity?
Zhang Liao, Hero of Hefei 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 Zhang Liao, Hero of Hefei come down, and how often does the deck get stuck?
In the average Zhang Liao, Hero of Hefei deck (the 99 most-included cards per EDHREC, with 34 lands), simulated 4,000 times, the commander comes down on turn 5.7 on average and is on the battlefield before turn 7 in 87 % of games. It misses at least one land drop in the first six turns 26 % of the time and floods 10 %. Deck health: C (50/100).
How many lands should a Zhang Liao, Hero of Hefei deck run?
Real Zhang Liao, Hero of Hefei decks run 34 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 Zhang Liao, Hero of Hefei?
The three highest-synergy cards are Megrim, The Raven Man, Liliana's Caress. This page lists the top 24 with their real inclusion rate in Zhang Liao, Hero of Hefei decks.
What combos does Zhang Liao, Hero of Hefei have?
Zhang Liao, Hero of Hefei has 6 known combos. The most popular one is Marauding Blight-Priest + 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 Zhang Liao, Hero of Hefei deck cost?
You can start cheap: Megrim, The Raven Man, Raiders' Wake 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.