EDH Optimizer
Zhao, the Moon Slayer
Legendary Creature — Human Soldier · 1R
Color identity: Red
Zhao, the Moon Slayer is red: its deck can only run cards of that color plus colorless ones.
Rules text:
Menace
Nonbasic lands enter tapped.
{7}: Put a conqueror counter on Zhao.
As long as Zhao has a conqueror counter on him, nonbasic lands are Mountains. (They lose all other land types and abilities and have "{T}: Add {R}.")
Reference price of the card: €0.34
Average lands in decks for Zhao, the Moon Slayer: 36
Land DestructionStaxBurnControlAggroGroup SlugPrisonRamp
Build your Zhao, the Moon Slayer deck step by step, with in-depth analysis and AI optimization of your list.
🛠️ Build a deck for Zhao, the Moon Slayer 📥 Analyze my deck🎲 How the average Zhao, the Moon Slayer 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 (51/100)
- Consistency0
- Speed60
- Interaction64
- Resilience80
- Closing46
See the cards of the average deck · 99 cards, 36 lands (2 nonbasic, 34 Mountain)
Sol Ring · Blood Moon · Magus of the Moon · Blasphemous Act · Ruby Medallion · Vandalblast · Winter Moon · Arcane Signet · Chaos Warp · Lightning Bolt · Redirect Lightning · Sunspine Lynx · Blood Sun · Burning Earth · Price of Progress · Koth, Fire of Resistance · Deflecting Swat · Ruination · Seething Song · Jeska's Will · Mana Geyser · Abrade · Harsh Mentor · Stranglehold · Treasure Nabber · Electro, Assaulting Battery · Faithless Looting · Hexing Squelcher · Lightning Greaves · Big Score · Razorkin Needlehead · Price of Glory · Swiftfoot Boots · Red Elemental Blast · Sozin's Comet · Avatar Roku, Firebender · Pyretic Ritual · Pyroblast · Zo-Zu the Punisher · Gamble · Leyline Tyrant · Molten Man, Inferno Incarnate · Torbran, Thane of Red Fell · Manabarbs · Professional Face-Breaker · Solemn Simulacrum · The Fire Crystal · Untimely Malfunction · Koth of the Hammer · Unexpected Windfall · Ragavan, Nimble Pilferer · Thrill of Possibility · Vexing Bauble · Cursed Mirror · Simian Spirit Guide · Desperate Ritual · Fire Nation Turret · Firebending Student · Mind Stone · Scytheclaw Raptor · Zuko, Exiled Prince · Anger · Etali, Primal Storm · Valakut, the Molten Pinnacle · Fire Nation Palace
🃏 Recommended cards for Zhao, the Moon Slayer
The highest-synergy cards in decks for Zhao, the Moon Slayer, with their inclusion rate.
| Card | Inclusion | Synergy |
|---|---|---|
| Magus of the Moon | 70% | +62% |
| Winter Moon | 60% | +57% |
| Blood Moon | 76% | +56% |
| Blood Sun | 46% | +46% |
| Burning Earth | 46% | +43% |
| Ruination | 43% | +41% |
| Sunspine Lynx | 48% | +39% |
| Stranglehold | 40% | +38% |
| Price of Progress | 46% | +38% |
| Koth, Fire of Resistance | 45% | +37% |
| Harsh Mentor | 40% | +36% |
| Price of Glory | 34% | +32% |
| Redirect Lightning | 48% | +30% |
| Sozin's Comet | 33% | +29% |
| Avatar Roku, Firebender | 32% | +29% |
| Molten Man, Inferno Incarnate | 30% | +29% |
| Treasure Nabber | 39% | +28% |
| Razorkin Needlehead | 35% | +27% |
| Zo-Zu the Punisher | 31% | +27% |
| Electro, Assaulting Battery | 38% | +27% |
| Koth of the Hammer | 28% | +25% |
| Vexing Bauble | 27% | +24% |
| Leyline Tyrant | 30% | +23% |
| Manabarbs | 29% | +23% |
💰 The best cards for your Zhao, the Moon Slayer 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.
- Winter Moon
- Blood Sun
- Ruination
- Koth, Fire of Resistance
- Harsh Mentor
- Molten Man, Inferno Incarnate
Tier 2 · Balanced up to €10/card
The real step up: pieces that are no longer cheap but still sensible.
- Magus of the Moon
- Blood Moon
- Burning Earth
- Sunspine Lynx
- Stranglehold
- Price of Progress
Tier 3 · No cap no cap
The cards your price cap was hiding from you.
- Redirect Lightning
- Avatar Roku, Firebender
- Hexing Squelcher
- Deflecting Swat
- Ragavan, Nimble Pilferer
- Braid of Fire
Reference prices (cheapest English printing). They change daily.
♾️ Known combos with Zhao, the Moon Slayer
- Underworld Breach + Wheel of Fortune + Jeska's Will → Infinite draw triggers for all players, Infinite looting for all players, Near-infinite magecraft triggers, Near-infinite storm count
- Underworld Breach + Lion's Eye Diamond + Wheel of Fortune → Infinite draw triggers, Infinite looting, Infinite looting for opponents, Near-infinite storm count
- Dualcaster Mage + Twinflame → Infinite creature LTB, Infinite creature ETB, Infinite creature tokens with haste, Infinite magecraft triggers
- Dualcaster Mage + Molten Duplication → Infinite creature LTB, Infinite creature ETB, Infinite creature sacrifice triggers, Infinite death triggers, Infinite creature tokens with haste, Infinite magecraft triggers
- The Reaver Cleaver + Aggravated Assault → Infinite artifact ETB, Infinite artifact LTB, Infinite artifact sacrifice triggers, Infinite artifact tokens, Infinite colored mana, Infinite combat damage, Infinite combat phases, Infinite mana creatures you control can produce, Infinite Treasure tokens, Infinite untap of creatures you control
- Underworld Breach + Grinding Station → Infinite self-mill, Near-infinite storm count, Near-infinite mana among colors of legendary creatures and planeswalkers you control
Other commanders
Frequently asked questions
What is Zhao, the Moon Slayer's color identity?
Zhao, the Moon Slayer is red: 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 Zhao, the Moon Slayer come down, and how often does the deck get stuck?
In the average Zhao, the Moon Slayer deck (the 99 most-included cards per EDHREC, with 36 lands), simulated 4,000 times, the commander comes down on turn 2.0 on average and is on the battlefield before turn 7 in 100 % of games. It misses at least one land drop in the first six turns 7 % of the time and floods 53 %. Deck health: C (51/100).
How many lands should a Zhao, the Moon Slayer deck run?
Real Zhao, the Moon Slayer 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, the Moon Slayer?
The three highest-synergy cards are Magus of the Moon, Winter Moon, Blood Moon. This page lists the top 24 with their real inclusion rate in Zhao, the Moon Slayer decks.
What combos does Zhao, the Moon Slayer have?
Zhao, the Moon Slayer has 6 known combos. The most popular one is Underworld Breach + Wheel of Fortune + Jeska's Will. 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, the Moon Slayer deck cost?
You can start cheap: Winter Moon, Blood Sun, Ruination 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.