EDH Optimizer
Zhao, Ruthless Admiral
Legendary Creature — Human Soldier · 2BRBR
Color identity: Black · Red · Rakdos
Zhao, Ruthless Admiral is Rakdos (black and red): its deck can only run cards of those colors plus colorless ones.
Rules text:
Firebending 2 (Whenever this creature attacks, add {R}{R}. This mana lasts until end of combat.)
Whenever you sacrifice another permanent, creatures you control get +1/+0 until end of turn.
Reference price of the card: €0.05
Average lands in decks for Zhao, Ruthless Admiral: 36
SacrificeAristocratsTokensCluesAggroBurnArtifactsFirebending
Build your Zhao, Ruthless Admiral deck step by step, with in-depth analysis and AI optimization of your list.
🛠️ Build a deck for Zhao, Ruthless Admiral 📥 Analyze my deck🎲 How the average Zhao, Ruthless Admiral 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 (55/100)
- Consistency0
- Speed69
- Interaction30
- Resilience66
- Closing89
See the cards of the average deck · 99 cards, 36 lands (17 nonbasic, 10 Swamp, 9 Mountain)
Sol Ring · Arcane Signet · Obsessive Pursuit · Deadly Dispute · Azula, On the Hunt · Mayhem Devil · Pirate Peddlers · Callous Inspector · Big Score · June, Bounty Hunter · Deadly Precision · Juri, Master of the Revue · Fire Navy Trebuchet · Vindictive Warden · Beetle-Headed Merchants · Mahadi, Emporium Master · Pitiless Plunderer · Raven Eagle · Cruel Administrator · Mind Stone · Professional Face-Breaker · Cunning Maneuver · Fire Nation Attacks · Joo Dee, One of Many · Krenko, Tin Street Kingpin · Marionette Apprentice · Nested Shambler · Phoenix Fleet Airship · Rakdos Signet · Academy Manufactor · Impulsive Pilferer · Zuko, Exiled Prince · Captain Lannery Storm · Fire Nation Raider · Firebending Student · Lightning Strike · Talisman of Indulgence · Firebender Ascension · Greedy Freebooter · Umbral Collar Zealot · Combustion Man · Desperate Plea · Feed the Swarm · Fire Sages · Heartless Act · How to Start a Riot · Sold Out · Unexpected Windfall · Chaos Warp · Evereth, Viceroy of Plunder · Alesha, Who Laughs at Fate · Epic Downfall · Mirkwood Bats · Nyla, Shirshu Sleuth · Firebending Lesson · Sozin's Comet · Zuko's Conviction · Buzzard-Wasp Colony · Commander's Sphere · Fire Nation Cadets · Rough Rhino Cavalry · Warren Soultrader · Azula Always Lies · Command Tower · Dragonskull Summit · Evolving Wilds · Smoldering Marsh · Terramorphic Expanse · Fire Nation Palace · Boiling Rock Prison · Sulfurous Springs · Bojuka Bog · Foreboding Ruins · Myriad Landscape · Blazemire Verge · Haunted Ridge · Blood Crypt · Bloodstained Mire · Fabled Passage · Tainted Peak
🃏 Recommended cards for Zhao, Ruthless Admiral
The highest-synergy cards in decks for Zhao, Ruthless Admiral, with their inclusion rate.
| Card | Inclusion | Synergy |
|---|---|---|
| Obsessive Pursuit | 57% | +54% |
| Azula, On the Hunt | 47% | +45% |
| Pirate Peddlers | 40% | +39% |
| Callous Inspector | 37% | +37% |
| June, Bounty Hunter | 36% | +35% |
| Deadly Precision | 35% | +35% |
| Fire Navy Trebuchet | 34% | +33% |
| Beetle-Headed Merchants | 33% | +33% |
| Vindictive Warden | 34% | +32% |
| Raven Eagle | 33% | +32% |
| Fire Nation Palace | 35% | +31% |
| Cruel Administrator | 32% | +30% |
| Cunning Maneuver | 31% | +30% |
| Fire Nation Attacks | 31% | +29% |
| Joo Dee, One of Many | 30% | +29% |
| Boiling Rock Prison | 32% | +29% |
| Juri, Master of the Revue | 35% | +29% |
| Nested Shambler | 28% | +28% |
| Phoenix Fleet Airship | 28% | +26% |
| Fire Nation Raider | 26% | +26% |
| Krenko, Tin Street Kingpin | 30% | +25% |
| Zuko, Exiled Prince | 27% | +25% |
| Lightning Strike | 26% | +24% |
| Sold Out | 24% | +24% |
💰 The best cards for your Zhao, Ruthless Admiral 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.
- Obsessive Pursuit
- Azula, On the Hunt
- Pirate Peddlers
- Callous Inspector
- June, Bounty Hunter
- Deadly Precision
Tier 2 · Balanced up to €10/card
The real step up: pieces that are no longer cheap but still sensible.
- Phoenix Fleet Airship
- Krenko, Tin Street Kingpin
- Evereth, Viceroy of Plunder
- Pitiless Plunderer
- Academy Manufactor
- Sozin's Comet
Tier 3 · No cap no cap
The cards your price cap was hiding from you.
- Warren Soultrader
Reference prices (cheapest English printing). They change daily.
♾️ Known combos with Zhao, Ruthless Admiral
- Pitiless Plunderer + Ashnod's Altar + Reassembling Skeleton → Infinite colorless mana, Infinite death triggers, Infinite creature ETB, Infinite creature LTB, Infinite creature sacrifice triggers
- Warren Soultrader + Gravecrawler + Zulaport Cutthroat → Infinite creature ETB, Infinite creature LTB, Infinite creature sacrifice triggers, Infinite death triggers, Infinite lifegain triggers, Infinite lifeloss, Infinite storm count
- Gravecrawler + Pitiless Plunderer + Ashnod's Altar → Infinite colorless mana, Infinite death triggers, Infinite creature ETB, Infinite creature LTB, Infinite creature sacrifice triggers, Infinite storm count
- Warren Soultrader + Pitiless Plunderer + Reassembling Skeleton + Blood Artist → Infinite artifact ETB, Infinite artifact LTB, Infinite artifact sacrifice triggers, Infinite creature ETB, Infinite creature LTB, Infinite creature sacrifice triggers, Infinite death triggers, Infinite lifeloss
- Warren Soultrader + Pitiless Plunderer + Reassembling Skeleton + Bastion of Remembrance → Infinite artifact ETB, Infinite artifact LTB, Infinite artifact sacrifice triggers, Infinite creature ETB, Infinite creature LTB, Infinite creature sacrifice triggers, Infinite death triggers, Infinite lifeloss
- Brass's Bounty + Revel in Riches → Win the game at the beginning of your next upkeep
Other commanders
Frequently asked questions
What is Zhao, Ruthless Admiral's color identity?
Zhao, Ruthless Admiral is Rakdos (black and red): 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 Zhao, Ruthless Admiral come down, and how often does the deck get stuck?
In the average Zhao, Ruthless Admiral deck (the 99 most-included cards per EDHREC, with 36 lands), simulated 4,000 times, the commander comes down on turn 4.1 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 8 % of the time and floods 55 %. Deck health: C (55/100).
How many lands should a Zhao, Ruthless Admiral deck run?
Real Zhao, Ruthless Admiral 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 Zhao, Ruthless Admiral?
The three highest-synergy cards are Obsessive Pursuit, Azula, On the Hunt, Pirate Peddlers. This page lists the top 24 with their real inclusion rate in Zhao, Ruthless Admiral decks.
What combos does Zhao, Ruthless Admiral have?
Zhao, Ruthless Admiral has 6 known combos. The most popular one is Pitiless Plunderer + Ashnod's Altar + Reassembling Skeleton. 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 Zhao, Ruthless Admiral deck cost?
You can start cheap: Obsessive Pursuit, Azula, On the Hunt, Pirate Peddlers 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.